NHTSA Complaint #10790400 — 2011 JEEP PATRIOT

THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN VERY DEPENDABLE UP UNTIL NOW, MY 3RD YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. THE CAR HAS BEEN MAINTAINED WELL AND HAS NEVER SHOWN ANY INDICATION OF PROBLEMS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY A FEW WEEKS AGO GOING ABOUT 65MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DIED IN TRAFFIC. ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND THE VEHICLE WAS COASTING. I TRIED TO MOVE OVER AS I WAS IN THE FAST LANE WITH NO SHOULDER AVAILABLE DUE TO ROAD WORK. I GOT OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE BUT THERE WAS ALSO NO SHOULDER THERE. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO DUCK INTO A WORK AREA THAT HAD A SMALL OPENING(I TOOK OUT A COUPLE CONES THOUGH). AS I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE ONCE IN THE CLOSED WORK AREA OFF THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY I LOST POWER STEERING AND THE ABILITY TO BRAKE. THE CAR WOULD START AGAIN BUT NOT ACCELERATE AND WOULD DIE AGAIN WHEN I TRIED. WE LEFT THE CAR AND CAME BACK 2 HOURS LATER WITH THE SAME ISSUES. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR 3-4 HOURS IT RAN PERFECTLY FINE. TWO DAYS LATER I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS GOING ANYWHERE FROM 25-40MPH. I HAD THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT AND IT DID NOT PUT OUT ANY CODES THUS THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO HELP ME. I TOOK THE CAR HOME AGAIN BUT NOW EVERY SINGLE TIME THE CAR RUNS LONG ENOUGH TO REACH NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE IT DIES WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD! THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON BEFOREHAND, AND AFTER THE CAR HAS DIED IT SOMETIMES WILL FLASH THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT OR ALL OF THE LIGHTS WILL BRIEFLY FLASH AND THEN GO OFF. MY CAR IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT I BELIEVE THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED. IT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND I EVEN SAW AN INVESTIGATION OPENED IN 2012. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THAT INVESTIGATION? I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND THEM ANYWHERE PROBABLY INDICATING THAT NOTHING EVER CAME OF IT. I WILL BE CONTACTING JEEP AS WELL AS CARMAX WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR.