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Jeep PatriotModel year report

2011 Jeep Patriot Problems

Compared with other Jeep Patriot years

More complaints than typical for this model

81/100 2.1× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
326filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
72,100miles, 225 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
25 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 23 city / 29 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2011 Jeep Patriot (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2011 Patriot most often describe the engine shutting off while driving, and separately report heavy rust on the rear and front subframe/crossmember. Transmission problems, front suspension wear, and airbag concerns also come up repeatedly, with the median complaint filed around 72,000 miles.

  1. Body and structure

    Rusted subframe and crossmember

    • 65 complaints (20%)
    • median 105,524 mi at 9.0 yrs old (31 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $1,750 (median of 8 quotes)
    • filed 2015–2025

    Owners describe rust perforating the front and rear crossmembers and subframe, in some cases to the point that a finger can be pushed through the metal or the frame separates while driving. Complaints mention abnormal noises, wandering or unstable steering, tires tearing away, and mechanics advising that the vehicle not be driven. Several say the dealer or manufacturer declined repair or cited an expired warranty, while others report extended-warranty coverage that still carried a charge. Mostly reported between roughly 80,000 and 160,000 miles, on vehicles several years old, often in states with road salt.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Have the front and rear crossmembers and subframe inspected on a lift for perforation, especially on a vehicle from a salt-belt state. A service bulletin describes an inspection and warranty extension for crossmember rust-through, so ask whether that work was performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My front end crossmember rusted away & my tire fell off, it's not even drivable. 2 deliverships ran my VIN & said its not covered under the extended warranty because it was made in canada & the us doesn't honor canadian warranties. What difference does it make where it was made?”

    NHTSA complaint #11297747, filed 2020-01, 153,000 miles

    “Loud clunk noise when driving, noticed the sub frame that's the control arms are connected to and the engine and power train are supposed by is rusted and rooted so much I can push my finger through it.”

    NHTSA complaint #11328431, filed 2020-06, 111,734 miles
  2. Engine

    Engine shuts off while driving

    • 104 complaints (32%)
    • median 62,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (91 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2011–2024

    Complaints describe the engine cutting out without warning at highway and surface-street speeds, sometimes after hesitation or a check-engine light and sometimes with the steering becoming heavy once the engine stops. Several owners say the vehicle restarts after a few minutes and then repeats the stall later; others report it would not restart and was towed. At least one owner attributes the stall to a crankshaft position sensor, and another to the power module; several complain that dealers could not reproduce or diagnose the failure. Reported across the mileage range, most often between roughly 60,000 and 130,000 miles, on 2011 models only in this sample.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the crankshaft position sensor, wiring and power module have been checked, and whether any PCM software updates were applied. A test drive that includes highway speed is worthwhile.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving on the highway about 65 the jeeps motor shut off and the check engine light came on. The steering wheel would not turn. I was able to get to the side of the road and put my hazards on. This has happened twice before but I was not on the highway. The Jeep will start right back up like nothing was wrong after a few minutes. Please help very dangerous.”

    NHTSA complaint #11276960, filed 2019-10, 123,000 miles

    “My wife was driving the Jeep and it turned off on her twice trying to get it back home. All electrical went out and engine stalled. After the second time it only goes 10 MPH and still stalls and powers off. It is very dangerous and I feel something should be done from the number of complaints on the web.”

    NHTSA complaint #11299801, filed 2020-01, 10 miles
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission shudder, slipping and failure

    • 38 complaints (12%)
    • median 78,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (34 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2013–2024

    Complaints describe stuttering or jerking when shifting, jumping or revving while stopped, loss of power to the wheels, and rattling or knocking before the vehicle stops moving. Several owners say a shop or dealer concluded the transmission needed replacement, and some describe high repair estimates for a CVT unit. Others mention an overheated-transmission warning on the dash during highway driving. Reported from roughly 40,000 to 150,000 miles, with many between 70,000 and 120,000 miles.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for transmission service records and check for shudder or hesitation during a slow acceleration and while turning at low speed. Ask whether powertrain control module reprogramming has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Over the past 2 years, the Jeep Patriot will stutter when shifting gears. It has progressively gotten worse. I had a mechanic look at it twice and he believes that the only fix is to replace the transmission. Once I got online, I found that many people have had the same issue the the CVT transmission used in these vehicles. Additionally, Jeep must know that the CVT is flawed, because they stopped the use of it in 2014.”

    NHTSA complaint #11299277, filed 2020-01, 73,000 miles

    “Good morning, I was traveling on my 2011 Jeep Patriot for the first time on our way from san diego, california to peoria, arizona when about 100 miles my car had transmission oil hot warning light on my dash.(was not pulling anything) I pulled over cause that is what the owners manual says to do, I did exactly what it instructed to do. The light turned off, and I continued with my trip. This happened twice, but 45 min later my engine turned off when I was on the freeway. I did not get any warning on my dash, I just could not speed up. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10749162, filed 2015-08, 45,440 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag warning light and non-deployment

    • 19 complaints (6%)
    • median 55,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 13 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2012–2025

    Owners describe the airbag warning light staying on after startup, airbags not deploying in a collision, and in one case side curtain airbags deploying without a crash. Complaints mention dealers telling them the VIN was not covered by a related recall even though the vehicles are the same model and year. Reported across a wide mileage range, in this sample from very low mileage up to about 150,000 miles.

    Recall 16V668000Recall 13V233000

    What to check: Confirm with a dealer whether the occupant restraint control module and seatbelt pretensioner recalls were completed for the specific vehicle, and check that the airbag light goes out after the bulb-check sequence.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I had already taken my vehicle and supposedly to have the safety recall dealt with about 10 minutes ago I was driving down my road and the side curtain airbags deployed for zero reason.”

    NHTSA complaint #11414056, filed 2021-04, 5 miles

    “Takata recall. The contact owned a 2011 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at any speed down a hill and during a sleet storm, the brake pedal was applied but failed to stop the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a telephone pole head on. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. No injuries were sustained. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10947552, filed 2017-01, 70,000 miles
  5. Suspension

    Front suspension and ball joint wear

    • 28 complaints (9%)
    • median 81,395 mi at 7.2 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2012–2024

    Owners describe front-end wobble, wandering or suddenly tightening steering, and creaking or clunking noises from the front suspension. Complaints say technicians found worn lower control arm bushings or worn ball joints at relatively low mileage and recommended replacement. Reported from about 40,000 to 90,000 miles in this sample, with some noise complaints at lower mileage.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for a front-end inspection of ball joints and lower control arm bushings, and listen for squeaks or creaks over bumps. A service bulletin describes lubricating the front lower control arm bushing for a cold-weather squeak.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Took the vehicle into get a wobble in the front end checked. Was told by technician that the ball joints on both side are worn out. He said it was a very common problem due to poor quality components. From reading complaints, it seems to be a very common issue. It it's a safety hazard and should be addressed. I have contacted an attorney and will proceed.”

    NHTSA complaint #10817091, filed 2015-12, 70,000 miles

    “While turning right and entering a highway using a 270 degree on ramp, the cars steering became unstable and suddenly tightened it's turning circle and lunged farther to the right. Inspection has revealed that the lower left ( drivers side ) has worn out after only 42,000 miles. A search online revealed that this is a common problem with the Jeep Patriot and compass and it is traceable to a bad batch of ball joints. Chrysler refuses to acknowledge the problem and cover it under warranty. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10713552, filed 2015-04, 42,000 miles

Buying note. An inspection on a lift for subframe and crossmember rust is the most important check on this model year, particularly on vehicles from salt-road states. Ask for records showing whether the airbag and pretensioner recalls and any PCM or transmission software updates were completed, and budget for possible front suspension wear.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 326 consumer complaints for the 2011 Jeep Patriot. 225 of the complaints include a mileage, and 38% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 72,100 miles. Of all complaints, 20 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 12 an injury, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 75 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 9 Jeep Patriot model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 81 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Vehicle speed control (18), Brakes (10), Engine cooling (9), Wheels (9), Electronic stability control (7), Exterior lighting (6), Tires (5), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (4), Forward collision avoidance (2), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (1), Equipment (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Seats (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “You need to recall the transmissions in these vehicles its ridiculous how expensive they are no normal person can afford this fix. Nobody in wayne county even wants to work on it. O cant afford a new transmission. I just bought this car. It's only at 120k . I love my Jeep. But it is nothing but stress and depression. It is not right man.”

NHTSA complaint #11203270, filed 2019-04, 12,200 miles

Suspension: “Takata recall: I had a repair done to my Jeep Patriot two weeks ago. The repairs were over 800$. I had to have the two front control arms, ball joints, and tie rods replaced. As I was driving to work, I lost steering and now not able to drive my vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #11122870, filed 2018-08, 146,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “I purchased my 2011 Jeep Patriot from kraft nissan november 16, 2013. When I initially purchased it they printed out the vehicle history report showing that the vehicle has never been in accidents and that there was only one previous owner. Since my purchase I complied with every scheduled servicing and hadn't had any major problems. …”

NHTSA complaint #10614789, filed 2014-07, 51,000 miles

Body and structure: “A year ago, I brought my 2011 Jeep Patriot to a car wash. The sunroof was closed, however while going through the car wash, water started pouring through the sunroof and the light fixtures, instantly causing an electrical short and damaging the roof liner and the car stereo. I immediately brought the vehicle to the local Jeep dealership. They kept my car for two days and called me to explain that the car had dried out so you can come pick it up. …”

NHTSA complaint #10660388, filed 2014-11, 38,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

38% of the 225 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 33,000 and 100,430 miles.

10%0–1010%10–2518%25–5014%50–7521%75–10021%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (225 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 72,100 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’12’14’1646’18’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2011 Jeep Patriot version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Patriot 2WD2.0L 4-cyl5-speed manual232925$2,700
Patriot 2WD2.0L 4-cylCVT232724$2,800
Patriot 2WD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual232825$2,700
Patriot 2WD2.4L 4-cylCVT212723$2,900
Patriot 4WD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual222724$2,800
Patriot 4WD2.4L 4-cylCVT212623$2,900
Patriot 4WD2.4L 4-cylCVT202321$3,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2011 Jeep Patriot → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 75 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 75 bulletins →

Other model years of the Jeep Patriot

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20175934,00004250 · FewerStable
201645951,000142580 · MoreFalling
201531550,7441—2563 · TypicalFalling
201454853,000242495 · MoreFalling
201312050,000142514 · FewerFalling
201235455,0004—2593 · MoreFalling
201132672,1004—2581 · MoreFalling
201013676,6002—250 · FewerFalling
200919178,5001—2532 · FewerFalling
200818695,1320—240 · FewerFalling
20079485,6000—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Jeep Patriot model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 Jeep Patriot?

Owners of the 2011 Patriot most often describe the engine shutting off while driving, and separately report heavy rust on the rear and front subframe/crossmember. The issues reported most often: Rusted subframe and crossmember; Engine shuts off while driving; Transmission shudder, slipping and failure.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2011 Jeep Patriot have?

NHTSA recorded 326 consumer complaints for the 2011 Jeep Patriot as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2011 Jeep Patriot is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 66 complaints (20% of the total), followed by suspension with 55.

Has the 2011 Jeep Patriot been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2011 Jeep Patriot get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Jeep Patriot (Patriot 2WD, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 25 mpg combined, 23 city and 29 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2011 Jeep Patriot reported?

Among the 225 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 72,100 miles and the middle half falls between 33,000 and 100,430 miles; 38% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.