3.6 pentastar 2020 major problems - Is the newer engine better in 2025 etc.

[Austin S]

So the story is I had lifters replaced at like 60k miles. Then I tried to have them replaced again 20k miles later because they were going out. They didn't have the part in at the time and they said might need new camshaft. So they said to drive it until part comes in. I didn't have another vehicle to drive at the time so I drove it for a month. It would constantly lose power. Finally part came in month or so later and they replaced lifters and camshaft. Immediately after the fix, the engine started messing up again and it slowly got worse. Now it's ticking again and loses power when I push it to hard or if there is wind on highway and I have to restart engine then I get power back for a short time.

So I'm going to bring it in again and I'm hoping they just replace the engine.

I'm curious if they replace it with a new engine would they use the newer year pentastar and do you think that would work better and solve any issues with the lifters etc. I'm super nervous as I love the gladiator but curious if I should do the lemon law thing if that's possible if it persists. Or sell the jeep and get a new one keeping warranty. Curious on everyone's thoughts on if the new gladiators have less problems with the v6.

Thanks so much for input and hopefully you guys can help with my future decisions haha.

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[ShadowsPapa]

So the story is I had lifters replaced at like 60k miles. Then I tried to have them replaced again 20k miles later because they were going out. They didn't have the part in at the time and they said might need new camshaft. So they said to drive it until part comes in. I didn't have another vehicle to drive at the time so I drove it for a month. It would constantly lose power. Finally part came in month or so later and they replaced lifters and camshaft. Immediately after the fix, the engine started messing up again and it slowly got worse. Now it's ticking again and loses power when I push it to hard or if there is wind on highway and I have to restart engine then I get power back for a short time.

So I'm going to bring it in again and I'm hoping they just replace the engine.

I'm curious if they replace it with a new engine would they use the newer year pentastar and do you think that would work better and solve any issues with the lifters etc. I'm super nervous as I love the gladiator but curious if I should do the lemon law thing if that's possible if it persists. Or sell the jeep and get a new one keeping warranty. Curious on everyone's thoughts on if the new gladiators have less problems with the v6.

Thanks so much for input and hopefully you guys can help with my future decisions haha.

There are no lifters in these.
Did you mean the lash adjusters? (some call them lifters although they just sit there and lift nothing at all)
Or
The followers that run on the cam? (some call rocker arms)

Bad lash adjusters can cause the followers to hammer on the cam - and you'd need to replace ALL of those parts.
Bad followers mean the cam AND followers must be replaced.

You would not get a "new" engine.
You would get a remanufactured engine - a long block.
They don't drop in brand new never been started engines made this year.

Having to restart the engine indicates there's other stuff going on.......... restarting doesn't magically fix anything going on with the cam, followers (often called rocker arms) or lash adjusters (some call them lifters)

 

[Hootbro]

On few Facebook Gladiator groups and there has been a few 2024 and 2025 low mileage engines having to get a right intake cam. No way to tell what the actual defect rate is to say going to a new engine would alleviate concerns of newer being better, but they are not immune to the issue.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

On few Facebook Gladiator groups and there has been a few 2024 and 2025 low mileage engines having to get a right intake cam. No way to tell what the actual defect rate is to say going to a new engine would alleviate concerns of newer being better, but they are not immune to the issue.

There goes any "made in Mexico" vs. made in USA" engine thing.

 

[Hootbro]

There goes any "made in Mexico" vs. made in USA" engine thing.

It's anecdotal and would not extrapolate too much from it as I am not on those groups much, just in passing. What struck me though, is most seemed to be like under 5K miles with a couple under 1500 miles.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's anecdotal and would not extrapolate too much from it as I am not on those groups much, just in passing. What struck me though, is most seemed to be like under 5K miles with a couple under 1500 miles.

Gotcha - yeah, jumped without thinking (A-gin.........)

I wonder on some of the low miles situations of any year - how were they driven in the first miles.

 

[Hootbro]

I wonder on some of the low miles situations of any year - how were they driven in the first miles.

Really low miles makes me think of assembly issue but that is just me.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Really low miles makes me think of assembly issue but that is just me.

All I can think of is something - flashing or whatever, blocking or partially blocking the oil being shot at the intake lobes from the exhaust lash adjusters.

Or - cam break-in.

Are these cams burnished in production? OR do they rely on a certain break-in process to wear things in?

 

[JTmac]

Surprised they told you it was ok to drive while you waited on the part. I have read that all the metal fragments circulating in the engine as the cam and rocker wear down can end up leading to needing a new engine. Hopefully that’s not what is going on with yours.

Got the tick myself this week. 2020 gladiator with 117k miles. Bleep’n Jeep!

My car needs right intake cam and rockers replaced. Part is on back order and whenever it comes will be $2200 for the job. Service writer said he cannot guarantee that the other side won’t go out after. So that got me thinking maybe go the new engine route. A remanufactured engine, not installed at the dealer, was going to run around 10k. But they come with 3 year 100k mile warranty. I am going with the repair route hoping that it for a while, but posts like yours make me question the decision.

 

[kb5zcr]

To the original poster. I don't think you can lemon law a five year old vehicle, plus it has 80k miles on it.
If it was me with engine issues the dealership can't seem to fix, I'd seriously consider trading it in for another (if your in love with the gladiator).
By the way, most of these Jeep v6 engines runs fine 150k miles, but a few just seem to have problems over and over.

 

[Austin S]

There are no lifters in these.
Did you mean the lash adjusters? (some call them lifters although they just sit there and lift nothing at all)
Or
The followers that run on the cam? (some call rocker arms)

Bad lash adjusters can cause the followers to hammer on the cam - and you'd need to replace ALL of those parts.
Bad followers mean the cam AND followers must be replaced.

You would not get a "new" engine.
You would get a remanufactured engine - a long block.
They don't drop in brand new never been started engines made this year.

Having to restart the engine indicates there's other stuff going on.......... restarting doesn't magically fix anything going on with the cam, followers (often called rocker arms) or lash adjusters (some call them lifters)

Yes the tappet valve lash and also the valve rocker were replaced. Along with the camshaft. And now it's ticking like crazy again. You can tell something is wrong with my engine while I drive then the check engine goes on and limits power dramatically. When I restart I think it resets the computer to allow it to have power again but problem still persists. The check engine code last time for this problem was the timing is wrong in my engine causing it to limit power to try for safety I'm sure.

Do you know much about remanufactured engines then? Like when there made? Or why they are remanufactured? Are they tested etc? Do they make sure tolerances for the metal are still okay?

 

[Sandman 4x4]

With all the premature ware in mostly the valve train assembly, up top in the last area to have lubrication upon startup, also while just driving along. Makes me suspect the oil specified by Jeep, the 0w20 synthetic oil, that’s required by the manufacturer. But in the international market they recommend 5w30 full synthetic oils? All I know is the first two complimentary Jeep Cares oil changes have been done in the first 9,000 miles in our 2024 Gladiator. But from now on I intend to use 5w30 M1 EPA Euro Spec full synthetic oils and OEM filters. Especially in the Central Florida heat!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

To the original poster. I don't think you can lemon law a five year old vehicle, plus it has 80k miles on it.
If it was me with engine issues the dealership can't seem to fix, I'd seriously consider trading it in for another (if your in love with the gladiator).
By the way, most of these Jeep v6 engines runs fine 150k miles, but a few just seem to have problems over and over.

Yeah, good catch. Too late for that.

Do you know much about remanufactured engines then? Like when there made? Or why they are remanufactured? Are they tested etc? Do they make sure tolerances for the metal are still okay?

Reman engines, short blocks, long blocks and so on aren't made in any specific year. As an engine is pulled and replaced, that engine goes in for remanufacturing. it's fully disassembled, wear parts replaced, any cylinder damage taken care of it possible, or the block trashed, heads trued, valves replaced, guides often get new sleeves, crankshafts are reground and oversize bearings used, like anyone like me would do rebuilding an engine in my shop - but in a factory type setting. If the cams are shot, they replace them - like the factory that builds the new engines, they take it that those new cams are ok. They don't run hardness or metallurgical tests on them.
It's like the factory where new engines are built, except they refurbish the used parts. Major parts are re-used, minor parts replaced.

With all the premature ware in mostly the valve train assembly, up top in the last area to have lubrication upon startup, also while just driving along. Makes me suspect the oil specified by Jeep, the 0w20 synthetic oil, that’s required by the manufacturer. But in the international market they recommend 5w30 full synthetic oils? All I know is the first two complimentary Jeep Cares oil changes have been done in the first 9,000 miles in our 2024 Gladiator. But from now on I intend to use 5w30 M1 EPA Euro Spec full synthetic oils and OEM filters. Especially in the Central Florida heat!

You apparently have not read the dozens of other posts on this subject, the oil posts and so on.
Again, your "central Florida heat" aren't the issue - the engine operating temperature is going to be the same as mine - and that is what matters to the oil - not your external ambient temperature. That only counts on cold starts.
The front number matters as far as living in hot climates or colder morning climates, the back number has ZIP to do with where you live. Once the engine is at operating temperature, the oil only cares about that so unless your engine runs at 250 degrees, that back number won't matter. And I'd bet your engine operating temperatures are pretty much the same as mine.

in mostly the valve train assembly, up top in the last area to have lubrication upon startup, also while just driving along.

You really don't understand engine oiling or hydraulic pressures, apparently. Where the oiling takes place is irrelevant. If it mattered, you'd be losing the rear main on most engines.
Go back and read where me, and a certain tech, have show how fast these build oil pressure - basically those parts get oil as quickly as it fires. There's no "last area" to it. These also start in low lift mode so that high lift area is not under any pressure during a start - there's no pressure to lock them in high lift mode. So your theory really holds no water at all.
Placement in the oiling system doesn't matter.
These have pressure as quickly as it fires.
The high lift lobes aren't under any pressure so wear isn't happening when it starts.
When you are driving - all parts are equally oiled because the pressure is the same throughout the system.
Sorry......... doesn't wash.

 

[JTmac]

In researching remanufactured engines, I came across 2 companies. Jasper and Fraser. I don’t know much more than what you can read in their MARKETING information on their website which makes it sound like they have made improvements to them.
I noted you can also get one through allmoparparts.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

In researching remanufactured engines, I came across 2 companies. Jasper and Fraser. I don’t know much more than what you can read in their MARKETING information on their website which makes it sound like they have made improvements to them.
I noted you can also get one through allmoparparts.

If I were rebuilding on of the PUG engines, I'd do like I do on other engines that have perceived issues - triple check every oil gallery, I'd make sure the exhaust lash adjuster oil squirt holes were clear, and they lined up perfectly with the holes in the exhaust followers, possibly even tweak the aim a bit. I'd pressurize the oiling system to check the oil stream at every position.
I've seen where the plugs in the ends of oil galleries threaded in too far partially restricting the flow, I've seen where replaement cam sprockets blocked oil flow to timing chains and distributor gears in older V8s and more. Trust but verify.
Possibly they do similar?

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