Beware 3.6 Penstar

[Batterycap]

Dude, the 3.6 Pentastar's reliability is way above average. It just is. You're upset, understandably so, but getting on here and telling everyone that the engine is shit is just wrong. YOUR engine was shit and that's unfortunate. I had extremely bad luck with the Ecodiesel but I try to refrain from telling everyone not to buy one because there are several people that haven't had any issues with them.

Above average? Compared to a GM 6.2 - maybe. I can't access a Jeep forum without bumping into another ticking story or an outright failure story. One out of a thousand ain't good enough. I own one - and every time I look at it, I am thinking it's the Stellantis equivalent of an IED.

I attribute the expected kickback to those younger folks that never experienced reliability or durability in an engine. Oh, for the days of just changing the oil, the plugs, and a water pump every now and then. Those days left the room when globalization walked in the room.

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[ShadowsPapa]

Above average? Compared to a GM 6.2 - maybe. I can't access a Jeep forum without bumping into another ticking story or an outright failure story. One out of a thousand ain't good enough. I own one - and every time I look at it, I am thinking it's the Stellantis equivalent of an IED.

I attribute the expected kickback to those younger folks that never experienced reliability or durability in an engine. Oh, for the days of just changing the oil, the plugs, and a water pump every now and then. Those days left the room when globalization walked in the room.

Yeah, you can't visit a hospital without finding someone who has cancer or had a gall bladder out, either.

Funny stuff.
I'm 68 and grew up working on cars that you couldn't just change oil and spark plugs - you had to do points and plugs roughly every 10K, the carburetors were prone to issues after a few thousand - leaks or running too lean or too rich, chokes stuck either open or closed, exhaust manifolds BROKE or bolts worked out and you had tick tick tick as you drove around town, oil leaks - especially the larger MOPAR engines because the exhaust manifolds wrapped up around the valve cover and fried the gaskets, coolant changes every couple of years - rusted out core plugs - often the REAR plug you couldn't get to - exhaust pipes rusted out, SBC head pipe to manifold nuts rotted, the studs rotted, busted off in the manifold, ujoints may last a while - or not, I could also mention the cams and lifters I replaced, the valve seals were a very common issue, even with low miles - they became crispy, intake manifold exhaust crossovers plugged with carbon meaning the choke never came off and the thing sucked gas like crazy, in cooler weather it caused throttle plate icing, the exhaust riser valve would rust closed or open, leading to all kinds of bad things happening, EGR valve plates on Fords ROTTED out, their electronic ignition boxes failed so often we kept a shelf full of them in stock - similar for the GM HEI - nothing but failure after failure for the first few years.......... give me the modern 3.6 any day over the constant maintenance and issues of the 1960s and 70s.

 

[hayduke-TX]

I can't access a Jeep forum without bumping into another ticking story or an outright failure story.

Agree. The prevalence of this issue online is as bad as anything I've ever seen. It reminds me of Hyundai engines.

 

[DanJT]

When I first bought my new to me Gladdy, I had a ticking coming from under the hood. That also sounded like a diesel. My son then laughed at me and told me it is just the injectors. I said what??
But as it turns out the Direct injectors are much louder. So 3k later it sounds the same and still runs strong as ever.. side note: my son is a graduate of NADC in Nashville!

 

[Hootbro]

When I first bought my new to me Gladdy, I had a ticking coming from under the hood. That also sounded like a diesel. My son then laughed at me and told me it is just the injectors. I said what??
But as it turns out the Direct injectors are much louder. So 3k later it sounds the same and still runs strong as ever.. side note: my son is a graduate of NADC in Nashville!

3.6L Pentastar is port injection, not direct injection.

That being said, these injectors are a bit noisy for what they are.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

3.6L Pentastar is port injection, not direct injection.

That being said, these injectors are a bit noisy for what they are.

I think he was meaning if you think these are loud, DI injectors are more loud..........

 

[Hootbro]

I think he was meaning if you think these are loud, DI injectors are more loud..........

Ok, guess I missed that nuance. Yeah, can read that way also I guess.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Ok, guess I missed that nuance. Yeah, can read that way also I guess.

I read it several times and then wondered............. and I usually takes things 150% literally.

 

[JTR SPARTAN]

3.6L Pentastar is port injection, not direct injection.

That being said, these injectors are a bit noisy for what they are.

Mine when I'm sitting at a drive through or somewhere that reflects the sound......you would swear it was a diesel........but as far as I'm concerned it's never given me a single issue after 4 years so I got no complaints. Unlike the chunk of crap dodge journey the dealer provided as a loaner..........that thing burns enough fuel to make my jt look like a freaking crotch rocket.

 

[Mister Lamb]

I really wonder if Jeep actually changed anything post 08/2024 or they're pulling a Toyota.

Toyota was very selective on which Tundra engines were effected by their 100k plus recall, leaving the Hybrid owners in the dust despite the same bearings being used in the same engine

 

[JTR SPARTAN]

Yeah, you can't visit a hospital without finding someone who has cancer or had a gall bladder out, either.

Funny stuff.
I'm 68 and grew up working on cars that you couldn't just change oil and spark plugs - you had to do points and plugs roughly every 10K, the carburetors were prone to issues after a few thousand - leaks or running too lean or too rich, chokes stuck either open or closed, exhaust manifolds BROKE or bolts worked out and you had tick tick tick as you drove around town, oil leaks - especially the larger MOPAR engines because the exhaust manifolds wrapped up around the valve cover and fried the gaskets, coolant changes every couple of years - rusted out core plugs - often the REAR plug you couldn't get to - exhaust pipes rusted out, SBC head pipe to manifold nuts rotted, the studs rotted, busted off in the manifold, ujoints may last a while - or not, I could also mention the cams and lifters I replaced, the valve seals were a very common issue, even with low miles - they became crispy, intake manifold exhaust crossovers plugged with carbon meaning the choke never came off and the thing sucked gas like crazy, in cooler weather it caused throttle plate icing, the exhaust riser valve would rust closed or open, leading to all kinds of bad things happening, EGR valve plates on Fords ROTTED out, their electronic ignition boxes failed so often we kept a shelf full of them in stock - similar for the GM HEI - nothing but failure after failure for the first few years.......... give me the modern 3.6 any day over the constant maintenance and issues of the 1960s and 70s.

I had a '95 F150 302 high output.....t7 5 speed. Did the universals in it 5 times over 4 years, couldn't keep a damn exhaust in it...... finally before I swapped it out I had to put a walker stainless exhaust in it to pass emissions. Had 6 o2 sensors if I remember correctly......swapped them out numerous times........finally the last year I had it ........body went from perfect to Swiss cheese in less than 8 months........I see old tjs and yjs still running solidly.......so you understand why I am now a card holding JEEP GUY 100%. Best all around vehicles ever........been doing it since 1941 and still use some tech from back then like the ball steering linkage.........NUFF SAID!

 

[SRFRAT67]

Previous class action lawsuit pertaining to this issue , and it was partially dismissed

https://www.classaction.org/news/he...ver-alleged-3.6l-pentastar-v6-engine-problems

https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2023/chrysler-pentastar-engine-lawsuit-partly-dismissed.shtml

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Previous class action lawsuit pertaining to this issue , and it was partially dismissed

https://www.classaction.org/news/he...ver-alleged-3.6l-pentastar-v6-engine-problems

https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2023/chrysler-pentastar-engine-lawsuit-partly-dismissed.shtml

The idiots who put that suite together lumped two different engines in the same class.
They may be Pentastar 3.6 liter engines - but that's where the same-ness ends.
The valve trains are extremely different. You can't lump a 2014 3.6 failure with a 2020 3.6 failure. Dopes - FCA will shred them.
---------------
However, the judge made clear that things may change down the line because the plaintiffs must continue to maintain standing. This is because FCA will have another chance to raise differences within vehicles at the class action certification stage.
-------------------

The 2014s failed for different reasons, it was a different design, and very different parts failed. It was not the same parts failing.
Yeah, can't wait to see what else gets dropped in this one. FCA will prove that the 1st gen failures and 2nd gen (PSU) failures were very different.

 

[SRFRAT67]

Being first time Jeep owners this is still disheartening to see regardless of the differences in the engines. And FCA passing this "NEW" problem along to the consumer in the form of a TSB is BS in my opinion. I will be very interested to see if the new 25 and later model year vehicles that are past the build date in the TSB start to have the same issue, I hope they don't. With that said, we love our JL & JT and don't plan on getting rid of them.

EDIT: I went thru something similar with my 2022 Challenger Shaker wide body, had valve train issues at 10K even though it was a manual and did not have the cylinder deactivation that the automatics had, sold it for the JT and will eventually drop a 6.4 in it

 

[Lost1wing]

I wonder if that judge who partially dismissed the case isn't driving a new Jeep now.

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