Lease almost over..worth keeping my Eco-diesel or return?

[4-Low]

The "infamous oil cooler failure" was for the Gen 1 & 2's (2014-2019).

The 2020 Wrangler in Dave's video was a first year Gen 3 but had 125,000 miles. The dealer told the owner the oil cooler was bad and that they replaced it and flushed the contaminated coolant system. Obviously, based on Dave's inspection, the coolant system was not flushed out and was filled with gunk. But the dealer gave the Jeep back to the owner and the owner drove it with the gunk'd up coolant system which resulted in a blown head gasket. Had the coolant system been properly flushed, the engine would have been fine.

I can understand your dislike for the diesel based on your past experience, but your experience does not represent the norm. Actually the opposite. Most Gen 3 owners are quite happy with their Jeeps.

Been on this forum since 22. The Gladiator actually has a great track record IMO. Seems you've just had bad luck.

I too have been on this forum since the beginning. In fact, I was an early contributor that did a LOT of testing and informative videos on the platform. Unfortunately I have seen a lot more bad than good with EcoDiesel regardless of generation. Let's ask ourselves... why did they pull the EcoDiesel from the entire lineup and then a year later sell VM Motori off completely? Especially if it was a popular option? My guess is the warranty claims were eating them alive and it wasn't worth it anymore.

One thing that I have seen: 99% of the people who are happy with their EcoDiesel are people with low miles on their trucks. Go over to the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel forum where guys have put a lot of miles on them and read through the issues/problems section of the forum for a while. But be warned....it's a deep rabbit hole.

My advice to the OP remains the same. I would let that truck go at end of lease without even thinking about it. Too many better and more reliable options on the table in 2026. For those of you planning to keep them forever...good luck! I wish you the best.

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[biodiesel]

Let's ask ourselves... why did they pull the EcoDiesel from the entire lineup and then a year later sell VM Motori off completely? Especially if it was a popular option? My guess is the warranty claims were eating them alive and it wasn't worth it anymore.

Stellantis cut the EcoDiesel prematurely for three reasons:

1. There was a stop sale due to the CP4 recall. Stellantis (Ram and Jeep) couldn't produce or sell EcoDiesels powered vehicles until they had a remedy.

2. Since Ram and Jeep had to stop production, the CEO decided to go ahead and cut the EcoDiesel. At that time, Carlos Tavares wanted to move away from internal combustion engines.

3. It was the perfect storm for Carlos. As CEO, he was well-known for making huge cuts for profitability. That's what he did, and that's what got him fired. He sold VM Motori has a cost cutting measure rather than focusing on building the brands. This is why Ram, Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler were horribly neglected.

The 2014 - 2019 Ram EcoDiesel and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel were so popular, that FCA had to increase production to meet demand. Due to the popularity, FCA released the Gen 3 engine and expanded the platform into the Wrangler and Gladiator. The Gen 3 was by far the most reliable engine with fewer issues than the Gen 2.

 

[biodiesel]

I have been using Rislone and it has done a great job. I went from going from 20% to 80% soot levels in under 20 miles to never going over 50% and it has been almost a year now. Mine is also a secondary vehicle so I don't drive it that often.

Rislone 4744 DPF Clean Diesel DPF, Exhaust & Emission Cleaner

Rislone 4780 Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Treatment

Rislone 4784 Crystal Clean Diesel DEF & SCR Emission System Cleaner

I'm perfectly happy with Platinum DEF, but I can say that there are many successful testimonies from those who were able to remedy a variety of DEF codes with Rislone DEF & ECR Cleaner. Even though I run Platinum, I have made it routine to add Rislone DEF & SCR Cleaner once per year in each vehicle.

 

[MaximusTX]

I'm perfectly happy with Platinum DEF, but I can say that there are many successful testimonies from those who were able to remedy a variety of DEF codes with Rislone DEF & ECR Cleaner. Even though I run Platinum, I have made it routine to add Rislone DEF & SCR Cleaner once per year in each vehicle.

I didn't know Adblue DEF Platinum had the extra additives in it. I may switch to it now that my system is cleaned and functioning properly now.

 

[SargeDiesel]

I too have been on this forum since the beginning. In fact, I was an early contributor that did a LOT of testing and informative videos on the platform. Unfortunately I have seen a lot more bad than good with EcoDiesel regardless of generation. Let's ask ourselves... why did they pull the EcoDiesel from the entire lineup and then a year later sell VM Motori off completely? Especially if it was a popular option? My guess is the warranty claims were eating them alive and it wasn't worth it anymore.

One thing that I have seen: 99% of the people who are happy with their EcoDiesel are people with low miles on their trucks. Go over to the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel forum where guys have put a lot of miles on them and read through the issues/problems section of the forum for a while. But be warned....it's a deep rabbit hole.

My advice to the OP remains the same. I would let that truck go at end of lease without even thinking about it. Too many better and more reliable options on the table in 2026. For those of you planning to keep them forever...good luck! I wish you the best.

You must have changed something... currently it says since 2025...
Regardless I agree, in his situation, he should look elsewhere.

 

[biodiesel]

I didn't know Adblue DEF Platinum had the extra additives in it. I may switch to it now that my system is cleaned and functioning properly now.

I've been using Platinum for the last 5 years without any issues. We do a lot of driving/towing from June - December, but the total consumption averages between 2.08 - 2.29 gallons per month between three vehicles.

2018 DEF Consumption: 12.5 gallons (1.05 gallons per month)
2019 DEF Consumption: 15 gallons (1.25 gallons per month)
2020 DEF Consumption: 10.5 gallons (.09 gallons per month)
2021 DEF Consumption: 25 gallons (2.08 gallons per month)
2022 DEF Consumption: 25 gallons (2.08 gallons per month)
2023 DEF Consumption: 27.5 gallons (2.29 gallons per month)
2024 DEF Consumption: 25 gallons (2.08 gallons per month)
2025 DEF Consumption: 27.5 gallons (2.29 gallons per month)

 

[Dilly’S Willy]

Something I'd like to point out, that no one else has, who here has actually had their diesel retuned and ran it long term that way?

People seem to forget OEM tuning is hot shit smeared with a pretty face to make the gov happy. Any time you get a quality retune you gain: power, mpg, and most important...reliability.

And since the JT diesels came with the GPEC2 they're tunable with HP Tuners. Does it cost a good chunk, sure, but if you want better everything, deal with it.

Regarding part "failures", those parts people are complaining about (pumps, turbos) are something we call "maintenance items". There are aftermarket options, but also like others said you shouldn't be using a diesel for short/quick trips. They're meant to do work, not put around like a grocery getter. Towing/hauling weight may consume a bit more fuel, but they won't generally leave you stranded in regen like those who think they're just fuel savers. Pay to play is the name of the game in the diesel world.


If you plan to tow/haul with your "next" JT, I'd keep it. If it were for the nanny state I live in, I'd grab one as a "real" work truck since I plan to add a good amount of weight to mine and tow/haul with it down the road (still need regear/suspension for my manual at minimum).

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