2012 Jeep Patriot problems and complaints

Owners have filed 354 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Jeep Patriot. The most-reported areas: Engine (114), Fuel/Propulsion System (86), Power Train (63).

Key takeaways

  • 354 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 9 involve a crash, 5 a fire, 6 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Engine11432%
Fuel/Propulsion System8624%
Power Train6318%
Air Bags5716%
Electrical System4412%
Seat Belts3710%
Unknown Or Other308%
Vehicle Speed Control298%
Fuel System165%
Gasoline154%
Structure144%
Suspension123%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2012 Jeep Patriot SUV 4WDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated
2012 Jeep Patriot SUV 2WDNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Air Bags,seat Belts - filed 2026-08-26

The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Patriot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V668000 (Seat Belts, Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the recall repair was not completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had ...

Suspension,power Train - filed 2026-07-14

Certified dealership service department omitted structural safety complaints from official service invoices, left vital diagnostic findings and performance metrics off paperwork tracking paths, cleared a compromised front suspension layout as safe, and actively instructed a vehicle operator to execute a driving pattern...

Air Bags - filed 2026-02-14

I was crossing an intersection with a green light the opposing vehicle ran the northbound red light therefore slammed into my driver rear side going at an unknown speed. The force of the impact caused my glasses to fly off my face landing on the passenger floorboard. No airbags deployed.

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More for the 2012 Jeep Patriot

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.