2008 JEEP PATRIOT FWD Power Train Problems

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, AND A CONDITION OF LOW IDLE STALLING HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER MY 8 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT MECHANICAL CONDITION, AND ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND DOCUMENTED. IN WET OR DAMP CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE REGULARLY STALLS, OR THE IDLE DROPS BELOW A NORMAL OPERATING RANGE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUDDER. MORE RECENTLY, IN WET OR DAMP CONDITIONS, WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER A STOP, THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO MOVE BEFORE EXPERIENCING NEAR TOTAL LOSS OF POWER MOMENTARILY BEFORE RPMS SURGE AND ACCELERATION CONTINUES. THIS IS HAZARDOUS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CROSS INTERSECTIONS, AS THE STALLING AND LIMP ACCELERATION ARE RANDOM AND CANNOT BE PREDICTED. EARLY ON I HAD BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE DEALERSHIP'S ATTENTION DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD BUT THE ISSUE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE ALSO COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE AS IT ONLY OCCURS IN WET OR DAMP CONDITIONS. THERE ARE MANY DOCUMENTED INSTANCES OF IDENTICAL OR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH ALL MODEL YEARS OF JEEP PATRIOTS, THOUGH NO REMEDY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.

THIS PROBLEM FIRST HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. IT WAS SUMMERTIME AND IT WAS ABOUT 80 DEGREES. I HAD BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED ABOUT 6 MONTHS EARLIER IN THE FALL. AS I WAS DRIVING THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A "WHINING OUT" NOISE AND SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. A LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH AREA AND MY SPEED SUDDENLY DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH AND I WAS LOSING POWER TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC. A TRACTOR TRAILER THAT WAS TRAVELING BEHIND ME HAD TO SLAM ON HIS BRAKES AND ALMOST LOST CONTROL FROM TRYING TO AVOID RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. AFTER WAITING A COUPLE OF HOURS AND LETTING THE ENGINE COOL DOWN, I STARTED THE CAR BACK UP WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD ARRIVED. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER UNTIL IT COOLS. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP AND PAID $100.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DID NOT REVEAL ANY OTHER PROBLEM OTHER THAN WHAT I HAD EXPERIENCED. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHT THAT CAME ON IN "NORMAL" AND IS EXPLAINED IN THE OPERATING MANUAL. THEY EXPLAINED THAT IT IS "NORMAL" FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AND THERE WASNT ANY DEFECT OR ANYWAY TO FIX IT. SINCE THAT TIME MY CAR HAS DONE THIS CONTINUOUSLY IN HOT WEATHER WHEN I AM TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT HAS BECOME DANGEROUS FOR ME TO TRAVEL ON THE HIGHWAY AND RISK BREAKING DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR BEING COLLIDED WITH.

Mileage: 110,000

HAD TRANSMISSION SERVICE COMPLETED @ 99K MILES, CAR COULDN'T MAKE IT 70 MILES @ 75MPH TO THE AIRPORT. HAD TO PULL OVER AND WAIT 15 MIN THEN 'LIMPED' 10 MILES LEFT TO THE AIRPORT. HAD THE FLUID AND TRANS CHECKED... 'ALL GOOD NO PROBLEMS, FLUID LOOKS REALLY CLEAN, JUST A TERRIBLE DESIGNED TRANSMISSION' PLEASE RECALL THIS TERRIBLE TRANSMISSION! *TR

Mileage: 110,000

ANY DRIVE OVER 25 MILES @ 50 MPH THE OVER-HEATING TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMES ON AND THE SPEED AND POWER IS DANGEROUSLY REDUCED IMMEDIATELY. REMEDY IS TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAIT FOR IT TO COOL SO YOU CAN MAKE IT ANOTHER 10 MILES DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN! EVEN IN 32 DEG AND BELOW WEATHER THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS! IT'S DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED! *TR

Mileage: 40,000

STARTED HEARING A "WHINING" NOISE IN THE FRONT END/ENGINE AREA OF THE VEHICLE AND AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MORE MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND CAME TO A STOP. AFTER SITTING FOR A WHILE, IT WOULD START BACK UP AND RUN JUST LONG ENOUGH TO GET IT TO A TECHNICIANS SHOP. TECHNICIAN RAN SOME TESTS AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING BECAUSE THERE WERE METALLIC PARTS IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS, AND HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE/POWERTRAIN AND YET JEEP DOES NOTHING ABOUT THIS. I AM OUT $4000.00 BECAUSE I HAVE TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION AT 80K MILES!! RIDICULOUS!! TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD LAST WAY LONGER THAN THAT AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THESE CVT TRANSMISSIONS, THIS WAS NOT A "FLUKE" OCCURRENCE. *TR

Mileage: 81,000

ON ANY HOT DAY IN THE SUMMER OR SPRING OR WINTER, OR A DRIVE OVER 2 HOURS THE ENGINE TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMES ON AND THE SPEED REDUCES TO 40 OR 35 MPH IMMEDIATELY FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ONLY REMEDY IS TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THERE IS NO PLACE TO STOP I AM CAUSING CONTINUOUS DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE, AND EVERY 10 TO 20 MILES IT HAPPENS, UNLESS I DRIVE 50 MPH. IT DANGEROUS, AND I WOULD LIKE A RECALL SO THAT I CAN SAFELY DRIVE MY CAR. *TR

Mileage: 36,000

MY 2008 JEEP PATRIOT HAS ONLY 59K MILES ON IT. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND IT BEGAN TO MAKE A ROARING SOUND FROM THE TRANSMISSION. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE CVT TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. JEEP WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE AND WANT OVER $4000 FOR A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT OF A TRANSMISSION THAT IS NOT ABLE TO BE SERVICE AND (ACCORDING TO OWNERS BOOK) NEEDS FLUID CHANGED AROUND 120K. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND MULTIPLE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURES AT LOW MILEAGE. JEEP IS EVEN GETTING RID OF THE CVT IN THE NEW JEEP PATRIOT. THIS TRANSMISSION IS A LEMON AND THE COMPANY SHOULD ASSIST WITH REPLACEMENT WHEN IT GOES OUT EARLY. *JB

Mileage: 59,000

SUDDENLY CAR SLOWED TO 40 MILES PER HOUR IN THE MIDDLE OF FAST RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON SOUTHBOUND HIGHWAY TEN IN CHANDLER. CARS SWERVED OUT OF WAY...I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND COULD NOT GET OUT OF TRAFFIC FOR ANOTHER FIVE MILES....PROBLEM COULD NOT BE FOUND UNTIL I DISCOVERED THE LEMON CVT (TRANSMISSION) INSTALLED IN CERTAIN PATRIOTS. ALSO, LESS THAN A YEAR LATER A STARTER FIRE WHILE DRIVING..HAD GONE LESS THAT A MILE AFTER THE CAR WAS SITTING...AND IT WAS NOT OVER 85 DEGREES AT THE TIME IN CHANDLER. PLUS CAR SOMETIMES LOST ALL POWER WHICH IS NOT GOOD WHILE IN TRAFFIC. *TR

Mileage: 65,000

AFTER FUELING UP, MY JEEP SPUTTERS AND LOSES POWER TO THE POINT IS ALMOST STALLS. LAST NIGHT AFTER A FUEL UP IT STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. THIS IS TERRIBLY PROBLEMATIC AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I HAVE HAD MY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE DONE, SERVICES THE FUEL INTAKE, FILTERS, PUMPS AND THROTTLE BODY. HAD A TUNE UP DONE AND THE ENGINE IS STILL DOING THIS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE THIS CAR ANY LONGER. I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY! PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

Mileage: 60,216

I BOUGHT MY JEEP IN SEPT OF 2010, TOOK IT FOR AN OIL CHANGE IN DEC,2010. WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM, I WAS TOLD THE PATRIOTS WERE HAVING ALOT OF ISSUES WITH THAT PART COMING OUT LOOSE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FACTORY. IT MAKES A LOUD NOISE WHEN I DRIVE IT. I'VE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS INCLUDING THE A/C ,CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON FOR MANIFOLD PROBLEM ,TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ALL WITHIN THE TWO YEARS THAT I'VE OWNED IT. *TR

Mileage: 88,500

ON THURSDAY THE 15TH OF JUNE 2012, I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 JEEP PATRIOT. THERE WAS NO HINT OF TROUBLE. I STOPPED FOR A LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I TRIED TO PUT THE JEEP IN FIRST GEAR. THE CLUTCH PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR ALTHOUGH THE GEAR DID TAKE SUFFICIENTLY FOR ME TO MOVE THE CAR TO SAFETY. I CALLED AAA AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO BAXTER JEEP CHRYSLER, WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2009. . I TOLD THEM THAT THE CLUTCH HAD SHOWN NO SLIPPAGE OR OTHER SIGNS OF IMPENDING FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000. ON MONDAY, THEY FOUND THAT THE RELEASE BEARING/SLAVE CYLINDER HAD FAILED AND THAT FLUID HAD LEAKED FROM THE SLAVE CYLINDER INTO THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, WHICH COULD NOT BE CLEANED EFFECTIVELY. THEY STATED THAT THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY ITSELF HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE SLAVE CYLINDER.THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $1338.56. IN THAT MODEL YEAR, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON THE POWER TRAIN. THE CHRYSLER REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMED THAT THE SLAVE CYLINDER WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED PART OF THE CLUTCH. I DISAGREE. ALTHOUGH THE SLAVE CYLINDER SUBSERVES THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY, IT IS PART OF THE POWER HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. 1) CHRYSLER IS NOT HONORING THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. 2) THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DESIGN ISSUE WHEN THE HYDRAULIC COMPONENT CAN LEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE CLUTCH, IMMEDIATELY DESTROYING ITS FUNCTION. THE FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH WAS SUDDEN AND UNPREDICTABLE. THERE ARE SEVERAL POSTS ON INTERNET RAISING IDENTICAL ISSUES ABOUT THE JEEP DESIGN AND FAILURE TO HONOR THE SERVICE GUARANTEE. I AM RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING REDRESS, TO INCLUDE REFUND OF THE COST OF THE REPAIR, AND AN INVESTIGATION OF THE SAFETY OF JEEPS EQUIPPED WITH THE CURRENT MANUAL TRANSMISSION. *TT

Mileage: 47,000

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE TRAVELING ON HWY AT 75 MPH TRANSMISSION HEATS UP, LIGHT ON INSTRUMENT PANEL AND INSTANTLY LOSES POWER CAUSING VEHICLES AROUND ME TO SWERVE TO AVOID REAR RENDING MY 2008 JEEP PATRIOT. VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC. THIS COMPROMISED THE SAFETY OF MY PARENTS CHILDREN AND I. TOOK TO JEEP DEALERSHIP AND ADVISE OF INCIDENTS I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO CODES AND WOULD NOT REPAIR MY VEHICLE. *TR

Mileage: 80,966

THIS CAR FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, AND STALLS ALL THE TIME WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WE HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE CAR. THE 2009 MODEL HAS A RECALL THAT SAYS THE POWER TRAIN-AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR VEHICLE AND IT'S A 2008. *TR

SUDDENLY STARTED HAVING A LOOSE CLUTCH PEDAL. TOOK IT TO MY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THEY DIAGNOSED A LEAKING SLAVE CYLINDER. THE BRAKES ARE STILL WORKING FINE BUT I'M HAVING MORE AND MORE TROUBLE SHIFTING GEARS. DEALER SAYS CLUTCH IS UNDER WARRANTY FOR 1YEAR/20000KM. NOT SURE OF WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. APPROXIMATE REPAIR COST AROUND $1000. *TR

Mileage: 25,000

PLEASE SEE ODI ID NUMBER : 10262168 FOR INITIAL REPORT. VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT DEALERSHIP, UNABLE TO WITNESS ISSUE AS EXPECTED. DEALER FLASHED COMPUTER WITH LATEST VERSION OF SOFTWARE HOPING ISSUE WOULD BE RESOLVED. DROVE VEHICLE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS WITHOUT ISSUE. YESTERDAY 05/08/09 VEHICLE BEGAN STUTTERING AGAIN, HAPPENS NOW AT ALL SPEEDS. THE SAFETY ASPECT IS A LARGE CONCERN, ENGINE STALLING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC REPEATEDLY. I HAVE EXPERIENCED STALLING AS MANY AS 8 TIMES IN 1 MILE OF TRAVEL. SUMMARY OF VEHICLE ISSUE: MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN GEAR, ENGINE STUTTERS/STALLS, RPM'S DROP 500 BEFORE RECOVERING, VEHICLE VERY NOTICEABLY JERKS/BUCKS AS THIS OCCURS. *TR

Mileage: 12,000