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Fire result of transmission failure

DuramaxJack3d

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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

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DuramaxJack3d

DuramaxJack3d

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Here our others that I’ve been able to find so far

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gofastguy

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If you seek only to be made whole vehicle wise, I am quite surprised they haven't got you all fixed up nearly immediately!
 

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I'd be interested in hearing the circumstances. What happened, what were you doing at the time. Any drivetrain related mods? Anything odd or off that caught your attention before the fire? Why do you think it's related to the trans? There's nothing revealed in your post other than you've suffered a catastrophic fire and you're very unhappy with FCA. What was FCA telling you before communication broke down?

Without knowing your specific circumstances, when one party refuses to speak directly to the other there's usually a lawyer involved?
 

intentsrig

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I'd be interested in hearing the circumstances. What happened, what were you doing at the time. Any drivetrain related mods? Anything odd or off that caught your attention before the fire? Why do you think it's related to the trans? There's nothing revealed in your post other than you've suffered a catastrophic fire and you're very unhappy with FCA. What was FCA telling you before communication broke down?

Without knowing your specific circumstances, when one party refuses to speak directly to the other there's usually a lawyer involved?
There are multiple threads about the transmission exploding (6 speeds).

simply google JL fire and all of them are manuals
Here is a close up picture of the massive hole in the transmission

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DuramaxJack3d

DuramaxJack3d

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I'd be interested in hearing the circumstances. What happened, what were you doing at the time. Any drivetrain related mods? Anything odd or off that caught your attention before the fire? Why do you think it's related to the trans? There's nothing revealed in your post other than you've suffered a catastrophic fire and you're very unhappy with FCA. What was FCA telling you before communication broke down?

Without knowing your specific circumstances, when one party refuses to speak directly to the other there's usually a lawyer involved?
Going approx 30-35mph in 3rd gear starting to go up a slight incline on a city paved road, there were no prior warning signs or smells. Look at the pictures as I believe it didn’t come with a external clutch package...

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DuramaxJack3d

DuramaxJack3d

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Here’s some more pictures

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DanW

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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, since you brought it up.

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. (The pic of the cracked bell housing certainly would lead one to suspect it, for sure.)
Please keep us posted as the investigation ensues. If there is indeed a problem, We'd like to know about it.

Just a PSA....unrelated to transmission failure..... 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.
 
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DadJokes

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Wow. I hope you get it sorted out.
 

DanW

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There are multiple threads about the transmission exploding (6 speeds).

simply google JL fire and all of them are manuals
Here is a close up picture of the massive hole in the transmission

53662C0E-8507-45D1-B441-EF6468E8C49D.png
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.
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