2018 Jeep Wrangler Fuel System Problems

The vehicle experienced a fuel/propulsion failure involving sudden loss of engine power. After internal engine repairs performed by the dealership (camshaft and valvetrain work), the vehicle was returned to me as repaired and safe to operate. Within minimal post-repair driving (less than one mile), the vehicle entered limp mode, lost propulsion, and the engine shut down while driving in active traffic. The vehicle required towing back to the dealership. The loss of propulsion occurred on a busy city roadway and created an immediate safety risk to me and surrounding motorists due to the sudden inability to maintain speed or power, with a foreseeable risk of collision. The problem has been confirmed by the dealership. After subsequent inspection and teardown, the dealer documented catastrophic internal engine damage, including cylinder wall scoring and a failed head gasket. The dealership acknowledged that deeper inspection during the prior internal engine repair would have revealed the need for engine replacement. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership multiple times and by the dealership’s insurer. The manufacturer (Stellantis) has opened a customer care case. The vehicle is currently available for inspection and has been removed from service due to safety concerns. Prior to the failure, the vehicle displayed warning indicators and messages at the time of the incident, including limp mode activation and critical alerts immediately before and during the shutdown. No warnings were provided to me at the time the vehicle was returned from repair regarding unresolved internal engine risk or potential loss of propulsion.

The contact's son owned a  2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, there was a fire coming from the rear end underneath the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. The VIN was not available.

WHILE DRIVING THE JEEP THE DIGITAL FUEL LEVEL GAUGE WENT FROM HALF TANK TO EMPTY. REFUELED THE TANK AND THE GAUGE REMAINED ON EMPTY. A WEEK LATER THE FUEL GAUGE WENT BACK UP TO FULL BUT WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, IT RETURN TO FUEL LEVEL LOW. IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR ONE MONTH WITH FREQUENT REFILL OF FUEL. CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE MILITARY OVERSEAS IN ITALY WITH MY US SPEC JEEP.

09/24/19 I NOTICED A HUGE STAIN UNDER THE RIGHT BACK SIDE ON MY JEEP AND COULD SMELL THE STRONG ODOR OF GAS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY CHECKED IT THE WHOLE DAY AND STATED NOTHING WAS SHOWING OF A GAS LEAK OR COULD SMELL THE GAS. BROUGHT MY VEHICLE HOME UNSURE BECAUSE I HAD VIDEO OF HOW YOU COULD HEAR THE FUEL GURGLING FROM THE TANK. TODAY 11/09/19 AGAIN THE FUEL IS LEAKING I HAVE VIDEO SHOWING HOW THE FUEL IS GOING EVERYWHERE WHILE THE TRUCK IS PARKED AND HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 24 HOURS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. IT'S SCARY TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK IN THE VEHICLE. I WAS FIRST TOLD FROM THE DEALERSHIP NOT TO OVERFILL MY TANK WHICH I DON'T NOR HAVE I EVER. I KNOW SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS GAS TANK. PLEASE CONTACT ME AT [XXX]. I REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO FROM HERE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2018 JEEP JL UNLIMITED 3.6L AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, 750 TOTAL MILES. ON 9/12/2018, TRANSMISSION FAILED AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP (MCKAY'S DODGE/JEEP, WAITE PARK, MN). WHEN VEHICLE WAS LOWERED BY TOW TRUCK, ABOUT 1 LITER OF GASOLINE POURED DOWN OVER THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ON THE RIGHT REAR (PASSENGER) AND ONTO THE SERVICE BAY FLOOR. THE VEHICLE HAD A NEARLY FULL GAS TANK AT THE TIME OF THE TOW. IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE GASOLINE HAD DUMPED AS MUCH VOLUME ONTO THE MUFFLER AND EXHAUST SYSTEM...BOTH THE VEHICLE AND THE DEALERSHIP WOULD HAVE MOST LIKELY BURNED. THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP IN WAITE PARK, MN *DT *TR *BF UPDATED 10/31/18*JB

I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE SINCE JULY 5TH, 2018. ON AUGUST 26TH, I WENT TO LEAVE MY HOME AND BEFORE I STARTED THE VEHICLE, I NOTICED JEEP WAS LEAKING GAS OUT OF THE REAR RIGHT PORTION OF THE VEHICLE WHEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. IT WAS SITTING IN MY PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME I OBSERVED THE LEAK. ALSO SAW GAS STREAMING WHEN I REMOVED GAS CAP AND LOOKED INTO TANK. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO JEEP DEALER. *TT CONSUMER STATED YES. IT JUST GOT REPAIRED. IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL TANK WAS NOT TAKING FUEL PROPERLY AND HAD FILLED THE EVAP CANISTER AND ALL APPEARS TO BE OK AFTER DRIVING FOR A FEW DAYS. UPDATED 10/10/18*JB *BF. UPDATED 10/31/18*JB

CAR LEAKING FUEL THE CAR TURNED OF WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT (~15MPH). I PUT IT PARK AND STARTED IT AGAIN, NO PROBLEM. AS I APPROACHED THE NEXT STOP LIGHT, IT TURNED OFF AGAIN. THIS TIME IT TOOK CRANKED FOR ABOUT 4 SECONDS BEFORE STARTING. I HEADED TOWARDS THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND THE CAR STARTED HESITATING. WHEN I PULLED IN I FOUND THAT IT WAS LEAKING GAS FROM WHAT APPEARED TO BE ABOVE THE GAS TANK. IT PUDDLED UP BEHIND THE PASSENGER REAR OF THE VEHICLE. GOT IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FROM THERE. - NO GAS LEAKED WHERE IT WAS PREVIOUSLY PARKED FOR OVER 6 HOURS. - PROBLEMS STARTED ONLY A COUPLE MINUTES AFTER STARTING IT - CAR HAD A FULL TANK OF GAS, FILLED IT THAT MORNING. - AS THE TOW DRIVER GOT IT LIFTED, A LOT MORE GAS STARTED LEAKING OUT. (WHILE ONLY THE FRONT END WAS ON THE FLAT BED). - ABOUT A HALF A GALLON OF GAS LEAKED OUT (THAT I KNOW OF) *BF UPDATE 11/2/18*JB