2016 Jeep Patriot

Typical pattern

5.5% of complaints about the 2016 Jeep Patriot came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2016 vehicle — around the middle of the 199 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (224 complaints), typically at 4.9 yr or about 58,160 miles.

Complaints: 760
Median age at failure: 4.8 yr
Median mileage: 51,000 n=445
Crash / fire / tow: 11.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Engine

224 reports · 58,160 mi

4.9 yr

7.1%

Electrical system

99 reports · 53,680 mi

5.3 yr

8.1%

Other

75 reports · 53,000 mi

4.5 yr

12%

Power train

74 reports · 59,000 mi

5.0 yr

8.1%

Speed control

49 reports · 45,000 mi

4.5 yr

6.1%

Fuel / propulsion

41 reports · 49,005 mi

5.6 yr

Air bags

33 reports · 18,000 mi

4.5 yr

45.5%

Steering

24 reports · 29,000 mi

3.8 yr

16.7%

Service brakes

24 reports · 50,000 mi

4.8 yr

16.7%

Seats

20 reports · 70,000 mi

7.3 yr

15%

Electronic stability control (esc)

19 reports · 50,000 mi

3.8 yr

5.3%

Engine cooling

18 reports · 90,000 mi

8.6 yr

33.3%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16V907000 2016-12-16

Engine and engine cooling:engine

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles manufactured May 9, 2016, to July 15, 2016. The crankshaft or camshaft sensor may only work intermittently, causing the engine to stall.

If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 800 mi 2 mo in service

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY VEHICLE HAD SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL POWER. HEADLAMPS FLICKERED AND EVERYTHING SHUT OFF. UNABLE TO PUT HAZARD LIGHTS ON OR USE HORN TO WARN ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

Electrical system 10 mi 8 mo in service

JUST GOT THE JEEP BUT DID NOT TAKE HOME FOR THREE DAYS AFTER THE SALE.THE WIRE HARNESS WAS BAD ON THE JEEP? SO FAR NO PROBLEMS SO FAR AFTER WE GOT IT HOME! ITS THE 75 ANNIVERSARY EDITION REAL NICE.LOVE IT. HAVE OWN 2 PATRITOTS BEFORE THIS ONE. AND NO PROBLEMS WITH THEM.

Electrical system 20,000 mi 9 mo in service

I BOUGHT MY 2016 JEEP PATRIOT NEW. IT HAS 20,000 MILES. THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT IS ON. CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. WINDSHIELD WIPERS MAKE POPPING NOISE WHEN ON. WHEN AT A STOP THE ENGINE MAKES A RATTLING SOUND. WHEN ACCELERATION IT MAKES A WEIRD NOISE AND TAKES FOREVER TO GET IT TO THE SPEED OF 60MPH. I CAN'T GET MY CAR IN FOR REPAIR UNTIL JUNE 14, 2016. EVERYTHING THAT WENT WRONG HAPPENED AT THE SAME TIME EXCEPT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. I SMELL A LEMON IN THE BUNCH HERE!!!

Power train 800 mi 2 mo in service

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY VEHICLE HAD SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL POWER. HEADLAMPS FLICKERED AND EVERYTHING SHUT OFF. UNABLE TO PUT HAZARD LIGHTS ON OR USE HORN TO WARN ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

Other Patriot model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.