Clutch Recall (2/23/23): Clutch Pressure Plate May Overheat -- Affecting 70,000 Manual Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators

[OldGuyNewJeep]

So your 4 years of posts about how great the JL clutch is , was from your experience of just driving on paved streets ?

I’ve never done any rock crawling or anything even remotely difficult. The only stuff around here are fire access roads.

I’ve plans to do Rausch Creek 101 this summer after my new clutch is installed. I made my last payment last week, so now I have a small mod budget and a new clutch is first on the list. Hoping to make it a camping trip with my sons.

What I have TONS of experience with is bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Merritt Parkway!

And, yes, to address your snark… I have not had any issues whatsoever with my clutch for 5 full years. As the only manual in my family until a week ago, its lightness was something I just adapted to and don’t notice. Well, at least not until I went for a test drive in a Mazda and then had to drive back home in my Jeep. That was eye opening.

I taught two of my three kids to drive stick with my Jeep and it survived all their stalling, slipping and burning. Now my oldest bought a Mazda3 and he says it’s an absolute cinch compared to my Jeep, so I think overall my “bad” stock setup yielded some benefit.

What I’m really fed up with is 4 recalls and the worry that one of my kids or my wife might get hurt. I also don’t trust that this final recall will be any good because they have to make it work with ESS. To do that while also mitigating the problem I’m worried they’re going to detune us. So, yeah, I’m not going to get this recall done ever.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk. I don’t regret any of the opinions in my older posts. They reflect how I felt at the time.

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[Canjeeper]

I’ve never done any rock crawling or anything even remotely difficult. The only stuff around here are fire access roads.

I’ve plans to do Rausch Creek 101 this summer after my new clutch is installed. I made my last payment last week, so now I have a small mod budget and a new clutch is first on the list. Hoping to make it a camping trip with my sons.

What I have TONS of experience with is bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Merritt Parkway!

And, yes, to address your snark… I have not had any issues whatsoever with my clutch for 5 full years. As the only manual in my family until a week ago, its lightness was something I just adapted to and don’t notice. Well, at least not until I went for a test drive in a Mazda and then had to drive back home in my Jeep. That was eye opening.

I taught two of my three kids to drive stick with my Jeep and it survived all their stalling, slipping and burning. Now my oldest bought a Mazda3 and he says it’s an absolute cinch compared to my Jeep, so I think overall my “bad” stock setup yielded some benefit.

What I’m really fed up with is 4 recalls and the worry that one of my kids or my wife might get hurt. I also don’t trust that this final recall will be any good because they have to make it work with ESS. To do that while also mitigating the problem I’m worried they’re going to detune us. So, yeah, I’m not going to get this recall done ever.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk. I don’t regret any of the opinions in my older posts. They reflect how I felt at the time.

Well it is good you have finally converted to complaining about the performance of your manual , rather then always coming on here and expressing how great the stock system was . I was wondering if you were related to Dan W .

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Well it is good you have finally converted to complaining about the performance of your manual , rather then always coming on here and expressing how great the stock system was .

LOL, OK. Since you seem to be obsessed with my post history, I think upon rereading above you’ll find I’m still not complaining about the setup. I’m fed up 4 years of failed recalls.

Whatever axe you have to grind, surely it’s not with me. Have a great life.

 

[Canjeeper]

Didnt mean to upset you ,was just asking why after four years of being so positive that the stock Manual"s were perfect , that you now cant wait for an aftermarket one ? Why not just wait for the re designed one and save alot of money .

 

[AlgUSF]

LOL, OK. Since you seem to be obsessed with my post history, I think upon rereading above you’ll find I’m still not complaining about the setup. I’m fed up 4 years of failed recalls.

I'm with you, the stock setup works for me but when my Jeep gets a bit longer in the tooth I'll probably consider a different clutch setup if they keep recalling this thing. I for one take a lot of interest in earlier adopters of aftermarket solutions for if/when I pull the trigger. My Wrangler is a 2021 and the last recall was fixed before I took delivery, so this is recall number 1 for me.

Since my Jeep is still relatively newer I am going to see what Stellantis comes up with. Please share your experience when you've put some miles on it.

 

[COBill]

I'm also hopeful because rumors have it that MY24 will be starting soon. If that's true, they would have to finish building 23's soon which includes MT. This June timeframe would line up with that. Plus I thought I read in another thread that someone's '23 MT was updated to built. Fingers crossed!

You don't understand - MY 23 and presumably 24 Wranglers with MT are being built and shipped to dealers.

They cannot be delivered to customers until there is a Jeep-approved fix for the clutch issue and it is applied to the vehicles sitting on the lot.

So if you ordered a MT Wrangler, it could be sitting on your dealer's lot right now and will be for months to come.

It's a "stop sale," not a "stop order" or "stop build."

Now think about that - if parts are required, they will need to be distributed to dealers and installed on those Wranglers before they can be delivered.

If it's just software, that fix will need to be available and applied to those vehicles before those Wranglers can be delivered.

 

[multicam]

This seemed like the right place to say that I am done with this shit clutch, the three recalls and Stellantis’ pathetic, ineffective responses. I sold it today at 15% depreciation after 2 years so no regrets financially. It was a blast to drive, I just lost confidence in the Wrangler and more so, the company that makes it.

I know…..don’t let the door hit me on the way out. You all have been great and I thank you for the many helpful conversations. I’m sure I will lurk here on occasion but am officially out of the owners club. All good.

We’ll still be here when you end up making it back to the club

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Didnt mean to upset you ,was just asking why after four years of being so positive that the stock Manual"s were perfect , that you now cant wait for an aftermarket one ? Why not just wait for the re designed one and save alot of money .

I’m not upset, but don’t try to backpedal. First, you basically said my Jeep is a mall crawler so my review would be moot, then you swiped at ACT questioning their testing methodology with the Miata comment, then you came for me, again, to imply my opinion all these years was wrong (or that it was annoying enough to you that you remember my forum handle) and that you’re relieved I finally agree with the complainers. (And then you edited that comment and took a swipe at Dan for holding a similar opinion as me.)

To answer your question, I don’t want to wait for this recall for a bunch of reasons:

• FCA is stuck with ESS which will require the redesign to still use a light flywheel (is it a redesign at all, or just a new design spec for the pressure plate? No one here knows.)
• I really, really, really don't want a dealership tech installing such a complicated part. They get paid a fixed price and will absolutely cut corners to complete the job in the allotted time. I say that as someone who has had nothing but great experience at my dealership, but they make nothing on recall work.
• When parts become available there will be a long queue. I don't want to wait until 2024 for a fix.
• The new recall is coming with more software. There was a lot of F.U.D. (and still is) that the last software update was an across-the-board detune. That is false, but who's to say this new one won't be a detune? They aren't going to fix this 5 times, so whatever this new recall is has to be a drastic and final change. My opinion is that they just want to cover their asses and get the NHTSA off their back and avoid class action lawsuits, at this point. Only 70k affected across Wrangler and Gladiator - we represent a tiny sliver of overall sales, and I doubt they care if they upset us.
• I have a 500 mile trip to ADK coming up. Lots of highway, and that seems to be when these things are failing most often (anecdotal, but I haven't seen a single thread that indicates failure happened on a trail of around town). I don't want to have a failure in rural NY hundreds of miles from home.
• I want to do Rausch 101 this summer, and the off-roading experts on this forum say a heavier flywheel will make my experience better.
• My wife and middle child occasionally drive my Jeep. Neither would catch the warning signs of impending failure, and their safety is paramount.
• I just paid off my Jeep and now have a mod budget.
• @Actman published VERY compelling videos that triggered an, "I want that new toy!" response in my brain.

There's Ted Talk number two in the can, though I'm sure no one read all that!

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Since you're living vicariously, let's be frustrated together.

What once was lost, now is found! Fingers crossed it arrives in once piece!

 

[gek]

Glad they found it. Last I new mine was expected to ship today.

 

[gek]

@OldGuyNewJeep UPS and expected delivery is Tuesday!

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

@OldGuyNewJeep UPS and expected delivery is Tuesday!

Very good!

Mine literally just arrived. I scheduled the install for next Tuesday, 6/6.

 

[Rrushen]

Mine literally just arrived. I scheduled the install for next Tuesday, 6/6.

Glad for you. Please let us know how it goes and what your impressions are. (I'm especially interested as I also have a 2 door, and went with pro-mass after all; mine is currently in transit.)

Cheers.

 

[Actman]

Very good!

Mine literally just arrived. I scheduled the install for next Tuesday, 6/6.

YAY!!!

 

[Mandalorian]

Has anyone actually been paid out for a clutch they have replaced? I submitted through the website and its been almost 30 days and they said my case is not even assigned to anyone?

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