NHTSA Complaint #11372734 — 2014 JEEP WRANGLER

ENGINE OIL LEAK (FIRE HAZARD). THE ENGINE OIL FILTER HOUSING (PART NUMBER 68105583AA) IS WIDELY REPORTED TO FAULTY BY OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE YEAR (2014). THIS PART CRACKS UNDER ROUTINE DRIVING AND LEAKS ENGINE OIL ONTO HOT SYSTEM COMPONENTS, SUCH AS THE EXHAUST CROSS OVER AND TRANSMISSION, WHERE THE OIL BURNS AND CREATES A FIRE HAZARD. MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS HAVE NOTICED THIS SMOKE BEFORE IT IGNITED. HOWEVER OTHERS HAVE REPORTED A FIRE. THE OIL LEAK GENERALLY OCCURS WHEN THE ENGINE HAS COME UP TO TEMPERATURE AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN MOTION LONG ENOUGH TO REACH NORMAL OPERATING OIL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE. THE PROBLEM OCCURS IF THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION, REGARDLESS OF ROAD CONDITIONS. THE LEAK IS NOT IMMEDIATELY DETECTED BY A LOW OIL PRESSURE, HIGH TEMPERATURE, OR OTHER SIMILAR WARNING, FURTHER INCREASING THE FIRE RISK. FURTHER, THE LEAKING OIL POSSES AN ENVIRONMENTAL DANGER AND IS HAZARDOUS. PRIOR MODEL YEARS HAD A DIFFERENT, METAL PART WHICH DOES NOT CRACK AND LEAK UNDER ROUTINE USE. IT IS BELIEVED WHEN THIS PART WAS REPLACED WITH A PLASTIC COMPONENT IN 2014+ MODELS, THE NEW, PLASTIC PART WAS DEFECTIVE OR INSUFFICIENT FOR ITS HIGH TEMPERATURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT INSIDE THE ENGINE. THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER (FCA). ATTACHED PHOTO SHOWS: OIL (LIGHT BROWN) POOLING BENEATH LEAKING OIL FILTER HOUSING (FOREGROUND) ON THE ENGINE BLOCK ITSELF.