2008 Jeep Patriot

I TOOK MY JEEP PATRIOT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO PUT A HITCH ON THE BACK FOR A BIKE RACK, AND HE NOTICED THAT MY SUBFRAME/CROSS MEMBER WAS IN DIRE NEED OF REPLACEMENT DUE TO RUST. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A JEEP DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN THESE EARLY GEN. PATRIOTS, AND THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED BY JEEP (CHRYSLER ACTION # 23-012-1) FOR THE 2007 PATRIOT AND COMPASS MODELS. THE DETAILS OF THE RECALL WOULD BE THAT JEEP WOULD COVER THE COST TO REPAIR THE ROTTED SUB FRAMES IN THE 2007 PATRIOTS MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO JULY 2007, AND THE ELIGIBILITY FOR COVERAGE UNDER THIS RECALL IS DECIDED BY VIN NUMBER. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT MY JEEP WAS MANUFACTURED AFTER JULY 2007, BUT PURCHASED IN MARCH 2008 AND THUS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE SAME RECALL. NOW, I AM CURRENTLY HAVING ISSUES WITH MY PATRIOT'S STEERING AND DECELERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I EXPERIENCE SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND VIBRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE WHILE GOING SPEEDS OVER 50MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN EXITING THE HIGHWAY ON A RAMP, THE ISSUES ARE THE MOST PRONOUNCED. I HAVE TO BE DILIGENT ABOUT BRAKING SEVERAL TIMES TO MAKE SURE THE CAR IS DECELERATING SAFELY AS WELL AS THE STEERING FEELING EXTREMELY LOOSE. I'VE CONTACTED JEEP TO SEE IF THE ISSUE WITH THE SUB FRAME ROTTING WOULD BE COVERED IN THE 2008 PATRIOT MODEL, SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME ISSUE AS THE 2007S HAD AND HAD NOT BEEN CORRECTED. I HAD NO LUCK TALKING TO A REPRESENTATIVE WITH JEEP ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MY TICKET WITH JEEP WAS CLOSED BY CUSTOMER SERVICE AFTER THE E-MAIL REP. DIRECTED ME TO PURCHASE A WARRANTY WITH JEEP OR VISIT A DEALER (WHICH I'D ALREADY DONE). WE ARE BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO FIX THE SUB FRAME THIS WEEK. I'D LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED BY JEEP FOR THE COST OF REPAIRING THE SUBFRAME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, YY 2008 JEEP PATRIOT WITH 106,000 WAS DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO A RUSTED FRONT CROSSMEMBER. THERE IS NO OTHER RUST ON THE VEHICLE. THE 2007 JEEP PATRIOTS/COMPASS AND DODGE CALIBERS ALL HAD THEIR WARRANTIES EXTENDED SO THAT THE CROSSMEMBER COULD BE REPLACED. BASED ON INVESTIGATION THROUGH THE INTERNET IT APPEARS THAT MANY 2008 JEEP PATRIOTS & COMPASSES ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM BUT CONSUMERS ARE NOT BEING NOTIFIED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS THE ROTTED FRAME IS NOT VISIBLE SO DRIVERS WOULD BE UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A ROTTED SUBFRAME. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT, AS A RESULT OF THE AIR CONDITIONER DRAIN LEAKAGE ONTO THE SUBFRAME, THE SUBFRAME ROTTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A TSB NUMBER X58 EXTENDED WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000. UPDATED 10/18/16*LJ*** UPDATED 12/01/16*LJ *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 JEEP PATRIOT LIMITED DOWN THE STREET AND HIT A POT HOLE AND WITH IN SECONDS IT SOUNDED LIKE A FLAT TIRE. I PULLED INTO THE CLOSEST PARKING LOT AND GOT OUT THERE WAS NO FLAT TRIED TO DRIVE IT AND THE PARKING BRAKE WAS LOCKED I TOOK THE BRAKES APART AND THE PARKING BRAKE ON THE ONE SIDE COMPLETELY FELL OUT IN MY HANDS. THE BRAKE CLIPS RIPPED OUT OF THE DUST COVER AND THE ADJUSTER FELL INTO TO THE DRUM AND LOCKED THE BRAKES UP. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY DOING 30 WHEN IT HAPPENS AND SLOWED DOWN OTHER WISE IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY I COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD OF HAPPENED.

DURING A REPAIR FOR ANOTHER ISSUE, I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE FRONT CROSS MEMBER WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THAT SAME PART IN THE 2007 MODEL OF THAT SAME CAR WAS EXTENDED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IF I USED A 2008, THE PART COST WOULD BE OVER $600 AND CARRY A WARRANTY, IF I USED THE 2007 PART, WHICH IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE 2008, THE PART WOULD COST UNDER $75.00 BUT CARRY NO WARRANTY. I CALLED CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ADVISED THAT THAT INFORMATION WAS TRUE AND THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR MY EXPENSE. THEY INDICATED THEY WOULD SET UP CASE #29675811 AND INFORM ME OF ANY FUTURE ACTIONS/RECALLS FOR THAT PART. I SIMULTANEOUSLY SENT A LETTER TO "CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE" AND YESTERDAY RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL CONFIRMING THEIR DENIAL. NOW, HOW DUMB IS THAT? THEY EXTEND A WARRANTY AND REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART FOR THE SAME MODEL CAR, ONE YEAR OLDER, AND THAT PART RENDERS THE VEHICLE "UNSAFE TO DRIVE"? THE FACT THAT THE PART RUSTED SO BADLY IN THE FIRST PLACE IS SERIOUS CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THEY HAVE REFUSED TO REIMBURSE THE $465.73 I PAID TO REPLACE THEIR DEFECTIVE PART.

MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION IN A 45 MPH ZONE WHEN, TWICE TODAY, THE BRAKES ON MY 2008 JEEP PATRIOT SANK TO THE FLOOR AND BRAKING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO GET THEM TO REGAIN PRESSURE AFTER LETTING OFF THE PEDAL; BRAKES WORKED ON SECOND ATTEMPT. LATER DOWN THE ROAD THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO BUILD PRESSURE, IT WAS UNNECESSARY ... THE BRAKES WORKED ON SECOND ATTEMPT. MY VEHICLE DID NOT DISPLAY ANY WARNING INDICATORS AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE; NEITHER THE BRAKE LIKE, ABS LIGHT, OR ANY OTHER LAMP ON THE DASH WAS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. USUALLY IN THE RAIN, MY PATRIOT SUFFERS FROM A STUTTERING AND STALLING ISSUE THAT IS REPORTED BY MANY JEEP PATRIOT OWNERS, AND HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED DUE TO THE IRREGULARITY OF THE PROBLEM. A DIRECT CAUSE FOR THE ISSUE IS UNKNOWN AND CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED BY THE DEALERSHIP OR MY REGULAR MECHANIC.

THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A GAS STATION AND WAS FILLED UP WITH GAS. THE FUEL WAS NOT "TOPPED OFF" AND FUELING WAS STOPPED WHEN THE FUEL NOZZLE SHUT OFF. UPON LEAVING THE GAS STATION AND DRIVING LESS THAN 1/4 MILE, THE ENGINE STALLED AND SHUT OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE AND DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AFTER THIS.