What’s The Best Year For The Jeep Patriot?

The Jeep Patriot is an iconic vehicle that is cheaper than many other SUVs.

If you’re looking for a Jeep Patriot, It’s a good idea to look at all of the options available.

What’s The Best Year For The Jeep Patriot?

The best years for the Jeep Patriot are 2017 and 2016. This is unsurprising, as 2017 and 2016 were the last years that the Jeep Patriot was produced. These are the safest and most reliable Jeep Patriot models with the most amenities. However, the 2017 model is slightly more reliable.

However, what features make the 2016 and 2017 Jeep Patriots so much better than previous years?

The biggest factor in these two years being the best for the patriot is not in their features, but in the problems that they don’t have.

Best Years For The Jeep Patriot

The last 3 years that the Jeep Patriot was manufactured stood out from the rest.

In between 2014 and 2017, the quality of materials used for the vehicle’s interior increased significantly, and in the last two years of the vehicle’s run technological improvements made various useful gadgets standard and slightly improved the reliability of key parts that historically broke easily and often.

The Jeep Patriot had been having terrible transmission problems since its very first model was released in 2007. 

Not only that, but during the course of its run it, picked up a problem with the fuel cap. 

Leaks were extremely common in Jeep Patriot models made after 2010.

While these problems were still present in the vehicle’s final years, they show a fair amount of improvement compared to previous years. 

The problems with the materials that had plagued earlier years were no longer found in the 2016 and 2016 Jeep Patriot models.

Of these four, 2014 isn’t quite the worst year to buy. 

It has a significantly higher rate of problems than the other three, but the 2015 model had serious problems with its engine that were extremely expensive to repair.

Engine stalls were alarmingly common, which is concerning for a car that also has a great number of transmission problems.

The only benefit to these two years over previous ones is the improved interior. 

In 2014, Jeep considerably increased their standards for the materials used in the cabin, which makes driving the Patriots from 2014 and on slightly less unpleasant.

However, you won’t notice the quality of the interior if your Jeep stalls on the highway.

The 2016 Jeep Patriot doesn’t have the transmission problems found in other models, but still experiences fuel system issues.

While it’s still one of the best models of Jeep Patriot, it has some issues that are expensive to repair.

This brings us to the 2017 Jeep Patriot, the only year since 2013 to have a marked decrease in serious problems. 

This is somewhat misleading, as 2017 Jeep Patriots have been covered by the warranty until fairly recently, which means that serious complaints have not necessarily been shared with the public.

However, while you should expect the number of complaints about the vehicle to increase significantly over the next couple of years, the 2017 Jeep Patriot is still probably the most reliable version. 

This is because when looking at the kinds of problems the 2017 model has, we see that transmission and fuel system problems are fairly uncommon, so the most egregious problems the other models have has likely been resolved.

It seems appropriate to also mention the 2013 Jeep Patriot. 

By the sheer volume of the complaints on Carcomplaints.com, the 2013 Patriot looks like it should be one of the product’s best years. 

However, when looking at the kinds of complaints reported, it becomes clear that the 2013 Patriot is still a fairly risky vehicle to own, with the most common problems involving the engine and the transmission.

Since it also has problems with its drivetrain and its seatbelts, it’s very difficult to recommend this model.

These are the kinds of problems that people tend to experience only once and pose a threat to the driver and passengers.

Fortunately, the later Jeep Patriot models seem to have been resolved.

Are Jeep Patriots Safe?

Knowing about some of the problems that Jeep Patriot owners have struggled with certainly explains why Jeep pulled it from the market in 2017. 

Even if the product was improving slightly at the time, it was probably better to just scrap it and start over with something new.

But are Jeep Patriots safe to buy? Most Jeep Patriots are not safe to drive, so you shouldn’t purchase one. 

Not only are older years difficult to find parts for, but they are so unreliable that their low price would likely be offset by expensive repairs. 

On the other hand, the 2016 and 2017 Jeep Patriots have a track record that beats a lot of other SUVs from that particular two-year span.

The 2017 Patriot is especially promising, although waiting a year before committing to that particular vehicle might be wise.

How To Keep A Jeep Patriot Reliable

If you do choose to buy a 2016 or 2017 Jeep Patriot, make sure that you keep it on a regular maintenance schedule. 

Staying on top of things like oil changes and brake replacements will go a long way towards keeping your vehicle healthy, which is important when you’re driving a vehicle that tends to have a lot of problems.

The Jeep Patriot also probably isn’t the best vehicle for offroading. 

While it should be serviceable if your heart is set on it, the 2016 model especially needs to stay on the road rather than trails, since leaks and engine problems can worsen if the car is taken off-roading.

If you regularly maintain your Jeep Patriot, issues in the engine will be found before they hinder how your vehicle functions.

This also will help prevent small issues from developing into big ones that might threaten your life or the life of your vehicle.