Looking at a 07 Patriot, what should I know?

Truestyle · Oct 2, 2011

My wife is looking at buying an 07 Patriot. We have had a 02 Grand Cherokee in the past and although the seats were comfortable and the 4x4 was awesome it rode like crap and was having some issues at 85k miles.

We are interested in the Patriot because of the good gas mileage, looks and 4x4. WE have a Buick Ranier now and it only gets 14.5mpg city. What can we expect with a 4x4 Patriot? Are the advertised numbers realistic?

This particular Jeep was hit hard in the front corner and partially salvaged but looks to be repaired well and no frame damage. It has 33k miles which is nice. But without reading through pages for hours on here I wonder if some of you experts can give me a crash course on what goes bad on these cars at what mileage and what I should look for on this particular Jeep.

I read a couple topics about trannys going out at 30k and 60k miles. Is that a rareity? Also about cheap parts being used in the front end? This Jeep has a button to turn the 4x4 on and off, on alot of SUVs that is a death sentence for the mechanical part that makes that happen, is there any issues with engaging the 4x4? Does it get better gas mileage without the 4x4 engaged?

I really like this Jeep but dont want to get into a bad situation with it. I am very mechanically inclined, have a scan tool, repair cars frequently, have built engines and pretty much worked on all parts of a car. Even did a dreaded evaporator core on that Grand cherokee, ick.

So any help would be much appreciated. I am usually the one that helps others on other boards I am a part of but am now in desperate need of some good knowledge

Thanks

John Smeton · Oct 2, 2011

Personally if I wanted a vehicle to hold up a while I would not risk buying it if it has been in a car crash. Who knows what could have gotten bent. having said that, if they give you an awesome deal on it , its a risk and it may be worth it. Make sure you get the inspection reports and everything that needed to be fixed and have it checked out before you buy it.

how much you planning on paying for it?

you can expect 20 mpg and upwards, maybe up to 23 and 23-26 highway

Id probably chew the dealer down if you can as much as possible if your dead set on buying it

goguadi · Oct 2, 2011

i'd never buy a salvaged vehicle .
you never know what happened with it.
regardless the price.
as for the year,i'd go for at least 08-09

tiptronic · Oct 2, 2011

Dont worry about 4x4 its permanently activated & switches itself in & out of 4x2-4x4 without any input from you . When the trans. detects slippage or loss of traction on any given wheel / wheels 4x4 will switch in automatically . However when the going gets tough you can engage 4x4 Lock with the on board lever , this along with switching ESP full off or partial off should be able to help you get out of a lot of hills, sticky, snow , sand situations.You are probably wise to read through the engineers report on the damage repair & maybe let a good reputable Jeep dealer give it a good once over!!...Good Luck !!

MoeBucks · Oct 2, 2011

My thoughts

I used to heavily research rebuilt/salvage vehicles, because years ago, I wanted to buy top level luxury cars for pennies on the dollar. Well, it ain't that. Go on Cars.com or AutoTrader.com and look at Patriots based on price. Surprisingly, I found less than 100 within 75 miles of me, despite there being dozens of Jeep dealers close by, and there were plenty with 35k or less miles, going for $16k or less -- they weren't 07's either.

So, unless this 07 is being offered to you for $8k, I wouldn't bother. Never touch a salvage/rebuilt title unless there's a dramatic price drop, and I would only do it with high end luxury vehicles. It would have to be a 2010 BMW 7 series being offered for $45-50k with 10,000 miles.

Do some shopping, and get it from a dealer that will offer you an extended warranty at their dealership, or buy a newer year. Salvage/Rebuilt is too risky to use on a regular low priced car.

As far as gas mileage, when I was doing 75% highway and 25% local, I could easily do over 300 miles and still have over 1/4 tank of gas left. When I started doing 90% local it dropped to being a half a tank at 120-140 miles, but it depends on how you drive it. And yes, the 4x4 mode does burn more gas. You should only use it in bad weather (rain, snow) or off roading -- This is the case with any vehicle.

On the mechanical side of things, I've had my 2010 for a year, with zero issues, even though it's been through tons of bad weather, but I do pamper it. I go to the dealer every 3 months for my oil, filter, and inspection. Have had zero issues. All vehicles will have complaints from some owners. Even Honda and Toyota are getting that now, so unless you can find a similar SUV, with the features you want, styling you want, space you need (Patriot surprisingly is roomy), and other factors, this is going to be your best choice.

In the end, 1 out of 10 cars will be a lemon, 1 out of 10 will last to 200k miles, and the rest are C+ students. Just don't get a lemon.

ramaporiver4 · Oct 2, 2011

have the front end checked ! ball joints,etc.

Truestyle · Oct 2, 2011

Excellent info thank you much!

The price is low, as all their prices are, but not dirt cheap. An 07 is very hard to find here in nebraska and surrounding area so its hard to compare prices but they usually go for 14k on up with having close to 100k miles. This one is really low miles and for sale for 12k. So its cheap but not dirt cheap. 10-12k is our price range so it looks thats the only way we can afford a patriot right now. We looked at them new in 07 actually and then they were 18-24k new, I cant believe they still are selling for 15k, theres really not much depreciation!! Im used to my cadillacs that go from $50k to $15k in 5 years LOL.

Looks like my next step will be getting the carfax. They said they would provide it of course. Our trade in is only worth 8500 so my goal was to get them down so I dont have to pay much. Hearing what you guys are saying maybe they DO need to get down below 10k. Ill report my findings thanks

interesting smilies you guys have on this site LOL :hammertime:

soflatechie · Oct 2, 2011

I would seriously think about that one. I just bought my 09 riot with about 30K miles for 14K. An 07, regardless of miles, that has been crashed - for 12K? That is no bargain my friend. You would be much better off looking for one outside of your area that has not been banged up and taking a road trip to go get it.

I wouldn't do unless it is pretty close to an even trade for you.

festerw · Oct 2, 2011

I'll sell you mine as is for 8500 seriously. No wrecks, it needs toe links in the rear and has a front end clunk no one can find the source of with 85,000 miles.

Decided yesterday I'm likely going back to an XJ, maybe a TJ if I can find the right price.

John Smeton · Oct 2, 2011

I am not going to quote in this message. Like Moebucks mentioned price 8 k, yesterday I was actually going to type 7 k in my first message but I didn't feel like playing politics. (if that is even politics) or getting into pricing. In my humble opinion, you could find a 07 with 50 k miles or less, that has not been in wrecked, if done right for 10 or under.

As far as miles yes it depends how you drive it, do you go above 2.5 rpm's when taking off, if so that pulls gas milage down more than you might think. do you go 65 or 80 on the highway..youll be surprised how much mpg go down after 55-68 mpg. Are you driving smooth and nice and not driving too rough(yes including off roading)

As far as trading it at the very least swapping in even; although, its taking a big risk man. Hope it works out for you

Truestyle · Oct 3, 2011

Well, damn. You all make it sound easier than it is to find a deal. Seriously I cant find any around here at prices like that. This one is actually the cheapest around by far. I think they are in high demand because there are very very few for sale. Ill search around some more.

Thing is, buying used I like to know where the car came from and why the dealer has it. Usually people like to dump off problem cars as trade ins because dealers just make sure it runs and they will take anything. Then turn around and sell it. This jeep I atleast know why they have it. Its not because of some glitchy transmission or hidden expensive repair that will fool the buyer. They bought it wrecked, fixed it and are selling it. So if it was repaired correctly then I think its a perfectly good car. Kind of like refurbished electronics. Just have to figure out if everything is repaired well like you all said.

Ill still continue to look around before I press into the salvaged one.

woodharpy · Oct 3, 2011

It must really depend on the area, I just bought an 07 4x4 5-speed with 40k on it for 12,500 from a dealer and that was a really good deal for up here in MT. It books out for around 14,600 and I actually had to travel over 300 miles to find one for that price with the options I wanted. I do agree with everyone that I would be hesitant to buy one with a salvage title. Although if the price is right and either you are knowledgeable enough to know that the repairs were done right or you have a mechanic that you trust that can look it over for you, it shouldn't be a problem.

MoeBucks · Oct 3, 2011

Truestyle said:
Well, damn. You all make it sound easier than it is to find a deal. Seriously I cant find any around here at prices like that. This one is actually the cheapest around by far. I think they are in high demand because there are very very few for sale. Ill search around some more.

Thing is, buying used I like to know where the car came from and why the dealer has it. Usually people like to dump off problem cars as trade ins because dealers just make sure it runs and they will take anything. Then turn around and sell it. This jeep I atleast know why they have it. Its not because of some glitchy transmission or hidden expensive repair that will fool the buyer. They bought it wrecked, fixed it and are selling it. So if it was repaired correctly then I think its a perfectly good car. Kind of like refurbished electronics. Just have to figure out if everything is repaired well like you all said.

Ill still continue to look around before I press into the salvaged one.

Unless you have the worst credit known to man, or no proof of income, with a $8500 trade-in, and negotiating with a dealer, I'm sure you can find something decent for a comparable price. Saving $2-5k is not worth a salvage title. When you go to resell it, or trade it in, it will be worth DIDDLY. No dealership will take it, and anyone looking to buy it will want a major discount.

Looking at a 07 Patriot, what should I know?

Truestyle

John Smeton

goguadi

tiptronic

MoeBucks

ramaporiver4

Truestyle

soflatechie

festerw

John Smeton

Truestyle

woodharpy

MoeBucks

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities