Model year record

2012 Jeep Patriot recalls & problems

The 2012 Jeep Patriot has 4 safety recalls and 354 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is engine (114 complaints).

Recalls4safety recalls

Complaints354filed by owners

Crashes · fires9 · 5reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths6 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Seat beltsSep 15, 2016

Pretensioner

Recall 16V6680001,435,625 vehicles

Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.

Components: Seat belts › Pretensioner; Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive; Air bags

Electrical systemJun 4, 2013

Software

Recall 13V233000254,396 vehicles

Problem: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Jeep Compass and Patriot vehicles manufactured May 6, 2008, through July 20, 2012. The affected vehicles have a software error which may result in a delayed deployment or non-deployment of the seatbelt pre-tensioners and/or side airbags.
Risk: In the event of a rollover necessitating airbag deployment, the software error can lead to a delayed deployment or non-deployment of the side curtain airbag and/or seatbelt pre-tensioners. As a result, vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software free of charge. The recall began June 21, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall number is N01.

Components: Electrical system › Software; Seat belts; Air bags › Side/window

Fuel system, gasolineApr 3, 2013

Fuel system, gasoline

Recall 13V12000020,799 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2012 Jeep Patriot and Compass vehicles manufactured October 18, 2011, through May 7, 2012. Due to an incorrectly manufactured transfer tube, the transfer of fuel from the secondary side to the primary side of the fuel tank may be interrupted, causing the engine to stall.
Risk: If the engine stalls while driving it may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank transfer tube free of charge. An interim letter was mailed to owners on May 30, 2013. Owners were notified by Chrysler on July 19, 2013, that parts are now available. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N17.

Fuel system, gasolineApr 3, 2012

Storage › Tank assembly

Recall 12V1420001,689 vehicles

Problem: CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 JEEP PATRIOT AND COMPASS VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 17, 2011, THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2012. SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY CONTAINING A DAMAGED ROLL-OVER VALVE.
Risk: IN THE EVENT OF AN IMPACT OR ROLL-OVER, FUEL LEAKAGE COULD OCCUR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
Fix: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT MAY 25, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

2012 Jeep Patriot SUV 4WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

2012 Jeep Patriot SUV 2WD

OverallNot Rated

Frontal crash	Not Rated
Side crash	Not Rated
Rollover	Not Rated

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

Patriot 2WD

25mpg combined

City / highway	23 / 29 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,700/year to fuel

Patriot 2WD

25mpg combined

City / highway	23 / 28 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2.4 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,700/year to fuel

Patriot 2WD

24mpg combined

City / highway	23 / 27 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,800/year to fuel

Patriot 4WD

24mpg combined

City / highway	22 / 27 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2.4 L · 4 cyl · Manual 5-spd · 4-Wheel Drive · about $2,800/year to fuel

Patriot 2WD

23mpg combined

City / highway	21 / 27 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2.4 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,900/year to fuel

Patriot 4WD

23mpg combined

City / highway	21 / 25 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2.4 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $2,900/year to fuel

Patriot 4WD

21mpg combined

City / highway	20 / 23 mpg
Fuel	Regular Gasoline

2.4 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · 4-Wheel Drive · about $3,200/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Engine	114	1	0	0	42,700 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	86	1	0	0	56,000 mi
Power trainClutch assembly	63	0	1	1	57,000 mi
Air bags	57	6	1	3	49,578 mi
Electrical system	44	1	2	1	50,800 mi
Seat belts	37	2	1	2	43,578 mi
Unknown or other	30	0	0	0	60,000 mi
Vehicle speed controlAccelerator pedal	29	1	0	2	50,000 mi
Fuel system, gasolineStorage › Tank assembly	15	1	0	0	36,750 mi
StructureBody; Frame and members › Underbody shields	14	0	2	0	90,500 mi
Suspension	12	0	0	0	80,000 mi
Electronic stability control (esc)	12	1	0	0	70,750 mi

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Air bags
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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, but no assistance was provided. No further information was available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Aug 26, 2026
Power train
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 that induces sudden power loss on public roadway infrastructure. TIMELINE SUMMARY OF DEALERSHIP SERVICE (see uploaded PDF for details): March 26, 2026: Diagnostic service and fees for front right tire and new spark plugs. Left bay with immediate new serious issue. March 30, 2026: Follow up on new issue. No alerts. Given clearance. Zero charge invoice. May 19, 2026: Follow up…
May 19, 2026
Air bagsCrash
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.
Feb 13, 2026
Fuel system, gasoline
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that on several occasions, while attempting to refuel the vehicle, the gas pump shut off and only worked manually. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis, and it was determined that the fuel tank needed to be replaced due to a faulty fuel tank rollover valve. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000.
Oct 31, 2025 · 101,000 miles
Electrical system
Car dies as Iâm driving wiring issue
Dec 10, 2025
Tires
215/55/r18 Well, JD bar ride in South Charleston, West Virginia off a lot in a car without an inspection sticker too bad front tires bad brakes, bad rotors, bad harness, bad ignition had to be replaced.
Jun 3, 2025
Fuel/propulsion system
Unknown
May 1, 2025
Fuel/propulsion system
roll over valve in gas tank on a 2012 Jeep Patriot.
Mar 17, 2025

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled…
EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021
Active Head Rest Inadvertent DeploymentClosed
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early Warning Reports identified driver and/or passenger front seat AHR inadvertent deployments without a rear impact event.Reported safety consequences resulting from the AHR deployments include concussions, headaches, soft tissue injuries, disorientation, nausea, vomiting and/or loss of vehicle control as a result of being surprised and distracted by being struck in the head by the inadvertent AHR deployment. On September 24, 2019, ODI sent an Information Request (IR) letter to Fiat…
PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
Engine stall, fuel delivery failureClosedLed to recall 13V120000
In a letter dated April 3, 2013, Chrysler Group LLC submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA identifying a safety defect in the fuel delivery system in approximately 20,532 model year (MY) 2012 Jeep Patriot (11,624) and Compass (8,908) vehicles manufactured from October 18, 2011 through May 7, 2012 and equipped with certain fuel tanks produced between October 18, 2011 and January 26, 2012 (Recall 13V-120).According to Chrysler, Jeep Patriot and Compass vehicles equipped with saddle type fuel tanks built during the affected period may experience low siphoning rate through the transfer tube from the secondary to the primary side of the fuel tank.Chrysler's investigation determined that a material change by the transfer tube supplier (TI Automotive) led to malformed tubes being shipped to the final tank assembly supplier (Kautex).The malformed transfer tubes may make the…
PE12032 · opened Oct 15, 2012 · closed May 3, 2013