Customer complaints regarding stalling engines have prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open an investigation into the Jeep Patriot, the least expensive member of Chrysler's off road-oriented division.
NHTSA has opened a preliminary evaluation into the Patriot after receiving reports of engines stalling at high speeds in 2011 and 2012 examples of the Patriot. About 112,000 Patriots sold in the United States coud be affected if NHTSA's investigation prompts a recall to rectify any issues.Â
A dozen reports have been sent to NHTSA regarding the Patriot stalling, 10 of which stated that the vehicles' engines cut out above 65 mph. One report cites the stalled engine for a crash and injury.
The Patriot shares its powertrain, its car-based platform and many of its components with the Jeep Compass, although that model has not been named in reports of the investigation.Â
Patriot was introduced for the 2008 model year, but the 2011 model received a number of styling enhancements inside and out. It's unclear whether any of the 2011 model year upgrades affected the vehicle's powertrain enough to cause high speed engine stalling.Â
