Sponsored

Fire result of transmission failure

OP
OP
DuramaxJack3d

DuramaxJack3d

Active Member
First Name
Jay
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
37
Reaction score
64
Location
Spring Grove
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLU Ocean Blue, 1989 Jeep Comanche 1ton, 1971 M35A2 Bobbed 46s, 2008 Buell Xb12R, 2017 KLR650, 1976 KZ900 Ltd
Glad you are safe. Scary pics!

What makes people skeptical is when someone says its the transmission, but doesn't offer exactly what went wrong. Especially when it is your first post. I'm not questioning your honesty, just giving you a clue why some would be skeptical. If someone has been around here for years with thousands of posts of their Jeep, including some pics of themselves in them, and then they post a complaint that it burned up in a fire, complete with pics of said Jeep, then it might be met with less skepticism.

So back to your Jeep. As a manual transmission owner who drives with my kids, I will be paying close attention. So, let's start with who investigated it? Was the investigator an expert? If it was investigated by experts, please share the findings.
Even if you don't truly know the cause, and are just giving it your educated guess, please keep us posted as the investigation ensues. If there is indeed a problem, We'd like to know about it.

As for anyone else reading this, the first and easiest thing you can do to prevent a fire, if it is not some kind of defect as the OP has suggested with his Jeep, is to frequently inspect the underside of your Jeep and keep debris away from hot parts, or any parts, for that matter, as they are often the cause of Jeep fires. I'm not saying this is the case with OP's Jeep, but since the topic is upon us, it is just a prudent suggestion. (I've seen it happen to a CJ, and I know of insurance claims adjusters that have said it happens from time to time.)

I'll be watching for updates to see what details you can give us. Again, I'm happy to hear that nobody was hurt. Looks like it was a very nice Jeep.
Thank you for your honesty and input, I completely understand that skepticism is common on a new member. I’m not very tech savvy and unfortunately there’s never enough time through the day to share my adventures lol. I absolutely loved my Jeep and looked forward to many more happy memories. As I’ve stated their were no warning signs and I’ve never had my Jeep off pavement. I understand prevention is always key and a responsible owner should always practice proper maintenance and visually inspect. Unfortunately in my case no amount of inspecting other than removing the transmission to make sure Jeep properly installed/ torqued or designed the transmission would have prevented this. I’m hoping that there is an easy fix and this doesn’t happen to anyone anymore. I understand people use these vehicles for a multitude of different reasons and put them through abuse that the average vehicle will never see. At the same time this vehicle was used as a daily driver and a fun vehicle for my growing family.
Thanks
Jay

417C7AF8-B855-4805-B072-139CA0A903C5.jpeg


61DA1664-A550-4492-8F7D-0A08A133410B.jpeg


0D873F6B-5B8E-4A2B-AAFA-F2D918F79F94.jpeg
Sponsored

 

DanW

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dan
Joined
Mar 2, 2017
Threads
159
Messages
8,404
Reaction score
11,073
Location
Indiana
Vehicle(s)
21 JLUR, 18JLUR, 08JKUR, 15 Renegade, 04 WJ
Vehicle Showcase
2
Thank you for your honesty and input, I completely understand that skepticism is common on a new member. I’m not very tech savvy and unfortunately there’s never enough time through the day to share my adventures lol. I absolutely loved my Jeep and looked forward to many more happy memories. As I’ve stated their were no warning signs and I’ve never had my Jeep off pavement. I understand prevention is always key and a responsible owner should always practice proper maintenance and visually inspect. Unfortunately in my case no amount of inspecting other than removing the transmission to make sure Jeep properly installed/ torqued or designed the transmission would have prevented this. I’m hoping that there is an easy fix and this doesn’t happen to anyone anymore. I understand people use these vehicles for a multitude of different reasons and put them through abuse that the average vehicle will never see. At the same time this vehicle was used as a daily driver and a fun vehicle for my growing family.
Thanks
Jay

417C7AF8-B855-4805-B072-139CA0A903C5.jpeg


61DA1664-A550-4492-8F7D-0A08A133410B.jpeg


0D873F6B-5B8E-4A2B-AAFA-F2D918F79F94.jpeg
Looks like a beautifully kept Jeep! Hopefully you'll get back in a new one quickly and back to enjoying it, along with some answers. Nice front bumper, too! What is it?
 

intentsrig

Well-Known Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Threads
47
Messages
1,224
Reaction score
1,038
Location
California
Vehicle(s)
JLU Sporticon
Link for those threads? I remember one here on the forum, but don't remember it being a manual transmission. I'm getting old, though, so maybe it was.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-fire-in-tennessee-today.13557/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/2018-wrangler-caught-fire.37351/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...to-replace-my-rubicon-that-caught-fire.40732/

You can find several more on the NHSTA site and instagram..here is one guy I follow. Same thing..hole in the transmission and caught fire. His account may be private but the picture I posted above is of his. https://www.instagram.com/itsbrando82/

I have seen a few on facebook as well. All manual's. So out of how many made is that..not a lot but we also do not know how many more are not reported for whatever reason.
 

DanW

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dan
Joined
Mar 2, 2017
Threads
159
Messages
8,404
Reaction score
11,073
Location
Indiana
Vehicle(s)
21 JLUR, 18JLUR, 08JKUR, 15 Renegade, 04 WJ
Vehicle Showcase
2
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-fire-in-tennessee-today.13557/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/2018-wrangler-caught-fire.37351/
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...to-replace-my-rubicon-that-caught-fire.40732/

You can find several more on the NHSTA site and instagram..here is one guy I follow. Same thing..hole in the transmission and caught fire. His account may be private but the picture I posted above is of his. https://www.instagram.com/itsbrando82/

I have seen a few on facebook as well. All manual's. So out of how many made is that..not a lot but we also do not know how many more are not reported for whatever reason.
The figure I've seen is about 25% manual transmissions. I was skeptical of that number, but I've seen a lot of them, so maybe it is true. That'd mean there are probably 75k or so on the road if I had to guess.

Best thing to do is 1. Report to Insurance (Let them communicate with FCA, since they have the investigative resources, data collection, and direct lines of communication to FCA and NHSTA. 2. Report to NHSTA yourself. 3. Collect on insurance and move on. Hopefully, they'll let you know if something comes of it. Insurance companies don't like insuring and paying out for vehicles they think have an inherent problem. They have deep enough pockets to make things happen, too, if they have the evidence and data.

Thanks for digging those up. The 2nd one is the one I remember.

I've been putting off, mostly forgetting, really, to buy a good fire extinguisher for my JL. I've carried a cheapo, which is better than nothing, though. If something like this were to happen, if the fire can be put out quickly, I'd imagine it would help with the investigation, since there would be less fire damage.

If they are not breaking at the bolts, maybe they had some bad castings? Just speculating.
 

Sponsored

intentsrig

Well-Known Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Threads
47
Messages
1,224
Reaction score
1,038
Location
California
Vehicle(s)
JLU Sporticon
The figure I've seen is about 25% manual transmissions. I was skeptical of that number, but I've seen a lot of them, so maybe it is true. That'd mean there are probably 75k or so on the road if I had to guess.

Best thing to do is 1. Report to Insurance (Let them communicate with FCA, since they have the investigative resources, data collection, and direct lines of communication to FCA and NHSTA. 2. Report to NHSTA yourself. 3. Collect on insurance and move on. Hopefully, they'll let you know if something comes of it. Insurance companies don't like insuring and paying out for vehicles they think have an inherent problem. They have deep enough pockets to make things happen, too, if they have the evidence and data.

Thanks for digging those up. The 2nd one is the one I remember.

I've been putting off, mostly forgetting, really, to buy a good fire extinguisher for my JL. I've carried a cheapo, which is better than nothing, though. If something like this were to happen, if the fire can be put out quickly, I'd imagine it would help with the investigation, since there would be less fire damage.

If they are not breaking at the bolts, maybe they had some bad castings? Just speculating.
Yeah something inside the transmission is definitely going from rotational speed to fully locked (seized) in an instant. Every time I forget about this issue another one pops up to remind me :headbang:
 

cosine

Well-Known Member
First Name
Chris
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Threads
73
Messages
13,038
Reaction score
73,013
Location
NY
Vehicle(s)
2019 Wrangler Sport jl
Occupation
Gone Postal
first off, glad everyone is ok. second, it a shame that the jeep and fca havent made any attempt in responding to your request in this matter. i am surprise that the insureance havent offer you a pay out. in any case i'd keep trying to get in contact with jeep and fca. you may want to file a complaint to the nthsa and BBB. best yet talk to a lawyer. if you have reports stating cause of the fire, then thats your only leverage in anything. however i can see that jeep and fca will try to come up with there own reasoning in denying responsibility.
 

cmc.703

Active Member
First Name
chris
Joined
Feb 6, 2019
Threads
2
Messages
25
Reaction score
20
Location
falls church
Vehicle(s)
2019 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon
Let me preface with this, that sucks man, I'm so sorry to hear..

Can you tell us a bit more about the events leading up to the fire? IMO, just going off pictures, no way FCA is paying to replace your jeep. There's evidence of a collision. The transmission housing doesn't just break like that, I feel like there's something more to the story. I wish you the best best though man, I'm not talking shit. Just being realistic.
 

intentsrig

Well-Known Member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Threads
47
Messages
1,224
Reaction score
1,038
Location
California
Vehicle(s)
JLU Sporticon
Let me preface with this, that sucks man, I'm so sorry to hear..

Can you tell us a bit more about the events leading up to the fire? IMO, just going off pictures, no way FCA is paying to replace your jeep. There's evidence of a collision. The transmission housing doesn't just break like that, I feel like there's something more to the story. I wish you the best best though man, I'm not talking shit. Just being realistic.
Did you not read any of the other post on here? The other ones must have all been in a collision as well?
 

Sponsored

OP
OP
DuramaxJack3d

DuramaxJack3d

Active Member
First Name
Jay
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
37
Reaction score
64
Location
Spring Grove
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLU Ocean Blue, 1989 Jeep Comanche 1ton, 1971 M35A2 Bobbed 46s, 2008 Buell Xb12R, 2017 KLR650, 1976 KZ900 Ltd
Let me preface with this, that sucks man, I'm so sorry to hear..

Can you tell us a bit more about the events leading up to the fire? IMO, just going off pictures, no way FCA is paying to replace your jeep. There's evidence of a collision. The transmission housing doesn't just break like that, I feel like there's something more to the story. I wish you the best best though man, I'm not talking shit. Just being realistic.
Thank you for your reply, Unfortunately there was no collision and no offense I don’t see any signs of a collision. I don’t know what else I could tell you that I haven’t said previously. As far as the transmission exploding, unfortunately that is what is happening as several others have shown as well. It’s scary and I still don’t see how it’s possible. I can see one or two incidents being ignored but this is happening more and more and honestly believe mine won’t be the last you’ll see or hear about. Im most likely hurting myself by making this publicly known, I don’t plan on FCA stepping up and taking responsibility. At the same time I feel this could have went very wrong very fast. Like stated before there were no warning signs, sounds, smells, vibrations, 6th senses or any other form of a warning.
Thanks
Jay
 
OP
OP
DuramaxJack3d

DuramaxJack3d

Active Member
First Name
Jay
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
37
Reaction score
64
Location
Spring Grove
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLU Ocean Blue, 1989 Jeep Comanche 1ton, 1971 M35A2 Bobbed 46s, 2008 Buell Xb12R, 2017 KLR650, 1976 KZ900 Ltd
This is from an FCA technician Facebook group that I sent pictures and asked there input I blacked out their names as I don’t want anyone going after them.

F9E412EB-9B53-48C4-A95C-BDA8A056AD90.jpeg


F4860F4D-0BB3-41A0-8D15-0114BDE25216.jpeg


22D2A125-DEDC-4F11-AE81-0B30EDCD22BB.jpeg


138B17F0-120D-4BF1-A937-34B95452FB73.jpeg


1B037F21-A62C-407E-AF57-B033A62C175A.jpeg


E1238B51-FCB3-4414-B9AF-DC5D410ABFC3.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Wabujitsu

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeff
Joined
Jul 26, 2019
Threads
104
Messages
2,260
Reaction score
4,432
Location
Sarasota, FL
Vehicle(s)
2021 JLUR, 2020 JLU Sahara
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Retired US Army
Vehicle Showcase
1
So my new wrangler JL with the 3.6l and the 6 speed manual decided to self detonate. It happened on 12/21/2019 and as of today FCA and Jeep refuses to speak with me whatsoever. After researching night and day and doing a lot of digging, it appears this is not as uncommon as people think. This incident almost took a family members life and am only trying to make people aware. I see a lot of people try to come out and tell their story when an incident like this happens, but almost immediately get shut down. This is not a Jab at Jeep and has no underlying meaning. There is an obvious issue with the 6 speed manual in the new wrangler and just because you haven’t seen it or heard of it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. I’ve been a Jeep enthusiast my whole life and planned on buying the new gladiator after this happened. After being completely ignored after several e-mails and phone calls to Jeep and the FCA, It’s really disappointing the way they’re handling this case. I’ve tried all the top executives and ceo Mike Manley as well but I believe it’s not reaching them as all my emails to them get automatically forwarded to [email protected] with zero response. I’ve tried contacting them through twitter and Facebook and as soon as I mention my case number I get zero response. I have been going through my insurance to get this covered but as some of you may know they don’t cover everything. I walked away with nothing and no way to get into another vehicle, and to top it off FCA refuses to give me a rental but luckily my dealership didn’t hesitate when I asked for a loaner vehicle until this is resolved. Any help to get this to reach someone to help me would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Jay

1F94B4FE-4B1A-4455-A47F-747EF1A93466.jpeg


703E6FF9-2299-42BE-A824-CC7C4AB3BDC7.jpeg


4CFF42E4-7E49-467B-8A51-F5DFC38DB48A.jpeg


ED643FAB-E9A7-48C9-B286-B61DEFAEE2F6.jpeg


C14CA714-A8C7-4356-91DD-19F5A26A3CEB.jpeg


B7574FE3-6E12-419E-BB0F-890C28CB100D.jpeg


F09392EA-473E-4DAC-B765-0F0922205005.jpeg
I am very sorry to hear this; it is heartbreaking. I hope you get a quick and satisfactory resolution.

I need your help. One of your pictures in your OP has me really puzzled, and it’s driving me nuts! Below is the picture, and the picture below that is a part of the first picture that I isolated and enlarged. It’s a random fragment of metal with a Phillips head screw, and it just seems to be suspended in mid-air. What am I looking at? Thanks!

9D696DD2-DC35-4E14-94CA-4CC09E1496BB.jpeg


1215BA52-7E2B-4877-9647-40E54DB2DA22.jpeg
 

DanW

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dan
Joined
Mar 2, 2017
Threads
159
Messages
8,404
Reaction score
11,073
Location
Indiana
Vehicle(s)
21 JLUR, 18JLUR, 08JKUR, 15 Renegade, 04 WJ
Vehicle Showcase
2
I would consider taking the same approach aircraft crash investigators do. Wait and see. You can't tell what happened by looking at something, most of the time. Besides, after looking through some of those threads, they don't all look the same. Some look like the entire bell housing cracked, while others looked like they had internal parts blow out through the bell housing. You could be looking at entirely different circumstances. Meanwhile, many, many of these are on the road with many miles and no failures. That's why you report to NHSTA. They have the ability to determine if there is a pattern.

Kia/Hundai had a big deal with fires that ultimately led to a recall. Why? There was a clear pattern and lots of the incidents occurring. Keyboard investigators will not be the ones to properly ID the problem.

One thing I'd be curious about is at how many miles did each incident occur? If at low miles, then it poses several questions that may include possibilities of quality control rather than a design flaw. That could mean assembly, bad batch of parts, failure to fill with fluid, etc. (The JK saw some NSG370's underfilled at one point in time, for example.)

I only know this. I changed my JL's transmission fluid at about 20k or so and it was full and the fluid looked good. That's a checkmark for that box.
 
OP
OP
DuramaxJack3d

DuramaxJack3d

Active Member
First Name
Jay
Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
37
Reaction score
64
Location
Spring Grove
Vehicle(s)
2018 JLU Ocean Blue, 1989 Jeep Comanche 1ton, 1971 M35A2 Bobbed 46s, 2008 Buell Xb12R, 2017 KLR650, 1976 KZ900 Ltd
I am very sorry to hear this; it is heartbreaking. I hope you get a quick and satisfactory resolution.

I need your help. One of your pictures in your OP has me really puzzled, and it’s driving me nuts! Below is the picture, and the picture below that is a part of the first picture that I isolated and enlarged. It’s a random fragment of metal with a Phillips head screw, and it just seems to be suspended in mid-air. What am I looking at? Thanks!

9D696DD2-DC35-4E14-94CA-4CC09E1496BB.jpeg


1215BA52-7E2B-4877-9647-40E54DB2DA22.jpeg
It does look funny lol but I believe that’s the plastic loom they put around harnesses and it’s probably dangling from a strand of melted plastic. Not sure what else it could be. Hope this helps
Thanks
Jay
Sponsored

 
 



Top