2012 Jeep Patriot Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

CapnJack on February 4, 2021

Got a 2012 Latitude 4WD with 90k for a steal. A handful of optional packages including sun and sound. I personally love the interior. It gets a bad rep but it's comfy, spacious enough, simplistic, and easy to clean. A handful of minor reliability issues but that's more the previous owners fault than the car. Really the biggest issue comes in the performance. It drives how it looks, like a brick. This is a little harsh as I'd recommend it for city driving, light offroading, and snow driving but it just lacks any spark when it comes to passing and highway driving. Is it an amazing car, no. Is it a good car that gives you everything you'd expect for its value and a little more, yeah.

Lady in Red on November 21, 2020

My second used jeep !! Easy to handle, solid, plenty of passenger and cargo room, just the right size in traffic, little to no maintenance and quite attractive. Large, square windows for easy all around viewing.

Kelly on September 29, 2020

I have never owned a Jeep before so I didn't know what to expect but I love it. I love the look and feel. I love how it drives and I am interested to know how it will handle in the snow this winter. I got the 4x4... Ohio weather...UGH!!

Robinslemon on February 17, 2020

I got my car at Lithia Dodge in Santa Rosa CA. I was told I couldn't test drive it because the brakes hadn't been done yet, but was assured it had been checked bumper to bumper and had absolutely no problems. We paid cash and picked it up the following evening. Well when opening the door, turning on the a/c*heater, even when it's just sitting there turned off there is a ticking/knocking behind the glove box. Also when accelerating the entire car studders, shakes & hesitates like it's going to fall apart. It's too dangerous to drive so I'm carless and pissed. The dealership has ingnord every call & email. Unreal! I'm sure the car would be great if it actually ran properly. I'd buy another but NEVER from Lithia tn Santa Rosa.

DADJeepLover! on January 19, 2020

Basic utility and adequate transportation with useful cargo area, comfortably seats four people, I bought it for the value, Great price, the white paint reflects the sun in the Texas heat, cargo rack on roof helps secure capsule for family vacation trips.

TomDaBomb on November 25, 2019

I bought a 2012 Patriot Latitude, not trail rated, 4x4 in order to get out from under another vehicle I had bought with a high payment. At first it didn't seem to terrible, but that didn't last long. From the test drive I could tell that this thing had no power what so ever. By far this has got to be the weakest vehicle I have ever driven, and owned. It has 4x4 but to be honest, I would not trust taking this thing off the road. It does fine to get the vehicle out of the snow, for the most part anyway. Interior leaves a lot to be desired. For a 2012, it feels very dated and lack luster. It has SXM radio but no bluetooth option, at least not in my model. Heated seats, sure, but it's very cramped and the storage space feels up rather quickly. Even my kids don't like to ride in it because they complain that the space in the rear seating is cramped. To top off all of that, the CVT on this thing is a complete piece of xxxx! I can't even drive somewhere that's an hour away without the trans overheating and shutting down, leaving myself, and sometimes my wife and children stranded on the side of a highway. So vacations or longer trips (over an hour) are a no-go. I ended up making a household rule that whoever drives the Patriot that day has to stay local. Meaning only take it on super short trips. Overall I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone ever. It's super weak, lackluster, cramped, cheap, and dated. Spend a few thousand more somewhere else, on something else.

barbalor on November 14, 2019

i have FWD. gas mileage 24/city 28/hwy, but loses alot of mileage when hauling heavy items. cargo door is rounded so you cant get 4 ft wide items in, but pretty much everything else fits. seat material is cheap appearing, but has lasted well and is still intact. the cargo floor carpet is super thin, i added thick matts. this vehicle adjusts well to mountain driving and the power kicks in well. it can practically stand on its front bumper on a very steep hill, and turn 90 degrees at the same time, remaining stable. 7 year old vehicle- ive had for 4 1/2 yrs- only problems a squeaky belt, and a tpms came off, and the car stopped when a crank shaft sensor broke- after oil change at store, and driving thru high water. dunno which one caused it. you must keep up with maintenance, including tire rotations and re-alignments, dont drive on worn tires or this vehicle will pull side to side. it is boxy, and does catch the wind. just dont drive on ice at all unless you add weight in the cargo area. its just like a pickup, no traction in back. i havent had any transmission problems and none listed on carmax. the shocks are fine, no problems there. ive got 116,000 miles. plan on keeping it for a long time.

lianashelly on July 23, 2019

had this as my first car and it was great! has an suv feel but is actually pretty small, very easy to park, and has a lot of room inside!

Krishan on June 6, 2019

I would not recommend the Jeep Patriot to anyone. I purchased the 2012 Patriot brand new and regularly got it serviced at my local Jeep dealership, making sure it received all the TLC it needed, never going the cheap route. Even after taking good care of the Patriot, my transmission failed at 82,000 miles...soon after I paid it off completely. 82,000 miles is way too early for a transmission to fail on any vehicle. I began doing research online and found out that it is very common to have early transmission failure in Jeeps that have the CVT transmission such as my Patriot does. I was just quoted at $6,000 for a refurbished transmission with labor by my Jeep dealership. I feel like Jeep should take care of these early transmission failure costs, especially if they occur before 100,000 miles but that's wishful thinking. I will never purchase a Jeep again and will alway tell my friends and family to steer clear!

weiercd on January 18, 2019

This car is a great commuter vehicle and good on gas. It has room for 4 people comfortably or 5 if needed. The rear of the vehicle has plenty of open space for storage travel. The jeep is still clean, in good condition and has a like new set of tires on it.