Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Jeep Wrangler - part 2

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.

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The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the water temperature gauge rose and failed to return to a normal engine temperature. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and became aware that the third reservoir tank was empty. The contact waited until the engine had cooled down, added coolant, and then continued driving the vehicle. The contact became aware of coolant leaking around the water pump. The dealer was informed of the failure however, the contact had not heard from the dealer. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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I am reporting a persistent and safety-relevant defect in my 2012 Jeep Wrangler with the 3. 6l pentastar engine. The vehicle is experiencing misfires on multiple cylinders, especially cylinders 1 and 5, triggering codes p0300, p0301, and p0305. These misfires result in loss of power, hesitation, and rough idle, creating serious safety concerns during acceleration or highway driving. Despite replacing spark plugs, ignition coils, the crankshaft position sensor, purge valve, and both oxygen sensors, the problem continues. The vehicle has just 83,000 miles and is currently at a certified third-party repair facility. Multiple mechanics believe the issue stems from known defects in the left (bank 1) cylinder head or valve train components—an issue Chrysler previously acknowledged via tsbs and a 10yr/150k mile extended warranty on select vins. I contacted Jeep cares and requested goodwill support, but they refused to even discuss the issue because my Jeep is not at a dealership. This leaves owners like me with limited, expensive options despite being affected by a well-documented defect. Jeep forums and independent shops have seen widespread misfire problems on early 3. 6l pentastar engines, especially 2012-2013 models. I urge NHTSA to investigate this pattern of failure. The misfires impact driveability and safety, and the manufacturer has not offered sufficient resolution or consistent support to affected customers. I’m happy to provide additional information, documentation, or diagnostics.

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The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Wrangler rubicon. The contact stated that the battery and engine lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that while driving up a hill at 30 mph, the vehicle became uncontrollable and went into oncoming traffic. The driver was depressing the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop and crashed into a Toyota tacoma and a Toyota corolla. The contact sustained an injury to her knee, and medical attention was provided. The airbags deployed. There were no reported fires. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.

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My vehicle had a rough idling and then flashed an autostart symbol and stated on the dashboard that my autodash has been disabled. Later that day I drove my vehicle again, then the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree and every light was on and my car went limp. I pulled over on the side of the road and let my car stay off thinking it would help. Waited some time and tried to turn it on and it wouldnt turn back on until the 5th attempt. Took my vehicle to Jeep a few days later where they diagnosed it saying it needs a new abs control module. However, the control module is on back order with no eta in sight. There are multiple other people in my exact situation waiting 6+ months for their abs control module. My car is undriveable as it has no traction control, will go limp, and no abs system. I have been without my car for a month and they have not provided a loaner. To my research this has been an issue since September of 2023 and has yet to be a recall.

Oil cooler/filter housing leaking oil and coolant.

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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.

Since I leased the car, I have taken it to the dealers 4 different times for the steering wheel shaking out of control the first time the "fixed" it but turned me away the 2nd and 3rd time. Each time I requested the left mid speaker to be checked and replaced but they refused to do anything about it until my last oil change 2 months ago. Last year around November they fixed and oil leak, but the cat never leaked oil form the bottom. The Jeep was burning oil not leaking oil and they never did a consumption test. I took it in because the oil levels were low. However, the speaker is still broken, and I did not return the Jeep because they would not give me a loaner car for the service even though it's under warranty. In addition, right front and back tires blew out and when I had the Jeep towed to the dealership for repairs, I noticed that the back tank next to the muffler was leaking. While the Jeep was at the dealership waiting to be serviced, it was vandalized with the rear left window busted out and pain job damaged. My personal registration and insurance information among other things was taken as well. It's been 3 and a half weeks, and they are jerking me around about the repairs. Yesterday, I talked to the service manager (jose & rob) they were very condescending about having the repairs done. Upon talking to them I was told that the found and fixed another 'oil leak" but never did a consumption test. I didn't notice the oil being low when I turned in the Jeep on 4/14/25, so they assumed that the leak that I mention was coming from the engine and not the rear and found another leak but had not checked the rear for the leak that I requested them to check. In addition, they claimed that they fixed the oil "leak" without doing a consumption test. I turned the Jeep in on 4/14/25 and the vandalism happened on 4/24/25. Fyi this site won't allow me to download the videos of the Jeep doing the "death wabble (shake)". Please email me so I can forward that to you.

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2021-2024 Jeeps with 3. 6 penstar are being sold with camshafts that go bad at around 60-80k miles. There needs to be an immediate recall. I have mine at just under 70k and recently had to spend 3 grand to get it fixed with a new part all because the warranty is up and there’s no recall out for it. This is absolutely unacceptable.

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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 35 mph and decelerating while approaching a stop light, there was misfire coming from the engine, and the traction control activated, causing the brakes to become inoperable. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The “service start/stop system” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined there were metal shavings in the oil. The dealer recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed there was no warranty or recall coverage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

The component that is failing is unknown. Unknown to mechanics because a code is not thrown. I can be driving in my neighborhood, on the highway or coasting and my Jeep stalls. Everything else is working, radio, heater just the rpm goes to zero. I have to quick turn on my hazards and prey I can coast to safety. Once out of traffics way and I am in park my car will restart no problem. My safety is at risk because it will happen on the highway. My mechanic has checked all the sensors, fuel pump and filter, battery cables, alternator you name it its been checked or replaced. I have read Jeep forums to see what others are saying and there are over 100 other Jeeps that have this same problem. People are spending thousands of dollars to change out computers several times for it to keep happening and Jeep has no answers. It first happened two years ago, then about one time 6 months later and then 6 months are that it happened again. But recently its been happening everyday. No matter it I am coasting, on the highway or in my local area it will stall. No warning lights no engine lights just no response in the gas peddle when it stalls. This is going to be super dangerous if other Jeeps keep stalling on the highways. Check out forums it happens all the time. Jeep dealers just want to keep changing sensors for 200 here and there.

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The contact owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle entered limp mode with the image of a turtle displayed on the instrument panel. Soon after the failure, the instrument panel went blank. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power with a loud fan blowing sound coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions however, the mechanics were unable to duplicate the failure or diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The 3. 6l pentastar engine has a know engine problem with the cam, valves, lifters. I am a lucky enough to have the same ticking issues as millions of other unsuspecting customers. They was just quoted $6,000 dollars for the repair at our local Dodge dealer for a know defect on this particular engine. This issue should be brought up to us consumer protection and be covered by the manufacturer. My 2018 Jeep has 71,000 miles! the engine should not have a catastrophic failure this early in its life.

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Oil cooler leaking after multiple replacements causing engine stall while driving and lots of burning and smoke potentially leading to fire.

The engine started to misfire due to bad components. The check engine light did not come on to indicate there was an issue until it was too late and the damage was done not only to the engine but other components as well. This was extremely dangerous as the issues resulted in loss of power while driving with my young children in the car as I had just picked them up from school. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic who believes that at this point the engine may need to be replaced entirely. My vehicle just passed 100,000 miles so is no longer covered by warranty and now I am stuck with over an $11,000 bill to replace my engine because it was built poorly to begin with, hence the class action lawsuit against Jeep for this particular motor.

Loud noise and vibration on low rpm once above 1000 rpm it starts acting normally. Camera get disconnected and blue screen shows up.

So I was driving into work on the interstate yesterday around 10am, and my Jeep started to die out of nowhere. I almost got in a wreck. I was able to pull over on the side, and the engine light came on and I took it straight to the auto mechanic. I guess my oil filter housing unit is bad and is causing my oil to leak. The auto mechanic said this is a known issue in the design flaws of crysler vehicles including my Jeep Wrangler with the 3. 6l engines. This could have gone much worst for me, and after doing some more research this is happening in their 3. 6l engines and is a confirmed design flaw. The issue is reported to affect vehicles with the pentastar v6 engine, including models like the Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 300, and Dodge charger, from around 2013 to 2021. They are saying it's not a safety issue, yet I almost caused an accident as my Jeep started to die while driving 70 mph. This needs to be recalled ASAP!!! it more than likely has already caused accidents.

The cams are bad. I am now waiting almost 2 months for repairs. I keep calling and am being told that this is a common problem and they have 15 other Jeeps with the same issue and can't get the parts. This is my third time having my Jeep at the dealership for the same problem.

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who determined that there was a misfire in cylinders #1 and #2, and the right intake valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle remained at the dealer and had not been driven since. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,096.

2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe VIN: [xxx] I have driven 4 other 4xe 2024 in the last two months as rental cars and have noticed my Jeep is not performing anywhere near the other four, I have driven. Seems like my Jeep isn’t tuned correctly or the engine/transmission has an issue. Engine: -when starting and as engine warming up it shakes the care periodically. There are times when it will shake the car as it heats up, rocking the car slightly and you can hear the engine make a weird knocking noise. -this also occurs when in e-save mode and charging the battery is selected. The engine does not idle smooth all the time and sometimes runs rough then goes back to normal -there does not seem to be much torque transmission: -the 1st – 3rd gear shift at high rpm times even when barley giving it any gas. -the transmission shifts down into 2nd gear at around 18-20 mph when gradually slowing down in traffic causing the Jeep to slow down quickly and throws you forward. If you catch it during its shift (which is longer than any other gear) it will slam into 2nd and then back into 3rd gear. You lose power as it takes several seconds to complete the shifting. -the gear I feel should smoothly shift into and out of 2nd at around 15 mph, like it does in the cars I rented. Odoes the shift timing need to be remapped or reset? software update: -the software update pushed on the home screen several weeks ago to update the camera, and some other items has caused my gauge cluster to flash a lot when using carplay gps. In stead of the turn by turn on the cluster it flashes. I continues to have issue and causing me to lose power or significantly slow down and not able to accelerate in atlanta traffic. Something is wrong with this Jeep brand. . . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The engine began sounding like a diesel and pushing the gas pedal made the car surge/lurch. Then, while driving in rush hour traffic, the car went into what I now know is called “limp mode” where I could not accelerate and I received a warning that told me to pull the car over.

This part is required to make the vehicle drivable. 68661147aa intake camshaft. The vehicle has been off road in a dealership since 2/26/2025. No part is available; we are told more than 10,000 are backordered. This is a daily driver. The vehicle is 2018 with only 78,000 miles. No known answer to why the part failed however with this many backordered parts it is clear there is an ongoing and significant issue related to this.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the contact became aware of an oil leak. The contact stated that the leak was small. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine oil cooler needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact had previously replaced the thermostat at an independent mechanic due to the parts being on backorder. The contact stated that the failure might be due to the cold temperatures. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

Lack of oil in the heads after sitting for a while results in dry valve train at start up and over time results in premature failure of hydraulic lifters not pumping up and rocker arms and cams being dry until oil reaching these parts.

The Jeep was taken to the dealership under a software battery recall and the software was updated. One week later while driving at approximately 55mph, there was a sudden jerk in the propulsion system. The car shifted abruptly from electric to gas motor and the electric mode was unavailable. The vehicle jerked and hesitated at every acceleration and deceleration causing unsafe operating conditions . The check engine light was on I returned it to the dealer immediately and was told that the high voltage hybrid battery was bad. I'm pretty convinced from my and other experiences that the software up date was not a remedy to previous incidents reported to you. It was a software patch that determined if the battery was bad.

I recently had my oil changed about 3 weeks ago from today. Three (3) days ago, while I was driving, my engine lamp came on and my engine began to run hot. I didn't understand why given that I had just got the oil changed. I pulled to the side of the road and turned the car off to allow it to cool down. It would not crank and I had to have it towed to the auto shop to be serviced which is where they told me that the engine needed replacement.

When I pressed breaks the engine started to surge instead of breaking. After releasing and repressing the breaks the issue was over. Happened twice in one day, 2/7/2025, the weather was clear and dry, road conditions good. Did not reproduce since then. Not sure how this is even possible.

Same problem that I'm having is happening to thousands of people. People are either swapping engines ($20k+) or fixing for ($5k+)sand debris left in 3. 6 engine at time of manufacturing that causes cooling system repair and eventually engine head replacement because of misfire warning. My Jeep has 60k miles. Have already replace radiator 2 years ago and now I'm getting misfire on cylinder 2. Ran compression test on cylinder 2 . Only 80 psi showing on gauge compared to 150 psi in the other cylinders. Head is bad. There has been a extended warranty on older Jeeps with same engine to fix the issue but, not for 2014 and up. Which makes no sense. Please help.

Driver had 50,000 miles maintenance service scheduled when the engine light went on a week prior to the service date. Therefore she asked the mechanic to do a diagnostic check on engine and mechanic at the Jeep dealership reported list of problems which solutions found which include: replace thermostat and holding replace vacuum pump replacing u-joint replacing all ball joints replacing front axle seals replacing both shocks replacing engine oil cooler driver has been working from home for 6 years and the Wrangler is driven on weekends and never done off roading. Jeep was purchased new in 2016.

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.

In 2020 and 2025, oil coolant housing cracked and failed. First incident happened on the way to an oil change. Certified mechanic found oil covering entire undercarriage and engine, and notified me this was a severe fire and safety hazard. Replaced with an oem housing from dealership. 2025, same failure. Found by another certified mechanic while researching check engine light. Replaced with a metal housing. Getting a p0303 and p0305 error code. Recorded over 300 misfires in 2 days. Replaced all spark plugs, coil packs and fuel injector in #5. No improvement in performance, continued coding. While returning to mechanic, had a strong burning smell and smoke coming out from under the hood. Coolant was covering entire engine compartment and undercarriage. Mechanic notified me the coolant was flowing through the engine and exiting out the #5 cylinder. Diagnosed failure of head gasket and engine. Driving vehicle causes smoke under hood, some in passenger compartment and strong burning smell. Recommended replacing engine as complete failure is imminent and is a safety and fire hazard.

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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while stopped in traffic, she observed a revving sound coming from the engine compartment. The message that the engine was overheating was displayed, and the temperature gauge remained on h(hot). The contact stated that when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the message disappeared. The vehicle was taken to the residence, where the contact observed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The contact added coolant to the coolant reservoir but became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty after one week. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that coolant was added to the reservoir. The contact believed that the failure was associated with manufacturer recall number: 07-001-22rev-a. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

My 2014 Jeep Wrangler unlimited started throwing the motor in limp mode. Had it checked out and it's the tipm and the wiring harness. As I dug into that some 2014 Jeeps already have a recall on this. But I cannot find on my VIN. Could this be a needed recall that this Jeep needs to be added too? help please. Almost caused an accident 3 different times throwing a brand new motor into limp mode.

Had gas leak on lower part of engine leaking gas from the high pressure fuel line took it to a dealer ro so the repairs Jan 29th 2025 and my Jeep is still not right . . It had no mechanical problems at all except the leak and now they have had to replace the reservoir for coolant due to broken damaged line and the vehicle has no power at all since the dealership has had possession of my vehicle . . . It is the 2. 0 liter turbo.

This vehicle is notorious for a common issue yet that same issue which has not been recalled is the reason my engine blew on the highway and Jeep has failed to notify owners of this issue or give some sort of reimbursement. My Jeep was cruising just fine when my engine suddenly blew, it was well maintained and taken care of. Despite the great care the oil housing unit which many others have complained about cracked leaking all the oil in a matter of minutes. This essential piece failing and releasing all the oil caused my engine to blow. Jeep is notorious for having a plastic oil housing unit with no heat shield since it is inbetween both engine bays. Having the unit where it is while creating the piece out of plastic seems like a text-book way to have catastrophic failure and further profit off complete engine failure. This material design flaw has now cost me nearly $800 come to find out I need a total engine replacement now which will be around $4000. This is completely unacceptable a vehicle was allowed to be put on the road with such a catastrophic design flaw and physically endangered me when this happened. In the attached files you can see the pooling of oil, I also have official reference from a local auto shop and screenshots of multiple online complaints.

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