I have a 2012, (build 3/12) and the head issues have cast a shadow on my ownership experience. My 3.6 has always seemed a bit ticky, but I can never tell if it's just normal valvetrain and injector noise, or if it's got a ticking head. I haven't raised an issue with the dealer because it starts, runs, and drives fine and has been for 15,000 miles. From what I understand, the head issue can crop up later with as many as 30,000 miles, so I don't quite feel "out of the dark" just yet. I'm always listening for it, almost to a point of paranoia.

Is there anything known to induce the problem if it exists? Driving hard, cold starts? I'm pretty easy on mine and it rarely gets below 30 here. I kind of wish it would just happen so I could go get it fixed and then I wouldn't be left wondering if I'm going to have to have the thing in for major service with a long wait for back-ordered heads.

Our '13 sounds much better and slightly different (it's a JKUR, has an insulated hood, different gearing). We are fairly confident we won't be having any head issues but we've gotten a CEL for the oil pressure issue (FML!). I reset the code and it hasn't come back since. Knock on wood.

 

I have a 2012 JKU sport in the shop getting a head as we speak. They told me it would take a day once they had the parts. That was a week ago. 25,000 miles. It was driving fine just had the check engine light come on and I figured that was it. Build date of May 2012. There is no comparing the way it drives compared to the 3.8L though it's a million times better.

 

I had no issues at all on a 2012 JKU Sport built in 11/2011. We did a 5,400 mile trip from PA to Arizona, Colorado, Moab, Utah and back. Never noticed any issues, but the check engine light came on as we pulled into the driveway, at 20,500 miles. Had the head replaced by the dealer with no issues at all... I thought I was past the issue. I will say that the dealer looked at the error code, said "OK" and replaced the head in one day. JKU rides the same.