My Jeep Oil Leak Fix

Jeep Wrangler Oil Housing Adapter Leak

Underneath my Jeep with oil leaking

Finding a Solution

I started to see oil spots on the driveway and in the garage. I got under my Jeep and looked. UGH!!! I was quite sad. I wasn't exactly sure what happened. I shared the problem and pictures with a Jeep friend of mine, he said it looks like the oil filter housing adapter needs to be replaced. I took it to a mechanic here in Minnesota and he was right. 

Oil Leak

The mechanic that is helping me says he sees this type of leak a lot because people over torque the plastic part and it cracks, plus cold temperatures make it worse.

Oil filter

I called around and three major auto parts stores shared, the factory part is no longer available and claimed it hasn't been available for a year and a half. So I tried to go with the Dorman Aluminum upgrade. That part is not available right now.  If you suspect this problem in your Jeep you better start hunting for the part now. The Dorman aluminum aftermarket part is very, very hard to get. If one does come in it doesn't stay in the store for more than a day. I ended up with a plastic Standard Auto Part for $260 plus the manifold set for $52.

Regular maintenance is so important for your Jeep. However, sometimes these types of failures are unavoidable.  

Selfie with my new oil filter housing

Known Assembly Issues

The Chrysler Pentastar V6 oil filter housing and cooler assembly for 3.2L and 3.6L engines can become warped, brittle and crack over time with constant exposure to engine bay heat. I read this serious flaw in the design of the Pentastar oil filter housing and cooler assembly and often results in severe oil and coolant leaks and can have catastrophic consequences. 

Inside the Jeep engine

Over the years there has been speculation that Chrysler cut a few corners with the Pentastar V6 and the original equipment parts. The plastic oil filter housing and cooler assembly is one example. The number of complaints for this part is staggering.  There have been so many complaints – with the OE replacements even, that Chrysler has discontinued the manufacturing of the Pentastar oil filter housing and cooler assembly. Even more surprising is that Chrysler has known about this problem for a long time and has never issued a recall.