Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Jeep Patriot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My son was driving his vehicle on the interstate in Florida when all of the sudden engine stopped working. He was able to navigate to the side and eventually it started up and made back to campus. Codes had came up so took to Firestone and changed spark plugs. We checked NHTSA website for engine recalls and showed had some but not for his specific vehicle per VIN. Only sounded a little better so took to Jeep dealership and paid for diagnostic evaluation and told "alternator falling apart" but nothing wrong with engine or transmission. They changed a belt Dealership also said no recall for his particular vehicle. Problem continued so took to local mechanism who replaced alternator and a good bit better. So between 8/20/25-8/26/25, he took car to 3 repair shops that couldn't find the problem completely. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated while stationary at a traffic light attempting to make a left turn, while depressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that she was unaware if there was a warning light illuminated. The contact stated she parked in the middle of the street before restarting the vehicle. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the RPM levels raised up however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated she was able to park on the side of the road and restart the vehicle. The contact stated she drove to her residence while experiencing the failure. The contact stated she continued to experience the failure and the throttle body warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the throttle body and wiring harness to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and traction control warning light were illuminated. In addition, the contact had to use force to steer the wheel. The contact was unable to coast to the side of the road during several failures. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that after resuming driving, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the crankshaft and camshaft sensors had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that upon accelerating uphill, the RMPs revved up but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the temperature sensor had failed and damaged the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the temperature sensor, head gasket, water pump, radiator, and unknown hoses and clamps were replaced. A transmission flush was performed, and the transmission was rebuilt. Additionally, the contact stated that upon parking the vehicle after driving 45 MPH, she noticed that the driver's seat headrest had partially been deployed independently. The contact pushed the headrest inside the seat; however, the headrest was completely deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated before the failure; however, the check engine warning light was illuminated after the failure. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with crankshaft sensor failure. The contact was informed that the crankshaft sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure occurred while her minor child was inside the vehicle. The contact stated that she and her minor child were stranded in a disabled vehicle on the road for over an hour. The dealer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall repair or special programs. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the engine seized. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. In addition, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); in 2017; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the shoulder of the road. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed crankshaft position sensor. The contact was informed that the crankshaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had occurred several times. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after an hour each time. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. On another occasion, the contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, she observed a winding noise emanating from the engine compartment. The contacts stated that the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lagged and hesitated before accelerating. There was also rough idling while stopped at a stoplight with an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle stalled intermittently on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer four times prior for the failure and the catalytic converter was replaced as part of a recall, the coolant was flushed, and the engine was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was 101,858.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would jerk with unknown warning lights illuminated and the vehicle would stall. The contact stated he was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact stated that he turned the vehicle off and on when the failure first occurred however, on the second failure occurrence the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the diagnosis was crankshaft position sensor failure. The crankshaft position sensor was replaced. The contact stated researched the failure online and found NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 41,580.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles manufactured May 9, 2016, to July 15, 2016. The crankshaft or camshaft sensor may only work intermittently, causing the engine to stall.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft or camshaft sensor connector, free of charge. The recall began February 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA investigations
Stall from Crankshaft\Camshaft Failure
On December 13, 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received recall 16V-907 from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that identified a safety defect involving crankshaft or camshaft sensor failures on certain 2016 Model Year Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles.
Engine complaints in other Patriot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Jeep Patriot?
NHTSA has 241 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Jeep Patriot, 53% of the model year's 458 complaints. The component named most often is engine › crank/camshaft position sensor (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Jeep Patriot engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-907 (engine, Dec 16, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Jeep Patriot engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.