Auto Ventshade [AVS] Bugflector II / Hood Shield | Fits 2007 - 2018 Jeep Patriot, 1 pc. | Dark Smoke - 24830

I noticed after purchasing a used 2016 Jeep Patriot that 30 minutes of interstate driving resulted in a windshield full of bug splatter. The windows on these vehicles seem more vertical, like those on a school bus which seems to result in a larger amount of bug deposits at high speeds.Installation was not bad at all with the right tools. A fastener remover ( for example https://www.amazon.com/QMET-Plastic-Fastener-Remover-removal/dp/B0734VKNYK ) will make your life much easier when removing the weather-strip under the hood that must come off in order for this deflector to fit properly. Once you remove the weather-strip, hold the deflector up to pre-fit and mark where the screw tabs are going to be. You don't want to pull it all the way flush against the hood, rather it needs to attach along the edge where the trim was at which will offset it an inch or two. If you pull it flush against the hood, the deflector will lay down against the hood and not really deflect anything. Once marked, use the included alcohol pads to clean those areas of the hood. I then turned up corners on both sides of the two-sided tape for all four of the attachment points. Starting at the middle I pulled off one backing and placed the deflector into position. I then worked my way to the outsides, pulling off backing and sticking the deflector in position. Press lightly at first until you are sure everything is centered. If you do this you can remove and restick fairly easily to reposition. Once in place firmly press all contact points to adhere the deflector.Once that was done I used a 7/64 drill bit to drill holes through the hood using the predrilled holes in each of the four tabs. Work slowly with as little pressure as needed to ensure once the bit goes through the underside of the hood you do not get into the top of the hood. This shouldn't be a problem as the hood is hollow. I used a screwdriver bit on my drill to then start the screw/washer and finished tightening by hand to ensure I did not over-torque the screw and crack the deflector.Replace the weather seal strip you took off first. It will wrap over the tabs. You will then need to use a razor knife to trim the weather strip around the tabs as in the 3rd and 4th pictures. The hood will not close or will be very difficult to close unless this last step is taken.

I love the look this gives my '12 Jeep Patriot. Installing it took a little bit of extra doing to get the job done right. I had to remove a strip of foam from the underside of my hood first as this deflector was not going to bend enough & I didn't want to risk ripping the foam strip. I'm lucky I have the perfect tool for removing the plastic screws that held the strip in place.After I got that out of the way, it was simple enough to center and stick it in place with the built-in adhesive strips. The most difficult part was adding the "optional" screws for added security. They say they are self tapping, but that is a joke. After messing around with it for a good 10 minutes, I got out my drill bits and CAREFULLY went to work. I was lucky that my hood actually has built in space between the top and the bottom so my risk of drilling through the top was lower, but still left me worried. Nonetheless, I was finally able to screw it to the hood and put the foam strip back up.

How easy it was to put on

Mine came packed very well. The problem was one side wasn't bent correctly and kind of hung out like an albatross wing. I managed to fix it by applying some heat and gently shaping it but that is some pretty shoddy quality control. Also, none of the tabs line up with any of the holes on the hood so if you want to use more than just the 3M tape to secure it you will have to drill holes in the underside of your hood. The last complaint is that now I have to slam my hood to close it.With all the gripe out of the way, the piece feels nice. It has a good weight to it and feels like it will last for some time. Once I fixed the bad plastic molding (I dipped it in a pot of near boiling water and slowly bent it) and got it installed, it looks fine. Basically, you will have to put some work into this to make it fit a 2016 Patriot, but for less that $50 thats expected. Go ask your dealership what one of these things cost and you might be happy to put in a little elbow grease.

Looks good. But wasn't packed well. Has a scratch on it from shipping. Box was mangled. Came UPS Though so gonna happen.

A little expensive. Worked great. Easy install. Used on street Jeep.

Adhesion was not so great but it came with screws so it worked out, looks good and as an added benefit for my jeep it increased gas milage by one mile.

The adhesive doesn't stick at all, the "self-tapping" screws required a great deal of pressure to start. The Auto Ventshade makes it hard to open the hood, and it only sticks up about an inch over the hood. It does seem to be high-quality, sturdy plastic, and the directions were OK.

The deflector looks good on the front of my 2017 Jeep Patriot and will protect the lip of the bumper from rock chips! However there are a few things to know before installing it!1. Get someone to help you. It’s awkward to hold both ends and keep it in the right position yourself.2. You will need to at LEAST cut chunks of the front hood gasket out around where the screw in portions of the deflector contact the actual hood to get this to fit properly or you will spend 20 minutes installIng this and your hood won’t close lol. You can use an exacto knife and do this very easily which leaves sections of gasket in between to still help give a seal in those “in-between” sections (You need to be able to get it as far to the front of your hood as possible)3. Use a drill bit smaller than the size of the provided screws and drill a screw hole into the bottom of the hood. GO SLOW. Because if you push too hard you WILL poke through the bottom and put a pin dent in the hood which you will see when the hoods closed (I got frustrated on one hole and did it haha) but drill first because the instructions say self tapping screws but the screws wore down to half and didn’t tap in. So carefully do yourself that favour.Aside from this? It’s straight forward! Looks solid, serves it’s purpose and keeps a dark sleek look.

easy to install and fits like a glove

Ordered this together with the vent visors for the windows on our 2015 Jeep Patriot. Fits perfectly. Looks amazing. The smoked color matches perfectly, like it was custom made for it. Very pleased.

Great quality looks great on my jeep

I tried to put it on and looked good but could not close my hood. It could close to the latch but not lock shut.