Faults:

We had more than 4+ major transmission repairs on this 5-speed SUV that was highly unreliable. None of the chronic problems that plagued us with endless anxiety was attributed to driver habit. We had a Ford and Nissan SUV in manual transmission, and never had one moment of stress.

It was a defective hunk of metal from the start, that should have been scrapped and ethically replaced. There were part defects, grinding noises between shifting, inoperable times where the stick could not move, ball bearing issues, transmission overhauls, gearbox replacements and the company (Jeep) spent about $13,000 on warranty repairs and labour trying to fix an incurable situation. They even replaced the whole transmission, according to their manager, who knows. We had a stack of warranty repair receipts in our filing cabinet.

Fixing the transmission was like a band-aid on a deep wound, and the repairs, even under factory warranty, were unacceptable and intolerable. There were far better solutions, but nobody wanted to make us happy. I even told them in a note and verbally to check the 4th gear at the time of another repair on the transmission, thinking we could kill 2 birds with one stone; and they ignored my concerns.

Several weeks later, I'm back in the shop, inconvenienced once again with down time that was preventable if people listened.

General Comments:

Imagine buying a $25k new SUV, and within months you're stuck with an inferior lemon; what a terrible buying experience with weak customer service. There were times we went without transportation for more than a day and it had to be towed a few times. How could anyone enjoy such a joke situation? We cancelled road trips, fearing it would break down, and dismissed trips that hugged the USA & Canada border less than 1 hour away because we did not trust the performance of this vehicle.

The Patriot failed to live up to our needs and wants in countless ways, and we lost money and value in an economically made substandard vehicle that is worthy of its poor ratings. It is sluggish on uphill grades, and was like a boat on wheels around sharp corners.

The only good thing was the government rebate and its rear cargo space.

If you look online for reviews of the Patriot, many give low marks including experts. If you had positive experiences with the 2008 Patriot, you're lucky. Maybe it was a good vehicle in automatic, but in manual transmission; it was a joke. I would not wish this frustrating nightmare on anyone. It was the worst car ever, and the dealership was the same. First and last time buyers of a Jeep, we went to a Ford and had stress free trouble for the past 2 years; a nice feeling after being put through a terrible situation for nothing.

The dashboard juts out into the driver's cabin, and the rear window was poor for tall drivers who have to slouch down to see better.

Faults:

Tire pressure sensor replaced at 50,000 miles.

Nothing else at all.

General Comments:

While it may not be the best car in every category, it would be close. It was inexpensive to purchase, and I've spent next to nothing on repairs (1 tire pressure sensor).

It's easy on tires and I'm still on the original brakes. Good handling and ride on the highways, and fabulous in snow, even without 4WD.

It's not a performance vehicle, but acceleration is acceptable, and better than expected for a 4 cylinder.

Fuel economy is excellent for an SUV: high 20s MPG overall, low 30s on a long trip at 55-65 mph.

At 85,000 miles, the driver's seat is showing some wear.

Only complaints:

1) I wish the rear window opened without the whole gate.

2) Rare tire size / few options - you must find something close and argue with the dealers if you're not staying with OEM size.