No. But understand that you will need to disregard the CVT maintenance schedule in the owner's manual. You may need to upgrade the trans cooler or at the very least cut the service intervals down to about 30K at least the first time and make sure to replace the filter/filters also initially. On your 1st CVT service swap out the CVT's oil pan with the replacement that includes a drain plug. At the first sign of any CVT whining replace the fluid. Then depending on your driving conditions you can kind of come up with your own service interval.

These units were poorly designed and cause the ATF to foam especially in warmer climates or when subjected to HD usage like towing or extensive off-road use. This results in improper ATF cooling which means the fluid breaks down much faster than the "suggested" interval. Beyond that I think these are terrific vehicles for the price. Good luck with it and welcome.

 

Thanks for the response. I will definitely get the tranny pan with the drain plug. When I swap the pans I will do the filters as well.

 

Well I have a 2014 FDII Patriot, bought it new. I honestly would recommend against it. My CVT has had heat problems from day one. I also got the towing package which is supposed to give you a 2000lb towing capacity. But to be honest, mine can haul me alone at freeway speeds without heating up and going into limp in mode. It can be very unsafe.

So even though I like the size and capability of the Patriot there is no way I would recommend it to anyone. At least not the CVT version which means the FDII package. Quite the shame as other than the constant CVT issues it's been a good little vehicle. I just don't trust it at all.

 

James, I'm curious what type of climate you live in?

 

2010 trail rated here. Minimal problems with the CVT. Have done lots of off-roading and mountain interstate driving, never had limp mode or overheat. Did have the whine in hot weather and as the fluid aged. Changed fluid and filters at around 70k, whine went away.

Agree with ralphfr above on earlier and more frequent fluid/ filter changes.

Some other FDII owners have had whine and limp mode, but fluid/filter change took care of the issue for some.

 

Ditto Ralph and Sandy -- Keep your CVT fluid clean and fresh.

I've had 2 CVTs. First went to 110,000, second to 273,000. After awhile things wear out. We love my Patriot so much we got another for Wifey (2014).

A CVT would be a selling point for me. I much prefer it to an automatic or a manual. It has the smoothness and convenience of an automatic and can still be shifted like a manual -- best of both worlds.

 

The FDII CVT does not have the sport shift modes, just a low range.

Which can be an issue in 4WD mode because putting it in Low puts it into crawl mode. Great if you need crawl mode. But when coming down a snowy or icy mountain pass in 4WD you can really use the tranny to help hold your speed down unless you shift out of 4WD. That's my only complaint about this setup and just mentioning it in case it matters to the OP.

 

Agreed that a transmission pan with a drain plug is a good idea, and 60k mile fluid changes....30k if you wanna be really paranoid, which I can't blame ya. Doing an oil change or tire rotation a little early doesn't hurt, same with a fluid change. Would also recommend not buying CVT fluid from dealer.

https://www.amazon.com/Valvoline-Co...d=1510936595&sr=1-1&keywords=valvoline+continuously+variable+transmission+fluid

https://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-product/transmission-fluid/automatic/synthetic-cvt-fluid/

Those are the two best available fluids for it, Amsoil a bit more so from what I hear. Also they've got a little something on your website to explain exactly what the CVT is, and how it works. https://blog.amsoil.com/what-is-a-cvt-transmission/

 

I own a 2014 FDii. I had an episode with the CVT overheat, whine, and limp mode at about 50K miles. I had a trans service done and insisted that both filters were changed. The dealership did it, changed both filters and I paid my 300 bucks. Since then I have not had an issue.
As others here have stated, be diligent with fluid and filter changes. There is a "cooler filter" that is a PITA to change, but it's less of a PITA then needing a new transmission.
Also, there was a service note that went out to dealers that noted that an overfill situation is as bad as an underfill situation when it comes to the CVT. So, get the doorman CVT dipstick and chart and when you do your own changes (because it's easy, and waaaaaay cheaper than paying the dealer) fill to the middle of the acceptable range. Not to the top of the acceptable range. This apparently helps keep the fluid from foaming and preserves it's capacity to lubricate and cool the cvt.
Since my first instance of CVT overheat, and having the fluid and filters changed, I put myself on a more strict service schedule and have changed the fluid and filters several times. I have not had another issue with my CVT and I am at 170K miles now.
Another quirk that I have found with the Patriot is that it is very sensitive to spark plug condition. They are cheap. Change them often. I change mine every 6th oil change. (I change my oil every 5K whether the light came on or not). There are mountains of posts about hesitations, jerking or bucking while accelerating, and everyone jumps to transmission problems because of the history. But, almost all of those end up as worn spark plugs.
This forum can be a great resource, and there are a lot of helpful people here.
A CVT will never be my first choice for transmission in a vehicle, but I thought I had to have the FDii and there was no other choice. So, at the end of the day, even if I feel like the vehicle is actually handicapped with the CVT, I still like the vehicle and would buy it again.

 

Everything I've researched is dead nuts what Aaron said. I'm just going to bullet point it for readability:

1. Change fluid between 30K and 50K miles (50K-80K km).
2. Don't overfill! Too much fluid and the rotating parts churn it to foam!
3. There's a strainer in the pan (cleanable if $4 is too much) AND a filter that needs changed behind the soupcan bolted to the trans.

First: For #3, I'm going to source a spin on canister filter adapter and find a place to mount it that will replace the tiny filter behind the cooler. Once I do I will post up here.

Second: There's not enough room on this forum for me to quantify it, but I suspect that Mopar CVTF+4 is an inferior product. The Jeep/Dodge applications of this transmission (Jatco *11e) produce the majority of internet traffic regarding it's failure. The main difference I can infer is the wholesale supplier to Jeep/Dodge is different than the wholesale supplier to Nissan/Kia/Mistubishi.

Third: I like CVTs. I've had several, in quads and cars and love them. A guy designed one for F1 supercar racing, and they banned it before he could bring it to the track as an unfair advantage. Just like Richard Petty's STP Superbird, it's not ahead of it's time, the times just need to keep up! If internal combustion engines are still a thing in 20 years, they'll all be pushing CVTs.:wink2:

 

Redone: I would think a spin on filter adapter would be an easy modification, and could be placed anywhere it would be easier to access. Just have to balance out if the work and expense required, is worth it. To those who keep their vehicles longer or don't want to pay a dealer or shop to perform the service it may be.
Also, I am less inclined to place blame for the CVT issues on the fluid. Regardless of branding, there are likely only two or three companies making the actual fluid. This is not my first CVT equipped vehicle, but most certainly has the worst ownership experience. My personal feelings are that it has much more to do with 1: very poor programming on Chrysler's part, which impacts.... 2: using a CVT designed for small "econo-box" cars in a CUV with a gvwr ~1K lbs more than those other econo-box's that this transmission was designed for. And 3: poor implementation of cooling on Chrysler's part. A lot of this could have been avoided if a higher cooling capacity was originally spec'd. Heat is clearly the enemy of the CVT, so using it in an application and not doing everything you can to offer it the highest capacity cooling system is, in a technical word, "stupid". As many members here have found, they can eliminate the issues all together by installing a supplemental trans oil cooler. This alone proves that if Chrysler had used a higher capacity oil cooler from the start, this issue wouldn't be nearly as wide spread as it is. The FDii's have the largest capacity factory trans oil cooler across the line up and clearly still don't have enough...
More frequent fluid changes mask the cooling issue, because you are changing the fluid prior to it breaking down through repeated heat/cool events. Which also might not be a bad thing had Chrysler specified a more frequent fluid change schedule. But they failed on both counts.

 

My cvt in my 2011 Fd2 overheated at 50k. I was pushing it hard in the mountains on a hot day though. After that I had the dealer change the fluid and filters and haven't had another problem.

Personally I think the CVT is superior to the regular auto transmission in every way. This is because its always at the optimal gear for your desired acceleration. Because of this, the engine doesn't have to change rpms as much as gets better mpg and acceleration. The CVT is also lighter and cheaper to make and has less moving parts and better life expectancy (if maintained properly).

I still prefer the manual though, much more fun to drive, not as great off road though.

 

Thanks everyone for the advice and recommendations. I have heard a few complaints like jamesdak mentioned which concerns me, but this Patriot has 20k on it and doesn't look to have seen any off road use (or much of any use at all since it is a 2014 with 20k miles). $12,500 for a loaded limited with such low use I think I will take a chance and I understand this is my risk I am assuming on my own Hopefully if I follow all the recommendations here, it will give me many years of service.

 

Clearly you understand. It should be a long time before you get to even premature transmission problems. Looking back, probably half the cars I've owned were sold/traded before 100,000 miles. While I had several conventional a/ts give me trouble under 100,000 miles, all my CVTs made it past that mark. You can cross that bridge when you get to it. You've probably got 100,000 carefree miles ahead of you -- maybe even 200,000. Who knows? And of course, anything will wear out after awhile.

Most of my Patriot repairs are coming at twice the expected interval. I keep thinking Should I put money into a vehicle with this many miles? Then my counter-thought is I've hardly spend anything to this point. I would have expected this repair long ago. How can I begrudge the money now?

 

You know Ignatz, you keep bringing up the conventional automatic transmission problems you've had, and I think it's important for you to know that it's not just you. In particular, every TH700R4 I've owned (3 of them in square body GM trucks) has crapped the bed, and always when least expected. Not wheeling, not flying down the interstate, just putzin' around on busy streets and parking lots. BANG!-Griiiiiind-wrrr-no go. All were less than 100K on odo, too. Back then a trans R&R was only $700, but I also only made $12/hr.

Oh yeah! I blew up the transmission in my Cherokee Trailhawk a few weeks after we bought it! Granted, it was a first year and I knew the trans could have issues, so I kinda blew it up on purpose so I could get it replaced under warranty, with enough warranty left to make sure it was a good one.:grin2:

 

Yeah, some of those GM trannies were disappointing. I had a Bravada with about 50,000 miles on it (for me, that means it was about a year old). I pulled into a parking space and couldn't back out of it. Well, I did get out of it by climbing the curb in front of me and getting it to roll back far enough that I could cut my wheels and drive out to one side. Mechanic couldn't explain it -- said it broke at an intended break-away point. Otherwise it looked like new. GM "donated" the rebuilt tranny and I paid my dealer to install it. I got another 90,000 out of it before trading it (140, 000 total).

 

Well I'm going to out the the proverbial limb here. I believe the automatic will fade away just like the manual did in the 50's. We now have 6,9,10.12 speeds and more. Where will it end? People are complaining about the constant up and down shifting with these automatics. The CVT will become the dominant transmission and here's why: The CVT can find the "sweet" spot that is the torque/horsepower/economy point of any engine. Today's modern computers are capable of an infinite number of variables for the CVT that no automatic can duplicate regardless of the the number of shift points it may have. This is obvious to me when driving my 07' CVT versus my 16' six speed. Ok so the CVT of today is rather crude, but that will change over time. The CVT could be made "beefier" as needed. Years ago the experts said that at the drag strip a manual in the hands of a pro would always beat the automatic. When the automatics began to consistently beat the manual the same experts said the automatic would not be reliable with that much power and they were wrong again. When there are lots of CVT's out on the road, the price for repair will fall and fall some more.

 

wpeck, I couldn't agree more. The CVT does naturally what the automatics are trying to do with more and more gears. All those gears are making something already complex into a mechanical monstrosity! Honda seems to have a pretty nice CVT (I had a CRV for a week as a loaner a month or so ago). When these umpteen-speed trannies start failing, people are going to faint at the repair costs.

Our Wrangler has a 6-spd manual which IMHO is about 3 too many. Usually I'll shift 1-3-5 or 2-4-6. I just get tired of clutching all those gears. Wifey's Patriot has a 5-spd manual and for a 2.0 all those gears are probably helpful. I don't drive it too much, but when I do I'd say it gets a little tedious in the mountains.

 

Haha, I drive a 10-speed manual for work and usually only use six or seven of the forward gears. Even a manual these days probably isn't as manual as most folks think. Kids these days need to learn driving in a Willy's MB so they know how good they have it.

 

Yeah, talking with a used car dealer the other day as my son worked on his Honda Element purchase. The guy stated he wouldn't touch the Jeeps with a CVT no matter how cheap he could get them at auction. Said you can't sell them because no one trusts them. Sort of funny how the local dealer acts like there's no known issue with these CVT's.

 

You could say the same thing about GM trannies from the mid-80s to mid-90s. While most ran fine, I had enough fail to make me distrust them. "Once burned is twice shy."

 

Just as a point of reference on the CVT worries. My FDII has had overheat issues since new. I fought and fought with the local dealer for a solution vs just servicing it myself since it was under warranty. I finally said "f' it" and changed the fluid myself. This winter before the fluid change I could not get over the one local mt pass without getting the dreaded CVT whine. Yesterday with temps at 78, and the AC on, the jeep went over it just fine with no noise from the CVT at all. I think since it was originally overfilled the fluid broke down and was totally compromised by all the overheat events. With fresh fluid seems fine. Of course I tried to get Larry H. Miller Jeep in Riverdale UT to do the fluid change but both the dealer and the regional manager told me no.

 

Just as a point of reference on the CVT worries. My FDII has had overheat issues since new. I fought and fought with the local dealer for a solution vs just servicing it myself since it was under warranty. I finally said "f' it" and changed the fluid myself. This winter before the fluid change I could not get over the one local mt pass without getting the dreaded CVT whine. Yesterday with temps at 78, and the AC on, the jeep went over it just fine with no noise from the CVT at all. I think since it was originally overfilled the fluid broke down and was totally compromised by all the overheat events. With fresh fluid seems fine.

Glad to hear a fluid change helped. Could have been overfilled, or a low grade fluid that barely meets the minimum requirements was used for the factory fill.

IRC, a while back was another member here from Utah who had the same problem with his FDII. Had the fluid changed and problem went away.

 

Here you go, Jamesdak! You are by far the most outspoken critic of the Patriots CVT and dealer support for it as well. Everyone here just complaining isn't going to change anything. So Champion the Cause! Call up one of these, start taking names and get ready to kick some butt!
https://www.hg.org/law-firms/auto-dealer-fraud/usa-utah.html

Get a class action going, if I have problems with mine, I'll sign up too.
:smiley_thumbs_up:

 

I actually said a class action lawsuit would wake up the company, all I got was "GO FOR IT" No complaints here but I am willing to do something about this BS, and even head it since I have attorneys. I wasn't afraid to use them with Chevy

 

I believe the CVT is bad and Chrysler knows about it, see below about an article I found, that's really opens up about the CVT from a transmission mechanics point of view. What Problems Plague The Chrysler 42LRE Transmission?

I just spent over $200 on amazon for parts to get this vehicle fixed and now I am wondering if I should even put in the work this weekend? I got most of my parts today, I ended up topping off the power steering fluid and the whine seems to have gone away, even with the 105 degree weather.

Never have I have been so annoyed to get a simple reading of the trans fluid. I got my Trans dip stick and there is the reason why you cant leave it in the trans fluid tube, its too long. Reference for part https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WRTXKXW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also the measurements are off? I drove from work to my PO Box to pick up my parts, around 30 minutes to get the trans fluid hot. Vehicle was on level surface and turned on the engine and let it run while I took the measurement....it was around 60 and compared to the heat chart on the above article, this would make the temps off the charts. Unsure if the dipstick is correct as it is sticking way out of the tube. I have an OBD wifi tool and OBD Fusion app on my iPhone that I used on the 2003 Trailblazer to diagnose some oxygen sensor and fuel issues, would this tool be able to tell the trans temp since its a 2012 and I assume more information would spit out?

I have to say the Patriot seems to be a product of Chrysler's attempt to destroy its relationship with its consumers. I have never felt so annoyed working on a vehicle as I do just trying to get fluid levels on this CVT transmission and I use to work on my air cooled Porsche 911, when I had it.

 

I believe the CVT is bad and Chrysler knows about it, see below about an article I found, that's really opens up about the CVT from a transmission mechanics point of view. What Problems Plague The Chrysler 42LRE Transmission?

Lol, wrong transmission.

I just spent over $200 on amazon for parts to get this vehicle fixed and now I am wondering if I should even put in the work this weekend? I got most of my parts today, I ended up topping off the power steering fluid and the whine seems to have gone away, even with the 105 degree weather.

Na, I don't think you should mess with it. You clearly don't know what you're doing.

Never have I have been so annoyed to get a simple reading of the trans fluid. I got my Trans dip stick and there is the reason why you cant leave it in the trans fluid tube, its too long. Reference for part https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WRTXKXW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's for diagnostics only, not meant to be left in...obviously.

Did you bother to read the instructions?

" This is the Dealer tool for Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge vehicles that originally came without a dipstick.

This does not stay in the car. Just used for checking level and then removed.

INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW...WE DO NOT SHIP COMPLETE PAPER INSTRUCTIONS "

Also the measurements are off? I drove from work to my PO Box to pick up my parts, around 30 minutes to get the trans fluid hot. Vehicle was on level surface and turned on the engine and let it run while I took the measurement....it was around 60 and compared to the heat chart on the above article, this would make the temps off the charts. Unsure if the dipstick is correct as it is sticking way out of the tube. I have an OBD wifi tool and OBD Fusion app on my iPhone that I used on the 2003 Trailblazer to diagnose some oxygen sensor and fuel issues, would this tool be able to tell the trans temp since its a 2012 and I assume more information would spit out?

You tell us, you're the guy who's supposed to know what he's doing, right?

Since you're not the original owner, I guess you should go back to whoever you got the car from, and threaten them with a lawsuit.

I have to say the Patriot seems to be a product of Chrysler's attempt to destroy its relationship with its consumers. I have never felt so annoyed working on a vehicle as I do just trying to get fluid levels on this CVT transmission and I use to work on my air cooled Porsche 911, when I had it.

Yeah, sure...whatever you say.

 

On a related note, first batch of stuff came in, so I can do the filter upgrade on Friday. The pan is supposed to ship Thursday so I don't think I'll have it by the weekend.
The future of CVT filtration:

Mocked up, finger tight:

 

Curious to see this get all sorted out. I still haven't gone back in and attempted to get to my paper filter.

 

Can we adjust our attitudes? We're here to help each other, not to whine or complain. This website is for Patriot owners who want to help each other diagnose and correct problems and to share the experiences of owning a Patriot. As vehicles get older there will be more problems and the website will become more useful. Sorry if I'm scolding and I don't want to rub salt in anyone's wounds. To repeat, this forum is for helping each other, not venting attitudes or launching lawsuits. If its not helpful, lets keep it to ourselves.

 

Mostly I agree with this but in all honesty a class action or at least government regulated action is due on the CVT. And this is a great and proper place to organize that since it's a site for Patriot owners.

 

Actually Sandstone is a great help around here and a wealth of good
information.

 

Redone I think you have a great idea, I would go that route but I am taking off the front bumper and redoing rad lines, oil and trans cooler with the parts I ordered already. If your idea would have been done last week, I would have ordered parts for this weekends job.

 

I just wanted to provide an update. I took ownership of my 2014 Patriot and almost immediately noticed a faint whine from the CVT transmission on warmer days sitting in traffic. I followed the advice on this forum and drained the stock CVT fluid and added Valvoline synthetic CVT fluid and a drain plug pan and new filters. The whine went away and it is almost like I even noticed a more responsive transmission on the freeway. So far so good with 22,000 miles it is still a relatively new Jeep but I will keep my fingers crossed and change the fluid again at 50,000 miles. Thanks again everyone for your help!

 

If I were you, since you have a pan with a drain plug and can source inexpensive CVT fluid, I would do a drain and fill every 30K. That's what I've been doing on my 08. Total cost is around $50 every 30K, not bad insurance and it only takes a few minutes to do. Besides, when you drain the fluid (removing the pan or not), you are still leaving some old fluid in the Torque Converter so doing a drain and fill every 30K helps cycle that old fluid.

 

Thanks for all of the CVT info. It hits 100+ here in the summers so Ill make sure to follow the instructions if I get a Patriot!