2013 Jeep Patriot: True Cost, Problems & Verdict

120 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.

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The cheap crossovers: Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass and Renegade, used, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.

Owner complaints: 120 filed with NHTSA

Complaints per year on the road: 9.23

Air Bags33Engine25Seat Belts23Power Train19Unknown Or Other13Electrical System11

What owners say

Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.

The passenger headrest AHR has deployed a couple years ago while parked. I tried working with the dealer for the past year to get it fixed under a recall. The dealer said it was covered for a limited time but no longer is covered. I do not understand why that is. It seems this should be covered under a recall and is a safety issue.
The contact owns a 2013 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V668000 (Seat Belts, Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact scheduled an appointment and was informed that parts were on backorder upon arrival. The contact stated tha…
The rear sub frame suddenly broke (rusted out) There was a known recall for 2008-2012 Jeep Patriot's, but not 2013 [XXX] I have Photos, but the form wouldn't let me upload them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Recalls: 1 campaigns (1 severe)

2016
CampaignComponentSummary
16V668000Seat Belts:PretensionerChrysler (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 pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of…

What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes

Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.

Typical price today $12,800–$18,400 used market, 2026
You lose to depreciation $930/year $4,700 over five years
Price when new (2013)$28,800
Worth in five years$10,900
Depreciation, five years$4,700
Insurance, five years$5,950–$8,400
Fuel and maintenance, five years$25,872
Five-year cost of owning it$37,747
Per mile driven, at 12,000 miles a year$0.63

What it costs to run

EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650

Fuel (your region)$2,650
Maintenance band (your region) $1,605–$3,164
Estimated running cost this year (age 13) $5,034
Range across the maintenance band $4,255–$5,814
Next five years, running cost $25,872

Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.

02468101214$6,184vehicle age (years)
fuel/energy + maintenance band, annual — US dollars, estimate

Run your own numbers in the true-cost calculator →

What this car's problems cost to fix

Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.

  • Air Bags33 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
  • Engine25 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
  • Seat Belts23 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
  • Power Train19 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
  • Unknown Or Other13 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
  • Electrical System11 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310

FAQ

What is the most common problem with the 2013 Jeep Patriot?

The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (33 complaints in our indexed sample).

Is the 2013 Jeep Patriot a good used car to buy?

Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 90/100, computed from 120 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.

How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Jeep Patriot's most common problem?

33 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Jeep Patriot sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.

What does a 2013 Jeep Patriot cost to run per year?

About $5,174 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,872 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.

Does the 2013 Jeep Patriot have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 Jeep Patriot, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 15/09/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.

What will a 2013 Jeep Patriot really cost YOU per year?

Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.

Open the true-cost calculator

Data sources

Complaints & recalls: NHTSA · Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov · Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements. Last updated: 2026-10-04.

90RELIABILITY / 100
BUY

Moderate evidence — 120 complaints, 1 recalls on record

Typical price today$12,800–$18,400used market estimate · the full money picture
Running cost, next 5 years$25,872fuel/energy + maintenance band midpoint · estimate
  • 120 NHTSA complaints on record (9.2/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (26.9/yr)
  • 1 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems

How this score is computed →