The Pentastar V6 has been a workhorse for Chrysler. Since its introduction in 2011, over 10 million have been built, and they’ve shown up in everything from minivans to trucks to sedans to coupes to offroaders. The only problem is that Chrysler cheaped out on one crucial component that has irritated owners to no end. Worse, this silly little flaw puts the whole engine at risk.
It all comes down to oil. As we all know, the engine cannot run without it. Given its importance, you would think Chrysler would have done everything it could to make sure the engine’s lifeblood stays inside the crankcase where it needs to be. As it turns out, the company kinda messed up on this crucial detail.
Whether you talk to forum users, NHTSA, or mechanics, the answer is the same. This one cheap plastic part afflicts Jeeps, Rams, Chryslers and Dodges alike. It’s got them spilling oil, and badly—with nasty consequences to boot.
However, this engine has lots of other applications too. You’ll find the same engine in Jeep Gladiators, Ram 1500s, Chrysler Pacificas, and Dodge Durangos, just to name a few. Ultimately, this is a problem that affects just about every 3.6-liter and 3.2-liter Pentastar V6 in the Stellantis fleet, including those built today.
A Slippery Situation
This oil leak problem came to our attention while researching the Pentastar Tick issue on the NHTSA complaints database; we noticed that so many more folks were complaining about the oil cooler. Seriously, look at these complaints, and you’ll realize just how shocking the scale of this problem is:
These engines feature a combined oil cooler and oil filter housing that is bolted to the engine. The oil cooler is plumbed with coolant to keep the engine oil at a stable temperature. From there, oil then flows on to the filter section—a simple housing for the replaceable cartridge oil filters. The part is naturally plumbed with coolant and oil, and also plays host to the oil temperature and oil pressure sensors.
So far, so simple. The problem is that Chrysler made one choice that seriously compromised these parts. The whole part is made out of plastic. That’s not such a problem when the vehicle is new. The plastic, likely nylon reinforced with glass fiber, is able to hold up to hot engine oil without issue. However, aging is a real killer when it comes to components like these. Repeated heat cycles and the simple passage of time make the plastic brittle and weak over time.
Eventually, cracks form in the plastic, and you get a major engine oil leak. This can often happen during an oil change, particularly if the oil filter housing is overtightened during reinstallation. The oil filter cover is only supposed to be torqued up to a mild 18 foot-pounds. It’s relatively easy to exceed this, with damage to the plastic parts a likely result.
Thanks to the position of the part, most of the oil ends up running into the valley of the V6. From there, it then drips down the back of the engine and transmission and on to the ground. It’s easy to mistake the leak for a worn engine rear main seal because of the location the leak appears on the ground. Ideally, though, the leak is caught quickly and the part can be replaced. However, in some cases, the part can fail while the car is running and dump a lot of oil very quickly. In this case, the engine has to be shut down quickly before the oil supply runs completely dry.
Other failures are possible, too. If the plastic cracks or breaks around the oil cooler section, a coolant leak may develop instead. Or, even worse, a failure in this area can lead to coolant and oil mixing, which is similarly awful for the engine.
The plastic doesn’t have to crack to cause problems, either. Sometimes the housing just warps over time and stops sealing properly in various locations. Alternatively, the O-rings sealing the part to the engine block start leaking, or the plastic lip holding them in place just falls to pieces.
Owners can be found complaining about this problem all over the Internet. Wrangler Forum has a whole cavalcade of posts, with owners reporting oil leaks, coolant leaks, and oil ending up in the coolant reservoir. You’ll hear the same from owners of the Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, and even the Volkswagen Routan. Yep, since it’s a rebadged Chrysler, it came with a Pentastar, too.
[Ed Note: These complaints are rampant with early Pentastar engines, but they appear to be less prevalent with the “Pentastar Upgrade” that came around 2016 in some products. The “Pentastar Upgraded” entered the Wrangler when the JL model came out; there are some oil filter housing complaints with the JL, but they seem significantly fewer than on JKs. Maybe this has to do with miles driven, but it’s worth noting that significant engine redesign. -DT].Â
NHTSA has received some harrowing complaints. One owner reported a “small fire” occurred when leaking oil came into contact with the hot exhaust system. Others have reported having to replace the parts three or even four times in under ten years of ownership.
It’s easy to understand why people are pissed off. We expect to change our oil and oil filters regularly, that’s just normal automotive maintenance. The oil filter housing, though? We kind of expect that to be a hardy part of the engine that lasts for the lifetime of the vehicle. The fact that the part can fail quite easily within a few years of ownership, and potentially lunch your engine in the process? That’s no bueno. The fact that simply overtightening the filter cap can destroy it in one misguided tug of a wrench? That’s pretty annoying, too.
The Fix
Swapping out the part is not the easiest job, either. It requires removing the entire upper and lower sections of the intake manifold in order to gain access to the valley of the V6. From there, the part can be unbolted and lifted off the top of the engine.
Guides on how to manage this problem are all over YouTube. David from the MotorCity Mechanic channel notes that there are two main routes to fix this problem with OEM parts. You can either replace the whole housing, or start by just replacing the set of O-rings that seal the part to the engine block.
Solely replacing the o-rings is the cheaper route, but not a guaranteed fix. “That’s just something that at the dealership we would have to struggle with,” David explains. “In order to get paid for warranty, Chrysler said we had to do [the o-rings] first.” If that fix failed, the whole housing would be replaced, at greater expense.
Either way, neither of these methods is a permanent fix. You can expect the replacement housing to last maybe as long as the original OEM part. Perhaps less so if it’s subjected to heavy-handed techs during your regular oil changes at your local Lube-E-Mart.
Eventually, however, a better repair became available from the aftermarket. Well-known parts company Dorman started manufacturing an all-aluminum version of the oil cooler and filter housing. It solves the plastic problems with good old fashioned metal.
The redesigned part eliminates the problem of embrittlement and cracking over time, as well as collapsing lips that hold the o-ring seals in place. It also solved the problem of block-off ports blowing out by using proper threaded plugs with sealant holding them in place. The Dorman part is made with high-pressure aluminum casting techniques.
You have to pull a lot of parts off to get down to the oil filter housing. It’s not necessarily a super difficult repair, but it’s time consuming to a greater or lesser degree.
The Dorman part is intended to be a one-stop fix for this problem. To that end, it’s shipped with a full set of seals. This includes the seals for the upper and lower intakes that need to be replaced when removed to execute the repair.
The core aluminum housing is just a replacement for the plastic part. In Dorman’s original design, the sensors and oil cooler itself had to be swapped over from the original OEM housing. This created compatibility issues—early Dorman parts were designed to suit the oil cooler from post-2014 Pentastar V6s.
However, Dorman now provides an updated version that comes with an oil cooler of its own that works with earlier Pentastars, too. It updates any Pentastar to work with the more modern post-2014 oil filter design. Either way, there have been a few revisions over the years, too, so it’s important to make sure you get the right Dorman housing to suit your particular vehicle.
As you might expect, there’s a reason Chrysler didn’t go this route in the first place: Cost. Making the part out of plastic was a great way to go—it’s far cheaper than machining the same part out of aluminum. As long as the part doesn’t fail too often during the warranty period, the savings are worthwhile. Plus, the cynics will suggest that it’s a great way for Chrysler to make some money on parts on the back end.
If you own one of these Pentastar powered vehicles, you can make the call yourself. If you go with the plastic OEM part, the official Mopar replacement part costs around $170. You might find it cheaper if you hunt around the place. I found another part for around half that price from an Australian seller, though it’s likely not OEM grade and doesn’t appear to come with any seals. Meanwhile, the Dorman part comes in around $202 on what appears to be Dorman’s official Amazon store—and that’s including all the intake seals, an oil filter, and a new oil cooler to boot. It’ll cost you a little more from Advance Auto Parts, which currently has it listed for $308.99, or $262.64 with a coupon code.
Given the relatively minor price difference, it’s easy to see the appeal of switching to an all-metal replacement part. Oil leaks are a pain to deal with at best. At worst, they can trash an engine or set your whole car on fire. If you have to get in under the intakes to fix one, better to do it once and be done with it for the foreseeable future.
Why Is Everything Like This?
Unfortunately, problems like these are pretty common in modern vehicles—and modern technology across the board. It all comes down to money. Engineers are seldom tasked with designing for the best longevity or performance. They’re generally told to design vehicles that can be produced with excellent profit margins. If a plastic part is cheaper and lasts long enough, forget metal—it’s not happening.
Chrysler isn’t the only one playing this game. BMW’s cars are famous for using cheap plastic parts in the cooling system. GM has done much the same. There are a million other examples out there. Parts that would never fail on a classic car from the mid-20th century are now regular replacement parts on modern engines. [Ed Note: My experience at Chrysler was that engineers would have run tests on all parts, and had they seen a concerning failure, they’d have fixed it to avoid warranty costs. I’m a bit perplexed by the fact that this failing part remained in production for years and years despite numerous failures. -DT].Â
The trick is to be aware of the cheap, crappy parts on your car. That way, when one fails on you, you’re already educated on what’s broken and how to fix/upgrade it, before you end up as a giant ball of fire barreling down the highway. Stay safe out there, and maybe share today’s post with your poor Pentastar-owning friends. Though I bet they already know all about this.
Image credits: Jeep, Ram, Stellantis, Chrysler, Amazon, Dorman, MotorCity Mechanic via YouTube screenshot, ATEM Offroad via YouTube screenshot, Maxspeedingrods
I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands of those OFH’s. The plastic virtually never has cracks, and when it does, the cap shows a dead giveaway it was put on like a centerlock wheel. It’s mainly the metal cooler, or the o-rings. And every Dorman replacement I’ve seen leaks worse than any OE plastic housing I’ve ever seen.
Another reason never to buy DaimlerChrysler/FCA/Stellantis vehicles.
My all time favorite plastic part was a timing chain adjuster, also co-incidentally in a V6. An interference V6 at that. Having a Citroen SM engine reduce itself to its molecular components at over 120mph on a British motorway is not a thing one ever forgets.
And to think Carlos, (pictured above) wants to sell me a Jeep.
With a straight face even.
This is an issue?
I’m shocked, shocked I say.
No shade to the Jeep people here. Really.
YMMV
I had mine switched out for the Dorman replacement pre-emptively…… when my valve cover gasket started to leak oil.
I am utterly sick of the plastic parts all over engines. On my previous vehicles I had catastrophic problems with plasttic coolant system fittings. At those temperatures the plastic literally just crumbles into flaky chunks.
I’m with David’s inserted comment on this. Very surprising it wasn’t picked up in testing (you can easily simulate years of wear and tear) or with warranty tracking.
It might have even been possible to up the fiber content in the mix and use the same molds. A very low cost change to implement.
I was installing 1-2 of these per week on the Pentastars for awhile. All we install at the shop I’m at is the Dorman aluminum version. I also only install Dorman’s aluminum thermostat housing (both pieces) for the same reason, they love to crack and leak around 100,000 miles.
Pretty sure the part number in question is 68185492AB, or at least that’s the part that should warn you about what you’re about to go through mentally, emotionally, and financially.
This oil filter housing issue happened on my 2016 JKUR last winter at just under 40K miles on the vehicle. Seems the cold and hard freezes increase the frequency. In my case I *think* it was just the o-rings that went out, but man does it leak when it goes out. Mopar Lifetime Warranty FTW.
Regarding the Dorman kit, word on the forums is you really want to get the Mopar OEM o-ring kit instead of using the ones from Dorman, otherwise it’s a great kit.
I’m imagining whoever engineered this part had a career path like this: Fired from GM for designing the OptiSpark, went to Chrysler and put this thing in the PentaStar, moved on to a career helping secure doors at Boeing.
you’re confusing engineers with the people who actually make the decisions that cause these problems
Fair
I teach Engineering merit badge to Scouts, and I ask them what makes a business decide to use a new design (cool or not)? All those decisions come down to money and Risk. You can build a better mouse trap, but it will need to cost less than an existing one, or it won’t sell.
Don’t forget their stint at Ford designing PowerShift transmissions!
And 1.6/2.0/2.3 Ecoboost blocks!
I won’t be sharing this with my non-enthusiast friends, it will just freak them out. I’ll just tell them to keep a close eye on the driveway for oil.
Y’all have been freaking me out about my Pentastar Voyager. Can we run a story about someone else’s unreliable engine next? Feeling a little battered and bruised, lol.
I do still have a warranty on it (extended one purchased through the dealer as I was pretty scared about going the Chrysler route) and that seems like it may have been the right choice. But I only have about 18k left until that’s donezo.
Go back and ready about my Peugeot engine exploding. It’ll make you feel better.
https://www.theautopian.com/i-bought-a-french-hot-hatch-and-it-almost-immediately-imploded-members-rides/
Oh I’ve read that and there’s nothing about exploding Peugeot engines that makes me feel better, lol.
Haha it was worth a try
Ford tells me I can have a new motor if mine goes kablamo within 10 years/150K miles. It’s not just the Pentastars that have problems.
Sure lots of different engines have their issues. But obviously, known flaws make me nauseous.
And hey, at least Ford is extending their warranty on their crummy engine. I don’t see Stellantis doing the same.
For what it’s worth, despite these key weaknesses, overall, the Pentastar V6 is a pretty reliable engine. I have access to repair costs and data of recent repairs all over the US. The Pentastar performance is pretty reasonable. Far better than the Hemi.
In general, the Pentastar has one of the better reputations for reliability compared to other Chrysler engines, and so far I’m happy with it.
But yeah, obviously multiple design flaws don’t excite me. The good news here is that if you know what to look for/listen for (this and the tick issue) you should be able to avoid catastrophe.
The ONLY late-model engine in a Stellantis product I recommend is the 3.6L Pentastar.
Yes, it has its issues, but most of them are minor, and if repaired early, lead to a really long service life.
Hell, the only Stellantis vehicle I recommend to my customers at the shop period is the Grand Caravan/Town & Country/ Voyager. Why? Because it’s the 2nd best minivan on the used market, and while it’s nowhere near as reliable as the Toyota Sienna, the initial cost is so much lower that you won’t likely end up spending more in the long run if you take care of it, and it’s relatively affordable to own overall.
Hopefully that makes you feel better.
Haha, I’m ok.
And I bought the Voyager for that very reason, it has a chance to exceed expectations. It was 10k cheaper than an equivalent Odyssey.
I really want a Pacifica Hybrid for DD dad duties, but I’m scared.
Same, the PHEV seems awesome. But boy does it have a bad rep at this point.
I figured with the regular Pentastar that most kinks would have been worked out in the decade-plus it’s been available. Unfortunately it seems that even though it should be reliable, certain flaws have not been revised.
I have heard excellent things about the long term durability of their V10 engine family.
A small piece of mind is that I think it’s easy to misunderstand just how many of these pentastar engines are out on the road and while this is a weak point, most of the complaints are from 10+ yr old cars. It sucks that they used a plastic part but it looks like a pretty simple fix should you choose to wrench after your warranty expires.
Maybe our good friends at Car Shield can help you out? /s
That detective guy from SVU looks like an honest guy with your best interests at heart. He is on my TV 24-7, so he must really care right? LOL!!!!
First I’ve heard of a Dorman part improving anything (maybe that’s not fair, I am not that dialed in), but that’s pretty awesome that they stepped up and solved this problem.
Same! I usually think of Dorman as at least being a brand name so it has to be better than literal no-name stuff of dubious production on amazon, but not exactly top tier.
Toyonda uses better plastics; Mopar seems to have gone with the BMW cooling system stuff.
Nah, the BMW stuff turns into wax. The Mopar stuff just warps or cracks.
Yeah what is it with the Germans and making all their plastic componentry (and interior materials) out of recycled black crayons? And if they must, the least they could do is spec Crayola instead of RoseArt.
Dorman makes some things that are WAY worse than OEM (Ford cam phasers), but also some that are WAY better (5.7 Hemi exhaust manifolds, 3.6 Pentastar oil coolers and thermostat housings). Most of their stuff is okay, a little of it is crap, but some of it is genuinely way better than OEM.
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Dorman also the one’s who make the metal coolant fittings for the GM 3800’s?
During my recent bout of used car research, I was tempted by the thought of an AWD Chrysler 300, but the ticking issue came to my attention. Engines are complex, so I don’t expect perfect, but when a manufacturer knows of a design flaw and does nothing about it, I will not be buying any of their products. And this is their primary corporate engine. No wonder they are struggling.
I’m not a fanatical gearhead or anything, but I haven’t heard of stuff like this happening on Toyotas or Hondas. Any examples out there?
Off the top of my head – Hondas spool valve failures would be closest thing to this; causes oil leaks and other check engine/issues
Honda has/had the oil dilution thing.
I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to eventually see the effects of that in a lot of Honda products soon. Honda put that 1.5T in a lot of core products (Civic, CRV, Accord).
Toyota has Tundra engines being recalled for sand left in them and issue with the transmissions in the Tacoma.
I disagree with the common assertion that engines are more reliable than ever as I think the last 10 years or so of really strict emissions and fuel economy demands combined with performance expectations from heavier vehicles has seen even the old stalwarts push out some clunkers. Nothing like Stellantis, though! The number of massive problems is mind boggling.
The J-Series just had a massive recall regarding poorly ground crank pins causing blown engines, not unlike the Hyundai Theta thing. I don’t think I’d buy any Honda V6 between 2015 and 2021.
i just buttoned up one of these on a pacifica this weekend. it’s definitely an egregious design flaw, somebody had to know this was an inevitable failure
but, i’m grateful my neighbors come to me when their 3.6Ls start leaking
Just from the headline alone I knew what part you were talking about, we sell a lot of these.
Ford has a similar, just-slightly-less-dangerous version of this on the 4.6 modular V8 that affects the cooling system. An outlet made of plastic has a lip that allows the hose to stay clamped; once that lip gets brittle and starts to crumble over the years, guess what happens when the system’s pressurized?
The kicker is it’s not a stand-alone part (as it apparently is on many other engines?!); Ford molded it into the manifold itself. So once it breaks down, you have to replace the entire damn thing. I was able to find an upgraded replacement that has that nipple (and IIRC correctly, the alternator bracket) made of cast aluminum.
I love the 4.6, but this really ground my gears.
This is the 2nd Pentastar article that has an Audi doppelganger, although I have yet to see a failure as catastrophic as this. Around 50k miles the 3.0TFSI oil filter housing starts to leak on the 18’s and 19’s. Oil leaks into the valley and down some drain holes at the back, leading you to believe you’ve got a bad rear main. Luckily the plastic housing on these appears to be pretty skookum and they aren’t warping or cracking, it’s just the pre-revision gasket giving up and that can be replaced for about $100 DIY in 2 hours or so. I did mine and chose to install an aluminum oil filter housing and post-revision gasket just to future proof it. It’s a pretty easy job luckily. The hardest part was cleaning the oil out of the valley and off the belly pans, which I used a steam cleaner for.
Lucky for me, a huge pile of oil in the garage alerted us to the problem before the engine went boom. Replaced the OEM unit with the Dorman unit. Unlucky for my next door neighbor, they’re hunting for a new vehicle or engine replacement due to the same issue.
I suspect the reason this wasn’t fixed, was profit$ and bonuse$. There many have been a cost benefit done for fix vs ignore and ignore won.
As I mentioned in the comments on Dan Roth’s article about the Pentastar valvetrain last week, I just recently had this part replaced on our ’17 Pacifica because of the leak. It took a while to get the oil – and the oil smell – out of the space. There are a lot of nooks and crannies under there, and the shop wasn’t as thorough with that part as I would have liked.
I would suggest immediately trading that van in for anything that isn’t from Stelantis or Ford. You’ll be way better off.