Dealership overheated my engine

[Soapy]

Get an attorney and stop posting anything on the internet. It can only hurt your case. This is really a dealer issue and does not have anything to do with Jeep.

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[4Lo2Yolo]

I'd want to examine the cylinders with a bore scope. I'd look for scratches on the cylinder walls. It's possible that one bank got so hot that the pistons and rings lost sufficient clearance with the cylinder walls. There has to be a reason for the low compression readings.

 

[Sandevino]

That’s hard to watch. I’d quit posting and consult an attorney.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Regarding the owner, I did contact him. His name is Mitch. He doesn't think they caused any damage and offered me a free oil change in a few thousand miles.

If you go to a lawyer, he's going to ask you what you want.

 

[azwjowner]

If you go to a lawyer, he's going to ask you what you want.

I'd want to borrow one of Mitch's expensive cars, drain the coolant, and drive it under the same conditions, and call it even. After all, Mitch doesn't think it causes any damage, so I'm sure he'd be OK with this, right?

 

[AlgUSF]

Running it and getting on it a bit I would think is part of the test drive, probably not right out of the gate. Ease into it, but get on it a bit so that the first time you merge on a freeway isn't when a problem is discovered. However, when it overheated miles from the dealership it was time to call a flatbed and bring it back in. Absolutely ridiculous to drive it back to the shop in that condition.

I guess the problem with legal action is that you can't prove actual damages unless the compression or coolant loss tests are out of spec. It may just be cheaper to sell it (or trade it), eat the depreciation and move on.

 

[Matt878]

Red river chrysler jeep dodge

 

[Blacksport]

Very disappointing. Very poor performance by that dealer. Questions: You took the Jeep to have damaged rockers replaced at 8500 miles. My '25 Sport S has the same mileage. How do you know a rocker was bad? Had you changed the oil since new? Were you aware of any overheating? You can't go by the gauge, it's too inaccurate, you have to bring up the coolant temp in the center display. Any reason you can think of, or were told by a technician, as to why a rocker failed at such low mileage?

 

[greige]

I didn't watch the film, but there's a bit of a difference between overheating and loss of coolant, isn't there? Can the engine sensors even read the temperature accurately without coolant? I would assume complete loss of coolant, or low enough that all flow was lost. Water pump may be damaged as well not having any liquid to pump.

As to check engine lights, I would not be surprised to learn the dealer cleared any history before returning the vehicle. Is there a record of CELs even after they've been cleared and remedied?

 

[ColtB45]

Very disappointing. Very poor performance by that dealer. Questions: You took the Jeep to have damaged rockers replaced at 8500 miles. My '25 Sport S has the same mileage. How do you know a rocker was bad? Had you changed the oil since new? Were you aware of any overheating? You can't go by the gauge, it's too inaccurate, you have to bring up the coolant temp in the center display. Any reason you can think of, or were told by a technician, as to why a rocker failed at such low mileage?

• How do you know a rocker was bad?
  • I don't know that they were. There was a faint ticking when the engine was first started in the morning that quickly went away. It may have just been normal. And several people told me that it was. I persisted and asked the dealer. They said I had "soft lifters" and all the rockers on the passengers side would need replaced. Oh how I wish I hadn't pursued it.
• Had you changed the oil since new?
  • Yes, I have UOAs for most of these as well:
    

    Date	Description	Odometer
    3/19/2026	Rockers Replaced	9,420
    1/19/2026	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	8,218
    11/11/2025	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	5,045
    9/30/2025	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	3,527
    7/27/2025	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	1,096

• Were you aware of any overheating?
  • There was no overheating prior to the dealer overheating it.
• Any reason you can think of, or were told by a technician, as to why a rocker failed at such low mileage?
  • I asked and got a nothing burger response. Hindsight being 20/20, I've considered the possibility that the rockers were fine, the noise I heard is normal, and the dealership wanted to get paid by FCA for a repair that was unnecessary.

 

[Sportacus]

As mentioned, contact local news outlet that has a consumer watchdog guy, also post the video and info on X, FB, IG, ticktok etc and tag the dealership. Post it on THEIR FB page. Post on Yelp Google reviews, Next Door etc. make it go viral and watch the dealer come running back.

 

[AlgUSF]

• How do you know a rocker was bad?
  • I don't know that they were. There was a faint ticking when the engine was first started in the morning that quickly went away. It may have just been normal. And several people told me that it was. I persisted and asked the dealer. They said I had "soft lifters" and all the rockers on the passengers side would need replaced. Oh how I wish I hadn't pursued it.
• Had you changed the oil since new?
  • Yes, I have UOAs for most of these as well:
    

    Date	Description	Odometer
    3/19/2026	Rockers Replaced	9,420
    1/19/2026	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	8,218
    11/11/2025	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	5,045
    9/30/2025	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	3,527
    7/27/2025	Changed Oil & Oil Filter	1,096

• Were you aware of any overheating?
  • There was no overheating prior to the dealer overheating it.
• Any reason you can think of, or were told by a technician, as to why a rocker failed at such low mileage?
  • I asked and got a nothing burger response. Hindsight being 20/20, I've considered the possibility that the rockers were fine, the noise I heard is normal, and the dealership wanted to get paid by FCA for a repair that was unnecessary.

Yeah, odd noises suck. They get in your head and make you think something is wrong.

I have a 2014 Tundra and on hard acceleration it makes a loud ticking noise and has since it was new. It is clearly from the valvetrain and has always bothered me. I have 130K on it and have never had it "addressed".

My 2021 Wrangler 3.6 has always made a ticking/rattling noise on start. It has always bothered me as well, but I never had the stealership address it as I don't want things to go south like my 21A recall did where they broke my transmission and had to replace it.

The same yahoos that drove it back leaking coolant are the same ones that did the valvetrain/camshaft work in an open air garage. If it was me, I'd cut my losses and bail. It'll always be in the back of your mind and ruin the Jeep for you.

 

[Blacksport]

Yeah, you probably shouldn't have persued it...it was probably a lifter a little slow to pump up...

 

[alphawolff]

I already engaged @JeepCares (case 96116680 ). They told me there is nothing they can (will) do. After the @JeepCares guy talked to the dealer, he said this was between me and the dealer.
He (@JeepCares) couldn't even comment on if this voided my warranty.

Your mistake was contacting Jeep. This is between you and the dealership. Hopefully Jeep didn't document this and if the engine does fail down the line it'll be replaced under normal warranty procedures.


That being said, you need a third independent party to verify issues with the engines, and then you'll need to quite literally lawyer up against the dealership. A good place to check is the heat indicators on the back of the cylinder heads. If they're red then you have the proof you need.

 

[Sportacus]

What scumbags. This is why service departments have the reputation they do, no offense to the honest guys, but they seem far and few between.

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