Why Did Jeep Discontinue The Patriot & What Was Its Last Year Of Production?

In the SUV and off-roading category, the Jeep name on the hood adds trail cred but also extra dollars to the sticker price. To entice buyers hungry for a lower-cost-of-entry to its rugged brand, Jeep introduced the Patriot compact crossover SUV in 2007 at a starting MSRP of $14,550. It was one of four Jeep models unveiled that year, including the Compass, Wrangler, and Wrangler Unlimited.

The base model Patriot was two-wheel drive, and came in two trims: Sport and Limited. Each trim offered a manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a four-wheel drive option. With a nod to its heritage, Patriot was available with an electronically controlled 4×4 system called Freedom Drive II, earning Jeep's own "Trail Rated" label along with upgraded tires and lifted ground clearance.

Overall, the Patriot was sparse but functional, boxy, and sluggish. But most importantly to many buyers, it carried the Jeep name. 10 years later, it had sold well over 700,000 units in the U.S. alone, and by 2017, the line had expanded to five trims: Sport, Sport SE, Sport 75th Anniversary, Latitude, and High Altitude. This was also the last model year of the Patriot, but why did it go?

The Patriot was produced from model year 2007 to 2017, and in that time there were definite improvements and lessons learned. Repairpal.com reported a frequent target of complaints was the vehicle's CVT, which whined, decelerated, overheated, struggled on hills, and failed. In 2014, the Patriot finally moved away from the CVT, but even the manual had complaints about difficulty shifting. 

There were plenty more problems, however, like water leaks through the roof and dashboard area, and wireless control module failures that didn't allow engines to start. Some problems were severe enough to trigger an NHTSA recall –11 recalls, actually.  Fuel tank assembly issues launched one recall to prevent fires if a Patriot were involved in a crash or rollover. Further alarming problems such as steering loss and airbag and restraint system failure initiated other recalls. These weren't career-ending disasters for the Patriot, but collectively they didn't help its growing reputation as a budget vehicle that had reliability issues. 

If the Patriot was a lower-cost way to own a new Jeep, part of that cost was that it was slow and noisy, with lower gas mileage and standards for fit and finish than many comparable SUVs on the market. It was also behind the game in accessories and comfort.

As if competition from other manufacturers wasn't stiff enough, in 2017 its own cousin, the Jeep Compass got a complete makeover on a new chassis. In the meantime, the Patriot seemed to be treading water on an outdated platform compared to the best compact SUVs under $30,000. On top of that, Jeep was selling three more SUVs that same year. Even though the price points of the Renegade, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee put those out of reach of the typical Patriot buyer, these better-equipped vehicles made the Patriot less compelling by comparison. This model didn't even get enough parental love to have its own Easter eggs. With sales numbers slipping 68% from the previous year, Jeep laid the Patriot to rest in 2017.