Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Jeep Patriot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Shortly after filling the gas tank of my 2007 Jeep Patriot (49xxx miles) I was coming to a 4 way intersection (only my side and the opposite side of the intersection has stop signs). As I was pulling through the intersection my Jeep Patriot stalled and I lost my power steering and brakes. I was almost struck on the passenger side by a vehicle traveling from the right side of the intersection from my orientation of the intersection. I tried to restart the vehicle for about 5 minutes to no avail. It would start and then immediately stall again. After almost being struck 5-6 times and after about 5 minutes of being stuck in the middle of an intersection I managed to start the vehicle up and drive it home by driving about 15 miles per hour on backroads for the remaining 2 miles to my house. …
Car purchased in wi and driven in tx. Car has been taken regularly to mechanic for maintenance for front suspension problems. At 77K, two outer tie rods and two lower ball joints replaced, at 133K, replaced one lower ball joint and one outer tie rod again. At 136K replaced inner tie rod. At 143K replaced two front control arms. Currently, both control arms and outer tie rods need to replaced again, current mileage is 198K. Mechanic has reported noise coming from front suspension and has noted heavy amount of rust on the front cross member. Structural integrity of the metal in front cross member is weak and further compromised if driving in areas where salt is used to de-ice road. In addition tires have needed to replaced each time due to uneven wear resulting from this problem. Car is main driven in city environment.
After doing a full refuel of the vehicle the vehicle will stall while in motion, loosing all assisted steering and breaking. The first time this happened engine stalled in mid traffic and I was almost hit by the vehicle behind me on the city. Second time I reached the highway when it stalled this was even more scary. Vehicle will restart after putting in park and stall again a couple of blocks down. This only happens when the tank is filed till gas station pump auto stops. If I fill 3/4 then no stalling occurs. I have read online that this is happening to many Jeep Patriot owners. Some claim that it is related to liquid fuel going into the EVAP canister and then being sent to the engine when fiecu expects fuel vapors. This issue can cause fatal injuries if engine stalls on the wrong place.
After filling up at gas station and getting on highway engine shuts off after the Jeep bucked several times. When engine shut off steering wheel locked. Had to put car in neutral urn key to turn on engine. Additionally after that,Jeep continually dies immediately following fill up at gas station. It currently dies approximately 3 times in a row before the engine will stay running. This is a highly dangerous event. If it shuts off and I do not wait at the gas station while I'm driving down the road then the steering wheel locks and I could have an accident and kill myself or someone else. This is a serious situation that Jeep / Chrysler needs to fix. Was there a crash ... Almost!
Every time I refuel the vehicle sputters and stalls. No matter what grade of fuel. It will sputter and stall for up to 20 miles after I fill it up. It has even stalled when pulling into traffic and the steering wheel locks when that happens. It's not safe. The Jeep dealership has been replacing stuff hoping to find a fix but no luck so far. It will stall stationary, moving, turning, or braking. I believe it May be something related to the fuel tank rollover valve. At least that's the only reasonable thing I have read or been told. Https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-t29898_ds631498
After refueling vehicle to full tank capacity, the vehicle stalls and steering wheel locks in an intersection within a few blocks from the gas station. For 2 years, this vehicle has been stalling after every gas refueling. It has now started to lock the steering wheel concurrent with the stalling. My wife, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the 8/18/15 incident felt she was in danger as cars tried to avoid the vehicle as well as almost hitting another vehicle because of the locked steering wheel.
After everytime I fill the fuel tank full of gasoline. After driving car from station, approximately .25 mile to 1 mile away. The engine will buck/shutter and stall while in motion at approximately 10-25 miles per hour. The engine experiences extreme loss of power with violent bursts of power. These incidents last ten seconds in duration. When attempting to merge on to highway, with heavy traffic, this can cause quite a bit of stress. This only happens after the fuel tank is filled full.
When the tank is filled, the engine stalls soon after leaving the gas station. The vehicle buck and stalls, and quits completely. Very dangerous when it is in traffic or during a turn as steering and brakes non-functional. Have replaced charcoal canister but now mechanic informs me the whole gas tank assembly needs replacement. Work-around for now is to not fill the tank up all the way.
After filling the fuel tank all the way the car will stutter and stall when you first pull away from the station. I was told this is because the vapors canister malfunctions. This isn't bad, except in this state the steering locks. It doesn't just get and to steer like old days without power steering, the steering wheel actually locks as if you are in park.
When I fill up the car with gas after leaving and driving for 20-30 seconds and stop at the stop light or sign the car will die and the steering wheel will lock up takes a couple of tries before it will start up and cause the steering wheel locks up I can't even move the car to the side if I have to. This has been going on for the past year.
Steering complaints in other Patriot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2007 Jeep Patriot?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the steering of the 2007 Jeep Patriot, 13% of the model year's 270 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Jeep Patriot steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2007 Jeep Patriot, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Jeep Patriot steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.