My wife wanted a four door Jeep, so I bought a used 2007 Wrangler Unlimited with the 3.8L. Test drive was great. Ran it from VA to South TX and back and it ran great the whole trip. A short while later (about 4,000-5,000 miles after purchase), I start hearing a slight knocking sound. I check the oil, it's good. I popped the valve covers and the rods and valves have no sign of wear. Then, very quickly the engine knock got louder and turned into a clunking sound and the Jeep died. I towed it home myself and pulled the oil pan off to find a spun connecting rod bearing. I put in a new crankshaft, new piston/connecting rod, ALL new bearings (crank & connecting rods), started it up and it was still knocking. Tore it down again, and a second rod bearing was getting tore up. Replaced those bearings and started it. The knocking was then only happening at high RPMs. Opened it up a 3rd time and find a connecting rod that I can now move with my fingers. Replaced that piston/connecting rod and bearings and started it again. Quiet and smooth...for a little while.

After a few days driving, the knocking started at high RPMs and is still knocking. I have the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Shop Repair Manual. I followed the instructions to the "T". I have rebuilt several engines before with NO issues. At this point it has to be a warped block. Everything was well within tolerance when I used plastigauge on the bearings. The crankshaft I put in was a remanufactured one and it was turned. I purchased the bearings that were suggested by the manufacturer of the remaned crank. A used 2007 Jeep 3.8L is $2,000 and I have zero faith that it will not have the same problem. Way too many forums online talking about this issue. So for now, I drive it with the knock and I will drive it until it dies....and I will not buy another Chrysler product.

Well to start off, this is only my second vehicle my first one was a '95 Jeep Cherokee. After having the Cherokee I was instantly a 'Jeep' fan. However after this issue, dealing with Chrysler Customer Support and even a "highly reputable" mechanic I am changing my mind. Please know that I do not use this as an Off Road vehichle and it is my every-day commuter. So I do not overly-stress the engine at all and have never missed an oil change. I took the car into a mechanic, in which they chocked it up to an idler pulley needing replaced (WRONG). I drove off and noise/issue persisted that night. I took the car back that night and had them re-look into the issue, in which they stated that they conversed with a Chrysler individual (I think another mechanic?) and they said that there was a batch of engines that were casted with bad molds which led to the engine warping at high temperatures. So I said "What the heck," and recently called Chrysler to see if they would like to stand behind their product, but all I received was the run-around saying I'd have to take it into the dealership and have them diagnose the issue. I'm sorry but I am still making payments on this shotty vehicle and I have to pay even more out of my pocket for an issue they should be fixing? Because if they are able to find the issue, it would be on me since there is no warranty... and if I didn't want them to fix it, due to it costing too much, they'd charge me a "diagnostic fee." Hey here's an idea, put the original 4.0 back in and stop trying to fix something that isn't broken! Well there you have it I am left to go and have new motor put in, when I couldn't even break 100k miles. The '95 Cherokee I had/still have has well over 200k miles maybe 300k and only had to have the transmission rebuilt, tell me how that makes sense! This has left a very bad taste in my mouth and will never buy from Chrysler or their affliates in the future.

Sidebar: Joking conspiracy is that when Jeep was being designed by the German engineers (DaimlerChrysler) they wanted to get back at America for bombing their bearing factories in WW2, which made their tanks audible from far away, by designing faulty bearings in the 3.7 and 3.8L motors which would in turn make the engine produce an undesired noise (the ticking/knocking sound). :-D

First off, I take care of my Jeep. I check the oil level at least once a month and change it myself using top of the line oil and oil filters, not the cheap stuff you get at a 5-min Oil Lube shop. That being said, that's about where my mechanical knowledge ends. I started hearing a knocking a couple of weeks back and took it to a garage to get looked at. Took off the oil pan, and there is metal all over the place. Garage says I suffered a 'catastrophic' engine failure and have a 'spun connecting rob bearing'. Most likely the engine oil got too low at some point and what happened is the result. They gave me 3 options, none of them pretty:

#1: The patch job - repair it enough to get 10,000 - 20,000 more miles out of it or trade it in

#2: Replace the engine with a used one

#3: Replace the engine with a factory re-manufactured one

After calling around for second opinions, the most cost effective solution in my eyes is to go with #3. It's unreal! Talking to the garage owner, he told me to Google 'Chrysler 3.8L V6 engine problems'. When you start looking at forums, the problems are everywhere! What makes it worse, is that apparently Chrysler knows about the problem but could care less!

Engine failure: at 51,000 miles the engine oil light came on. Pulled over immediately to a gas station and check the stick...empty! How could this happen??? Garage kept, no leaks on floor. Nothing on under carriage, no smoke, nothing. Added 3 quarts to get it to show on stick. Took it to my mechanic the next day and had the oil changed and filter done...which i do every 4-5,000 miles as directed.

Picked it up and drove home 3 miles, sounded fine. It's our second vehicle that we only use when the weather is nice, garage kept. Put 20,000 miles on it in the 5 years that I have owned it. Went for a drive on mother's day for lunch...10 miles on highway, top off, tires rumbling, radio on, could not hear engine noise. Pulled off exit to go to the restaurant and the engine is making nasty sounds...knocking, pinging, rattling. Check oil and it's full. No way I'm driving it home, so had it towed to my mechanic, not a dealer. He confirmed the engine is shot and I would be best talking to a dealer.

Based on the feedback in carcomplaints.com and other web chatter, Chrysler is not interested in helping and "doing the right thing". This is very sad to learn as I love my Jeep and have probably sold 100+ in the last 5 years. Everyone asks me how I like it and I would rave. I see more 4 door Jeeps around my neighborhood than ever before. Just makes me sad to learn this. Any suggestions about taking action is appreciated.

There is a few things that happens ,loss of power in turn is one ,all dash lights come on while driving at speed like engine shuts down ,then comes back. Gas shoots out of filler while getting gas . Engine Has ticking like valve or manifold leak mostly when you first drive . Low power when you take off and hills. I have 6 speed manual. Trans. Steering wheel u joint is not smooth, braks seem to almost go to floor if u hold them at a light . Steering pump noise . A click or ping somewhere in drive train when you take off. Body is great . Paint great . Heat and AC great .