general problems of the 2017 Jeep Wrangler - part 1

Oil plug in engine gets brittle and fails by cracking. This cause a complete engine failure with only 36k miles on it. Mechanic says this is a known issue. I could not operate the vehichle and broke down without warning. I have a reciept for the nrand new engine.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-45 mph, the vehicle lost power. On another occasion, while driving at 20 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. While shifting into gear, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The check engine warning light illuminated after the failure. The driver was able to pull over safely. The vehicle was running, and the heat was functioning. The vehicle was towed to a aaa service center, where the filter and oil were changed; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed to aaa again, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

May 14, 2025 dear NHTSA, I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2017 Jeep Wrangler unlimited sahara, which has only 60,000 miles and has already required several major repairs that raise serious safety concerns. To date, I have had to replace three brake calipers and the emergency brake, at a cost of over $2,500. The calipers were seizing, and the emergency brake would not release properly, both of which posed clear risks while driving. I understand through forums and peer discussions that other owners have faced similar issues. In addition, my vehicle now has an oil leak that will cost over $700 to repair, and the windshield washer fluid hose burst, requiring another replacement. These repeated failures on a relatively low-mileage vehicle suggest underlying quality and reliability issues. I believe these concerns warrant review, particularly the safety-related brake defects. I respectfully ask NHTSA to investigate whether these failures are part of a broader pattern that may justify further scrutiny or a formal recall. Thank you for your attention.

Oil cooler split due to warming up and cooling down in winter and being made of plastic all brake calipers needed to be replaced on it too.

Vehicle had a dtc p0302 and a misfire at idle. Upon diagnosis cylinder #2 was found to have 80psi compression which is significantly lower than compression in all other cylinders. Cylinder head was found to be bad. This vehicle only has 61,303 miles. There are many owners complaining about the same problem and fca indicated they fixed the head issues in 2013. They have offered an extended warranty for 2011-2013 vehicle but the issue still exists. The warranty should be expanded to include more year models.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle or while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the valves and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the engine was not under warranty. The manufacturer offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 47,000.

My seat belt is always loose and I have to jam it back in place all the time. I noticed an oil spot on the floor of my garage and it looks like it's the oil cooler housing that is bad. Both of these items are recalled but my VIN shows it's not.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The oil change soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the independent mechanic informed the contact that the oil and coolant needed to be replaced or could cause damage to the engine. The independent mechanic informed the contact that he had experienced the failure with his vehicle due to the failure. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered the contact an extended satisfaction warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

The oil cooler leaks and the oil runs down the intake valley, down the back of the engine, and onto the frame and the exhaust pipe, this can create a fire hazard under the driver's seat. It also causes oil puddles on the ground which is a hazard. The dealer says oil cooler leaks are the most common issues on the Chrysler/Jeep 3. 6l engine. I was told by the dealer, when making an appointment for replacement, that they have to change these oil coolers a ridiculous number of times. I can safely assume that thousands of people are having this same issue, by the amount of blogs, videos and beware when buying warnings and the fact that there are hundreds of aftermarket options for this item. This leak is going to cost me $1,000 to have fixed because they did not engineer it properly, not to mention cleaning the undercarriage and my driveway. Send me a rebate to cover my cost on this flawed engineering issue please!.

While driving in city or highway the engine will shut off randomly, causing the steering almost impossible to turn. Had a few close calls because of this. There is no check engine light to come on.

Oil filter housing cracked.

Vehicle started leaking a substantial amount of oil. I took it to a mechanic to have it diagnosed, they stated that the engine oil cooler filter housing is made of plastic and over time warps and leaks. Apparently this is a major issue and has been noted on many Dodge/Jeep vehicles. Prior to this happening, the check engine light came on, I had it diagnosed and it showed as a cylinder 6 misfire. This could have caused major issues in the future if it had not been caught when it was including damage to the bearings and the cylinders (probably what is causing the misfire now).

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring for the past two months. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be started 50-percent of the time. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a failed ecm. The contact was informed that the ecm needed to be replaced. The contact was informed of an unknown recall for the 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

The oil cooler leaks when cold and the oil runs down the intake valley, down the back of the engine, and onto the exhaust pipe, which makes it a fire hazard. It also causes oil puddles on the ground which is a hazard when the oil drips splatter other vehicles windshields, as well as making areas slippery for walking. The dealer says oil cooler leaks are very common on the Chrysler/Jeep 3. 6l engine. I was told by the dealer, when making an appointment for replacement, that they have to change these oil coolers all the time. Thousands of people have this same issue and there are hundreds of aftermarket options. This leak is going to cost me $1,000 to have fixed because they did not engineer it properly.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he became aware of an oil leak underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

Jeep caught on fire on the interstate. 17 year old boy had to pull over and escape vehicle. Vehicle left the side of the road even after being in park and brake. Vehicle continued unmanned on interstate into oncoming traffic engulfed in flames. It has not been confirmed by a dealer. Vehicle was inspected by state farm. No warnings given prior to incident.

Abs module failed 2 years ago. No traction control, no cruise control, no stability management. This part has been on backorder for 2 years and affects many years. Issue started intermittently about 3 years ago while driving, now the vehicle is extremely unstable in wet conditions. Dealership has diagnosed and said to check back every few months for a solution. Additionally the plastic oil filter housing has been replaced 2 times in 2 years at a cost of $1,200, the second install was covered by parts warranty. Dealers won't install the metal version available on other years that do not have a cracking issue, aftermarket metal versions are available but dealers won't install them.

Engine light came on stating cylinder #4 miss fire. After taking it in, the mechanic said that they can repair the head but it will most likely be an issue again in another 30k or it will be another cylinder. They said it is still causing the air to leak. This Jeep only has 51k miles and is in mint condition. After further research, Jeep had previously recalled this same issue on Jeeps a little older than 2017.

Check engine light flashing then steady all of a sudden. Oil leaks.

Transmission went out at 86k miles, all maintenance has been kept up with. Jeep broke down while driving, pouring transmission fluid in road, losing all power and unable to go forward or reverse. Problem has been confirmed by service center. Jeep has not yet been inspected by manufacturer, no warnings at all.

The oil filter housing on this engine is made out of plastic and if you search online you will notice that it has failed for many many people. The housing cracks causing motor oil and coolant to mix and leak. We were fortunate to notice it before our engine seized up, but others have not been as fortunate. I believe this defect should be a recall, but there is no recall on this engine even though many many people have experienced this part failing prematurely. Ours failed when the Jeep was under 80,000 miles.

I smell oil burning as I drive then found oil on the garage floor. Found the oil adaptor (oil filter housing) worped causing oil to drip out and onto the hot exhaust. Oil on heat is a safety issue and should be addressed.

Liquid oil, apparent is oil cooler assembly.

Oil cooler assembly cracked and warped (also k own as oil filter housing) this led to a large oil leak and depleted all oil from engine. Repair was over $1,000. All mechanics are saying this is a known issue and becomes expensive because both intake manifolds need to be removed to replace.

My oil filter housing is cracked. I have a 2017 and it is plastic I know after 2017 Jeep knew of the issue and changed the production type then. This is a known issue. Happens to many Jeeps I hear about it a lot. It’s a $1000 fix for something that is common in Jeeps and other pentastar 3. 6l engines. I am getting it fixed this week for I am getting a kidney transplant and need it done before the surgery.

Oil filter housing has failed.

Oil cooler warp/crack because the bottom is made of plastic stored inside engine where extreme heat causes warp/crack on the cooler. Ultimately leaks out oil, causing saftey hazards to the community and owner. A known defect/issue with all penstar engines (other vehicles with this engine are affected). There should be a recall for this issue/defect. I hope NHTSA do a thorough investigation on this issue. Thanks!.

Driver seatbelt will not lock into buckle. Major oil leak from ofa.

Oil cooler housing has serious design flaw. It is made made of plastic and is subject to warp and crack from constant heat exposure leading to failure and catastrophic oil leakage onto hot engine with significant risk of fire as result.

Oil filter assembly failure. This issue has been consistent in respective Chrysler engines since 2014 without resolve or re-design. I have been without vehicle since the 24th (today is 3/3) and renting a car out-of-pocket. The parts are backordered as I've been told there are restrictions by Chrysler on these discontinued replacement parts. Repairs cost upwards of $1,000 depending on the dealer and situation (if oil hasn't damaged other surrounding parts). All forums are consistent in that there has been no recourse by any representative from Chrysler or, in my case, Jeep. The anticipated costs in my situation are likely to exceed $2,500 given the schedule of the repair and any secondary damages by the leaking oil.

2017 Wrangler, ~39k miles. Leaking oil - oil visible below car (in pools on ground and on components in engine and under car when I went under it). No electronic reporting of low oil or low oil pressure. No oil visible on dipstick. See attached pic of leaking from oil filter housing - oil pooled below filter housing cap.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the check engine warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing cylinder number 2 replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and initially diagnosed with cylinder #3 misfire. Additionally, there was an abnormal antifreeze odor detected. The engine code was reset. After getting the vehicle back from the mechanic, there was lots of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic and diagnosed with a cracked cylinder head. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure recurred ten miles later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,712.

The oil filter assembly is defective. It leaks oil. Yes it’s available for inspection. Oil leaks onto engine and eventually to exhaust system. This will result in smoking and fire. This has been identified by an independent service center and numerous social media sites. Has not been inspected by those listed above. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to a scheduled oil change wherein the defect was discovered. This first appeared 6 months ago.