At 53,000 on my 2015. So far smooth sailing

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

The Patriots have proven to be pretty reliable (aside form a few common issues with the early models, like any new car there were a few "bugs" to work out in the first couple years), as long as you keep up with the maintenance you should be fine, like any vehicle there are "wear parts" (suspension bushings/ball joints/ tie-rod ends, wheel bearings, hoses, belts, etc.) that will eventually need replaced when you get up in miles (usually over 100k mi). There are quite a few Patriots with over 150k mi on them and a few with over 200k mi.

 

Welcome to the forum! If you do your maintenance, it will last forever. Mine is over 250,000 and still running fine. Had a wiring problem at 190,000 but put out $1K for a new engine harness and its been fine ever since.

As for weak points, early Patriots were notorious for leaky sunroofs and fragile front-ends. I've had neither problem. Later years seem to be pretty solid all around.

I don't know what you have for a transmission, but if you have the CVT I have 2 points of advice:
1. Change the fluid every 50,000, not 100,000 as the manual says. Mine failed early, but was covered under warranty so I have no quarrels.
2. If you drive in a mountainous area, or hot climate, or if you tow at all, get the transmission cooler. Its not expensive and will significantly extend its life.

Finally, realize that when you buy a used vehicle, the last owner probably got rid of it for a reason. Don't be discouraged if you encounter an early repair. Once you're past that you'll probably have a very reliable vehicle. Hope you love your Patriot as much as I love mine!

 

If you take care of it well, you should have no problem. There will be some maintenance but that is to be expected on the 150,000 miles you want to put on the road.

 

Good advice above about the fluid changes. I did my 6 speed tranny fluid change about a month ago, just past 50K miles. I haven't decided on the 10 year/150K coolant yet, but thinking I will just do a radiator drain and fill at about 75K/ 6 years+/-. These "new" coolants are keeping these systems nearly spotless compared to the very old high silicate conventional green coolants of yesteryear. OEM spark plugs are only 30K type. A VERY easy DIY project.

Besides mechanical maintenance, do a full "detailing" at least 2 times a year. I'm a minimalist, so spring and fall is about all I care to do. "Clean" the paint and apply a good sealant. Treat all the rubber and plastic parts with a good product. I like "303" because it contains no petroleum distillates, but there is lots of good stuff out there. No need to go overboard, but using wrong techniques (towel/brush auto car washes, bad towels, etc.) can micro scratch your paint. Keep your engine compartment clean (not spotless....don't be a slave to your car). Park away from the grocery store/mall morons that open their car doors into your new vehicle.....o.k., maybe a bit OCD, but one of my pet peeves. Hate to see a row of dings down the side of a nice vehicle. Invest in Rugged Ridge (cheaper) or WeatherTec floor liners - God's gift from heaven, especially with the "well-like" depressed floor of the Pat. You guys should each send me $10 each for this gem of advice,LOL.

A "good" fuel cleaner additive a few times a year might help, especially if you don't use top tier gas. Good ones contain PEA and examples are Techron and Gumout. No need to go wild on "mechanic in a can" additives.

There's some threads here about "painting" a thin layer of antiseize, grease, or fluid film on areas like the front hubs, rotor hats, etc. to keep (eliminate) the rust down.
Yuck!!!

4.5 years with my Pat and I am very satisfied with the "Bang for the buck" factor. Plus, I enjoy the classic look and NOT being a sheeple driving one of those jelly bean SUV's!

 

Plus, I enjoy the classic look and NOT being a sheeple driving one of those jelly bean SUV's!

Hey I resemble that comment!

 

When you say something we don't know, I will send you $10. Lol.

 

You can send me $20 (or jelly beans)

 

That's great. You made me laugh out loud! (not just lol) :laugh:

 

I hate to be the pain in the butt here... but I'd have to say it's been the worst car (in terms of reliability) that I've ever owned. It's a 2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 5-Speed that we bought in 2009. I've owned the car since ~18,000 miles. It was great for the first couple of years. It now has just shy of 80k miles and it's totally falling apart.


Problems:

Sunroof leaks like crazy. I've cleaned the drain tubes, they're not even dirty. I never park under trees, so I don't know why. It's leaked so bad that I get a deluge from the front dome light when we start driving after a rain storm. The rear part of the roof near the channels are starting to rust, presumably because there's so much water that passes back there from the drain tubes.

Wiring Issues: Pretty much anything on the left side is bad. I've inspected all the terminals... everything is bad. The ABS and TRAK lights are on. The left turn-signal doesn't work. Even the fuel gauge doesn't work.

Half the lights in the factory radio have failed.

Rear trunk has water leak into it from time to time... it pools occasionally in the spare tire well.


Aside from trim pieces breaking off around the seats, just the usual maintenance stuff, tires, brakes, batteries, shocks.


I'm just not happy with it. It could be a great little car, it's fun to drive, and (used to) get good gas mileage. But it's been a total disaster. I still don't know how to fix all the wiring issues...

 

I hate to be the pain in the butt here... but I'd have to say it's been the worst car (in terms of reliability) that I've ever owned. It's a 2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 5-Speed that we bought in 2009. I've owned the car since ~18,000 miles. It was great for the first couple of years. It now has just shy of 80k miles and it's totally falling apart.(

Yea.....I, too, hate to add to the butt pain, especially because some members have managed to get good service out of an early Patriot. Butt......I don't think I would have purchased a Chrysler product during the "dark years" of bankruptcy. Chrysler was gutted by Daimler, and then even more by Cerberus. The economic downturn of 2007-2009 added to the fire.

My MOPAR dealer mechanic friend noted that there were huge improvements just after FCA took over. But now, it seems they are once again looking to sell the company. Many think that Chrysler should be allowed to disappear. If lucky, the Jeep and Ram badges will continue on under someone else.

FYI, I had 3 short wheelbase Caravans in the 25 years prior to my Patriot that were all very good regarding cost of ownership. My 2014 has been good so far.

End of mild rant.

 

Also thinking, if Fiat sells Jeep, what do they have left in the US market? Chrysler/Dodge sales are struggling -- they can't float a company on mini-vans -- and Fiat sales are a knee-slapper. Seen any on the road near you?

 

and Fiat sales are a knee-slapper. Seen any on the road near you?

I see them but being in Los Angeles there are a fair number of sub compact and "smart" cars on the road.

Anyway.. I have a 2008 with 160k on it and no major problems.. California weather is easy on the cars so I hope to get at least another 50k out of this one.

 

Fiat does one thing right....every year at the Detroit International Auto Show.......Nice car, huh??? LOL

 

Wow! I just noticed there's also a car in this picture

 

2008 5 speed manual, 168,720 miles as of today. I was very skeptical when we bought it used with 80,000 on it but it has proven to be very dependable. Stuff I replaced that broke or wore out (not incl tires or brakes):

OEM radio
Front sway bar end links
Window switch module in LF door
Wheel bearings...all of them
Crank sensor
Intake stepper motor
Multiple LR turn signal bulbs. No idea why.

Currently the LF seat heater has decided not to work.
It has also sprouted rust over both rear wheels in the last year. Considering it made it 8-9 years in the salt belt I think that is acceptable, though it will be the death of it as far as keeping it. I'm hoping to eek 200,000 out of it before the quarter panels begin to flap.
We have not put a clutch in it, nor ball joints (had Moog replacements that looked new when we bought it and I grease them).

It is equal in reliability to the Subaru Forester it replaced, which IMO is impressive. Bonus points for not having a timing belt to deal with!

I would buy another...and may. Not much else out there that is as practical and affordable. Hoping for one more year...

 

I thought I knew a lot about cars. I guess I'm old school. What is an "intake stepper motor"?

 

I am shopping for a 4WD manual transmission Jeep for Minnesota winter driving. I have found one for sale locally that has a 2.4 L engine and 5 speed transmission, with 115,000 miles on the clock. It looks clean and straight and has aluminum alloy wheels. It looks pretty basic, including cloth seats. The price is $5200.

When I go to look at it, what should I be checking for, and what should I be asking?

Thanks.

 

I sold my 4x4 manual with allow wheels with heated seats and skid plates and tow hook. It was a 2011 and had cloth seats. I sold it 2 years ago for 12.5k and it had 50k miles.

 

Thanks for the information. The Patriot I am considering is a 2008 and it does not have a sunroof.

My son has a 2008 Liberty with a Sky Slider roof. He likes it, but I warned him that the roof will likely give him trouble.

 

Thanks for the information. The Patriot I am considering is a 2008 and it does not have a sunroof.

Well that eliminates one potential problem. If you make sure your sub-frame is solid, then I'd say you're good to go.

Really, at 115,000 even ball joints aren't premature. Sooner or later any will wear. Its just that some of the people on here complain of ball joints at 30,000! I had a Bravada that was on its third set before 70,000. One set replaced under warranty, the next set out of my pocket.

The Bravada was having FI issues at 72,000 and that's when I sold it, keeping my Pontiac at 180,000. I got another 70,000 out of the Pontiac with very few problems, so it proved to be a wise decision. Nothing wrong with a high mileage vehicle if you're willing to cope with the little stuff that comes along.

 

i am taking my 2008 off the road for a rotten subframe..167,000 miles and its unsafe to drive..i bought it ten years ago this month and its junk..

 

Are you in the US? I believe the extended warranty is good for 10 years so get yourself to a dealer pronto!and make FCA give you a new subframe. You're right on the cusp, so don't dilly-dally. If your dealer gives you trouble then reach out to JeepCares on this website. They've helped a lot of others with sticky problems.

 

These cars are unreliable. 43,000 miles and I've replaced things on this car that I didn't replace on previous non-Chrysler vehicles with twice the mileage.

 

Are you sure you haven't got a service department making their living off you? They tell you that you need the repair so you let them do it.

A lot of folks on here are discovering a second opinion is well worth the time.

 

I ended up with a 2010 Patriot with 94,000 miles. I had it in the shop several times the first month; one CV joint and both front wheel bearings had to be replaced. All seems well for now; it has been good in the snow.

 

Hopefully you're over that 'new/used car bump' when you fix why the last owner sold it.

 

Do the "Weather Tech" floor liners fit? I was thinking about getting those but remember ordering floor mats from Weather Tech years ago and they did not fit well.

 

WT liners are custom built to the vehicle. Just order the floor liners - rear and front - and you'll be a happy person. If you want to get the cargo liner too, go ahead. The first accessories I got for my Patriot were those and I'm happy with them because I also had them on my Jeep Liberty for years.

 

That is good to hear. I will be getting those. Thanks

 

Ok, thanks for the info. I will be ordering these soon. Thanks

 

FWIW, I have Weathertech and they've worked well. My only real complaint is that I wish the rear liners went under the front seats a little farther.

 

considering Jeep Patriot Purchase

Thanks for all the great insite on the patriot, it will really help me in my decision making. I will say this, my 1st new car was a Nissan Sentra SE, and I followed my maintenence manual to the "T." Every oil change and service my manual called for I my mechanic sign off in my book and kept every receipt all the way up to I think it was 190,000 mile service. And aside from other maintenance due to normal wear and tear because of high commuting travel, like brakes, I got 246,000 miles with no major repairs needed and only put 3 set of 30,000 mile tires on it because I rotated them every other oil change, and knew how to keep an eye on alignment issues and tire pressure. It pays to get educated from your mechanic, you need to trust them ust as much as you trus your doctor, because they are the doctor for your car.

 

Thanks for all the great insite on the patriot, it will really help me in my decision making. I will say this, my 1st new car was a Nissan Sentra SE, and I followed my maintenence manual to the "T." Every oil change and service my manual called for I my mechanic sign off in my book and kept every receipt all the way up to I think it was 190,000 mile service. And aside from other maintenance due to normal wear and tear because of high commuting travel, like brakes, I got 246,000 miles with no major repairs needed and only put 3 set of 30,000 mile tires on it because I rotated them every other oil change, and knew how to keep an eye on alignment issues and tire pressure. It pays to get educated from your mechanic, you need to trust them ust as much as you trus your doctor, because they are the doctor for your car.

Welcome to the site! When you get your Patriot, please drop by our newbie threads, introduce yourself to the others, and tell us about your Patriot.

You take good care of your vehicle, so your Patriot will probably last forever.

The keys to vehicle longevity:
1. Keep it lubed.
2. Keep it clean.
3. Don't push it to the max.
4. Don't hunt for problems.

 

So....... has any Patriot owner been happy with their vehicle?

 

Happy? Really I'd say ecstatic. Granted it was built as an entry level model, but for the money nothing else comes close. I've had very few repairs except for two transmissions, but they were both replaced under warranty. I've got 270,000 miles on mine. We liked mine so much we got another for Wifey (2014). Hers has 80,000 and so far no problems, just oil changes.

Mine is starting to show its age, but the body squeaks and mystery rattles are new in the last 6 months/10,000 miles.

FWD is quite capable in snow (we get plenty) and it handles light off-roading (trails) just fine. I've only had it in mud a couple times, and those excursions were accidental, but it impressed me -- frankly it got me out of trouble . . . and put a swagger in my step. If FWD can do that, 4wd should be even better.

If you're looking at buying one, be advised that early years had sunroofs that were notorious leakers, but easily fixed according to others on this forum. Some not all have had front end problems (mine has been fine) and some of the early years have rusted subframes (again, not mine). Original owners were covered by an extended warranty on the sub-frame, but second owners are not so get that checked before buying something that has major issues. Finally, if you get a CVT, change the fluid every 50-60,000 miles; don't wait until the suggested interval at 120,000 -- it might not make it that far.

So yeah, I love mine. I'll be racking up 300+ miles over the weekend and another 300+ on Monday. No fears. Its solid and reliable. If it wasn't, it'd be gone.

 

I'm alright with mine so far. The only real complaint I have is with the UConnect navigation system that is about 10 years old and doesn't have current maps, despite being installed in a 2017 (2016) vehicle. Chrysler should really have an upgrade option for everyone with the older units like mine, but I doubt that will ever happen, so I'll just wait until the warranty goes and then swap it out with a new, third-party unit.