Diagsheet

2016 Jeep Patriot · symptom sheet

Airbag warning light or recall

  • 33owner reports
  • 21,000median miles
  • 14involved a crash

Newest report Mar 4, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

33 of the 458 complaints on this car describe airbag.

Tick what matches of 33 reports

16
11
8
1
1

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the occupant sensor (12 reports) and the module (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the airbags covers the 2016 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the airbags on the Patriot

EA21-002opened Sep 17, 2021
Airbags · model years 2011 to 2016

Desiccated air bag inflator rupture. Open.

NHTSA summary
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been n
EA19-001opened Apr 19, 2019
Airbags · model years 2015 to 2017

Electrical overstress. Closed sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V-024.

NHTSA summary
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 9,000 and 39,000 miles, from the 18 reports that gave a mileage.

316
517
518
520
421
422
123
224
325
126

What owners wrote

“The air bag in the drivers head rest exploded while my daughter was driving away at college, thankfully she was stopped at a red light she only had a mild concussion, this head rest exploded all on its on without warning or being in a wreck,”

Filed Aug 7, 2025

“My air bag light keeps blinking off and on and my hood keeps rattling from coming loose in the front. And just like everyone my transmission doesn't act right they should have done recalled this car it was totally not worth 25000 dollars”

Filed Feb 3, 2025

“While parked the passenger side head rest opened up exposing the air bag ect stuff”

Filed Jul 3, 2024

“While sitting PARKED in a car port, the passenger seat headrest deployed, without the vehicle being bumped, jostled, shaken, or otherwise having any reason for the headrest to deploy.”

Filed Apr 24, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 14 of 33 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

Other problems on this car