NHTSA Complaint #11702562 — 2019 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

My 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee (3.6L engine) suffered a sudden and catastrophic engine failure immediately after the dealership misdiagnosed a coolant leak from the oil cooler assembly. The oil cooler on this engine has a well-documented history of cracks, coolant contamination, and sudden oil loss across multiple Jeep model years. On October 25, I reported a coolant leak to the dealership, including a photo of bright pink coolant. The service advisor incorrectly told me it was “oil mixed with coolant,” did not document urgency, and did not involve a technician. I received no warning that this leak was dangerous or likely to cause engine failure. Within about a week, the oil cooler assembly failed, dumping the engine oil, causing smoke, knocking, and complete engine destruction. There was no prior warning from the dealership despite me reporting this issue directly. The dealership later created service notes that inaccurately stated they “informed me of a leak,” which is untrue. I informed them. Their failure to diagnose and communicate the seriousness of this defect directly resulted in my engine being destroyed. This failure mirrors hundreds of other owner reports regarding oil cooler cracks on the 3.6L Pentastar. This appears to be a pattern of premature oil cooler failure with severe safety consequences and no recall.