NHTSA Complaint #10386243 — 2007 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4

IT STARTED WITH A SLIGHT KNOCK IN THE ENGINE AT FIRST START UP. IT WOULD GO AWAY AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THAT LASTED ABOUT 3-4 WEEKS. UNTIL ONE START UP THE ENGINE WOULD NOT STOP TICKING, BY THE TIME I ARRIVED HOME THE ENGINE WAS KNOCKING VIOLENTLY. OIL LEVELS WERE FINE. HAD THE JEEP TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE ENGINE INSPECTED, TO SEE IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE TECH DID AN INSPECTION AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE SPUN 2 CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS, BENT 4 RODS, DAMAGED 4 PISTONS, DAMAGE TO CRANK, AND ALMOST ALL OIL PASSAGES IN ENGINE WERE CLOGGED BY METAL DEBRIS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THE FACTORY SEAL ON THE ENGINE WAS OPENED. THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND TOLD THEM THE SITUATION. I SPOKE WITH CHRYSLER MANY TIMES OVER THE MONTH SPAN THAT THE JEEP WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP,I ALSO HAD THE DEALERSHIP FAX ALMOST 20 OTHER CASES TO THE CLAIMS DEPT. THAT I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE SAME SITUATION AND PROVIDED THE VEHICLE YEAR, MAKE, AND MILEAGE INCLUDING ALL OF MY SOURCES. CHRYSLER TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE ENGINE REPAIR BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE AND THAT I WAS NOT THE FIRST OWNER OF THE VEHICLE,THE JEEP HAS 53K ON IT. NO ONE AT THE DEALERSHIP COULD TELL ME THE REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED, OR HOW I CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SELF DESTRUCT. I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER MECHANIC THAT THE OIL PORTS INSIDE THE ENGINE GOING TO THE CRANK WERE DESIGNED TOO SMALL, AND THIS IS WHY THE CRANK BEARINGS WERE FAILING. I HAVE TAKEN THE JEEP TO ANOTHER MECHANIC, HE ADVISED THAT A NEW ENGINE SHOULD BE INSTALLED. HE TRIED TO ORDER A NEW ENGINE FROM HIS SUPPLIER, BUT WAS TOLD THEY ARE ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT A WEEK TO RECEIVE A NEW ONE. HE WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER IS VERY AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACTION AS OF NOW. *TR