Dealer recommends new engine.

[roaniecowpony]

Carmax it.

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[BigRedRidinHood]

Are there any low mileage used engines available at a local junk yard. Find a Jeep with under 20,000 miles that had a rear end total or a roll over or a side hit with a bent frame. I would think there are thousands of 2.0 engines available. Make sure they guarantee the motor and that it is a reputable yard. I agree with the above thinking that yours may have been a lease car that never had its oil changed. Was there any CarFax information available on the car that you bought? Did you buy it from a dealer?

 

[wcjeep]

$8500 all in for engine replacement? Or $8500 plus labor for engine replacement? If $8500 all in and the Jeep is setup to your liking sounds like a possibility. Different used vehicle will have its own issues.

 

[Slayer80]

I am currently in the same boat and not sure what to do. I bought my 18 sport s jlu in June of 2025 with 81k miles. I had a 4 hr drive home from Oklahoma. I made it an hour down the road when my engine light came on. Then it turned to a flashing engine light. Dealership wouldn't honor anything, except paying my local shop to run the codes. Ended up needing both cats and all 4 o2 sensors replaced, on my dime. Fast forward 8 month and almost 8k miles later I had my jeep scheduled to go in for routine fluid exchanges. 2 days before my jeep overheated without any warning. I just stopped, turned it off, and it boiled over, with the overflow cap almost completely off. When my shop got it they started with the coolant to diagnose what might be going on. This is what they said:

"Using vacuum venturi found cooling system to build vacuum but bleeds off. Filled system and performed pressure test. Found pressure to slowly bleed off. Performed inspection and found no external leaks. Removed pressure tester and installed block tester, monitored scan data for misfire information, found cyl 1 to report 5 out of 200 misfires on initial start up. Once vehicle reached operating temp and thermostat opened up found exhaust gases in the coolant reservoir indicating internal failure. Based on context clue found position marking on cam actuators and exhaust appears to have been removed. Suspect engine has been torn down. Valve cover and exhaust has been removed. Suspect head gasket to have been replaced but vehicle to still be having coolant intrusion issue. This year range of pentastar 3.6 is common to have head and casting defects, block warpage, etc. Replacement of cylinder head gasket is required along with sending in the head for testing/rebuild and block inspection. However, total engine replacement is the recommended repair as units have been known to pass inspection due to test performed at shop temp and not operating temp when components have failed during these temps".

So i'm not sure what to do. Can't trade it off cuz with 88,800 miles and owing 23k, that won't happen. I'd have to finance a new engine since I don't have that cash laying around. Jasper from what I heard is not currently making a reman long block for the 3.6 due to defect issues. I'm sure a new factory replacement will have the same issues. I have briefly started looking into Frazer and Go Powertrain Reman engines, since they have decent warranties and claim the engines come upgraded to fix any tsb or known issues. This is my first ever wrangler and based on my crappy experience in 8k miles, it may very well be my last and only one.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I am currently in the same boat and not sure what to do. I bought my 18 sport s jlu in June of 2025 with 81k miles. I had a 4 hr drive home from Oklahoma. I made it an hour down the road when my engine light came on. Then it turned to a flashing engine light. Dealership wouldn't honor anything, except paying my local shop to run the codes. Ended up needing both cats and all 4 o2 sensors replaced, on my dime. Fast forward 8 month and almost 8k miles later I had my jeep scheduled to go in for routine fluid exchanges. 2 days before my jeep overheated without any warning. I just stopped, turned it off, and it boiled over, with the overflow cap almost completely off. When my shop got it they started with the coolant to diagnose what might be going on. This is what they said:

"Using vacuum venturi found cooling system to build vacuum but bleeds off. Filled system and performed pressure test. Found pressure to slowly bleed off. Performed inspection and found no external leaks. Removed pressure tester and installed block tester, monitored scan data for misfire information, found cyl 1 to report 5 out of 200 misfires on initial start up. Once vehicle reached operating temp and thermostat opened up found exhaust gases in the coolant reservoir indicating internal failure. Based on context clue found position marking on cam actuators and exhaust appears to have been removed. Suspect engine has been torn down. Valve cover and exhaust has been removed. Suspect head gasket to have been replaced but vehicle to still be having coolant intrusion issue. This year range of pentastar 3.6 is common to have head and casting defects, block warpage, etc. Replacement of cylinder head gasket is required along with sending in the head for testing/rebuild and block inspection. However, total engine replacement is the recommended repair as units have been known to pass inspection due to test performed at shop temp and not operating temp when components have failed during these temps".

So i'm not sure what to do. Can't trade it off cuz with 88,800 miles and owing 23k, that won't happen. I'd have to finance a new engine since I don't have that cash laying around. Jasper from what I heard is not currently making a reman long block for the 3.6 due to defect issues. I'm sure a new factory replacement will have the same issues. I have briefly started looking into Frazer and Go Powertrain Reman engines, since they have decent warranties and claim the engines come upgraded to fix any tsb or known issues. This is my first ever wrangler and based on my crappy experience in 8k miles, it may very well be my last and only one.

Greg, your situation sucks. I feel for you. My recommendation is to acquire a nearly new 2025-2026 take-out Gladiator engine from AMW4x4. I have a 2024 engine from them in my 2018 that did about the same thing yours did. Another member here did had a similar failure in a 2019 and I helped acquire a 2025 Gladiator engine from AMW4x4 and we installed it together. The engines are identical but for the oil pressure sensor in the back of the oil filter housing and the engine wiring harness. The upper and lower intake manifolds will need to come off to replace this sensor. The reason the wiring harness from your old engine needs to be installed on the new engine, is because the 2025 Gladiator has a different PCM and the connector on the 2025 harness won't fit your PCM. (No, you can't use the 2025 PCM on your 2018). You might think about buying a new 2018 engine wiring harness, since the connectors get brittle and can break unless extreme care is taken.

You should expect that an engine from AMW4x4 to cost $5500-6500. The great part about it is how many accessories and hoses come with it. You get a new alternator, waterpump, thermostat, belt, intake manifolds, throttle body, injectors, EGR valve, EGR cooler, PVC valve, vacuum pump, etc, etc. In short, you get almost everything attached to the engine as you see it when opening the hood. They do not provide the catalytic converters, but sell them separately. I can send you pix of how they ship.

If you need help going this direction, PM me.

 

[Bob Burd]

Wow. Sorry to hear stuff like this. Did you buy it from a private party or commercial lot, or ?

 

[roaniecowpony]

Here's a picture of how complete AMW4x4 engines are shipped. They also include a new AC compressor

 

[Slayer80]

Thank you Roaniecowpony, I appreciate your advice and the info. I will look into them and give it some thought. Did they work out these issues and the newer models are less affected? Do they come with any kind of warranty?

 

[Slayer80]

Wow. Sorry to hear stuff like this. Did you buy it from a private party or commercial lot, or ?

Thanks Bob. A commercial lot, if you call them that. Seth Wadley Auto Group in Oklahoma. A month ago I refinanced it to get rid of the crappy rate I got there and doing so I had to cancel the gap and extended warranty that I had. After several calls and emails, not one response back. So I contacted the warranty company directly and they reached out and got it done. Won't honor your sell, even the same day, no customer service. It's been fun overall so far to say the least.

 

[Slayer80]

Here's a picture of how complete AMW4x4 engines are shipped. They also include a new AC compressor

Oh wow...that looks nice. I'm definitely not a mechanic and i'm sure there are things that are needed still but doesn't look like much.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Thank you Roaniecowpony, I appreciate your advice and the info. I will look into them and give it some thought. Did they work out these issues and the newer models are less affected? Do they come with any kind of warranty?

I don't know about warranty. I never asked, only assumed that they did not. That would be something you can discuss with them. The engine purchased from them by another member here had 13 miles on it and they sent a video of it running before removal. My engine had 160 miles.

The model year 2025 was reported to have some kind of update to the camshaft/lifter issues. These engines will also have the latest oil filter housing which prevents leaking of the coolant system into the oil and vice-a-versa, at the "figure 8" seals. In general, they'll have unpublished updates that we never hear about.

I would encourage you to work with your shop to communicate with AMW4x4 to answer your questions as well as your shop's questions. Purchasing the engine and then having your shop install it could present you with issues that could be prevented by working through your shop. If your shop has questions, I'm happy to help.

 

[Slayer80]

I will definitely keep all that in mind, thank you. My shop is working on a quote for me already and should be calling me tomorrow, i'll visit with them about this.

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