john_w

A short time ago my 2007 JK with 45,000 miles on it started to make a ticking sound that I noticed at idle. I could not hear it when driving, at least at first. Here's a recording of the sound on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyC2kmlg8aE

Well one day on the expressway as soon as I exited after about a 20 mile drive the noise got REALLY loud. This was the first time I could hear it clanking while driving and it sounded real bad. I pulled over and checked oil levels and looked for leaks, all was fine. I needed to get home at this point so I made it maybe 10 miles back when on the expressway I got a flashing oil light. I immediately exited and had the Jeep towed to the dealership where I bought the Jeep.

The service guys checked it out (I was quoted $600 just to diagnose it) and determined it was a spun bearing and would need significant repairs. Parts were going to cost me $1500 and labor $2500. I was out of warranty which was 3 years / 36,000 miles when I bought mine in January 2007. I told the service tech to hold off on the repair and I was going to call Chrysler Corporate (CAG - the Customer Assistance Group). 1-800-992-1997 in case you need to call them!

About 2 days after I called and filed a complaint with CAG I got a call back from them and was told they would cover the majority of the cost of the repair. I would just be charged a goodwill deductible of $500. Not bad considering I would otherwise be paying $4000!!!

Just to summarize some of the things they did, I'm pulling this directly off my service invoice: #1 rod cap spun, missing. Main bearing cap damaged. Major bearing material in oil pan. Crankshaft journal damaged due to bearing failure in #1 piston connecting rod. Removed engine and replaced crankshaft. Removed right cylinder head and replaced #1 piston. Replaced main bearings and all rod bearings. Replaced front timing cover / oil pump housing. Replaced all necessary gaskets.

There's a limited warranty for this work of 12 months or 12,000 miles so I'm feeling this is a fair amount of time to think about keeping or selling the Jeep. I really, really do not want to sell it. I love working on it, customizing it, and driving it, especially in the summer! My biggest fear is this is a motor design defect and could potentially return... but then again maybe there was a design change since my engine was built. For example, in the parts list from the service invoice I see the crankshaft part number now ends with "AC" meaning the third significant part change to that, although I don't know if my vehicle was built with an "AA" or "AB" revision part number. Most other parts though including the piston and bearing kits remain at the "AA" part revision level.

I take good care of my Jeep and put in Mobil 1 filters and synthetic oil. I've done all the oil changes myself and I wheel the thing maybe 2-3 times a year. This year I went to the local sand dunes for 2 days and that was it. I don't think I overworked this motor so I wonder what else I can do to prevent something like this from happening again?

hayden911

I don't know about anything that could be done to prevent it but I'm really glad you posted that phone number. I needed a number to contact Chrsyler and the only number I found couldn't really help me and the guy barely spoke english. By the way, don't sell it, you'll miss it.

captjay

when it comes to something like that, all we can do is the maintenance and hope that jeep used quality parts. we all walk around with this misconception of things thinking that at 1,000 miles(i know thats not ur mileage) something cant break. no it should not have broken but it did. these things are man designed and man built.

as for your case, its possible the metal used for the bearings could have been designed wrong, manufactured wrong, even installed wrong. the point is sometimes these things just happen and hopefully the manufacturer wil work with you as in your case they did and come to something compromiseable
i have seen bearings blow on first crankover and have seen them with stamp dates of 1981 and still running strong.

IMO there is not much more you can do to prevent it except for overhauling with better performing parts and even those there is still a chance of breakage but less of a chance

gotrdone

these 3.8's get very mad when they are stuffed in a jeep!!!!
they all want to retire in mini van heaven
all kidding aside, i have similar feelings about this subject to..
i am just about out of warranty, and every little noise i hear gets my bp up...:(

pastorsteve

The engine's are fine and unfortunately you had a malfunction. You obviously didn't get a lifetime drivetrain warranty. It could happen to anyone but it's the first one I've heard of. Good to hear that they did the honorable thing and covered the repair (except for the $500).

GoodysGotaCuda

Man, hopefully that is a fluke thing! I'd be pretty ticked! Time for someone to make a stroker kit for the 3.8L!!!

RedneckJeep

They did a shotty repair if all they did was pull one head. Do they think the rest of the engine was immune to getting all that metal in it? I would not have settled for anything less than an entire engine job. What a bunch o f dorks.

TXJeep

Same tapping noise as described above. Of course this started as soon as the odometer clicked past 36,000 miles and out of warranty. Was told I need a new engine and I'm waiting to hear if Customer Assistance will help. They better 'cause this is total BS! I have maintained the truck with oil changes every 3,000 miles - hopefully this is not going to turn into a Toyota situation. I'll let you all know what Customer Assistance says.

saltman

Sell it and get a new Jeep. I wouldn't want to always be thinking about being stranded on the trail.

drumnatural

Then u obviously don't spend enough time on this forum. Around the 40k mark seems to be roughly the detonation point if you ended up with a bum motor from the factory.