2020 JEEP WRANGLER Power Train Problems

Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Failed Recall Repair and Improper Diagnostics Charges - Jeep Recall No. 23V116 (Manual Transmission Clutch Overheating) & Violation of 49 U.S.C. Section 30120 Dear Sir or Madam, I am submitting this complaint regarding an unresolved safety defect and improper repair charges related to an official recall performed on my 2020 Jeep Wrangler (manual transmission). The issue concerns Recall No. 23V116 and superseding Recall 21V028, which addresses clutch overheating and associated software logic. Prior to the recall work performed, my Jeep had approximately 23,000 miles on it, and I never had any issues with the manual transmission or transmission related warning codes. In May, I received letters informing me that I needed to take my Jeep to the dealership as soon as possible to have the above recall work performed to avoid potential overheating and fire hazards related to my clutch plate. In June 2025, I brought my vehicle to Don White's Jeep dealership on York Rd. in Cockeysville, MD. The dealership replaced the clutch hardware and performed a software update as required. I did not drive the Jeep for a couple of months due to weather and frequent rainfall during June, July & August. Upon driving the Jeep in August, the "Service Transmission" light came on, and I immediately notified the dealership, and they performed a software update to fix the warning light, admitting they did not realize the software update was required the first time. Two days later, the "Service Transmission" light came on again, and I immediately notified the dealership and dropped the Jeep off to be serviced. The dealership has now had the Jeep for more than a month and has not been able to resolve the "Service Transmission" issue. They are now refusing to perform any additional work unless I pay them approx. $1,000 in diagnostics fees. I opened a case with Jeep Customer Care and they also refused coverage and are demanding payment.

One day, my check engine light came on but when I went to Auto Zone no issues came back. The light came on again a week later so I went back to Auto Zone (I attached the photo of the diagnostic they gave me). I went back to the Jeep Dealership and they said the next available would about a week later but I would be fine in the meantime. I unfortunately was not fine. I attached screenshots from the video of all the issues that popped up during the incident a few days later. My steering wheel locked up while I was driving. My car came to a complete sudden stop like it automatically went into park while I was driving. Then, the windshield wipers started going by themselves. My gas meter went down to E then back up and down. The car not go into park and it would not turn off by pressing the push start button. I had to call a tow truck because I could not move. It was very scary and extremely unsafe. My car has been at the same Jeep Dealership since then on June 17, 2024 with no updates and no repairs. I have been waiting in limbo. I have contacted higher management and even they have given me no answers.

Had gas leak on lower part of engine leaking gas from the high pressure fuel line took it to a dealer ro so the repairs Jan 29th 2025 and my jeep is still not right ..it had no mechanical problems at all except the leak and now they have had to replace the reservoir for coolant due to broken damaged line and the vehicle has no power at all since the dealership has had possession of my vehicle ...it is the 2.0 liter turbo

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at 2 MPH, the vehicle started to stall, and the vehicle was downshifting. The contact was unaware of any warning lights being illuminated. The transmission downshifted with a burning odor and was losing power intermittently. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired after the recent failure, because the dealer informed the contact that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Mileage: 21,000

1. Transmission lags about 2 to 3 secs when trying to accelerate from a stop, or almost complete stop. This happens often. 2. Both sun visors just fall down when driving down the road. Design is poor. They are only attached by an internal cable. This happens often.

My vehicle had been experiencing loud acceleration as well as difficulty while driving. Upon taking the vehicle to the dealership where purchased they informed me the rear differential on the vehicle was starting to fail. They informed me they had ordered the part from Mopar with no recollection of when it would be in other than it stating it was on backorder. We have tried getting in touch with Mopar over expediting the piece to be told they also have no idea when it will be in, but they are working on it. The vehicle has been messed up for over a month and is worsening. I am having greater difficulty driving it and at points it begins to bounce while moving. It is getting to the point I am now starting to worry for my own as well as others safety because I am unsure when it will fully stop working.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Stellantis issued Recall #19A more than a year ago (NHTSA Recall #23V-116) and still does not have a remedy

An internal defect in the 2014-2020 Jeep Wranglers with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine affects its rocker arms, lifters, and related valvetrain components, including the engine control module (ECM) software that controls the precise timing and function of the lifters. Specifically, the rollers of a Pentastar engine’s rocker arms prematurely wear down, become loose, and then drop, which shifts the rocker arm out of alignment. The rocker arms then come into contact with the cam, scraping both components and creating metal debris. This Pentastar V6 engine defect creates an audible ticking sound that stems from metal particles and debris from the failed rocker arms and other components, contaminating the engine oil and circulating throughout the engine. This defect also causes engine misfires, resulting in bucking and surging, decreased engine performance, hesitation, loss of power, premature wear on internal components, and eventually catastrophic engine failure. The check engine light came on in my 2020 Jeep Wrangler with 69,000 miles. After having it read by a dealer, it showed the P219A code, Bank 1 air/fuel imbalance. The dealership told me that if the Jeep was running fine, I did not have to worry about it, as it was likely an O2 sensor. The code was cleared, and the P219A code returned the following day. It was driven approximately 500 miles before noticing that it began idling roughly and had an engine tick, which the dealership confirmed to be a valvetrain issue. The rocker arms, lifters, valves, and camshaft components of the Pentastar V6 engine in my 2020 Jeep Wrangler with 70,000 miles have failed. Three Jeep dealerships in my area and MANY online forums stated that this is a common occurrence with this engine, which has escalated my concern about this problem.

Stellantis, formerly FCA, formerly Chrysler issued Recall no. 19A nearly a year ago (NHTSA Recall Number 23V-116) and still does not have a remedy for my Jeep. Because this is a dangerously defect design in the clutch system that has caused vehicle fires, I have elected to pursue an aftermarket clutch system, the Centerforce II. Once I have this installed, how do I go about having Recall 19A/23v-116 cleared to show that my vehicle has been repaired?

At 38 months of ownership and less than 17000 miles, the vehicle gets a service shifter mil (U1267) as well as an ESS indicator. The engine starts but is unable to shift out of park. Shifter issues have been going on for years with Jeeps, it is time to fix this. Of course it is 2 months out of warrantee, so I can expect a big bill.

There is an open Safety Recall on my vehicle with no fix. See 19A/NHTSA 23V-116. Stellantis (formerly FCA) has refused to reimburse me for aftermarket clutch replacement in the amount of $1527.10.

This jeep has the dreaded "death wobble" in which the front end starts to shake violently from side to side as you are driving down the interstate, usually after hitting a pothole or beginning of a bridge. This issue also caused a malfunction of the cooling system which caused the jeep to overheat while idling or driving at cruising speeds. No warning messages have appeared other than when the jeep begins to overheat. The jeep is available for inspection.

My 2020 Jeep is on its 3rd clutch recall however this recall is now over half a year old with no resolution in sight. The risk is a catastrophic failure of the powertrain, fire, and death. We cannot sell our cars due to the open recall and we have been given no updates on any solution. I'm not sure how a manufacturer can have cars on the road that may or may not catch fire at any time and have no solution available. I think Jeep should either fix the issue, recall the cars and offer buy backs, or pay for 3rd party clutch replacements and allow us to close the recall once those are installed. I'm hoping NHTSA or someone can force a solution here.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning odor, and a grinding metal sound coming from the vehicle while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that the Auto On/Off warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and provided the contact a case number. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 60,407. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Mileage: 60,407

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel failed to respond while attempting to make a left or right turn. No warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the failure was a known issue. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that he was concerned for his safety while driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was denied the repair due to the vehicle having a Salvage Title. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Mileage: 30,000

Randomly the check engine light will appear and the dash will display multiple messages about service needed for traction control, stability control, auto start stop disabled, service cruise control etc. Then while driving you will lose power steering and this almost caused my daughter to wreck while trying to finish a turn. Additionally when the messages appear the vehicle will not have the ability to shift so you can not reverse and once it shut off in the middle of the highway blocking traffic and almost caused multiple accidents. The dealership has replaced the battery sensor and said it was fixed. I was told to replace the primary and secondary battery to ensure it was not a battery problem and I did, however the issue still remains. Looked online for others with this issue and there are many with the exact problem. The Jeep will report the transmission temperature and oil temperature incorrectly with the gauge maxed out even if it has sat overnight. Additionally it also says to service the transmission.

Events leading up to the incident Approx 7:25pm on July 24, 2023 driving up a hill on 71/75 South, he in 6th gear, lost acceleration, downshifted to 5th gear still losing acceleration, smelled an awful burning smell, then heard a clunk sound, clutch fell to the floor. Noticed some smoke, temperature gauge normal. I had enough momentum to pull off to the right shoulder. Turned the car off, called a family member for help @ 7:28pm. About a minute later the smoke became thicker & that's when I exited the vehicle. Called 911 at exactly 7:30pm. Engulfed in flames before I got off the phone with 911. Fire department arrived @ 7:35pm. .First noticed clutch slippage on Sat July 15th, 2023. Appointment was made for July 20, 2023 but they informed me 10min prior to the appointment by text that I couldn't wait on it and they couldn't provide a loaner vehicle

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V124000 (Power Train) and 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Engine revved at 5000RPM would not switch from 1st gear. Now engine is showing a cylinder misfire which is moving from Cyln. 4 to Cyln 3 and so on.

Driving approx 35 mph, hit an uneven surface on the road and experienced extreme shaking that transfered to the steering, resulting is loss of ability to steer until vehicle came to a complete stop.

I just purchased the car on Jan 31, 2022 from the jeep dealership (46,000 miles). When driving, it has very loose steering. I can move the wheel left and right and the car stays straight. I was told by the dealer that that was normal. At highway speeds, it is very difficult to maintain a straight direction and I am constantly adjusting the wheel. When holding the wheel center, it drifts left or right. If I hit a bump the car moves. At times if feels like I don't have control of the vehicle. This is not safe to operate on the highway.

Check engine, ABS, Sway Bar lights came on. Service shifter and suspension warnings. Loss of power steering almost caused me to drive off road at 30 MPH.

I was driving my 2020 Jeep Wrangler Sahara with 34,950 miles on it on the night of 12/13/2022 along I 89 in New Hampshire at a steady 65mph in 6th gear in the far-left lane. Suddenly the tachometer started soaring towards the redline. Before it hit redline, there was an explosion underneath the Jeep. As I looked in the mirror to get to the side of the road, I saw two chunks of glowing hot metal exiting the underside. There were no warning lights or other indication of what was about to happen. I got it safely to the breakdown lane. Someone called in a small brush fire because a fire truck showed up, then a couple of State Police Troopers showed up and helped call a tow truck. It cost $350 for the tow to the nearest dealership and the Uber home. At the dealership I could see a huge crack in the transmission case. From the repair order included, there was damage to the clutch, transmission, starter, flywheel, electrical harness and main seal. I was told the faulty parts were returned to Jeep for inspection. There was a recall on the clutch pressure plate (21V-028) and the "repair" had been completed on my vehicle. The "repair" did not work and people are going to get hurt. Although no one was injured this time, this could have ended very badly if the hot metal shrapnel cut a tire or hit a car behind me. From my little bit of research, this failure is becoming quite common and many people are driving a ticking time bomb.

Shifter cables on my 2020 Jeep Wrangler have fallen off FIVE times leaving me unable to shift the car or drive it and it is necessary to pull over or coast over to the side of the road wherever I may be. The inability to shift is accompanied by a terrible burning smell. The dealership has attempted to repair it by putting the cables back on and by replacing the cables with new cables to no avail, the problem continues to occur. My safety and the safety of others is put at risk because the car is not able to function properly and maintain speed. Without warning this can occur and cause an accident on the road or highway. I have filed a Lemon Law complaint with the Jeep manufacturer. The problem has occurred FIVE times 3/29/22, 9/20/22, 10/14/22, 10/17/22, 11/22/22. All five times were without warning.

While driving on the freeway at 75mph in 2wd the rear axle locker comes on by itself. You will press the button to disengage it and it will just blink. Sometimes it will release, but will turn back on by itself. This is not safe and left my vehicle in a compromising condition.

Clutch pedal intermittently sticks when pressed to the floor. If you press and hold the clutch to the floor and release it slowly you can feel it bind up. 3 things normally happen. #1. It will stick to the floor #2. It will stick for a short time and as you raise your foot, the pedal will hit the bottom of your foot, jerking the jeep forward. #3 it does release as normal. I have taken the Jeep to the dealer last year 8/21 and they couldn't replicate the issue. However they reported a leaky hose that they replaced. I couldn't identify any hoses that were newly replaced. It has gotten progressively worse and now I can replicate the issue after a few attempts. When at a complete stop pointing uphill there is a risk of rolling back into another vehicle if the clutch doesnt engage. Transitioning from a complete stop to moving forward is not very smooth if the clutch pops up on its own. Sometimes it ends up in the engine stopping and having to restart the vehicle. The Jeep is available for inspection. I have tried to schedule another repair but waiting for a response from the Dealer. The Jeep has other recalls for the clutch and I believe all recalls have been applied to the vehicle. I have an email that I sent to the dealer with photos that I sent to the dealer when I first noticed this issue. I can also try to find the invoice from last year.

Engine surges forward when coming to a stop (brakes applied) or when at a complete stop and the engine is in drive.this happened in Aug 2020 with 5000 miles on Odometer, and again in June 2022 with 26000 miles.

I have a 2020 JL Rubicon with manual transmission and 15,970 miles on the vehicle. I have taken it into my local dealer twice for clutch recall issues, the latest in November 2021. 3 weeks later my clutch failed in the middle of a 5 lane highway; there was a terrible grinding noise and a burning smell and the vehicle came to a halt within 30 seconds. I was extremely lucky to be able to get over to the shoulder before it died in the middle of the highway. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest dealer and they say the clutch failed due to user error and I need to pay $4500 for repair. I opened a case and it was summarily closed one day later, with FCA providing the same user error answer based on the notes from the dealership. The issue with the manual transmission in this model is well known, as any search of Jeep forums will tell you, and FCA has consistently denied any responsibility.

This started in May. The rear locker light came on by it self while driving, and at one point, service locker light was also lit up. I wanted to make the appointment but the light went out so I continued driving. In June, It came back on so I made an appointment with the dealer who was not able to get me in. The dealer kept the car for almost 2 weeks, changed a part and sent me home. As I was driving home from the dealership, the light came back on. If the axle is locked at a high speed(which is for off road, low speed only) this could potentially damage the rear axle differential and have catastrophic failure, which could lead to a crash. This issue is occuring at random.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21V028000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact they do not know when the parts would be available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

The AutoPark sensors, ( Park Collision Warning), in my 2020 Jeep Wrangler randomly triggers and engages AutoPark. The false triggers randomly occur when the vehicle is in reverse. The condition occurs at very low speed after the brake is touched. The false triggers occur during daylight or night conditions. Once AutoPark is engaged the vehicle will not move. The engine must be turned off and sometimes the AutoPark switch must be turned off before the vehicle will move. There is usually no object within 15 feet of my vehicle to trigger the autopark sensors. I videotaped some of the occurrences using my cell phone. The Jeep service department is not able to diagnose the problem. In addition, the false triggers are not creating system log entries to prove the event occurred. Jeep service department will not use my videos as evidence the event happened. Jeep Service will not escalate the problem unless their service department can recreate the condition. My video is 200MB, exceeds your upload limits.

THE NEUTRAL AUTOMATIC START/OFF SWITCH WAS ACTIVATED AS I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. VEHICLE SUDDENLY TURNED OFF AND JERKED AS I WAS PROCEEDING TO GO ON A GREEN LIGHT AND VEHICLE DID NOT WANT TO TURN BACK ON UNTIL 20 MIN LATER.

Mileage: 14,900

BRAND NEW JLUR FIRST ROAD TRIP, GOT LESS THEN 500 MILES OUT OF CO INTO HAYS,KS. VEHICLES HAS LEES THEN 5000 MILES, WAS PASSING A VEHICLE AT 68 MPH. LOST ALL FORWARD GEARS, GOT A CODE FOR VALVE BODY SILENOID HIGH VOLTAGE. JEEPCARES DID NOTHING FOR A TOW. IT'S A LITTLE SAD YOU PAY $55,000+ FOR A VEHICLE, JUST TO HAVE A VEHICLE SIT IN THE SHOP WITH NO LOANER. TRANSMISSION IS ON A 2 MONTH BACK ORDER. WORD OF ADVICE STAY AWAY FROM ANY THE NEW JL/JT MODEL JEEPS.

Mileage: 5,000

8 SPD TRANSMISSION CONTINUOUSLY UP AN DOWN SHIFTING AT HIGHWAY 5TH6TH7ENTH GEAR MAYBE 8TH AND CITY DRIVING VERY DANGEROUS IN ROUNDABOUTS . NO DECELERATION DOWNSHIFT UNTIL 2ND GEAR SLAM YOU INTO THE DASHBOARD .STAYS IN GEAR AT STOP HAVE PUT IN NEUTRAL . POORR FUEL MILEAGE 13-14MPG HIGHWAY 12-14MPG CITY. STEERING LOTS LANE WONDERING CONTINUOUSLY STEERING EASY-TO-CROSS LANES ON CURVES IF TIRE HITS GROVE IN ROAD MAY SHOOT IN OTHER LANE. DEALERSHIP SAID THAT'S NORMAL

Mileage: 100

VEHICLE CHASSIS VIBRATION AT ROUGHLY 83 MPH AND 2100 RPM IN GEAR 7. VIBRATION SEEMS BE COMING FROM CENTER OF VEHICLES BASE NEAR GEAR SELECTOR. IT IS MORE NOTICEABLE UNDER LOAD. VIBRATION ECHOS THROUGH VEHICLE WITH A HARMONIC SOUND.

Mileage: 5

2020 JEEP WRANGLE JL WITH LESS THAN 3000 MILES WILL PERIODICALLY LOSE ACCELERATION AND NOT GO PAST 3 GEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AFTER DRIVING FOR A BIT AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. I HAVE NOTICED IF YOU TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND BACK ON, IT SEEMS TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT THE UNEXPECTED LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND ABILITY TO REACH NORMAL OPERATING SPEED HAS PUT ME IN DANGER SITUATIONS NUMEROUS TIMES. NOT SURE IF IT IS RELATED BUT I ALSO NOTED THAT THE AUTO START/STOP WARNING LIGHT WAS ON THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED.

Mileage: 2,500

I WAS SOLD A NEW AUTOMOBILE WITH A SERIOUS OPEN SAFETY RECALL, NHTSA RECALL # 20V-124, THAT WAS NO DISCLOSED AND NOT REPAIRED BEFORE IT WAS SOLD TO ME AND I TOOK POSSESSION OF IT. *TR

I BELIEVE THE VEHICLE CLUTCH FAILED AND THE VEHICLE LOST FORWARD PROPULSION. PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF CLUTCH PRESSURE AND PROPULSION, A STRONG BURNING SMELL WAS NOTED COMING FORM THE VEHICLE, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, GOING THROUGH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, ON A CITY STREET. I BELIEVE THIS IS RELATED TO RECALL 20V124000. THE VEHICLE HAS 138 MILES ON IT AND WAS BEING DRIVEN HOME AFTER BEING PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

Mileage: 138

APPROACHING LIGHT TURNING FROM YELLOW TO RED. APPLIED BREAKS. VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. ABS SYSTEM ENGAGES LOUDLY CAR SHAKES UNCONTROLLABLY - DOES NOT COME TO STOP. VEHICLE PROCEEDS INTO INTERSECTION AND IS UNABLE TO BREAK. VEHICLE SPEED 35-40 APPROACHING LIGHT WITH 50-60 YARDS TO STOP SAFELY. COMPLETE FAILURE OF BREAKS. THIRD TIME HAD TO RETURN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR FAILURE OF SYSTEMS.

Mileage: 1,832