I'm at 46,000 and no problems.

This site has scads of threads about roof leaks, many (but not all) related to sunroofs. Seems to be a weak point on many Patriots, but others of us have no problems at all. You shouldda seen the rain I drove through in western NY a couple weeks ago -- like nothing I've seen before -- but not a drop inside. That said, if I was buying a used Pat, I'd take it for a test drive on a rainy day and check the dome lights and headlining for signs of water. It seems that's a common place for them to leak.

I've seen a few threads on front end issues, but so far I'm solid.

Based on what I've seen on this site, major drive-train problems seem to be rare. If I were buying a used Pat, I'd be more concerned that it had been wrecked and refurbished. Even then, if done by a good body shop, no problem. My old Pontiac got creamed when it had maybe 10-15,000 on it; I got it fixed and put another 225,000 on it -- not even a tire problem.

My fuel economy is generally much better than the sticker.

I'm glad I bought mine. :smiley_thumbs_up:

 

take it to a mechanic and tell them to look at the suspension. With SOOOOOOO many of us having BIG problems w/ the front ball joints(the are what connect to the control arms), having to get those swapped over is going to be a huge expense that if not covered by warranty, you'll want to avoid.
I have to have mine replaced on Monday on my 2008 4x4 Ltd. I only have 340 miles left on my 3/36K warranty. My odometer is reading 35,660.
WARNING: If a ball joint fails, the suspension can collapse causing a loss of control. So don't put off having a bad set of joints replaced.

 

Is there a way to check these when I'm looking over the vehicle to assess their condition?

 

I bought a used Patriot recently and learned a few things. Even if the Patriot is not bought at a Jeep dealer, you can still go to a Jeep dealer with the VIN and they can tell you everything about it including the warranty transfer information. Lifetime warranties will not transfer. But I believe that the 7 year 70,000 mile warranty will. Looks like you're beyond that.

If you suspect crash damage, every panel on the Patriot has a white sticker on it with the VIN.(doors, bumpers, fenders) They are all in places that can be seen without removing the panel. Make sure they match.

Maintenence records are always reassuring to have. Ask for them from the owner. If the owner doesn't have them, any Jeep dealer will be able to give you records of service even if it wasn't performed at their location.

Check to see what midifications were done to the patriot like a tow hitch or fog lights or whatever. Its nice if the owner can prove that they were done by a credible mechanic. Not everyone knows what they are doing. The hitch and wiring harness on my used Patriot were installed incorrectly.

It would have been helpful for me to pull the engine cover off and look whats under it. It pulls straight off. I found a mouse nest under my cover after I got it home. The mouse ate through the insulation on all of the coil wires. Good Luck. I hope this helps and I hope it works out for your buddy.

 

look for old water damage everywhere in the vehicle...everywhere...look too see if it once had or still has the horrid leak.