Yes, another week brings with it another story about a Chrysler Group, and specifically Jeep, reliability problem. This latest one comes from Automotive News in the US, who have reported that Chrysler dealers are replacing cylinder heads on the standard, petrol, 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine.
The cylinder head issue is forcing Chrysler to repair thousands of engines under warranty, with 500 new requests adding up each week, according to reports. The models in question using the suspect Pentastar V6 include the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
According to Automotive News, complaints have even been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding excessive valve ticking, engine misfires, stalling, and loss of power. We almost feel for the NHTSA, they must have more Chrysler complaints in their inbox than our local Department of Education has from Limpopo students asking for textbooks.
Chrysler executives have confirmed there is indeed an issue with the Pentastar cylinder head that could affect about 7 500 of the 1.5 million Pentastar engines made over the last two years. The official story from Chrysler is that they are replacing the cylinder head with a ‘more robust design’, although no detailed explanation has been made of the design flaw with the current unit.
As only Chrysler can do in their indomitable style, however, the report also states that Chrysler is experiencing a shortage in parts supply of these new, replacement, cylinder heads. So roughly 1 300 Chrysler/Jeep customers have been held out of order due to the shortage.
As always, we’ve had no word from Chrysler on whether this affects local products, but if you’re concerned, we suggest you call your local Jeep dealer to find out.
