NHTSA Complaint #11271438 — 2008 JEEP PATRIOT

AFTER FILLING UP MY GAS TANK THIS MORNING, MY CAR SPUTTERED AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION IMMEDIATELY AFTER I LEFT GAS STATION. I WAS YIELDING TO TURN LEFT TO ENTER THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF I-69. I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE FOR QUITE AWHILE NOW AND MY MECHANIC HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND AN ISSUE SINCE IT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN I FILL UP THE GAS TANK. I DECIDED THIS MORNING TO LOOK FOR OTHER JEEP OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND FOUND A FORUM THAT DATES BACK TO OVER 3 YEARS AGO WITH PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, THEIR FINDINGS HAVE LED TO THE GAS TANK NEEDING TO BE REPLACED IN PART TO A FAULTY PART THAT SITS ON/IN THE GAS TANK. IN THE PAST, I'VE HAD TO TIME TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN ORDER TO MAKE IT THROUGH WITHOUT STALLING BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT DIDN'T WORK TODAY. TYPICALLY, THIS IS ONLY AN ISSUE WHEN I'M DRIVING AT SLOWER SPEEDS OR IN STOP/GO TRAFFIC. ALSO, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP AND IS VERY HARD TO TURN TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. OFTEN TIMES, THE JEEP DOESN'T START RIGHT AWAY. YOU HAVE TO REV THE ENGINE AND THEN PUT IN DRIVE QUICKLY AND TAKE OFF OR IT STALLS AGAIN. IN THE FORUM, SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO REPLACE PARTS FOR QUICK FIXES WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS. THIS SHOULD OBVIOUSLY BE SOMETHING THE CAR MAKERS SHOULD FIX WITHOUT PASSING THE COST ALONG TO THE OWNER.