NHTSA Complaint #10523800 — 2012 JEEP PATRIOT

DRIVING DOWNHILL ON SOUTH I-15 THROUGH PHELAN AT 4PM APPROXIMATELY 95 DEGREES OUTSIDE. ACCELERATOR BECAME NON-RESPONSIVE. RPMS DROPPED TO IDLE SPEEDS. VEHICLE WAS ESSENTIALLY 'COASTING' WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AT ALL. PUMPING ACCELERATOR WAS RESULTING IN NOTHING. ENGINE TEMP WAS NOT ABOVE HALFWAY MARK, ABOUT 1/3 TANK OF FUEL. NO ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS. CHANGING GEARS ELECTRONICALLY (AUTOMATIC) NOT HELPFUL. WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO OFF-RAMP SINCE I WAS TRAVELING DOWNHILL. ENGINE PROMPTLY DIED WHEN I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. UPON PULLING THE KEY OUT AND RE-INSERTING THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL ERROR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. ATTEMPTED TO RESET COMPUTER NOT HELPFUL. APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES LATER (AND PHONE CALLS FOR ROAD-SIDE SERVICE) ETC LIGHT WENT AWAY. COMPUTER RESET MAY HAVE FINALLY TAKEN. VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO PROBLEM. DROVE THE FINAL 35 MILES HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. COULD HAVE BEEN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SITUATION HAD I NOT BEEN TRAVELING DOWNHILL AT SPEED. HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED DEALER AS I AM OUT OF NEW CAR WARRANTY. NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT ISSUES AT SPEED HAVE ME VERY CONCERNED. *TR