The Lane Check

Cars › Jeep › Patriot › 2013

2013 Jeep Patriot problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
60%
50 of 84 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

60% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Jeep Patriot are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 80% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 36 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 42%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2013 Jeep Patriot have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 50 of 84 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Jeep Patriot concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (60%), and the largest group is filed under engine (25). For comparison, the 2012 scores 77% and the 2014 scores 61%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
50
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
120
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
5 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS33 · 28%
ENGINE25 · 21%
SEAT BELTS23 · 19%
POWER TRAIN19 · 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER13 · 11%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM11 · 9%

The years either side

2010
49%
77 of 188
2011
49%
134 of 326
2012
77%
226 of 354
2013
60%
50 of 120
2014
61%
235 of 548
2015
54%
155 of 315
2016
69%
289 of 458
2017
51%
23 of 59
2018
no data
2019
no data
2020
no data
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2013 Jeep Patriot

What one owner reported

AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE06/21/2013CRASH1 INJURED
AS MY WIFE WAS PULLING INTO OUR DRIVEWAY AND BRAKING TO PARK THE CAR, THE ENGINE SPED UP AND ALL 4 WHEELS WERE SPINNING EXTREMELY FAST CAUSING HER TO THRUST FORWARD. SHE WAS NOT IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE MODE AT THE TIME. SHE STEPPED ON THE BRAKES HARDER TO SEE IF SHE COULD STOP THE VEHICLE BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE…

One of 50 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Jeep Patriot?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Jeep Patriot, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
seat belts: pretensioner16V668000 · Sep 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2013 Jeep Patriot? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2013 Jeep Patriot

Does the 2013 Jeep Patriot have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 50 of 84 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Jeep Patriot concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (60%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Jeep Patriot?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Jeep Patriot, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Jeep Patriot years are better?

Among the Jeep Patriot years we track, the 2010 (49%), the 2011 (49%) and the 2017 (51%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2013 (60%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2013 Jeep Patriot?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2013 Jeep Patriot has an elevated engine complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing engine work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the engine. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.