10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
38,538 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Jeep Patriot fuel system problems

fuel system problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Jeep Patriot:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Jeep Patriot Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #82

Dec 292023

Patriot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Unknown: Something is wrong with the gas tank. When refueling, it's nearly impossible to activate the latch on the pump handle without the pump immediately stopping. To refuel, I have to gently squeeze the trigger to enable a very slow flow of fuel. To fill the tank, while gently activating the trigger, takes approximately 15-20 minutes. In the past, you could depress the trigger and activate the locking catch and fill up in 3-4 minutes depending on the pressure of the gas station system. I don't know if this issue points to a safety problem, however, clearly it's a defect. I consulted the Jeep dealership and they recommended to not fully insert the nozzle into the filler neck of the tank. It was a bizarre recommendation because it was never an issue in the past. Of course I tried their recommendation an as expected it made no difference. At a minimum, it's annoying as hell trying to fill up in Chicago while holding a fuel pump handle when it's 20?F with a wind chill well below that! I thought that perhaps it was my local gas station. On a trip from Chicago to I had to fill up twice each way at different stations and the issue persists.

- Skokie, IL, USA

problem #81

Apr 242023

Patriot

  • miles
My fuel tank problem should be included in the Safety Recall M11/NHTSA 12V-142 Fuel Tank Roll-Over value..I have taken my car to several Jeep dealers and have been informed the problem with this tank falls in the recall-??I have been dealing with this problem for years-??.I recently found out that the problem falls in the recall above-??I took my car to the Jeep dealer, Pelegríno in Woodbury, NJ on 5/19/21 for the problem..They informed me tank would have to be removed to be fixed-??they never informed me that there was a recall-??so I did not get it fixed at the time. I have been dealing with this problem since 2018

- Lady Lake, FL, USA

problem #80

Mar 172023

Patriot

  • miles
The vehicle stalls while driving with no warning. This has happened 5 times in the last week.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #79

Feb 282023

Patriot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When filling the tank with gas and then driving the vehicle, the vehicle either stalls, bucks really bad, or hesitates when accelerating. There is a heavy smell of gas. This unsafe condition has been traced to a faulty fuel tank valve that requires the entire fuel tank to be replaced ($1,000- $1,800). Others have experienced fuel being spewed out suddenly when refueling very slowly due to this same faulty valve. Any fuel system issue puts the vehicle at risk of fire, which is risks my life and my family's life.

- Odenton, MD, USA

problem #78

Feb 242023

Patriot

  • miles
Fuel tank receiver separated from the fuel door holder

- West Plains, MO, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #77

Jan 032023

Patriot

  • miles
I have a problem fueling my 2012 Jeep Patriot. I have to dribble the gas into neck to prevent gas from blowing out of neck. My mechanic replaced neck. Still have the same problem. I have read of a recall due to valve inside tank sticking which could cause fuel to pour out if a rollover occurs but I'm hearing from mechanic that the problem with valve sticking is why I'm having a problem refueling. If both issues are due to the same valve problem, shouldn't the recall cover my jeep? I have had my jeep to my mechanic 3 times now for this issue in the past month. I have also had my jeep stall if I accelerate quickly.

- Massillon , OH, USA

problem #76

Dec 012022

Patriot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I cannot put gas in my car, continuously shuts off and spits fuel back out like its full. It takes about 20 minutes to get enough gas in it to feel like I can drive a little distance without worrying I will run out since It always acts as if its full. It also seems as if it wants to stall out at times and I just give it more gas. I have had this car for a few months now and Im scared its going to stall and cause an accident. Having a difficult time with getting someone to work on it, codes will not diagnose. After reading I saw this had recalls in the past. Should this car have been recalled?

- Duncannon, PA, USA

problem #75

May 292022

Patriot

  • miles
Ah- yes, The absolute most weirdest thing about this jeep. When putting the recommended 87 gas in the tank, it loses acceleration power. The manual that came with it (which i cant seem to find) stated 85. Did I think THAT was weird? Yes! It's a truck, kinda heavy, but it is a 4 cylinder- so ok jeep. That manual, however, was not very thorough, so I purchased one. That one stated 87. Put 87 in it. Nope. Boomerang only takes 85. When 87 is put in, it loses acceleration power and won't go above 35 mph. The issue always seemed to resolve on its own. Not sure why, and I didn't put much thought into it. Every now and then I would try 87, same thing happened. This happened about 4 or 5 times under my ownership. I mentioned this several times at regular maintenance and oil changes. No one had much to say about it other than that was weird. Agreed. Aside from the issues mentioned in complaints 11466577 11466544 11466583 It ran fine. I never considered it as disrupting my driving needs. I'm pretty much a city driver. Jobs close by. Groceries. Some trips out of town and to the mountains. Never towed anything on it. So now, thinking back to when I fixed the engine throttle and was told that would be a recurring theme because it's a patriot- ok, something's bound to happen, it's almost a ten year old car (at the time). The jeep gave me something to tinker on- no biggie. But not a whole blown engine at 104k, that's for sure. And the combined issues started nagging at me. But it was after covid happened, I was driving considerably less, and that concern quickly subsided. 3-4 months later, fixed oil pan gasket. 2-3 months after that, engine blew. Lastly, unless I remember something else- over the years I've seen numerous jeep patriots on the side of the highway (looked like about the same year, make model)- and I always wondered what kind of issues they had. My engine never literally stalled out until last year. Weird? Yes.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #74

May 292022

Patriot

  • miles
Ah... yes. And the most absolute weirdest thing of all about this jeep- The manual that came with the jeep (which i cant seem to find) stated 85 gas is recommended. Did I think THAT was weird" YES! It's a truck. Kinda heavy... didn't expect 85 gas. But it's a 4cylinder, so ok. That manual was also not very thorough, for lack of a better term, so I purchased one. That manual stated 87. Put 87 in it. The jeep lost acceleration power. Couldn't get above 35mph. Boomerang only takes 85. Weird. Didn't put too much thought into it. If I remember correctly, this issue always resolved on its own somehow. Not sure why. Anyhow. That has happened about 4 or 5 times under my ownership. Every now and again, after regular maintenance, I would kind of check it, to see. On several occasions, when i took it in for regular oil changes, i'd mention that issue, no one had anything to say about it. Other than it was weird. Agreed. Aside from the issues mentioned in complaints 11466583 11466544 11466577 It ran fine. I never considered those issues as disrupting my driving needs. I'm pretty much a city driver. Jobs were close by. Groceries. Occasional mountain and hiking trips- drives out of town, never towed anything. Thinking back to when I fixed my engine throttle and was told that would probably be a recurring theme, bc it's a patriot, that whole gas thing really started nagging at me. Ok, jeep gave me something to tinker on. No biggie. It's almost a 10 year old car. Something's bound to happen. Uh- but not a whole blown engine, that's for sure. This was, however, within the first year of covid, and i was driving considerably less, so that concern subsided. 3-4 months later, fixed oil pan gasket. 2-3 months after that, engine blew. Lastly, unless I remember something else- Over the years I've seen numerous patriots on the side of the highway and wondered what kinds of issues they had. Weird" Yes. My engine literally never stalled out until last year. I must've been something right.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #73

May 292022

Patriot

  • miles
Along with complaints 11466544 11466577 I want to add that I bought this car in November 2015. The engine blew in May 2021 with 104k miles. Not at all what would expect from a 2010+ model vehicle. And another thing.... I'm used to needing more regular tune ups. So, once a year -ish... I'd take the jeep in for spark plug replacement, etc. Well, when I switched to the other brkes plus closer to my home, the tech told me that's not required for this jeep. We actually kind of got into it. But, we're able to amicably come to agreement. Anyways, the other brakes plus did so without argument, at least twice. After me and dude from brakes plus had our Lil tiff... I reevaluated my owners manual, and confirmed the spark plug thing. He was right. But one thing I always found odd... was that transmission fluid replacement was not recommended untilb130,000. Did I find that odd"? YES! Because I've was an oil tech at one point in my life. BUT! If that's what the manual says... who am i to argue with that? I mention this because that was one of the things I saw when perusing over recalls, etc. A reviewer recommended to not wait until the manual's recommendation. Who was this person? IDK. Is this accurate? The 130k thing? Because when I got into my "argument" at brakes plus, my exact verbiage was I'm here for a tune up, I'm here to get done whatever needs to get done on this car. If manufacturer information is incorrect, that's a problem. I've had 2 cars repossessed. It was extremely important to me to maintain this vehicle and pay it off. I do have a little bit of a fondness for working on engines. No, I have not done anything to this engine myself. I know this isn't some top of a model line car, but it seemed like the perfect kind of engine to tinker on someday. But not at 104,000 miles. Not on a well maintained vehicle. I would also think that if the manual recommends 120000k trannie fluid replacement for the first time that the engine would last at least until then" Lol.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #72

May 292022

Patriot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I submitted a form yesterday and forgot to mention that there have been a few other odd things about the jeep which I'm not sure how to explain. 1. There has, since day 1 of my purchase, test drive, etc, always been some weird whistling sound when driving. Very light, like the kind of whistle made with just your tongue at the roof of the mouth. Not a "full" whistle sound. 2. When going uphill, the engine squeals. And honestly has poor acceleration uphill in general. Very poor. But I thought it was how this make and model is. 4 cylinders aren't known for their awesome power and speed, after all. 3. Occasionally, the jeep "tugs"? Seemingly like how manuals switch between gears, but mine is an automatic. It does so unprovoked, not by my using the cvt option, randomly, at any speed. 4. Occasionally there would be a "dropping" kind of sound. Can't remember any particular details about that, but I think it may have happened more in the summer months. Again. All of these things, other than the last, had always been happening. I attributed it to make and model idiosyncrasies. I have noticed other recall issues listed with this jeep that I glanced over, did not read them. Just so you know. But, after my engine went out, it made me reconsider all of these "odd" things that are probably connected. Oh yeah... Also... 5. I had to replace my engine throttle, supposedly brakes plus says it's also "normal" for this model. 6. My engine blew very shortly after an oil pan gasket fix, which I put off for a while. Makes me think there's a pressure problem with the engine in general, when combined with the other "symptoms", on hindsight. Like I said, I was an oil tech for Jiffy Lube, i am not a mechanic. But this experience may have taught me a thing or two about suspicious auto mechanisms.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #71

May 282022

Patriot

  • miles
Something is wrong with the engine. I was told the engine is blown. I've maintained my vehicle and completed recommended repairs by Brakes Plus. I'd like to mention that as a former lube tech for Jiffy Lube, I am familiar with oil top offs. Naturally, I periodically checked my dip stick to confirm oil levels. It ALWAYS read at an acceptable level. Did I think it was weird? No, because I'm not a mechanic. I just thought that's how Jeeps are. Go Jeep! I'm a fan... well, my engine blew. Took it to Brakes Plus, l (towed), after a few check ups (towed each time)asked the techs how much oil was in the tank. Was told 2 quarts. I'm thinking that should have been reflected somehow on the dipstick. It wudnt. Since my car's been dead, thought I'd "experiment" with the oil readings. I have NOT driven the jeep. Anyhow, put a quart in- low and behold... it reads WAY above the max fill marker. As far as I know, there's only about 3 quarts in there. Also, my engine always had this 'tick'. Again, did not find it weird, thought that's how Jeeps are. Noticed it on day one, asked the salesman, he stated that's normal for the patriot. After this issue happened, I've found several YouTube videos with explanations of valve cover adjustments being needed, cheap fix, supposedly. I've been quoted 4000-9000 for engine replacement. The valve adjustment thing.. I don't know, maybe they have selective hearing, or 4-9k sounds better, cuz no one has even acknowledged that I mentioned that, or cared to confirm. Regardless, the dipstick is wrong. Seems pretty important. Especially if my engine is, in fact, blown.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #70

May 172021

Patriot

  • miles
Fueling vehicle takes upwards of 15-20 minutes. I am worried it may have something to do with recall 12V142000 along with recall 13V120000. Which are both hazardous to the driver and passenger being that one may cause an accident and the other may result in death of the occupants.

- Bourbon, IN, USA

problem #69

Jul 122021

Patriot

  • miles
Can't pump gas without it shutting off within seconds of trying to auto click handle. It is taking average 15-25 minutes to pump a tank of gas. It is BY PASSING the auto shut off so gas could spew out of tank when full. This is happening every week when I go get gas, estimate 4 months now. Doesn't matter if cold or hot outside but I am already tired of holding handle trying to get gas in the tank. I read that Chrysler is looking at 2011-2012 models due to the gas tank is split and has valve line that is defective. I have to turn ignition key on so I can see when I put enough gas in vehicle multiple times to get a full tank. I am the original owner. No warning messages that alert for condition. This is unsafe.

- Findlay, OH, USA

problem #68

Dec 022021

Patriot

  • miles
On Dec 2 2021 wile driving the vehicle shut off my saftey and the saftey of others were put at risk as I was almost rear ended by a truck serviced at a repair shop they replaced the evap system and the charcol filter but were unsure of the reason why it shut off and would not restart vehicle had a quater tank of gas at the time and would not restart the next day I added more fuel and it started but it had two warning lights present

- Smyrna, GA, USA

problem #67

Dec 212020

Patriot

  • 42,000 miles
When trying to fill the tank with gas the pump keeps shutting off every 5-10 seconds and sometimes gas comes back oout the fill tube. My mechanic says we have a bad rollover valve and the whole gas tank needs to be replaced to fix it.

- Davenport, IA, USA

problem #66

Oct 242020

Patriot

  • miles
When I attempt to refill gas in my Jeep, the tank prevents the gas from flowing into the vehicle. I can refill the tank, but because of the issue, it takes a very long time to refill the gas with the pump repeatedly shutting off.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #65

Oct 242020

Patriot

  • 80,000 miles
When pumping gas at any gas station, my fuel tank shuts off the flow of gas approximately every 5 seconds. There seems to be a defect with the gas tank.

- Fairmont, WV, USA

problem #64

Sep 012020

Patriot

  • 103,000 miles
I had my check engine light come on. I went to auto zone and had them run a quick dx check to see why the engine light came on. The code that came up reported an issue with my gas cap or fuel sensor. I am not able to pump gas into my vehicle without the pump shutting off continuously; when pumping my gas I have to hold the pumps lever and it will still lose pressure and shut off. I have to pump very slowly in order to fill up my vehicle. When going down the highway I can feel a surge in my acceleration and I have noticed issues in being able to pick up speed. I also started to have an issue with a loud clicking when turning on my heat or ac. I started looking in the problems more on jeepscares forums. I saw various reports on both issues, on one of the posts they encouraged anyone having issues with the fuel sensor to report the problem to NHTSA.

- Warsaw, IN, USA

problem #63

Feb 062020

Patriot

  • miles
Car stalls at every stop. While driving high way speeds for a few minutes it drops down in speed causing you close call accidents because it is very sudden. If I drive the Jeep and come to a complete stop regardless if at stop sign red light or behind traffic the car will turn off having me to turn the key in off position and put it in park to start it again. If I am on the highway driving I can be going 45 mph and all of sudden the Jeep starts declining in its acceleration and will not go above 10mph. Also when initially starting up if I have to back up it turns off while in the middle of backing up. This issue is been known to happen to a few people who I know that own the same exact Jeep or the 2013 model. Also have had it checked out and only thing that pops up is a code for the gas cap which I have replaced and still pops the code for

- Unionville, TN, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

Not what you are looking for?