I was recently in the market for a new car, and I had my eye on a slick-looking Jeep Patriot. While I was excited to jump right into a new car, I just had to be sure that I was making a well thought out decision. So, after hours of research, what did I find out?
So, how many miles can a Jeep Patriot last? On average, owners report their Jeep Patriot living until about 150,000 miles with no issues. There is quite a bit of variation when comparing year to year models, though.
For example, it seems unanimous that the 2011 Jeep Patriot is the most unreliable car of the bunch. This is due predominately to engine problems. Owners have reported reoccurring problems such as trouble starting, engine seizing, and not shifting correctly. It’s best to avoid this model if you are in the market for a Patriot.
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Do the Jeep Patriots have a lot of problems?
A few big problems persist with the Jeep Patriots, and these are certainly not cheap fixes. The first and most daunting issue is with the transmission. Many owners have reported overheating of the transmission between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. This is a cause for concern, as it is one of the most expensive repairs you can make.
The other big issue is strange, but it occurs all the same. Water has been reported to leak into the vehicle’s interior when in wet conditions, although this seems to be true most often in the 2015 and 2016 models.
What is high mileage for a Jeep Patriot?
Some owners will report that their Patriot has lasted upward of 250,000 miles, while others will have damage beyond repair below the 100,000-mile mark. Some last longer than others, and it will of course, depend on how well you take care of the car.
With that said, though, both the 2016 and the 2017 Jeep Patriot models are ranked in the top 20 for reliability in their respective years. It seems as though Jeep took all of the previous year’s issues and tried their best to resolve them before discontinuing the Patriot line after 2017.
With high mileage vehicles, I would always suggest investing in a budget friendly vehicle code scanner. Older vehicles typically throw up a few fault codes, so with a scanner at least you know what these are and can search for the codes online. The great thing about these scanners is that you can reset most dashboard warning lights, and you may get lucky and the lights might not return. A great scanner that we have used in our workshop is the Foxwell NT301 OBD2 scanner. Its not the cheapest but definitely worth having if you have an older car and want to fault find yourself rather than paying for expensive auto shop diagnostics.
What are the biggest selling points of the Jeep Patriot?
The Patriot is a compact crossover SUV, offering five doors to ensure you can get the most out of your car. The Patriot is the second cheapest model in Jeep’s lineup, and as of 2017, you can be in the driver’s seat for under $18,000. Not only is this model affordable off the lot, but it is also one of the cheapest cars to insure year after year. This vehicle’s efficiency is also quite impressive, giving you over 30 miles per gallon on the highway. That means you can drive over 400 highway miles before stopping for fuel.
We all know Jeep’s reputation for being a versatile and rugged brand of vehicles, and the Patriot is no different. Whether you are heading across the country on long stretches of highway or through the backwood roads to get to your favorite hiking spots, you can be sure that the Patriot can do the job.
Another big selling point is for those who live in areas where it snows over the winter months. With the Jeep Patriots’ ability to switch between front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, we can maximize the ease and efficiency of driving. Fuel efficiency is undoubtedly better when driving in front-wheel drive, but for the days with a thick sheet of snow or ice on the ground, the Patriot can conquer it with ease.
Tires will also play a big part in handling winter conditions, though, so be sure to buy tires with a good reputation. The Patriot takes it one step further by offering five different models. With all of the various options, you can get precisely what you need out of your purchase. From the basics such as leather interior to the more complex stuff like a manual transmission, Jeep has you covered with the Patriot.
So, is the Jeep Patriot reliable?
As stated in many ways above, the answer to that question has a lot of moving variables. Not only will you need to be sure to take the best care of your vehicle as possible, but you will also need to be wise in which year and model you are choosing. If you have read this far, you have an excellent idea of which factors to consider, and which specific years will best avoid the most common problems in determining how many miles can a Jeep Patriot last.
Related Questions
How capable is the Jeep Patriot off-road?
Jeeps have a reputation for being an excellent off-road vehicle. The question is, though, where is the line drawn? Do all of Jeeps models perform well off-road? While the Jeep Patriot did get discontinued at the end of 2017, we still see many of them on the roads. Why? Well, for the 2017 model, in particular, it is a relatively reliable car that is very good in less-than-optimal conditions. The 2.5 Litre, 175 horsepower engine provides plenty of power to plow through snow, mud, or organic debris that’s in its way.
There is an 8-inch clearance under the vehicle to make sure that its oversized tires can climb over any obstacle in its way, as long as you aren’t trying to move over giant rocks and boulders. On top of that, the Patriot has a high air intake, which gives this Jeep the ability to crawl through streams or shallow water bodies without flooding and causing damage. While the Patriot’s 2017 model doesn’t feature all the earlier models’ bells and whistles, it is undoubtedly the most capable of off-roading and back-country situations.
If you often find yourself heading into the mountains or the woods for your weekend trips, the 2017 Jeep Patriot is a great option. If you find yourself needing an extremely long-lasting vehicle and don’t need to take it off-road or through bad weather conditions, there might be a better option out there for you.
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