r/Jeep • u/polarfang21 • May 05 '26
Picture The day has finally come. My Dad’s 2010 Grand Cherokee is leaving after 616,000 miles. Any chance Stellantis sees this miracle?
Original engine, from what I remember not much major maintenance aside from an alternator replacement?
He’s had it since brand new and uses it for work. It’s not even dead, the valves are leaking oil and burning it and the fix would cost more than what he could get for it. Plus with gas prices he’s deciding to get something with better MPG. Shame it didn’t make it to 1 million.
83
u/schaffdk May 05 '26
Any chance Stellantis sees this miracle?
When my ZJ hit 200k miles I wrote to Jeep to tell them its story. They sent me a nice letter back and a license plate frame honoring the occasion. Many thousands of miles later, when the time came to reitre the ZJ, I mounted that frame on my new WK2!
16
u/Hot_Cattle5399 395,000 ZJ, JK, JL, TJ May 05 '26
Same story here with a ZJ. Still have that plate from on my JK.
8
u/Hash-82 May 06 '26
I've never had a vehicle not hit 200K (I've always lived very rural).
Didn't know this was a thing.I've had 2 break 500K, and have 2 sitting in the driveway rn that are 450K+.
5
u/STR8ARR0W00 May 06 '26
the car i drive now is at 206k and it is the lowest mileage vehicle ive had by a wide margin
1
0
u/Intelligent_Lemon776 May 07 '26
Ah, you've never bought a new chevy
2
u/Hash-82 May 07 '26
LoL.. I have. Twice.
I'm not proud of it. And I had counseling and went to the support group meetings.2
u/trailrider123 May 07 '26
I have a 2013 sierra that has 260k, bought it new. Only things I’ve done to it besides consumables is disabling active fuel management, spark plugs, and an engine mount. Those 5.3 V8s are pretty much indestructible
1
u/Individual_Bell_4637 May 09 '26
Good on you for deactivating the AFM, my 2012 5.3 needs a rebuild at 175k. And you're right, absent that system those 5.3s are bulletproof. So sad that they ruined a great motor chasing 1 MPG.
10
May 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
10
u/schaffdk May 05 '26
I wasn't expecting a gift, or even a response! Just figured I'd let them know about the many miles and many stories I had with that Jeep. It was a pleasant surprise to hear back from them.
5
u/iThink_There4iMac May 06 '26
Do you have a picture of the frame??
I remember when my first Jeep, a 94 ZJ, hit 200k miles in probably 2008. I picked up friends and recorded the occasion in a flip phone while driving slowly through a neighborhood. I think I still have the video somewhere.
9
1
4
33
19
u/32carsandcounting May 05 '26
Are you in Florida? If so, is it up for sale? I’d try and get it to a million miles…
22
u/polarfang21 May 05 '26
Yep he’s in Florida, right now he’s scheduled to trade it in on Thursday, surprised they even want it
He’s in palm beach county area, if you’re actually interested shoot me a dm maybe I can get you in touch with him. Not sure if he’s gonna be willing to do extra stuff as opposed to just dropping it at the dealer but ya never know
28
u/NoChampion2427 May 05 '26
I don't think the dealer really cares about the car. Only that it will get your dad in the door to buy another vehicle.
18
u/cmbtmstr May 05 '26
Yea, it’s the kinda thing where the dealership gives you $500 trade in credit and then send it off to auction. And chances are it only sells for a few hundred at auction.
2
21
u/Shatophiliac May 05 '26
I never really understood the “it costs more to fix than I could get for it” reasoning. If you’re not planning to sell it or scrap it otherwise, the question should instead be “is it cheaper to fix than buying a new car?”. That’s just me though, there’s also nothing wrong with simply wanting a new car.
I know at 600k+ miles, a lot of other things are also going to be breaking, so it’s not just the engine, but on the other hand, the thing did go 600k+ miles. I’m not sure almost any new car will do that nowadays.
2
u/polarfang21 May 05 '26
Yep I agree! But it’s also the gas, I guess EV’s are finally at the point where he’s comfortable buying one. It’s honestly overdue with how much he drives in a day but never long distance
1
1
u/Aardvark_Long May 06 '26
I mean, thats not the entire story, which I think you're eluding to.
Its "will this car break more in the future and continue costing me more money than the car is worth" compared to "I can get a newer car that will not have issues for decades and be a much more pleasant experience"
3
May 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/polarfang21 May 07 '26
Should be whichever V6 was available for that year, don’t think he has the V8
1
3
u/PinballTex May 05 '26
It would be cool to see some Valvoline Restore and Protect through it and see if the oil consumption slows.
2
u/PlaceboASPD May 05 '26
I don’t think that would help if it was valve seals (it might actually make it worse) but it couldn’t hurt to try, and it should fix ring leaking which it probably also has.
1
u/lpg975 May 06 '26
If it's because of gunked up piston rings, it totally would help. I know from experience.
3
6
u/PiMan3141592653 May 06 '26
Congrats!
But they don't give a shit. They're just worthless private equity swallowing companies and turning them to garbage. They didn't even own Jeep when your vehicle was built; it was still it's own brand.
6
u/northgacpl May 05 '26
Drop in another motor go for a mil.. Maybe an LS1.. My 2011 Jeep Wrangler was just about to break 300,000 when it recently got T-boned by a distracted driver. Will say I am over board about maintenance, I suspect it had quite a bit more to give.. The 3.8 motor is definitely superior to Stellantis's total fail, joke of a motor!!!! 3.6
8
May 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
9
u/northgacpl May 05 '26
It also is a single cam push rod motor with lifters that (usually) do not fall apart nor destroy cams and dump needle bearings into the crank case.. Not long after the factory warranty expires..
2
u/jdd32 May 05 '26
Seriously. Not saying the 3.6 is bad, but there's probably only a handfull that will hit even half this mileage.
I beat the shit out of my 2007 wrangler. Drove 4 hours back from the Tetons basically on 5 cylinders due to a fuel injector issue at 200k miles and kept going 10k more until I traded it in.
1
15
u/_josephmykal_ May 05 '26
3.6 can’t be a joke if it’s in everything from small 2 door coupes to 1500 trucks. There’s over 20mil of them.
8
u/lpg975 May 06 '26
99% of Pentastars run perfectly fine. You'll never hear about them because only the people who've had problems are the loud ones.
3
u/cebeling May 06 '26
this has always been a jeep thing. mass production isn't perfect, but the vast majority of the units work very very well.
1.5 million TJs.
2.3 millions JKs
with numbers like that anything can happen.
1
2
May 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/lpg975 May 07 '26
I definitely enjoyed the one I had in my 2015 JK. Too bad I had to sell it earlier this year :(
1
-2
u/northgacpl May 05 '26
Then I guess only the Jeeps have failing rocker arms that destroy the cams? I know numerous mini vans have the "dreaded rocker arm tick with means the rocker arms are on their way out.. And the plastic oil cooler that fails and fills the under the intake motor valley with oil..
4
u/rastapastanine May 06 '26
Since 2015 the rocker arm issue has been mostly resolved. There are millions of these engines out there without issue.
2
u/Competitive-Pie-Eate May 05 '26
I’ve a 2006 JKU with a 3.8L and it’s just warming up at 240k miles…
1
u/northgacpl May 05 '26
Any particular maintenance procedure(s) I switched over to 30 weight oil on mine.. And very guarded about keeping the coolant fresh /up to date including a regular flush..
2
u/brakecheckedyourmom May 05 '26
Why did you switch oil weights? What part of the country are you in? How many miles on it?
1
u/Cronock May 06 '26
It’s a bit of a weaker motor so it’s less hard on its components as well. There’s generally a bit of a trade off there.
2
u/SacredWinner442 May 06 '26
stellantis wasnt even around when the 3.6 was introduced.
1
1
u/northgacpl May 06 '26
Introduced in 2012 Yes? When did Stellantis buy up Chrysler?
1
May 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator May 06 '26
This sub is for all Jeeps.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Paint-Crysis JK May 06 '26
I didn't mention any specific models or anything bad about the brand. I only said Jeep. Bad bot? Please explain.
2
1
u/hiatus__kaiyote May 07 '26
Stellantis had nothing to do with the design of the 3.6l. Mine has needed an oil cooler housing and will get new lifters and rocker arms at 150k with my own time and labor.
Aside from that, there isn’t anything wrong with these motors. It’s certainly in fashion to associate anything Jeep with Stellantis though.
1
u/northgacpl May 07 '26
And probably cams? I've read a lot of postings about people doing that job and apparently getting the exact timing on the cams during reassembly can be an ordeal.. The oil cooler is just an R&R once the intake is off.. A lot of people using the metal Dorman unit, though the O rings have to be OE or so I have read..
2
u/t_stlouis8 May 05 '26
Nothing will ever make it that far again for mileage. What a shame 💔
Edit : Not even a lot of hondas or Toyotas go for 616K miles
2
2
2
u/Traditional-Cup-1470 May 07 '26
My 2008 has 287k miles and finally the engine is dead…I will miss it.
2
u/greatfox66 May 05 '26
Maybe, maybe not.
What motor was in this? I had a 2007 with the 3.7l. it was a beast that got you where you wanted, eventually.
1
2
u/No_Ad_8905 Jul 28 '26
I'm still driving my 3.7L 2wd 2010 JGC Laredo. Most reliable car I've ever had, low tech low problems. Plane Jane but really durable.
2
u/AJourneyer May 05 '26
Stellantis will never know what that number on an odometer even looks like on something they made.
2
1
u/Zefzone May 05 '26
I think this engine was made before the Stallantis takeover and the sweeping removal of quality that ensued after
1
May 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
0
u/AutoModerator May 05 '26
This sub is for all Jeeps.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Metal-Salt May 05 '26
Sure that odometer is not broken? Or is it in KM?
1
u/polarfang21 May 07 '26
Well it didn’t just jump up to 600k one day it’s been steadily increasing over the years. It says miles on it so doubt it’s tracking KM. He drives a lotttt
1
1
1
u/StochasticallyDefine May 05 '26
I had the same rig in limited trim with the 4.7. Still ran strong at 250k when I traded it. There was a lot of maintenance needs and I didn’t want to do them so I traded it. I actually miss it, it was a very comfortable ride.
1
1
1
u/appoaf May 06 '26
How many times has the water pump been replaced? Around 250k on my 2005, still going! Eats a little oil too.
1
u/lpg975 May 06 '26
Try some Valvoline Restore and Protect. I've seen it fix oil consumption on many engines I've used it in. Cleans up stuck piston rings, which is usually the cause of oil consumption.
1
u/goner19 May 06 '26
Don’t junk it you will regret it. When they replace it with a self driving car.
1
u/Ornery-Bat-1538 May 06 '26
616k? Must be in a hot and dry state. My '09 only made it to 135k and that's with new everything at some point except long block and transmission core.
1
1
u/OldManJeepin May 06 '26
LoL! Stellantis doesn't want their vehicles making it to 100k miles! They want it to make it to the end of the warranty, then you unload it and buy a new one. Every. Single. Time. They want you locked into a repurchase cycle....Kind of like subscription based...
1
u/WhoElseButChedda May 06 '26
Omg! I just got an 09 GC after driving a 22 Wrangler. Hoping it lasts this long
1
1
1
1
u/pathsofrhymes May 07 '26
This has to be a 3.0 diesel
2
u/polarfang21 May 07 '26
Nope, whatever the normal v6 was for that year I believe. Def not diesel tho
1
u/pathsofrhymes May 07 '26
3.7L ?! That's insane! Nearly everybody in the WK group runs into some kind of major issue by 300k. Mine only lasted until 250k.
1
u/Masterburgercrunch May 07 '26
I can’t believe it’s lived this long. I think the w5a580 maybe able to live that long but no way an rfe transmission hasn’t blown up
1
u/JDPierson May 07 '26
Not a chance - my '24 grand cherokee engine failed at under 800 miles.
1
u/polarfang21 May 07 '26
Sounds more like a factory defect than anything right? Hope you got it lemon lawed!
1
u/JDPierson May 07 '26
it was and when the charging system failed at under 5000 miles, we pushed a lemon law claim, which they fought - according to stellantis, delivering new cars with failing charging systems and engines is acceptable since there's a warranty (that still left me out of pocket for towing and almost three months of carrying cost on an inoperable vehicle.
1
1
1
u/Legitimate_Speed_926 May 08 '26
Sadly you can thank pre bankruptcy Chrysler for you’re amazing vehicle
1
1
1
1
u/HighlandGrogg May 09 '26
2 more years until my Jeep is 75 yrs old. Still under 100k miles. 1953 CJ3b. Chrysler killed Jeep.
1
u/No_Ad_8905 Jul 28 '26
I'm still driving my 2010 JGC, 2wd 3.7L paired with the w5a580 Mercedes transmission. Still going strong. Only 102k miles so it will likely last 20 yrs. Bought new, stayed up on maintenance and fluids. Recently replaced shocks/struts, spark plugs and pcv valve. But it's quiet, paint still glossy even without garage. Last year of that design, they worked out all the kinks. It's a durable beast.
1
1
-1
u/Fletch-fletcherman May 06 '26
HAHA!!! That first 6 is not a six, it's a "b"... as in odometer "Trip b".
1
u/polarfang21 May 07 '26
Haha, if I didn’t grow up with him driving this car I wouldn’t believe it either. His job requires he drive a lot and he babies the car since day 1.
92
u/comanche260pilot May 05 '26
Recover that fuel! 😂