Head-to-head reliability
JEEP Patriot vs FORD F 150
How the JEEP Patriot and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
JEEP Patriot vs FORD F 150: The Patriot averaged 264 complaints per year with 6 deaths, while the F-150 averaged 1,131 complaints per year with 1 death. Both have transmission and electrical issues, but the Patriot's engine and airbag problems are more severe. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the JEEP Patriot or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
JEEP Patriot
The Jeep Patriot is a compact SUV that averaged 264 complaints per year over a decade, with 16 recalls. Owners frequently report engine and transmission problems, including sudden jerking, acceleration, and power loss, as well as electrical glitches and airbag issues. With 123 crash-related complaints, 128 injuries, and 6 deaths, it demands careful inspection before purchase.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup that generated 1,131 complaints per year on average, with 145 recalls. The most common issues involve the transmission (hard shifts, power loss), electrical system (warning lights, camera malfunctions), and exterior lighting. Despite 328 crash-related complaints and 287 injuries, only 1 death was reported, suggesting different crash dynamics than the Patriot.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | JEEP Patriot | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 2,640 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 16 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 123 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 264.0 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 128 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 6 | 1 Better |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
JEEP Patriot
- 01ENGINE763
- 02POWER TRAIN420
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM400
- 04AIR BAGS380
- 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER320
Owners report engine failure at low mileage, such as a motor blowing at 48,000 miles, and sensor issues causing jolting and unintended acceleration. These can leave you stranded and are expensive to fix.
Complaints describe transmission whining, warning lights, deceleration, and loss of power at highway speeds. This creates a serious safety risk if it happens in traffic.
Persistent electrical problems appear shortly after purchase, with multiple sensor lights coming on and causing erratic vehicle behavior. Electrical gremlins can be hard to diagnose and costly.
There are reports of spontaneous airbag deployment injuring drivers, as well as airbag failures in crashes. This is a critical safety concern that could lead to injury or death.
“On 10/27/2020, I financed a Jeep Patriot with 43K miles from Quality Chevrolet. Exactly 6 days later 11/02/2020, while I was on the way home from work in the evening; three sensor lights came on causing the vehicle to jolt / jerk / accelerate and become unsaf…”
“I BOUGHT A 2017 JEEP PATRIOT IN FEB 2017 FROM LEE AUTO MALL IN APRIL 2018 THE MOTOR BLEW WITH 48,000 MILES ON IT WHILE I WAS DRIVING OUT OF WORK ON A CITY STREET. IT WAS REPLACED UNDER THE MANUFACTURE WARRANTY APRIL 2018. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN J…”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The 10R80 transmission is a frequent complaint: hard shifts, jerking, clunking, and even total power loss while driving. These issues can be dangerous and may require costly repairs.
Owners report warning messages like 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available,' as well as loud bangs from the transmission area. These electrical faults can disable safety features.
Exterior lighting problems, particularly with headlights, are common enough to be a top complaint category. Faulty lights reduce visibility and can lead to accidents.
While less frequent than transmission issues, engine complaints exist and may involve performance problems or failures. A thorough engine check is wise.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
JEEP Patriot — 16 recalls
The defect: 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 Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pret…
The risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrys…
The defect: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2013 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200, and model year 2014 Jeep Compass and Patriot vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. Due to abrasive debris in the balance shaft bearings, these engines may have a loss of engine oil pressure, possibly r…
The risk: If the engine stalls while driving it may increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine balance shaft module, free of charge. The recall began on December 24, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N52.
The defect: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Jeep Compass and Patriot vehicles manufactured May 6, 2008, through July 20, 2012. The affected vehicles have a software error which may result in a delayed deployment or non-deployment of the seatbelt pre-tensioners and/or sid…
The risk: In the event of a rollover necessitating airbag deployment, the software error can lead to a delayed deployment or non-deployment of the side curtain airbag and/or seatbelt pre-tensioners. As a result, vehicle occupants have an increased r…
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software free of charge. The recall began June 21, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall number is N01.
The defect: 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 Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pret…
The risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrys…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
JEEP Patriot or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Jeep Patriot has far fewer complaints per year (264 vs. 1,131 for the F-150), but its issues are often severe, including engine and transmission failures that can cause loss of power. The F-150's higher volume means more reported problems overall, but many are transmission-related and may be addressed under recalls. In practice, the Patriot may have fewer total complaints, but each could be more dangerous.
Key differences
- The Jeep Patriot has 264 complaints per year on average, while the Ford F-150 has 1,131, but the Patriot's complaints include 6 deaths versus 1 for the F-150.
- Patriot owners report engine failures and unintended acceleration; F-150 owners report transmission jerking and power loss.
- The Patriot has 16 recalls; the F-150 has 145 recalls, covering issues like lighting, battery cables, and engines.
- Airbag problems are prominent in the Patriot (spontaneous deployment, crash failures), while the F-150's top issues are power train and electrical.
- Check for transmission whining, warning lights, or delayed engagement during a test drive, as owners report sudden power loss.
- Inspect for electrical issues like multiple dashboard lights or erratic sensor behavior, and ask if the airbag system has been serviced.
- Test the transmission for hard shifts, jerks, or clunks, especially between 4th-5th and 5th-6th gears, and listen for loud bangs.
- Verify that all electrical features work, including cameras and pre-collision assist, and check for any warning messages on startup.
Before you buy
- Obtain a full vehicle history report and check for open recalls on the NHTSA website.
- Have a trusted mechanic perform a pre-purchase inspection focusing on engine, transmission, and electrical systems.
- During a test drive, accelerate and decelerate through all gears to feel for jerking or power loss.
- Check all lights, cameras, and safety systems for proper function and warning messages.
- Ask the seller for maintenance records, especially for transmission fluid changes and engine repairs.
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | JEEP Patriot | FORD F 150 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 0 | 56 |
| 2017 | 59 | 43 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific JEEP Patriot or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- JEEP Patriot vs FORD F 150
- JEEP Patriot total complaints
- 2,640
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- JEEP Patriot total recalls
- 16
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- JEEP Patriot avg complaints/year
- 264.0
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- JEEP Patriot
- JEEP Patriot top complaint area
- ENGINE
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN