Chrysler Pentastar V6 Subject to Cylinder Head Failure
A small portion of Chrysler’s one-size-fits-all Pentastar V6 engines are reported to have faulty cylinder heads, which are being replaced by the automaker under warranty.
Inconvenient as having a problem like that would normally be, the issue was further aggravated by the fact that Chrysler was unprepared to fix the affected engines. Consequently, some drivers have been stuck in rental cars for weeks. Reports suggest that some 1,300 cars were sititng at dealerships awaiting service in July.
“The biggest mistake we made is taking our eye off the ball on service parts,” said Doug Betts, Chrysler senior vice president for quality. “That always gets the dealers’ attention. Our intention is to always satisfy the needs of the service market ahead of production. This came to my attention a couple weeks ago. We have parts in the pipeline to remedy that shortfall.”
Now, sources close to Automotive News say the company “flooded” its system with replacement parts to eliminate some 1,300 service requests. But that’s far from enough to quell the rapidly rising demand. If Chrysler’s figures are accurate, one percent of all Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 engines are affected, which would translate to 7,500 units, though Betts said more could surface.
Moving forward, the company says it has implemented the newly-redesigned cylinder heads in newly-assembled engines, but that won’t keep the already-existing units from needing service. While the fix will be annoying, owners can take comfort in the fact that Chrysler is fixing the issue under warranty at no cost to consumers.
Chrysler won’t explain the problem fully at the moment, but complaints filed with NHTSA report a ticking sound from the engine’s left side with stalling, loss of power or misfires coming from cylinder number two.
Already an extensively-used engine in the Chrysler line, fixing the Pentastar’s problems with minimal hiccups will be essential for future sales success. If buyers get the idea that the powerplant is unreliable, it will be a black mark on every V6-powered vehicle bearing not only the Chrysler badge, but all of its subsidiaries.
[Source: Automotive News]