Used 2008 Jeep Patriot Consumer Reviews
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130k and going strong!
Brian C, 08/28/2015
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
24 of 27 people found this review helpful
Reading some other reviews on here I felt inclined to share my story. I bought my 08 Patriot Limited through a friend who worked at Chrysler. It was an employee lessee vehicle and had just under 20k miles on it. It was my first vehicle and I wanted something 4WD as I lived in MI at the time and wanted something that could handle the snow. I feel this SUV delivers on points that a small SUV should, it handles well and gets good gas mileage(I average 22 on any day). It is not the prettiest Jeep ever made when it comes to in interior, its cheap plastic dash and instrument panels leave something to be desired, but as for the drive train it has not disappointed. Other than keeping up with the Breaks and Oil changes not much has been needed as far as maintenance on my Jeep. I did front breaks at 60k and then did all 4 breaks and rotors at 105k. At around 90k I heard some clunking in the front end and my neighbor was a mechanic at a dealer who said that the Lower control Arm/Ball Joints tend to wear in the Patriot and I should have it looked at. I did, and he was correct, they were wearing and needed to be replaced, my mechanic (not a dealer) quoted me ~$750 to do it, I decided to give it a shot myself and finished both sides in a few hours after getting the parts at Advanced. Other than the listed items above my Jeep Patriot has been everything I wanted from a first Jeep. The old adage is true, you get what you pay for, this is a lower cost Jeep when it comes to the Jeep family so they kept costs low on some luxury feature, but kept the money in the critical components. It handles GREAT in the snow and I recently moved from Michigan to Texas and had to pull 5x8 trailer for the first time, and other than killing the gas mileage it got the job done without any issues (and she was at 120K at the time). I would buy this car again if I needed another good running, affordable, 4wd, small SUV for my daily life. My next one will most likely be a Grand Cherokee (unless Ford brings back the Bronco...)
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Amazing!
Ignatz, 08/03/2017
updated 08/21/2023
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I'm still impressed with it after 250,000 miles. CVT was replaced under warranty -- dealer gave me a Chrysler to use while it was being repaired and the whole incident didn't cost me anything. Had a wiring problem at 190,000 miles and realized I'd hardly spent anything on repairs up till then so I went ahead and put out $1000 for a new engine harness. That was two years ago and I've had no significant problems since. Patriot is easy on gas and I'm an easy driver so my fuel economy is consistently in the high 20s MPG and it gets into the 30s on a long trip if I stay under 60MPH. Mine is FWD which helps the fuel economy. FWD is great in the snow and we get plenty here in NH. I don't do any serious off-roading but my Patriot handles marginal dirt roads and trails with no problems. Not only would I buy another, I did: we got a 2014 for my Wife -- also a great vehicle. Update Feb. 2019 I replaced my shocks and struts all around at about 250,000 miles. Those were my originals and I'm very impressed they lasted that long. We get a lot of frost heaves and potholes in this area. My CVT transmission was replaced twice under warranty, once at 110,000 miles and again at 270,000 miles. I suggest any Patriot owners with the CVT should CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID EVERY 50,000 miles and not wait for the interval suggested in the owners manual. UPDATE: I've since sold my beloved Patriot to a friend. He's still driving it and reports no problems. It must be getting close to 300,000 miles now. I miss it, but with that many miles I felt it was time for something newer because I do a lot of driving in the winter months and in the mountains. If I didn't go so far from home and was home every night I'd still own my Patriot. It was a darn good and reliable machine. Update (2/17/22): My old Patriot is still on the road, now over 300,000 miles. Saw the friend I sold it to and his wife is still using it. Her daily commute is 15-20 miles each way on rural roads with frost heaves and potholes. Update (2/17/23) Last night I saw my friend who bought my Patriot. It's at 315,000 miles now and his wife is still driving it. No problems. I kinda wish I hadn't sold it. Not to worry, we still have a 2014 Patriot that is doing just fine at 185,000 miles.
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Used to love mine but...
luvmyxterra, 12/12/2011
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport 4dr SUV 4WD (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I bought my '08 Patriot new, and loved it. It was one of the only 5 speed 4x4s available and it was a great value, coming equipped with a moonroof, cruise, power windows, and a built in inverter, among my favorite accessories. I loved the ingenious little spare flashlight that doubled as the rear dome light. What happened? First, the moonroof leaks at random, and will dump up to 1/2 a cup of water on my dash (and me) at will. The ball joints failed at 45K, making it feel like I was driving on marbles, making horrible clunking sounds when I drove over bumps. Luckily bumper to bumper covered it, but now rust bubbles are the deal breaker. Looking to trade for a Mitsu Outlander.
Highly Defective Substandard Suv
truth1hurts, 03/07/2014
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
We bought the 2008 Patriot new for $25k and within a few months endured unjustifiable anxiety for unrelenting warranty repairs on an inferior made cheap product. First and last time Jeep buyers, the 5-speed manual transmission went through 4+ major warranty repairs: clutch, transmission, defects, gear box, ball bearings, etc. It had to be towed a few times to the car lot. We lost value and money in a headache suv that was highly defective and unreliable and dismissed trips too. Very poor car, dealership, head office and managers. Stacks of warranty repair files amplifies our deserved poor rating of the car and all involved.
Overall very good, despite some problems
DR Wilson, 12/17/2009
2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
We are very happy with our Patriot, overall. Have had a few problems, such as manual trans synchros (recall) as it was grinding while shifting gears. This was done before the first oil change- 2000 Miles! Otherwise, a great vehicle; great fuel economy, comfortable, peppy for a 2.4l. Also had check engine light on, dealer replaced the O2 sensor and has a rad leak when very cold; will take it in for a new rad next week. The windows are narrow, leaving for blind spots. Overall good quality for the price; small problems easily fixed under warranty. For the record, I am a Journeyman mechanic of 20+ years & a former automotive instructor at a technical school so my technical knowledge is strong.
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