NHTSA Complaint #10744298 — 2008 JEEP PATRIOT FWD

THIS PROBLEM FIRST HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. IT WAS SUMMERTIME AND IT WAS ABOUT 80 DEGREES. I HAD BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED ABOUT 6 MONTHS EARLIER IN THE FALL. AS I WAS DRIVING THE ENGINE BEGAN TO MAKE A "WHINING OUT" NOISE AND SUDDENLY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. A LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH AREA AND MY SPEED SUDDENLY DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH AND I WAS LOSING POWER TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC. A TRACTOR TRAILER THAT WAS TRAVELING BEHIND ME HAD TO SLAM ON HIS BRAKES AND ALMOST LOST CONTROL FROM TRYING TO AVOID RUNNING INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR. I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. AFTER WAITING A COUPLE OF HOURS AND LETTING THE ENGINE COOL DOWN, I STARTED THE CAR BACK UP WHEN THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER HAD ARRIVED. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING AND CAUSES THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER UNTIL IT COOLS. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP AND PAID $100.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH DID NOT REVEAL ANY OTHER PROBLEM OTHER THAN WHAT I HAD EXPERIENCED. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHT THAT CAME ON IN "NORMAL" AND IS EXPLAINED IN THE OPERATING MANUAL. THEY EXPLAINED THAT IT IS "NORMAL" FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AND THERE WASNT ANY DEFECT OR ANYWAY TO FIX IT. SINCE THAT TIME MY CAR HAS DONE THIS CONTINUOUSLY IN HOT WEATHER WHEN I AM TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT HAS BECOME DANGEROUS FOR ME TO TRAVEL ON THE HIGHWAY AND RISK BREAKING DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR BEING COLLIDED WITH.