Adaptive Cruise Control Sensor 1) If you are replacing this part due to the cluster displaying Clean Radar Sensor in Front of Vehicle or DTC C1266 ACC Sensor Blinded, please verify that there is no blockage in front of the sensor. Blockage can occur from mud, ice, snow, front end damage, bracket damage, the sensor not attached to the bracket properly or an aftermarket fascia installed. This fault can occur intermittently in muddy or icy/snowy conditions and is considered normal operation. Under some circumstances, a misaligned sensor can also cause the C1266 DTC, please complete an alignment procedure. No replacement is required.~ 2) If you are replacing this part due to the cluster displayi
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2014 Jeep Patriot cruise control problems
moderate Owners of the 2014 Jeep Patriot have filed 40 NHTSA complaints about the cruise control, typically surfacing around 70,000 miles at roughly $600 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
40
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
| Model year | cruise control complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 Patriot | 6 |
| 2011 Patriot | 11 |
| 2012 Patriot | 17 |
| 2013 Patriot | 4 |
| 2014 Patriot (this page) | 40 |
| 2015 Patriot | 27 |
| 2016 Patriot | 20 |
1crash
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 40 cruise control complaints filed for the 2014 Jeep Patriot, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Of the 9 model years of Jeep Patriot we track for cruise control problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 40.
Owners have filed 40 cruise control complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering cruise control on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Driver Door Glass Moves Slow And/Or Binds This bulletin involves inspecting glass travel and if necessary replacing the front driver door glass run. Driver door glass moves slow and/or binds in window run when cycling the window switch.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Driver Door Glass Moves Slow And/Or Binds This bulletin involves inspecting glass travel and if necessary replacing the front driver door glass run. Driver door glass moves slow and/or binds in window run when cycling the window switch.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners report the 2014 Jeep Patriot's cruise control and throttle system fails unpredictably, creating acute safety hazards. The most common complaint is sudden loss of power: vehicle decelerates from highway speed to 10–20 mph without brake input, ETC warning light illuminates, and accelerator becomes unresponsive. This happens on city streets, highways, and mountain grades. One owner was nearly rear-ended by an 18-wheeler after dropping from 70 to 25 mph. Another had the engine stall completely at 60 mph, requiring tow-in.
Unintended acceleration also occurs—one vehicle lurched forward at a parking lot after fueling, broke through a fence, struck a playhouse, and landed in a swimming pool. At traffic lights, multiple owners report the vehicle jerks forward repeatedly.
Engine jerking, RPM surging to 5,000 unprovoked, and violent bucking accompany many failures. Throttle body replacement is the stated fix, but owners report the same failure recurring within 1–2 years, and one owner's replacement of battery, throttle body, spark plugs, cam sensors, runner valve, and catalytic converter did not resolve stalling.
Jeep dealerships acknowledged throttle body as a "common repair" they perform frequently but declined warranty coverage. Software updates at dealerships did not correct the issue. Owners cite recall N52 but report Jeep refused to apply it to their vehicles. No official recall for this cruise-control ETC pattern exists.
Same Jeep Patriot cruise control reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) Malfunction — Loss of Power and Deceleration
Vehicle experiences sudden loss of power, deceleration to very low speeds (often 10–20 mph), and inability to accelerate normally while driving at various speeds. ETC warning light and check engine light typically illuminate. Occurs unpredictably during highway, city, and residential driving.
When: Across the mileage spectrum (25,000–137,000 miles); can occur early in ownership or later.
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of motive power while accelerating or maintaining speed; Deceleration to 10–20 mph without brake input; Inability to accelerate above 15–30 mph; ETC warning light illumination (sometimes flashing); Check engine light illumination; Vehicle sometimes enters limp mode; Problem occurs randomly or on hills
Codes mentioned: ETC (Electronic Throttle Control) warning indicator, Check Engine light, Traction Control light, Electronic Stability Control indicator
Repairs/costs cited: Multiple owners report replacement of throttle body ($1,000 noted in one case). Some replaced throttle body only to experience recurrence of same failure within 1–2 years. One owner replaced throttle body, cam sensors, spark plugs, battery, runner valve, and catalytic converter without resolving the issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owners report Jeep dealerships performed software updates that did not resolve the issue. Recall N52 exists but Jeep stated it could not be applied to all affected vehicles. No official recall issued for this specific cruise-control ETC failure pattern. Manufacturer inspection of water-damaged rental vehicle returned no malfunction found.
Unintended Acceleration — Vehicle Accelerates on Its Own
Vehicle suddenly accelerates at high speed without driver input on accelerator pedal. Occurs during low-speed parking maneuvers, at traffic lights, and during highway driving. Most dangerous incidents happened at low speeds but could have resulted in serious collisions.
When: Throughout ownership; one incident at rental pickup (5 days into rental use); others at varying mileage and ownership duration.
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden, uncontrolled acceleration to high speed; Acceleration occurs without depressing accelerator pedal; Vehicle jerks forward repeatedly at stop lights; Acceleration continues even when driver attempts to brake; Dashboard warning lights may flash briefly before or during event
Codes mentioned: No codes retained (transient events)
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs performed in reported unintended-acceleration cases. One vehicle ended in swimming pool; rental company inspection found no malfunction. Another vehicle required shift to Park position to stop unintended acceleration.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Rental car company received letter from manufacturer stating no malfunction found after inspection of partially submerged vehicle. No recall issued.
Jerking, Bucking, and Engine Roughness with Power Loss
Engine jerks, bucks, or runs very roughly during acceleration or while cruising. Often accompanied by loss of power, RPM fluctuation, and warning lights. Vehicle may stall or nearly stall.
When: Variable mileage; reported at 58,000–90,000+ miles. Can occur early or after years of ownership.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine jerking or bucking during acceleration; Violent jerking back and forth; RPM surging to 3,000–5,000 rpm unprovoked; Engine running very rough, almost stalling; Power loss during jerking episodes; Multiple warning lights illuminate (throttle, traction, check engine); Problem sometimes repeats after restart attempts
Codes mentioned: ETC warning indicator, Check Engine light, Traction Control light, Throttle Position light
Repairs/costs cited: Throttle body replacement performed in several cases. One owner replaced throttle body and experienced same jerking after towing home. One owner reports throttle body replaced at certified Jeep mechanic. Cost approximately $1,000 in one documented case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealers acknowledged throttle body as cause in some cases. One dealer noted this is a 'common repair they had seen many times' but would not cover under warranty. No official recall.
Stalling — Engine Shuts Off During Driving
Engine shuts off without warning while driving at low speed, idling at stops, or on highways. Driver must restart vehicle, sometimes multiple times in one day. One owner reported replacement of multiple components (battery, throttle body, spark plugs, cam sensors, runner valve, catalytic converter) without resolving the issue.
When: Variable; one owner reports occurrence at 89,000 miles; another throughout extended ownership period.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine shuts off unexpectedly while driving or at stops; Stalling occurs on city streets, highways, while turning, and while idling; Multiple stalls in single day; Vehicle must be put in Park, turned completely off, then restarted; Hesitation to start on initial ignition turn
Codes mentioned: ETC (Electronic Throttle Control) indicator, Check Engine light (sometimes)
Repairs/costs cited: Owner replaced battery, throttle body, spark plugs, cam sensors, runner valve, and catalytic converter without success. Another owner had throttle body and alternator replaced. Issue persisted after multiple repairs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall N52 exists for this issue, but Jeep refused to apply it to affected vehicle, claiming owner would need to pay for dealer diagnostics out of pocket if the issue were confirmed.
Cruise Control Malfunction — Unintended Engagement or Inability to Decelerate
Cruise control engages unexpectedly or fails to decelerate properly on inclines. Vehicle either accelerates when cruise is re-engaged or drops speed dramatically on hills and does not recover when accelerator is depressed.
When: One incident at 60,000 miles during cruise control use; another at 137,000 miles with re-engagement attempt; third at low mileage (1,500 miles).
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control engages unexpectedly when re-engaged; Vehicle accelerates uncontrollably when cruise is engaged on inclines; Speed drops from 65 mph to near stop on small incline; Vehicle then surges to 5,000 rpm when trying to accelerate; Driver cannot stop vehicle by braking alone; must cancel cruise or shift to Park
Codes mentioned: Dashboard warning lights flashed briefly but no error messages retained
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented for cruise control malfunction cases. Incidents described but vehicle not serviced for this specific issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner verified no recalls by calling 1-800-247-9753. No manufacturer response documented.
Synthesized from 40 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
While driving my car began jerking and the throttle control indicator light began flashing and my car lost power unable to accelerate. This is the second time this has happened to this car, the first time being 1 year prior coming down a mountain. It was fixed and now here I am again with the same problem!
While driving to work the car attempted to stall and the etc light came on. The car seemed to go neutral, then gag, then regained it's composure. I immediately pulled off. Car was in cold weather but never had this issue before, in mn. Temps the manual said it was the etc electric throttle control, but didn't indicate it was a major concern, unless light stayed on . What would be a major concern…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2014 Jeep Patriot?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2014 Jeep Patriot?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 40 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $600 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 37 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 48,000 and 89,000 miles, with the median around 70,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 48,000; a quarter make it past 89,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2014/Jeep/Patriot.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.