Used 2009 Jeep Patriot for Sale

I purchased this vehicle from a private owner as a primary means of transportation. I selected this particular vehicle based on availability, the closeness of the seller and the relative age of the vehicle compared to other available vehicles. While this vehicle fulfilled my needs, and was a pleasure to drive, the overall mechanical soundness of the vehicle fell short of my expectations, even for a used vehicle. Overall, I found that transmission issues were a common issue with owners and were reported in high volume across a number of internet discussion boards and review sites. After a few weeks of ownership, I frequently heard whining noises from the transmission under normal operating conditions. During one particular road trip, I had to stop the vehicle due to a transmission overheating warning light. This occurred on a hot day and in heavy traffic. This created a dangerous situation as I had my family in the vehicle and was in heavy traffic when the Jeep automatically reduced speed, causing my to activate my hazard lights and creep through traffic to the nearest exit. These issues ultimately led me selling the vehicle to another private buyer.

I love the size of the jeep since it's big enough to tow and lug kayaks, etc however the mileage displayed at sale has not come any where near what the manufacturer indicated it would be. I was sold on this car specifically because the mileage appears great for a car of this size. However, from the get go it performed 5-10 mph less than indicated. I've had quite a few problems with the car considering the mileage on it as well. From the beginning, the flashlight attachment has never worked. In addition, the window in the back leaks. Perhaps this would be a better car in a less rainy part of the country. My struts have already failed twice and the brakes have needed replacing twice as well, all on a car with less than 60 thousand miles. Additionally, I wish the back trunk window would open so that I could lug lumber around instead of having to tie to top of the car.