Engine failure thread
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121 Posts
I hope this is a very short thread!!!
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552 Posts
That's funny… I'm looking at the diesel since there seem to be so many issues with the gas!
Funny how that works.
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8,814 Posts
IIRC
Score:
Gasser engine failures- 3
Diesel engine failures- 0
Automatic Transmission failures- 2?
Automated Manual transmission failures- 0
Failure of FCA to fix a van in a timely way when a CEL shows up- Many
Improvement in "failures" due to CELs and other manufacturing "defects" - 100%
Conclusion:
FCA has responded poorly to problems, failed to stock repair parts, allowed dealers to misdiagnose CEL's and other issues but has dramatically improved the Van's construction and reliability.
Score:
Gasser engine failures- 3
Diesel engine failures- 0
Automatic Transmission failures- 2?
Automated Manual transmission failures- 0
Failure of FCA to fix a van in a timely way when a CEL shows up- Many
Improvement in "failures" due to CELs and other manufacturing "defects" - 100%
Conclusion:
FCA has responded poorly to problems, failed to stock repair parts, allowed dealers to misdiagnose CEL's and other issues but has dramatically improved the Van's construction and reliability.
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91 Posts
I would say that sums it up. It sounds about normal for new models.
My 2-cents....
For this comparison to be statistically significant, I think we would also need to know the number of gasoline versus diesel ProMasters and how much they get driven.
I would guess that gasser numbers (particularly older ones more prone to higher use and therefore failures) are much higher than diesel.
Having said that, I would expect diesels to be more robustly built (although maybe more finicky), and their transmission's internals to be simpler and less likely to have catastrophic failures. On the other hand diesel PMs may have more issues requiring repairs but not of the magnitude considered a failure by definition of this thread.
Years of experience on multiple automotive forums indicates that a survey on a forum, or even just reading about problems on a forum, always makes the problem look more frequent and/or more severe than it actually is. People that have problems go on the internet and start poking around and joining forums, sometimes to look for resolutions, and sometimes just to vent. But people that don't have problems don't have the motivation to do so. It is ALWAYS like this.
The forums can tell you of the "type" of problems that are happening, but not "how frequently" or "how severe".
That there have only been a couple of engine and transmission failures reported, more than 2 years after these vans started showing up, is actually pretty promising, especially knowing that a lot of these are work vans that either get a lot of mileage put on them or are beat on.
Yeah, the brakes squeak, and yeah, the rear suspension makes some noise; those are "they're all like that" situations. And we know to keep an eye out for coolant leaks from the radiator. But I'm not terribly worried about major engine/transmission trouble until very high mileage (which, for me, is many years off).
I have another vehicle in which, if you went by how the forums look, the engines all grenade due to valve guide issues with 50,000 km on them. I have 220,000 km on mine and it still runs perfectly. It's pretty likely that WHEN the engine lets go it will be because of worn valve guides but it isn't as prevalent or premature as the forums suggest, unless you happen to get a lemon, which in reality is rare.
The forums can tell you of the "type" of problems that are happening, but not "how frequently" or "how severe".
That there have only been a couple of engine and transmission failures reported, more than 2 years after these vans started showing up, is actually pretty promising, especially knowing that a lot of these are work vans that either get a lot of mileage put on them or are beat on.
Yeah, the brakes squeak, and yeah, the rear suspension makes some noise; those are "they're all like that" situations. And we know to keep an eye out for coolant leaks from the radiator. But I'm not terribly worried about major engine/transmission trouble until very high mileage (which, for me, is many years off).
I have another vehicle in which, if you went by how the forums look, the engines all grenade due to valve guide issues with 50,000 km on them. I have 220,000 km on mine and it still runs perfectly. It's pretty likely that WHEN the engine lets go it will be because of worn valve guides but it isn't as prevalent or premature as the forums suggest, unless you happen to get a lemon, which in reality is rare.
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Brian P,
I agree. For all the Bch'n and Ca-plain'n we have heard these are VERY reliable vans! I am impressed with how much FCA has responded to the issues in manufacturing. 2015 and 2016's don't leek, don't squeak, don't throw codes, and don't fail. Was it a bit of a trial for those who were early adopters, Yes. The gasser was a new fitment and application of a proven drivetrain and there were some issues, the diesel had a new emission control system at a time that technology was coming of age, and lastly the factory had suppliers of bushings, brake pads, and radiators who didn't measure up, and the guys and gals in Saltillo had to be trained to apply sealants and paint correctly. Most of that has been remedied, maybe all of it? I just wanted to let everyone know the diesel is not a problem, the gasser has sold a huge amount more and still with few failures. Its a machine- there will be a few failures.
I agree. For all the Bch'n and Ca-plain'n we have heard these are VERY reliable vans! I am impressed with how much FCA has responded to the issues in manufacturing. 2015 and 2016's don't leek, don't squeak, don't throw codes, and don't fail. Was it a bit of a trial for those who were early adopters, Yes. The gasser was a new fitment and application of a proven drivetrain and there were some issues, the diesel had a new emission control system at a time that technology was coming of age, and lastly the factory had suppliers of bushings, brake pads, and radiators who didn't measure up, and the guys and gals in Saltillo had to be trained to apply sealants and paint correctly. Most of that has been remedied, maybe all of it? I just wanted to let everyone know the diesel is not a problem, the gasser has sold a huge amount more and still with few failures. Its a machine- there will be a few failures.
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Just to reinforce the above comments : My build date was March 2015, and have had no leaks, ( rad. or body ), no squeaky brakes , and only 2 CEL 's that occurred during extreme weather that self corrected after 3 or 4 start cycles. I now have over 33K kms. Also all doors function as they should and this vehicle has never had noisey suspension and is much tighter with fewer rattles and shakes on rough roads than my previous 2 Sprinters. So , yes FCA seems to have been listening and the product has improved in it's short time on these shores.
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100 Posts
I'd like to see folks also posting about how well their vans are holding up. That, since it is very easy to focus on the negative on the internet. My own is a '14 HT gasser. Regular wheelbase. Bought is as a demo/leftover last Sept. It has squeaky brakes. Not a big deal to me as they really haul it down fast. It needed a radiator after 4 months. Dealer got one in in 3 days and took a day to change it under warranty. Hasn't lost a drop since then far as I can tell. Engine and transmission seem very well matched to the vehicle. Scoots out fast if you roll on the gas. You'll feel the traction control kick in to keep it straight. 0-45 mph in a few seconds. No slouch in city traffic. I'm getting older and drive it gently. It gets a consistent 15-17 mpg around town. 20-22 out on the hiway at 65 mph. Slow down to 55 mph and it can get 24 mpg. No suspension issues. Hatches do squeak a bit when it gets really cold. Like in the teens. Otherwise no door issues. I did lube all the hinges and the slider well. I'm a semi retired/underemployed upholsterer. Use the van for many errands and have done two road trips to bike rallies in it. Its an all day comfortable ride and I love the seating position. Great view. The van handles gusty crosswinds really well. Its suspension seems to deal with that way better than my what my old '09 Ford E350 did for me. All in all I am very impressed with the van so far. 5700 miles on it now. Just broken in IMO. No bugs in the electronics either. So far it all works well.
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I've contacted the admins again about splitting the sites off. They told me it was approved in January.
kov
kov
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Engine Failure @ 142,947
Hello, I have a 2014 Ram 2500 159" Hi roof gasser. I bought it new in August 2014 with 13 miles on it. Today it has 141,947 miles. At approximately 141,941 miles, the CEL light came on, the van started running rough and I heard a very loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. I pulled off at the next exit and popped the hood. I thought perhaps something hit the radiator fan or that the fan was rubbing up on something... Not the case. After checking all the fluids, I drove down the street the a Pep Boys shop. The noise had gotten a bit louder and now it sounded like something was seriously wrong with the engine - loud knocking, rattling, ticking and what I can describe as metal to metal contact, like a marble was banging around in the cylinder.
He read the codes, "Cylinder # 1 misfire"... The mech told me not to drive it, so I called a tow truck to bring it to my local mechanic.
After a few hours of my mechanic looking it over, he told me that I had blown at least the # 1 cylinder and that the noise I was hearing was a blown bearing and piston. He also said that other parts on the top of the engine were broken.
Obviously I wanted a second opinion, so I had it towed to another mech. And he concluded the same thing. Both quoted me about $8500 for parts and labor for a new engine, about $5000 for a used engine (although VERY hard to find used engines for these things as there are some differences between the Pentastar used in other Chrysler vehicles and the Pentastar used in the PM- and none of them carry any kind of warranty).
I tried talking with my local Ram dealer to see what they can do, and they said since it's out of warranty there isn't much they can do to help.
So I'm stuck with a big dilemma here, since according to KBB, the van is only worth about $9000-10,000 to begin with. I still owe $27000 on it, and now it's just a worthless 5000lb paperweight. This has been my work vehicle since I got it. As an expeditor, probably 85-90% of these miles are highway - an ideal condition for any drive train.
I have followed ALL of the scheduled maintenance since new, and operated approved synthetic oil since new. I also have maintenance records for everything that was ever done to it. I've had a few issues with it since I bought it, fortunately most of them were under warranty including a transmission leak and radiator leak that led to replacement.
I see ABSOLUTELY no reason why this should've happened. I've read a few of the other posts on here regarding engine failure on the PM and the stories sound the same. I also have a friend that blew a cylinder around 135K miles...
What should I do? Should I call someone @ Chrysler and complain? Should I file a complaint with someone? Should I try to get it fixed? Should I scrap it? IS there any way Chrysler/Ram/FCA would replace it at little to no cost? We're still trying to figure out with the engine needs to be replaced or just overhauled - either way, I don't have that kind of money to be throwing at something.
Unbelievable.
Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Hello, I have a 2014 Ram 2500 159" Hi roof gasser. I bought it new in August 2014 with 13 miles on it. Today it has 141,947 miles. At approximately 141,941 miles, the CEL light came on, the van started running rough and I heard a very loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. I pulled off at the next exit and popped the hood. I thought perhaps something hit the radiator fan or that the fan was rubbing up on something... Not the case. After checking all the fluids, I drove down the street the a Pep Boys shop. The noise had gotten a bit louder and now it sounded like something was seriously wrong with the engine - loud knocking, rattling, ticking and what I can describe as metal to metal contact, like a marble was banging around in the cylinder.
He read the codes, "Cylinder # 1 misfire"... The mech told me not to drive it, so I called a tow truck to bring it to my local mechanic.
After a few hours of my mechanic looking it over, he told me that I had blown at least the # 1 cylinder and that the noise I was hearing was a blown bearing and piston. He also said that other parts on the top of the engine were broken.
Obviously I wanted a second opinion, so I had it towed to another mech. And he concluded the same thing. Both quoted me about $8500 for parts and labor for a new engine, about $5000 for a used engine (although VERY hard to find used engines for these things as there are some differences between the Pentastar used in other Chrysler vehicles and the Pentastar used in the PM- and none of them carry any kind of warranty).
I tried talking with my local Ram dealer to see what they can do, and they said since it's out of warranty there isn't much they can do to help.
So I'm stuck with a big dilemma here, since according to KBB, the van is only worth about $9000-10,000 to begin with. I still owe $27000 on it, and now it's just a worthless 5000lb paperweight. This has been my work vehicle since I got it. As an expeditor, probably 85-90% of these miles are highway - an ideal condition for any drive train.
I have followed ALL of the scheduled maintenance since new, and operated approved synthetic oil since new. I also have maintenance records for everything that was ever done to it. I've had a few issues with it since I bought it, fortunately most of them were under warranty including a transmission leak and radiator leak that led to replacement.
I see ABSOLUTELY no reason why this should've happened. I've read a few of the other posts on here regarding engine failure on the PM and the stories sound the same. I also have a friend that blew a cylinder around 135K miles...
What should I do? Should I call someone @ Chrysler and complain? Should I file a complaint with someone? Should I try to get it fixed? Should I scrap it? IS there any way Chrysler/Ram/FCA would replace it at little to no cost? We're still trying to figure out with the engine needs to be replaced or just overhauled - either way, I don't have that kind of money to be throwing at something.
Unbelievable.
Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
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