TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATION LIGHT WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN UTILIZING THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE FEATURE, BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THE FEATURE. THE CONTACT FELT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 11,500. *TR
2014
SERVICE BRAKES
BRAKE FAILURE AND CAR ACCELERATES DURING PERIODS OF BRAKE FAILURE. A WEEK AFTER TAKING DELIVERY OF THIS NEW CAR WITH AROUND 470 MILES ON THE ODE METER, IT WAS NOTICED THAT DURING PERIODS OF GENTLE BRAKING, THE BRAKES APPEARED TO FAIL AND THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATED DURING THE SHORT PERIODS THE BRAKES WOULD FAIL. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS NOTICED AT AROUND 30 MPH IN STEADY URBAN TRAFFIC. THE BRAKES APPEARED TO FAIL AGAIN ABOUT 10 MIN LATER IN SIMILAR TRAFFIC. DURING THESE 2 FAILURES THE BRAKES APPEARED TO FAIL FOR AROUND A QUARTER OF A SECOND. ABOUT 1/2 AN HOUR LATER, IN STEADY FREEWAY TRAFFIC OF 55 TO 60 MPH AT AROUND 3.30 PM, GENTLE BRAKING WAS NEEDED AND THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CAR ACCELERATED FOR ABOUT A PERIOD OF ONE TO ONE AND A HALF SECONDS. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO RAMMING THE CAR IN FRONT. DURING THE PERIODS OF FAILURE, THE BRAKE PEDAL REMAINS FIRM AND SOLID, IT IS AS IF THE BRAKES ARE ELECTRONICALLY SWITCHED OFF AND THEN ELECTRONICALLY SWITCHED ON AGAIN. DURING THE PERIODS OF FAILURES, THE APPLICATION OF ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT STOP THE CAR ACCELERATING. THE FASTER THE SPEED, THE LONGER THE PERIOD THAT THE BRAKES APPEAR TO FAIL. IT WAS A PRETTY SCARY EXPERIENCE. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKES IN ANY CAR, THE DRIVER NEEDS TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT THE CAR WILL SLOW DOWN AND STOP SAFELY, THE LAST THING A CAR SHOULD DO, IS ACCELERATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED, IT TOTALLY DESTROYS THE SAFE BRAKING 3 SECOND RULE. THE MANUFACTURE HAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE IS THE PROBLEM AND IT COULD TAKE UP TO A YEAR TO REWRITE THE SOFTWARE. THIS, IN MY OPINION, IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND ALL 2014 JEEP PATRIOT AND COMPASS WITH 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD BE TAKE OFF THE ROAD. NHTSA ARE WELCOME TO A TEST DRIVE, THESE BRAKE FAILURE/ACCELERATION ISSUES OCCUR EVERY TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN. *TR
