NHTSA Complaint #10380250 — 2006 JEEP WRANGLER

MY JEEP IS EXPERIENCING PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP DRIVE ASSEMBLY (OPDA), WITH ONLY 31,000 MILES ON THE JEEP. THE FAILURE WAS NOTICED WHEN A CHIRPING WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE OPDA UPON ENGINE START UP. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER WHO HAD ME GET THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AT A LOCAL JEEP DEALER, WHICH LED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OIL PUMP DRIVE GEAR. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DRIVE GEAR DID NOTHING TO ELIMINATE THE CHIRPING. THERE WAS SOME WEAR ON THE DRIVE GEAR WHEN IT WAS REPLACED. A SEARCH ON JEEPFORUM.COM INDICATES THE PROBLEM WITH THE OPDA IS A BUSHING THAT ISN'T GETTING OIL, DUE TO A SEAL THAT IS BLOCKING OIL FLOW. THE PART COMES PACKED WITH GREASE, BUT WHEN IT WEARS OUT THERE IS NO LONGER LUBRICATION. CHRYSLER RELEASED A SERVICE BULLETIN (E05) REFERENCE THIS ISSUE, BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE OPDA IS OF FAULTY DESIGN AND CONTINUES TO SUPPLY FAULTY OPDA'S WHEN A REPLACEMENT IS IN FACT SUPPLIED. A RECALL SHOULD BE IN PLACE, BUT IS NOT. IN FACT CUSTOMERS ARE LUCKY TO GET ANY ASSISTANCE IN COVERING THE COST OF REPAIRS IF THEY ARE NOT THE FIRST OWNER OR ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE FACTORY WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM PLACES ALL JEEP OWNERS WITH 2005 BUILD DATES AT RISK OF ENGINE FAILURE, DUE TO A KNOWN FAULTY FACTORY PART, WHICH COULD RESULT AT ANYTIME, INCLUDING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS COULD RESULT IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, FIRE OR BOTH, WHICH IN TURN COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH OF THE OCCUPANTS OF SAID VEHICLES.