My vehicle would not start, leaving me in the freezing cold after a 10 hour shift at work. After having the vehicle towed to a service center & a week of inspection, I was notified that the engine had siezed up & needed replaced. The engine oil, front & rear differential, & transfer case fluids had just been changed a week prior. There was no engine warning light prior to this event.
2016 Jeep Wrangler engine complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 94, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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.
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 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a significant amount of smoke coming from underneath the hood and entering the cabin of the vehicle through the A/C vents. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while her one-year-old child was inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to McCoy's Auto Repair, where it was diagnosed and determined that the oil filter housing was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that there was an unknown liquid leaking underneath the front of the engine compartment. There was no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the oil filter housing assembly had fractured and needed to be replaced. The oil filter housing had been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that there were no recalls on the VIN for the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.
Vehicle cel for misfire. Replace plugs and coils. Still happens. Dealership says it needs a new engine? My research shows that this is an extremely common problem with Jeep engines. I am aware of a class action suit regarding this issue. I’m not sure of the status. Vehicle has just under 129k miles and is therefore out of warranty. Jeep/FCA knew these engines had problems and continued to sell them without disclosing the highly likely problems ownere would encounter.
On multiple occasions, while operating my vehicle on the freeway, I have encountered a highly alarming problem. The engine of my car has unexpectedly shut off, resulting in a sudden loss of power and control. This has happened when driving between 45-75mph. This has placed me and other road users in extremely dangerous situations, as it has occurred at high speeds where maneuvering and reacting swiftly are essential. I have taken immediate action to have the issue investigated and resolved by authorized service centers. However, despite their efforts, the problem persists, leaving me deeply concerned about the reliability and safety of my vehicle. This recurring issue indicates a potential flaw in the design or manufacturing of the engine or related components.
Engine oil cooler went out and my mechanic wants $1100 to repair!! Says they all go bad eventually start leaking oil very badly!!!!!
Started getting a loud ticking sound on driver side of engine . Took it to an auto mechanic he said it my left side head rocker arms making the noise. He also said Chrysler 3.6l Pentastar engine are known for this problem.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer but there was no failure found however, the dealer performed an oil change. The vehicle continued to experience the failure with the abnormal sound being more pronounced. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cylinders needed to be adjusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
By way of introduction, I am a seventy-five year old retired Arizona Highway Patrol officer, having left that service in 1992. In October 2016, I purchased new, a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon from York Chrysler in Prescott, Arizona, VIN: [XXX]. Sometime after the purchase, the vehicle began to have a disturbing, recurring problem. While in normal operation, the engine will stop. It is as if the ignition has been turned off. The drill I have developed is, while the Jeep is coasting, to shift to Neutral, re-start the engine, shift to Drive, and proceed. Sometimes, the Check Engine Light activates, and sometimes, although less frequently, this is accompanied with the Electrical Stability Control (ESC) Off indicator light. The first time I documented the phenomenon with a visit to the dealership was 17 May 2023. However, I believe that the problem had happened several times prior to that date. Since then, the vehicle has exhibited this problem numerous times; sometimes at a stop, more often while proceeding in normal operation. The engine has stalled several times on the Phoenix, Arizona, freeway system during heavy traffic. Today, the engine stalled again, but would NOT re-start while coasting. I was forced to come to a complete stop, shift to Park, re-start, shift to Drive, and proceed. Often after a re-start, the transmission has difficulty in going into gear, even while in Drive. I have been advised at the dealership that the problem has occurred many times, to many drivers, but that Chrysler cannot diagnose the problem, and thus can’t fix it. Logic suggests that if a collision has not yet been precipitated by this condition, it surely will be… I have discovered that a class-action suite is being considered. Chrysler must be very aware of the problem, yet is effectively forcing owners of the affected vehicles to operate unsafe Jeeps on the public streets. In my opinion, the Federal Government needs to intervene with a mandatory recall. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (
As I drive, the car loses the ability to accelerate. It then passively stalls and the automatic steering locks up. All electrical inside the car still stays on. I put the car in park and it restarts on the first key turn. It has happened up to 3 times in a trip, but it is inconsistent when it happens (not necessarily every trip and not at specific speeds (it happeneded going 70 on the highway as well as going 25 in a neighborhood)). When I brought it to the dealership. I was told unless they could make it happen, they couldn't fix it. They also said even if they could make it happen, they couldn't be sure what it was. The onboard computer that sends error codes indicated different things that have been replaced (computer parts, sensors) and nothing has worked.
Internal manual transmission problem. Cannot put jeep in 3rd gear. Burning smell
75,000 miles, engine ticking on cold start, engine light for cyl 2 misfire, engine chugs and has low acceleration. Dealer replaced rocker arm under owner's extended warranty. Did not fix problem and now are disassembling engine. Read many other customers with same problem, class action law suit in progress. Manufacturer knows about problem but will not tell owners.
Engine has failed. Had it inspected by two mechanics and they said the same thing, there are broken internal components possibly due to defective components.
Oil cooler housing cracked and leaking oil over entire engine which could cause a fire. Dealership has confirmed the part is damaged. No warning lamps or messages were triggered. Others have experienced the same problem with multiple replacements. Vehicle has been at the dealership now since 2/1/2023 waiting for Chrysler / Mopar Warranty to give the authorization to repair.
While driving my Jeep Wrangler on the highway going speeds of >60 mph for longer than 20 minutes the vehicles check engine and traction control light illuminate and I lose passing capability in the Jeep. Once the vehicle is turned off and on 3 times the system seems to reset itself. Because of this the only way the dealership can read the codes is if the lights are illuminated. I have taken the Jeep to 2 different Jeep dealerships while the lights were on and both have claimed that the "system needed to be reset". Once they do that the Jeep seems to run fine and the lights are gone. However, it is still happening whenever my speed goes 60 mph or more for a short period of time. Due to this problem I am not comfortable but sometimes must take my Jeep on the highway and without fail the same warning lights illuminate and the passing power is gone. I have reported this problem to Jeep itself and was told to take it to another Jeep dealership which I did and the same maintenance was performed but yet the same problem exists. This failure is a hazard to not only the driver but those around due to the vehicles lack of passing power when on a highway where speeds are at a minimum of 65mph.
The camshaft and lifters failed with no check engine light. Upon inspection the left bank cams and lifters were in need of replacement and a pinhole was found in the radiator.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a tapping sound under the hood of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and indicated that the rocker arm and the camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was 70,218.
Oil Housing Unit crack. Just bought vehicle used. Weather dropped to 28 degrees and oil housing unit cracked. All oil poured out of vehicle and would not hold any oil when more was added. Took vehicle to Jeep dealer and they confirmed that the PLASTIC piece that was the original part cracked and that this is a very common problem for 2014-2017 Jeeps due to the part being plastic. Part is not covered under any warranty and will cost $1200 to repair. I'm told that the replacement parts have been updated and are no longer made of plastic due to the high instance of problems. All research shows that this was to be a recall but that it has not been made official. This is a huge safety concern as the oil completely drained from the vehicle upon crack. Had I not been in my own driveway and driving down the highway, this would have caused major issues, engine failure and very possibly an accident. We were planned to be on a 6hr road trip moments before this occurred in the driveway. This part needs to be recalled and replaced by the manufacturer since it is a common and known problem with many Jeeps manufactured during that time frame.
Parked vehicle outside corner of home at 9:00 pm. Awoken by loud popping and hissing sounds at 4:45AM. Looked outside to notice a bright orange hue by vehicle. Realizing the car was on fire, we called 911 and proceeded to use garden hose to water down both the vehicle and the home that the car was next to, in order to try to prevent the house from also catching fire. Vehicle was not moved nor accessed during those 7 overnight hours. It was locked and we were all asleep. There were two other vehicles parked next to and behind the vehicle that caught fire - those two other vehicles sustained no damage to them. The house sustained some minimal siding warping from the heat of the fire. Fire chiefs reviewing the damage in person as well as viewing photos have stated that it appears to be battery or fuse box related as that side of the engine's damage was greatest as well as the battery and fuse box being completely destroyed by the fire. No warning lights or indications of system failures or malfunctions prior to parking the car. Vehicle was towed away from scene by insurance company. Unsure if vehicle is still at that lot or not. Insurance deemed vehicle totaled and issued check for losses.
P0302 code popped up all four rocker arms on left cylinder need to be replaced. Jeep had normal oil change 50k miles
I had an error message for the thermostat last week had that replaced. Now there is a puddle of oil coming from the oil coolant assembly. Replaced the thermostat awaiting mechanic for the oil coolant issue now.
Cold start, engage reverse and the engine idles really low and sometimes stalls. If I move the shifter to neutral the engine revs back up and does not stall. Rolling down the driveway and then engage reverse the problem does not occur. The issue has been getting worse whether its in the dead of winter or summer.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon the approach of a stop sign with his foot on the brake pedal, the engine had begun to rev without warning. With the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard, the vehicle continued to lurch forward as the contact clipped the vehicle in front of him. As the engine continued to rev, the contact immediately shut off the ignition. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. Both the contact and the other driver were able to drive away from the scene. The dealer was notified and an appointment was made for a diagnostic. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that he would receive a callback, the contact had yet to hear back from the manufacturer. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that upon replacing the engine oil himself, he noticed that oil was leaking onto the transmission. The contact stated that there was no smell of oil burning or any smoke coming from the oil leak. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil filter housing was cracked. The dealer replaced the oil filter housing and repaired the vehicle; however, while the mechanic was test driving the vehicle, the vehicle caught on fire under the hood. There were no injuries sustained. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. There was no police report. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent an inspector who diagnosed that the fire started under the hood. The contact stated that he believed the fire started out as an electrical fire. The manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under warranty; and that the repair would be at his own expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,700.
The oil cooler housing exploded in my 2016 Jeep Wrangler. I put my car into reverse- I backed up and tried to put the car into drive. The car would not shift out of neutral for several minutes- 2 quarts of oil spilled onto the ground. My car eventually made its way to drive and has been steadily leaking oil since.
I have a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 2016 that suddenly lost power in fast moving traffic with intermittent miss fire and blinking check engine light along with smoke and smell of burning oil. Looking into the engine from the top a large , deep pool of oil was sitting in the middle of the engine and working its way on to hot components of engine and exhausts and smoking. This could have easily become fire hazard in high temperature desert environment where running temperatures and hot exhaust pipes could start a fire. The engine miss fire and sudden loss of power was checked to be failing ignition coils and plugs that are supposed to be warrantied to 100K miles. The Pentastar V6 3.6 oil cooler was leaking badly and its effect could have been disasterous for the engine and car safety. The Oil Cooler faulty plastic design on this engine is a well known problem that Chrysler is refusing to address as recall on Wranglers sold . There are hundreds of complaints and cases of failure of this plastic component on the internet and the dealers are all well aware of it and happy to charge $2k for replacement. Chrysler and the dealer refused to admit the faulty oil cooler design and also would not accept ignition coil and spark plug replacement under the Std 80,000 miles California Emission Control warranty that come with all engines sold in CA. Chrysler is hiding this faulty design on Wranglers but accepted it on other Chrysler cars.
2016 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED SPORT. Vehicle has 41,500 miles. 3.6 Liter Pentastar V6. Gushing oil from oil cooler on to the exhaust and smoking to the point of catching fire. Known issue from what I am reading online. I guess Chrysler is waiting for one of us Jeep owners to die in a car fire!! $1200 to replace.....UNACCEPTABLE that a recall has not been forced on Chrysler!!!!
Oil filter housing/Oil cooler cracked. Dealership says its a common problem on 2014+ jeeps with 3.6 liter engine yet Jeep hasn't issued a recall. Dealer stated that this seems to happen around 50,000 miles on vehicle. No warning lights came on, noticed smoke coming from under hood when driving from oil falling onto exhaust. When pulled over large amount of oil was coming out from underside of Jeep. This happened with 43k miles on the vehicle which is right around where the dealer said they were seeing a large amount of failures for this part.
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