Jeep Dealer Claiming Oil Pan Dent Cracked the Engine

[cadeucsb]

Looking to the forums for advice....

3 year old Jeep JL with 5k miles on the odo. Driving cross country from LA to Denver, engine starts to flutter and gets very loud and dies. No music playing, dont recall any impact or sound, towed cross country to Jeep.

Made it into the dealership today and Jeep reporting something hit the oil pan leading to the engine cracking, needs a new engine and its on me.

Pics: first two are from jeep showing the oil pan and cracked engine.

Few things are strange to me...

• Third pic is one I took roadside while waiting for tow....not the same angle, but I am not seeing any of the damage Jeep is showing me but its hard to tell. Of note: it was towed 2.5 hours to Vegas, then transported Vegas to Denver on a transport.
• I checked the dipstick roadside waiting for a tow right after breakdown and again 4 hours later after getting to the closest city (Vegas) and both times the dipstick showed full oil. You can see a little oil in my pic but not much.

Would a ding to the oil pan like that cause a cracked engine?

Any thoughts are welcome.

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[ParadigmDawg]

Man, I just don't see how. I come from the drag race world where I have slammed down from a wheelie 100s of times and dented the crap out of the pan without issues.

On my Jeeps, I 100% of the time run oil pan skids just in case.

 

[Mocopo]

Ya I'd go back in and tell them they're full of shit. I see some scratches on the oil pan, but is it even dented? Is the oil pan a stronger metal than the engine? How on earth can they prove that's what cracked the engine? Seems to me they looked for a way to get out of warranty work.

 

[BetOnBlack]

The oil pan should have caved in before sending that much stress to the block.
I'd wager the block cracking was from something internal. They don't want to do warranty work on an engine replacement as it pays less than pulling it, inspecting it and actually finding the problem and Jeep paying for it. If a hit to the oil pan can pass that much damage to the block, I'll cover my Jeep in oil pans as armor.
@JeepCares
Hopefully they can help you.

 

[Pape]

If this is really a road hazard talk to your insurer.

 

[TheRaven]

Yeah i'd just call up your insurance agent and convey the story to them, then let your dealer know that the adjuster will be in contact to schedule an inspection. If the damage is from that dent, then it's an insurance issue, if it's not, then your insurance company will deal with the dealer and FCA...they are very good at handling such things.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I agree with the other posters. If it were a legit roadhazard the insurance would cover it. Being I don't see any way possible from the picture odds are the dealer might even cave before your adjuster gets there and do the warranty work you're owed.

 

[cadeucsb]

I appreciate all the input, it helps me at the very least not think I am crazy after hearing such reasoning. Having insurance hash it out with Jeep is probably the only way anyhow as I am not likely to change the minds of a service department that is willing to provide such an excuse to get out of the work.

They are in process of documenting everything now and the service manager is to call me tomorrow.

@JeepCares if you have any input, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mudduck]

The oil pan should have caved in before sending that much stress to the block.
I'd wager the block cracking was from something internal. They don't want to do warranty work on an engine replacement as it pays less than pulling it, inspecting it and actually finding the problem and Jeep paying for it. If a hit to the oil pan can pass that much damage to the block, I'll cover my Jeep in oil pans as armor.
@JeepCares
Hopefully they can help you.

Jeep stopped caring post 2006.

 

[Heimkehr]

I'd have guessed that an oil pan would be sacrificial. That is to say, it would as a matter of course deform much more easily than would an engine block, meaning the latter is protected by the degree to which the former absorbs an impact.

Said differently, I just can't envision how that modest dent on the oil pan -- and it is very modest -- could possibly transfer enough force, and in a seemingly invisible manner, to cause the massive perforation now evident in the block.

Jeep reporting something hit the oil pan leading to the engine cracking, needs a new engine and its on me.

Cade -- who, precisely, is making that assertion? The dealer, or a Corporate representative via the dealer?

 

[keeperman13]

I appreciate all the input, it helps me at the very least not think I am crazy after hearing such reasoning. Having insurance hash it out with Jeep is probably the only way anyhow as I am not likely to change the minds of a service department that is willing to provide such an excuse to get out of the work.

They are in process of documenting everything now and the service manager is to call me tomorrow.

@JeepCares if you have any input, it would be greatly appreciated.

Hey, you drive a Jeep so we know you're crazy. But this ain't the reason ?

Good luck to you and seems like you have the right idea.

 

[4xFUN]

Looking to the forums for advice....

3 year old Jeep JL with 5k miles on the odo. Driving cross country from LA to Denver, engine starts to flutter and gets very loud and dies. No music playing, dont recall any impact or sound, towed cross country to Jeep.

Made it into the dealership today and Jeep reporting something hit the oil pan leading to the engine cracking, needs a new engine and its on me.

Pics: first two are from jeep showing the oil pan and cracked engine.

Few things are strange to me...

• Third pic is one I took roadside while waiting for tow....not the same angle, but I am not seeing any of the damage Jeep is showing me but its hard to tell. Of note: it was towed 2.5 hours to Vegas, then transported Vegas to Denver on a transport.
• I checked the dipstick roadside waiting for a tow right after breakdown and again 4 hours later after getting to the closest city (Vegas) and both times the dipstick showed full oil. You can see a little oil in my pic but not much.

Would a ding to the oil pan like that cause a cracked engine?

Any thoughts are welcome.

Sounds like total unmitigated bullshit...

Did the dealer say the engine was starved for oil due to the dent in oil pan? Did they report low oil level? Hopefully you have been to the dealer and have taken numerous pictures yourself. It is a little hard to see the extent of the oil pan damage just from the pictures submitted.

Like others have stated, call your insurance agent and explain there must have been some type of road hazard that caused the damage but with music playing you can not be sure exactly when...

Get the popcorn ready and watch the dealer and insurance slug it out!

 

[mcaltitude]

No. I’d want a technical write up on how a dent into the oil pan can transition pressure to that extent to cause damage. I would fight this and seek an alternate opinion.

 

[dpike]

Could the shipper have picked your jeep up with a forklift when they loaded it for transport ? Is that part of the pan lower than the frame rails ?

 

[Koolkarguy]

Man, I just don't see how. I come from the drag race world where I have slammed down from a wheelie 100s of times and dented the crap out of the pan without issues.

On my Jeeps, I 100% of the time run oil pan skids just in case.

I'd agree I raced super gas for years replaced several oil pans from slamming the pan for a hard launch. Pan doesn't even look like it took much of a hit at all. I'd ask a different Jeep dealership to look or have the Jeep dealer your at help report to your insurer if he truly believes that scenario

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