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
2012
ENGINE
ON A SATURDAY, MY WIFE WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING ABOUT 70MPH, AWAY FROM HOME, HEAVY TRAFFIC AND 3 KIDS IN THE PATRIOT. THE JEEP LOST ALL POWER (SAW THE RED LIGHTENING BOLT INDICATOR ON THE DASH), THEN STALLED AND SHE HAD TO IMMEDIATELY TRANSITION TO THE EDGE OF THE FREEWAY, WHICH HAD A VERY NARROW SHOULDER. SHE ATTEMPTED FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF TO START THE JEEP. A STATE TROOPER SHOWED UP ADVISED IT WAS UNSAFE FOR THE KIDS. THE TROOPER TOOK THE KIDS TO THE LOCAL CHRYSLER/JEEP DEALER. THE JEEP WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER. THE SALES MANAGER, AFTER THE JEEP CAME OFF THE TOW TRUCK WAS ABLE TO START THE JEEP. HE SAID MAYBE SHE ACCIDENTALLY ACTIVATED THE 4WD, THEN PROCEEDED TO TAPE IT DOWN AND TOLD HER IF IT RUNS OK ON SUNDAY SHE SHOULD BE OK TO DRIVE HOME. MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE PATRIOT SUNDAY AND STARTED HOME ON MONDAY. ABOUT 30 MILES FROM HOME IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THE LIGHTENING BOLT, LOST ALL POWER AND IT STALLED. SHE WAS ON THE FREEWAY AT 70MPH AND HAD TO MERGE TO THE SHOULDER WITH MEDIUM TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. SHE TRIED TO START THE PATRIOT FOR 40 MINUTES, IT DID NOT START. WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK A CHP OFFICER STOPPED, STATED AS THE TROOPER HAD PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS UNSAFE FOR THE KIDS TO BE ON THE FREEWAY. HE TOOK THEM TO THE LOCAL CHRYSLER/JEEP DEALER SO THEY WOULD BE SAFE. BOTTOM LINE "THE JEEP LOST ALL POWER (SAW THE RED LIGHTENING BOLT INDICATOR ON THE DASH), THEN STALLED" TWICE IN 3 DAYS. CHRYSLER/JEEP TO DATE HAS STATED, IF THERE ARE NO CODES THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS INDICATED BY MY WIFE'S EXPERIENCE AND 7 OTHER COMPLAINTS LISTED ON THIS SITE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE CONDITION BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED. *TR
