I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHILE PASSING A TRACTOR TRAILER UP A MODERATE INCLINE WHEN THE ENGINE OF MY 2012 JEEP PATRIOT LATITUDE FAILED. UPON PASSING THE TRACTOR TRAILER, ALL OF THE INDICATORS ON THE DASHBOARD BEGAN TO LIGHT UP - THEN THE INDICATORS, AS WELL AS MY HEADLIGHTS, COMPLETELY DIED. WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE ENGINE FAILED, AND MY CAR BEGAN TO SLOW TO A COMPLETE STOP ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET INTO A SMALL SPACE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE A TRACTOR TRAILER VERY NEARLY TOOK MY LIFE. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CAR BATTERY. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 13 DAYS AGO, SO PERHAPS THE BATTERY HAD GOTTEN WEAK ON THE DEALER LOT IN THE WINTER MONTHS. AND, AFTER MY CAR WAS JUMPED, IT BEGAN TO WORK. HOWEVER, THE CAR COULD ONLY BE STARTED ONCE, AND THE ENGINE WILL NO LONGER TURN OVER. IT HAS BEEN TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I DRIVE EXTENSIVELY FOR A LIVING, AND I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL DIE IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN THIS JEEP PATRIOT BECAUSE THE CAR FAILED COMPLETELY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH 2011-2012 JEEP PATRIOTS. PLEASE ENFORCE A RECALL! *TR
2012
POWER TRAIN
THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT THAT I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS VERY SIMILAR. THIS TIME I WAS COMING BACK FROM ARIZONA INTO CALIFORNIA AND I WAS ON THE 15 SOUTH BETWEEN BARSTOW AND VICTORVILLE. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH IN THE LEFT LANE. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS PREVIOUSLY, BUT HAD BEEN CANCELLED AND I HAD TRAVELED APPR. 10 MILES AFTER CANCELING IT. WITHOUT WARNING THE THROTTLE REVVED AND BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. THE CAR STALLED AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I PULLED OVER TO THE LEFT SHOULDER. THE FUEL GAUGE READ HALFWAY BETWEEN 1/4 AND 1/2. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER IN VICTORVILLE. WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN OFF THE TOW TRUCK, I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN. I DROVE HOME THE REST OF THE WAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 WEEKS AFTER THIS INCIDENT TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN AT ALL SINCE THE INCIDENT. THE DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND CONCLUDED THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING DUE TO MUD. I WAS ADVISED THE TRANSMISSION WAS DESIGNED TO SHUT OFF IF IT GOT TOO HOT WITH LITTLE TO NO WARNING. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I HAVE NOT OBSERVED ANY WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD BEFORE THE ENGINE CUTS OFF. *TR