Jeep Patriot 2017 Problems

Among a field of popular, but fairly bland, Japanese options the Jeep Patriot seems like an interesting choice for those who can't afford or fit the Grand Cherokee into their lives. Unfortunately Patriots aren't the most reliable vehicle compared to the sturdy Toyota RAV4 or Volkswagen Tiguan, which are the small SUVs I'd suggest investigating.

Use a plastic trim removal tool to pop out the radio and air conditioning fascia panel by prying around the edge. Unplug the wiring connector, then remove the four Phillips-head screws holding the radio unit in. Slide it out, disconnect it and remove it from the car.

The Jeep Patriot can tow 750kg of unbraked trailer (like a common box trailer, or small boat trailer), or up to a theoretical limit of 1500kg if the trailer is equipped with brakes.

Warm the engine up to operating temperature before parking the Jeep on a flat, stable, level ground. Open the bonnet and loosen the oil filler cap, then position a drain pan under the sump. Remove the sump plug to drain the oil, being extremely careful not to get hot oil on you as it can cause serious burns. Once the oil has fully drained replace the sump plug with a new washer. Remove the oil filter, remembering to be careful of hot oil, and fit a new filter after smearing the rubber o-ring on the new filter with some fresh oil. Hand-tighten the filter a quarter-turn past snug, then fill the engine with fresh oil as per the manufacturer's handbook.

Until its discontinuation in 2017 Jeep Patriots were built by Chrysler in Belvidere, Illinois, in the USA.

Sell it. The Jeep Patriot has next to no aftermarket high-performance upgrade options, so your best bet is to trade up to a Cherokee SRT8 with the monstrous 6.4-litre Hemi V8. If that doesn't sound fast enough, grab yourself one of the new, ballistic 707hp Jeep Trackhawk Cherokees and forget about the Patriot.

4x2 Jeep Patriots are rear-wheel drive, but 4x4 models are more complicated. Base model Jeep Patriots run in Front Wheel Drive mostly, only sending up to 30% of power to the rear wheels when wheel slip at the front is detected, which means they're technically AWD not 4x4. The optional CVT-only Freedom Drive II drive system allows an electronically lockable set-up and is a proper 4x4 set-up.

Remove the T20 bolt in the door grab/pull enclosure (not the handle), then use trim removal levers to pop the centre section of the door panel off. Undo the two 10mm bolts on the underside of the door skin, and the T20 bolt behind the door handle cover. Pry the speaker grille off and unbolt the speaker, with two bolts and two long T20 bolts to remove the speaker, then remove the two 10mm bolts at the front of the door card holding the door panel to the door skin. Pop the mirror cover off, then remove two 10mm bolts from the centre section of the door panel. Remove the three Allen key bolts holding the window regulator to the door and the door panel can be removed by lifting up, and then disconnecting the door handle from behind the door panel.