Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
21–25 mpgcombined; city 20–23, highway 22–29; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,990–$15,470U.S. average; Ohio $11,610–$13,820 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2009 Patriot. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 275 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Patriot. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Structure
61
1
0
0
Suspension
53
0
0
0
Power train
51
0
0
0
Engine
48
1
0
4
Fuel/propulsion system
35
1
0
0
Electrical system
33
0
1
0
Unknown or other
22
0
0
0
Service brakes
18
0
0
0
Steering
17
1
0
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
10
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
10
0
1
0
Exterior lighting
9
0
0
0
14 more parts
Tires
9
0
0
0
Air bags
7
2
0
2
Engine and engine cooling
5
0
0
0
Wheels
5
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
4
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
4
1
0
4
Equipment
2
0
0
0
Interior lighting
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
1
0
4
Visibility
2
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
1
0
Seats
1
0
0
2
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 Patriot over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 712 MY 2009 SEBRING, DODGE CALIBER, AVENGER, JOURNEY, JEEP PATRIOT, AND COMPASS VEHICLES. A NEW ADHESIVE USED IN THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) MANUFACTURING PROCESS CAN CAUSE THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD TO BREAK.
Risk: THIS CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PCM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 10, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 39 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Patriot, the latest on Aug 15, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (9), structure (9), electrical system (5), engine and engine cooling (4), unknown or other (4).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Patriot.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Patriot Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
23 / 28 / 25
Patriot 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
23 / 28 / 25
Patriot Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
23 / 29 / 25
Patriot Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
23 / 27 / 24
Patriot Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 25 / 23
Patriot 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 24 / 22
Patriot 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 22 / 21
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data