NHTSA Complaint #10565882 — 2008 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4

OVER THE PAST YEAR MY JEEP HAS BEEN VERY SLUGGISH, ACCELERATES AT HIGHER RPM'S THAN NORMAL, "SHIFTS" ROUGH ( EVEN THOUGH IT IS A CVT AND DOESN'T HAVE GEARS). FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN AND THEN PROCEED TO ACCELERATE AFTER THE TURN, MY JEEP HESITATES TO ACCELERATE, THE RPM'S PLUMMET AND THEN REACH TO OVER 3000 RPM'S BEFORE IT SLAMS/JERKS INTO GEAR TO RETURN TO AROUND 2000 RPM'S. TWICE MY JEEP HAS SHUTTERED AND STALLED WHILE AT RED LIGHTS. LAST WEEK AFTER BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, AS SOON AS I PUT IT IN DRIVE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND DINGING AT ME. MY JEEP WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO TRAVEL 8 FEET FROM MY DRIVEWAY. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART MY JEEP 3 TIMES, AND EVERY TIME I HAD THE SAME "LIMP MODE"/ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL ISSUE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AT ALL. THE MANUAL STATES THAT "IF THE LIGHT IS FLASHING WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING YOU MAY EXPERIENCE POWER LOSS, AN ELEVATED/ROUGH IDLE, AND INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL EFFORT, AND YOUR VEHICLE MAY REQUIRE TOWING. IMMEDIATE SERVICE IS REQUIRED.". THIS DOES NOT SOUND SAFE. I HAD IT TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED AUTO MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS A THROTTLE BODY ISSUE AND THAT I WOULD NEED TO HAVE IT REPLACED. HOWEVER, CHRYSLER/JEEP HAS 1,500-2,000 THROTTLE BODIES ON BACK ORDER AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS TO EVEN RECEIVE THE PART. I'M GLAD THAT MY JEEP DID NOT STALL OR GO INTO "LIMP MODE" WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AS THIS COULD CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT. I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY, EVEN THOUGH I AM NOW MAKING CAR PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE THAT WILL NOT RUN. THIS IS ALSO MY ONLY VEHICLE. THERE MUST BE A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE THROTTLE BODY TO HAVE 1,500-2,000 ON BACK ORDER AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. *TR