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Important Notice: Oil Filter Assembly (OFA)

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116K views 93 replies 40 participants last post by  robertkriggs  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
According to carcomplaints.com & carproblemzoo.com and many online searches or forums relating to the failure of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA), Jeep has discontinued the manufacturing of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA) and may be opting for a redesign. What does this mean? It means that at some point within your Dodge or Jeep's history, the current 3.2L/3.6L OFA is going to fail and you're going to be left with oil spewing out the back of your engine, down onto your transmission, and onto your exhaust system.

Some have said that this "could" catch fire as an end result. But let's clear the air. According to our Diesel expect, the only way oil can catch fire is if it is under extreme pressure & heat. as this would not be the case under the jeep while driving, etc. The worse that can happen is the exhaust will smoke.
231805

This part as well as other oil filter adapter/assembly parts are being discontinued, it's our belief that jeep may be redesigning this cooler assembly.

According to another post on the forum, this person is claiming that the oil is bypassing the oil filter entirely. Our issues are not related to the oil filter but the oil cooler. So our oil is passing through the filter but is not passing through the oil cooler. But without removing the intake manifold, The dealership can not verify what or how the oil is leaking other than seeing other jeeps with this same issue. According to Jeep, this is not a dangerous or hazardous enough issue to warrant a recall.

You will need to take precautions to routinely degrease and wash this oil backflow off these components and maintain your oil level because there's no replacement on the market. Jeep themselves has known of this issue since 2014 and has not issued any recalls.

231686

Oil Filter Assembly (OFA)

So if you start seeing an oil leak like this on the engine/transmission, One might think it's the rear main seal. Have your jeep diagnosed so as to verify if it's your OFA and not the rear main seal. As of one week ago, Our 2017 jeep Wrangler with 72K miles was diagnosed with a failing OFA without any ETA on when the replacement part will arrive. This failing part affects ALL Dodge & Jeep Models with either the 3.2L or the 3.6L Pentastar Engines.

231687

Oil leak that looks like a rear main seal failure

I've been doing some cross-referencing of this part on several retailers' parts sites. None of these sites are listing this oil filter assembly or list the assembly as being on backorder. The only sites that list this part as being available are eBay & Amazon. We're hoping to hold off any panic buying in order to have the dealership install this part as they will offer a lifetime warranty. Otherwise, you can take your chances by using aftermarket parts or buying from sites like Amazon or eBay.

I've also contacted Jeepcares in another forum as well as on Twitter and within their Jeepcares website to see what can be done about this issue. If your Jeep is going through this same issue, then you need to either post your failure date on carcompleints.com or other sites and let others know this is unacceptable. We need this part redesigned and soon.

If your Dodge, Jeep, or any other vehicle with a 3.2L or 3.6L engine has this leaking Oil filter assembly, send a contact to @JeepCares here:

Email Jeep
https://twitter.com/JeepCares
 
#65 ·
According to carcomplaints.com & carproblemzoo.com and many online searches or forums relating to the failure of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA), Jeep has discontinued the manufacturing of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA) and may be opting for a redesign. What does this mean? It means that at some point within your Dodge or Jeep's history, the current 3.2L/3.6L OFA is going to fail and you're going to be left with oil spewing out the back of your engine, down onto your transmission and onto your exhaust system.

Some have said that this "could" catch fire as an end result. But let's clear the air. According to our Diesel expect, the only way oil can catch fire is if it under extreme pressure & heat. as this would not be the case under the jeep while driving etc. The worse that can happen is the exhaust will smoke.
View attachment 231805
This part as well as other oil filter adapter/assembly parts are being discontinued, it's our belief that jeep may be redesigning this cooler assembly.

According to another post on the forum, this person is claiming that the oil is bypassing the oil filter entirely. our issues is not related to the oil filter but the oil cooler. So our oil is passing through the filter, but is not passing through the oil cooler. But without removing the intake manifold, The dealership can not verify what or how the oil is leaking other than seeing other jeeps with this same issue. According to jeep, this is not a dangerous or hazardous enough issue to warrant a recall.

You will need to take precautions to routinely degrease and wash this oil back flow off these components and maintain your oil level because there's no replacement on the market. Jeep themselves has known of this issue since 2014 and has not issued any recalls.

View attachment 231686
Oil Filter Assembly (OFA)

So if you start seeing an oil leak like this on the engine/transmission, One might think it's the rear main seal. Have your jeep diagnosed as to verify if it's your OFA and not the rear main seal. As of one week ago, Our 2017 jeep Wrangler with 72K miles was diagnosed with a failing OFA without any ETA on when the replacement part will arrive. This failing part effects ALL Dodge & Jeep Models with either the 3.2L or the 3.6L Pentastar Engines.

View attachment 231687
Oil leak that looks like a rear main seal failure

I've been doing some cross-referencing of this part on several retailer's parts sites. None of these sites are listing this oil filter assembly or list the assembly as being on back order. The only sites that list this part as being available is eBay & Amazon. We're hoping to hold on any panic buying in order to have the dealership install this part as they will offer a lifetime warranty. Otherwise you can take your chances with using aftermarket parts or buying from sites like Amazon or eBay.

I've also contacted Jeepcares in another forum as well as on twitter and within their Jeepcares web site to see what can be done about this issue. if you're jeep is going through this same issue, then you need to either post you failure date on carcompleints.com or other sites and let others know this is unacceptable. We need this part redesigned and soon.

If your Dodge, Jeep or any other vehicle with the 3.2L or 3.6L engine has this leaking Oil filter assembly, send a contact to @JeepCares here:

Email Jeep
https://twitter.com/JeepCares
I havent got 70k yet, was just informed yesterday that its not my rear main seal as we initially thought, but the oil cooling housing. Of course the dealership said they currently have it on backorder. 2500 shipment stuck out in the ocean somewhere and the 4 they have are already bought.
 
#66 ·
Anybody think that the problem is caused simply because the tech doing the oil change over torqued the filter? At the same service appointment a tire rotation was performed and the lug nuts were over torqued also. The damage for both was in excess of $1000. This is happening on the Town & Country and Grand Caravan with the 3.6 engine. What did FCA change on the 3.6 in the Pacifica? Assuming the problem ended in the 3.6 Pacifica.
I don’t want to rant, but I bought my 2014 Town & Country with the Lifetime Maximum Warranty. The van had all the features I wanted and an $8000 discount. Past performance is an indication of future results.
Having owned two other Chrysler minivans I knew that additional warranty coverage was a necessary option.
 
#71 ·
Anybody think that the problem is caused simply because the tech doing the oil change over torqued the filter? At the same service appointment a tire rotation was performed and the lug nuts were over torqued also. The damage for both was in excess of $1000. This is happening on the Town & Country and Grand Caravan with the 3.6 engine. What did FCA change on the 3.6 in the Pacifica? Assuming the problem ended in the 3.6 Pacifica.
I don’t want to rant, but I bought my 2014 Town & Country with the Lifetime Maximum Warranty. The van had all the features I wanted and an $8000 discount. Past performance is an indication of future results.
Having owned two other Chrysler minivans I knew that additional warranty coverage was a necessary option.
Sure makes me glade I own a wrangler 2011 with that puny 3.8L engine At least it does not have this problem
 
#68 ·
I had this same issue with the engine oil cooler cracking and leaking oil all over - and in So Cal every dealership we called said they had over 30k of them on backorder as of March 2021. I called Jeep HQ (800-992-1997) to see why the hell this wasn't a recall with clearly a massive need for replacement.. they said unless more people call in and report to their customer service that they have an issue, it won't be recalled. It's some BS..but maybe try giving them a call with your VIN and at least make a file on it..

@MAGIC84 @catch22! @OscarMike @FastPony @moparado
 
#70 ·
I have a 2012 Dodge journey 3.6L which I purchased in 2013 with 25000 miles. It now has 167000 miles last week I noticed it was borderline over heating. Went to add antifreeze and noticed it was dry thought that was odd. The day after I added antifreeze over heated again, this time on my wife. I notice after her drive there was fluid dripping on the opposite side of the engine from the coolant reservoir. I automatically called my mechanic same day that evening he calls me. The heat exchanger on my engine oil cooler assembly had cracked below is were exactly the crack is located. He said it’s common for this part to have some issues. As old as my car is with the mileage accumulated during the years it’s somewhat expected. Below I attached some images hoping this helps locate your problem also. P.s. don’t let a mechanic swindle you into a new radiator if the leak is nowhere near the front end..
235006
235007
 
#77 ·
This is why you pay the extra 25.00 to have your oil changed at the dealer. Or for any repairs as a whole. OEM parts will give you the expected service in this case @ 50K on an oil cooler assy. Its my. Opinion dealer service is the way to go. Will I ever own another jeep product? Probably not as all the new garbage they put on vehicles in the name of gas mileage is horrendous.

They are selling 80K dollars throw away vehicles. 6-10 years buy another.. It beats all I have ever seen. Enjoy that rat race.
 
#79 ·
Took my vehicle to the local CJDR dealership for all scheduled maintenance. 3.6 engine. Day after last oil change and tire rotation the leak started. Covered by warranty, otherwise I would have had to pay. Incompetence is not exclusive to quick oil change shops. Also discovered all wheel lug nuts over tightened when I bought new tires a month later.
 
#80 · (Edited)
2 weeks ago. Took my 2015 Grand Cherokee in for an oil Change. Drove home and parked it. 3 days later took it on a 80 mile drive and smelled oil. Took it back to the dealer. They say the oil cooler is cracked. I definitely think there's something to the tech's over torqueing these. Edit. All oil changes and work have been done at the dealer. 150,000 miles.
 
#81 ·
According to carcomplaints.com & carproblemzoo.com and many online searches or forums relating to the failure of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA), Jeep has discontinued the manufacturing of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA) and may be opting for a redesign. What does this mean? It means that at some point within your Dodge or Jeep's history, the current 3.2L/3.6L OFA is going to fail and you're going to be left with oil spewing out the back of your engine, down onto your transmission and onto your exhaust system.

Some have said that this "could" catch fire as an end result. But let's clear the air. According to our Diesel expect, the only way oil can catch fire is if it under extreme pressure & heat. as this would not be the case under the jeep while driving etc. The worse that can happen is the exhaust will smoke.
View attachment 231805
This part as well as other oil filter adapter/assembly parts are being discontinued, it's our belief that jeep may be redesigning this cooler assembly.

According to another post on the forum, this person is claiming that the oil is bypassing the oil filter entirely. our issues is not related to the oil filter but the oil cooler. So our oil is passing through the filter, but is not passing through the oil cooler. But without removing the intake manifold, The dealership can not verify what or how the oil is leaking other than seeing other jeeps with this same issue. According to jeep, this is not a dangerous or hazardous enough issue to warrant a recall.

You will need to take precautions to routinely degrease and wash this oil back flow off these components and maintain your oil level because there's no replacement on the market. Jeep themselves has known of this issue since 2014 and has not issued any recalls.

View attachment 231686
Oil Filter Assembly (OFA)

So if you start seeing an oil leak like this on the engine/transmission, One might think it's the rear main seal. Have your jeep diagnosed as to verify if it's your OFA and not the rear main seal. As of one week ago, Our 2017 jeep Wrangler with 72K miles was diagnosed with a failing OFA without any ETA on when the replacement part will arrive. This failing part effects ALL Dodge & Jeep Models with either the 3.2L or the 3.6L Pentastar Engines.

View attachment 231687
Oil leak that looks like a rear main seal failure

I've been doing some cross-referencing of this part on several retailer's parts sites. None of these sites are listing this oil filter assembly or list the assembly as being on back order. The only sites that list this part as being available is eBay & Amazon. We're hoping to hold on any panic buying in order to have the dealership install this part as they will offer a lifetime warranty. Otherwise you can take your chances with using aftermarket parts or buying from sites like Amazon or eBay.

I've also contacted Jeepcares in another forum as well as on twitter and within their Jeepcares web site to see what can be done about this issue. if you're jeep is going through this same issue, then you need to either post you failure date on carcompleints.com or other sites and let others know this is unacceptable. We need this part redesigned and soon.

If your Dodge, Jeep or any other vehicle with the 3.2L or 3.6L engine has this leaking Oil filter assembly, send a contact to @JeepCares here:

Email Jeep
https://twitter.com/JeepCares
According to carcomplaints.com & carproblemzoo.com and many online searches or forums relating to the failure of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA), Jeep has discontinued the manufacturing of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA) and may be opting for a redesign. What does this mean? It means that at some point within your Dodge or Jeep's history, the current 3.2L/3.6L OFA is going to fail and you're going to be left with oil spewing out the back of your engine, down onto your transmission and onto your exhaust system.

Some have said that this "could" catch fire as an end result. But let's clear the air. According to our Diesel expect, the only way oil can catch fire is if it under extreme pressure & heat. as this would not be the case under the jeep while driving etc. The worse that can happen is the exhaust will smoke.
View attachment 231805
This part as well as other oil filter adapter/assembly parts are being discontinued, it's our belief that jeep may be redesigning this cooler assembly.

According to another post on the forum, this person is claiming that the oil is bypassing the oil filter entirely. our issues is not related to the oil filter but the oil cooler. So our oil is passing through the filter, but is not passing through the oil cooler. But without removing the intake manifold, The dealership can not verify what or how the oil is leaking other than seeing other jeeps with this same issue. According to jeep, this is not a dangerous or hazardous enough issue to warrant a recall.

You will need to take precautions to routinely degrease and wash this oil back flow off these components and maintain your oil level because there's no replacement on the market. Jeep themselves has known of this issue since 2014 and has not issued any recalls.

View attachment 231686
Oil Filter Assembly (OFA)

So if you start seeing an oil leak like this on the engine/transmission, One might think it's the rear main seal. Have your jeep diagnosed as to verify if it's your OFA and not the rear main seal. As of one week ago, Our 2017 jeep Wrangler with 72K miles was diagnosed with a failing OFA without any ETA on when the replacement part will arrive. This failing part effects ALL Dodge & Jeep Models with either the 3.2L or the 3.6L Pentastar Engines.

View attachment 231687
Oil leak that looks like a rear main seal failure

I've been doing some cross-referencing of this part on several retailer's parts sites. None of these sites are listing this oil filter assembly or list the assembly as being on back order. The only sites that list this part as being available is eBay & Amazon. We're hoping to hold on any panic buying in order to have the dealership install this part as they will offer a lifetime warranty. Otherwise you can take your chances with using aftermarket parts or buying from sites like Amazon or eBay.

I've also contacted Jeepcares in another forum as well as on twitter and within their Jeepcares web site to see what can be done about this issue. if you're jeep is going through this same issue, then you need to either post you failure date on carcompleints.com or other sites and let others know this is unacceptable. We need this part redesigned and soon.

If your Dodge, Jeep or any other vehicle with the 3.2L or 3.6L engine has this leaking Oil filter assembly, send a contact to @JeepCares here:

Email Jeep
https://twitter.com/JeepCares
According to carcomplaints.com & carproblemzoo.com and many online searches or forums relating to the failure of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA), Jeep has discontinued the manufacturing of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA) and may be opting for a redesign. What does this mean? It means that at some point within your Dodge or Jeep's history, the current 3.2L/3.6L OFA is going to fail and you're going to be left with oil spewing out the back of your engine, down onto your transmission and onto your exhaust system.

Some have said that this "could" catch fire as an end result. But let's clear the air. According to our Diesel expect, the only way oil can catch fire is if it under extreme pressure & heat. as this would not be the case under the jeep while driving etc. The worse that can happen is the exhaust will smoke.
View attachment 231805
This part as well as other oil filter adapter/assembly parts are being discontinued, it's our belief that jeep may be redesigning this cooler assembly.

According to another post on the forum, this person is claiming that the oil is bypassing the oil filter entirely. our issues is not related to the oil filter but the oil cooler. So our oil is passing through the filter, but is not passing through the oil cooler. But without removing the intake manifold, The dealership can not verify what or how the oil is leaking other than seeing other jeeps with this same issue. According to jeep, this is not a dangerous or hazardous enough issue to warrant a recall.

You will need to take precautions to routinely degrease and wash this oil back flow off these components and maintain your oil level because there's no replacement on the market. Jeep themselves has known of this issue since 2014 and has not issued any recalls.

View attachment 231686
Oil Filter Assembly (OFA)

So if you start seeing an oil leak like this on the engine/transmission, One might think it's the rear main seal. Have your jeep diagnosed as to verify if it's your OFA and not the rear main seal. As of one week ago, Our 2017 jeep Wrangler with 72K miles was diagnosed with a failing OFA without any ETA on when the replacement part will arrive. This failing part effects ALL Dodge & Jeep Models with either the 3.2L or the 3.6L Pentastar Engines.

View attachment 231687
Oil leak that looks like a rear main seal failure

I've been doing some cross-referencing of this part on several retailer's parts sites. None of these sites are listing this oil filter assembly or list the assembly as being on back order. The only sites that list this part as being available is eBay & Amazon. We're hoping to hold on any panic buying in order to have the dealership install this part as they will offer a lifetime warranty. Otherwise you can take your chances with using aftermarket parts or buying from sites like Amazon or eBay.

I've also contacted Jeepcares in another forum as well as on twitter and within their Jeepcares web site to see what can be done about this issue. if you're jeep is going through this same issue, then you need to either post you failure date on carcompleints.com or other sites and let others know this is unacceptable. We need this part redesigned and soon.

If your Dodge, Jeep or any other vehicle with the 3.2L or 3.6L engine has this leaking Oil filter assembly, send a contact to @JeepCares here:

Email Jeep
https://twitter.com/JeepCares
According to carcomplaints.com & carproblemzoo.com and many online searches or forums relating to the failure of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA), Jeep has discontinued the manufacturing of the Oil Filter Assembly (OFA) and may be opting for a redesign. What does this mean? It means that at some point within your Dodge or Jeep's history, the current 3.2L/3.6L OFA is going to fail and you're going to be left with oil spewing out the back of your engine, down onto your transmission and onto your exhaust system.

Some have said that this "could" catch fire as an end result. But let's clear the air. According to our Diesel expect, the only way oil can catch fire is if it under extreme pressure & heat. as this would not be the case under the jeep while driving etc. The worse that can happen is the exhaust will smoke.
View attachment 231805
This part as well as other oil filter adapter/assembly parts are being discontinued, it's our belief that jeep may be redesigning this cooler assembly.

According to another post on the forum, this person is claiming that the oil is bypassing the oil filter entirely. our issues is not related to the oil filter but the oil cooler. So our oil is passing through the filter, but is not passing through the oil cooler. But without removing the intake manifold, The dealership can not verify what or how the oil is leaking other than seeing other jeeps with this same issue. According to jeep, this is not a dangerous or hazardous enough issue to warrant a recall.

You will need to take precautions to routinely degrease and wash this oil back flow off these components and maintain your oil level because there's no replacement on the market. Jeep themselves has known of this issue since 2014 and has not issued any recalls.

View attachment 231686
Oil Filter Assembly (OFA)

So if you start seeing an oil leak like this on the engine/transmission, One might think it's the rear main seal. Have your jeep diagnosed as to verify if it's your OFA and not the rear main seal. As of one week ago, Our 2017 jeep Wrangler with 72K miles was diagnosed with a failing OFA without any ETA on when the replacement part will arrive. This failing part effects ALL Dodge & Jeep Models with either the 3.2L or the 3.6L Pentastar Engines.

View attachment 231687
Oil leak that looks like a rear main seal failure

I've been doing some cross-referencing of this part on several retailer's parts sites. None of these sites are listing this oil filter assembly or list the assembly as being on back order. The only sites that list this part as being available is eBay & Amazon. We're hoping to hold on any panic buying in order to have the dealership install this part as they will offer a lifetime warranty. Otherwise you can take your chances with using aftermarket parts or buying from sites like Amazon or eBay.

I've also contacted Jeepcares in another forum as well as on twitter and within their Jeepcares web site to see what can be done about this issue. if you're jeep is going through this same issue, then you need to either post you failure date on carcompleints.com or other sites and let others know this is unacceptable. We need this part redesigned and soon.

If your Dodge, Jeep or any other vehicle with the 3.2L or 3.6L engine has this leaking Oil filter assembly, send a contact to @JeepCares here:

Email Jeep
https://twitter.com/JeepCares
Hey everyone,

I am now experiencing this from my 2017 Jeep Wrangler with 60k miles. The replacement parts were very difficult to find, as most were backordered. My technician told me he has performed this on a variety of vehicles with Chrysler engines over the last couple months, and claims a very poorly designed product. Mopar Direct provided information that Chrysler is preventing dealers/suppliers from purchasing these parts for specific situations that are making it tough for everyone to get.

With that said, has anyone had any success with emailing Jeep or messaging Jeep Cares on Twitter? I've contacted both, and their responses are consistent suggesting parts and repair won't be covered. With this issue being more widespread, there has to be a case for litigation as this seems to be very negligent on Chrysler's behalf and those that still adopt their engine. The proposed costs are consistent with those mentioned below
 
#82 ·
There are actually two separate problems here. The cracked plastic housing can occur if the filter cap is torqued too tight. It really doesn't need more than a partial turn (just 10-20 degrees or so) after hand tightening. The o-ring seals in the oil. I know there are those out there who would disagree, but I have two 10-year old vehicles with 250,000+ miles on them. I've personally have done the oil and filter changes since they were new, and never experienced a cracked housing.

However, a second issue exists and is easy to miss. There is a little plastic piece and spring called the pressure relief valve or sometimes oil bypass valve. It's located on the oil filter housing and cooler assembly located on the top-side of the engine and goes into the center of the oil filter when installed (part of the housing). It's possible for the plastic piece to break causing the spring to launch it out of the car, perhaps while your back is turned. When missing, the system allows circulating oil to bypass the filter and return into the engine unfiltered thus completely negating the purpose of the filter. Supposedly, this is done to protect the engine from a clogged oil filter. Of my two cars, when I learned of this issue, I discovered 1 had the plastic piece missing.

Image
 
#84 ·
Hello everyone, it looks like I might be having the same problem. There's a very very small amount of oil near the housing but not on the housing and underneath the vehicle on the passengers side. Is one of the symptoms of this a burning smell only when you roll down the windows? I can't seem to figure out why I'm having this smell. The oil leakage doesn't seem to be dramatic enough to cause this but I'm not a professional. Thank you so much for any help.
 
#85 ·
I work at a mechanic shop and we see these leaking externally ALL THE TIME! However about a month and a half ago we got a 2016 grand Cherokee 75th edition with the 3.6l engine in and it had been leaking INTERNALLY! Needless to say every single hose dealing with the coolant system had to be replaced due to them turning into moosh from the oil being in them. This is a TERRIBLE design so for those of you that have one of these engines beware because they don't always show their ugly faces and leak on the outside and show you that there is a problem. This costed our customer well over $3000!
 
#87 ·
Bumping this thread to make sure everyone knows there is a Dorman aluminum housing now available.
Dorman 3.6 Pentastar Upgraded Aluminum Engine Oil Filter Housing- 926-876

Here's my post from one of our sister forums:

I've had a slight leak in my oil cooler housing but was holding off for the new Dorman metal housing. Got an email from Rock Auto last week that the part was in stock so I ordered one along with a new Mopar assembly so all the parts would be new.
I used the Mopar oil cap/filter, cooler (and screws) and sensors. The Dorman unit came with new gaskets and mounting screws.

I'll do my best to follow up as I put some miles on the unit. I suspect the real test will be if we have an unusually cold winter, which killed the coolers this year on our '14 and '18.


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#89 ·
I don't believe this is true, especially since all JKs were built at the same factory.

It is true that:
  • 2012 & 2013 models were the original design
  • 2014, 2015 & 2016 were modified and have a different part number
  • 2017 & 2018 had a change in the Oil Pressure Sending Unit and will be a different part number