The vehicle began sputtering and the engine stalled. The dash said that the drivetrain needed service. That made no sense. I started again and the dash now said the suspension needed service. This is weird. I started a third time and steam started coming from under the hood. Never did the gauges of the computer say anything about overheating. We had it towed to the Tustin dealer where we bought it and they said the oil cooler developed a leak and all the coolant was lost. Again, the system never gave us any indication or warning. SO the dealer is not certain what the issue is until he tears it down.
I suggest he does a compression test because the steam was coming from the air cleaner, which would indicate a blown head gasket. SO the dealer does the compression test and says #1 cylinder has low compression and wants to replace the head and the gasket for around $6000. Those of us that have built engines know that the head only needs replacing if it is severely warped and cannot be planed. Cast-iron heads do not warp that easily. But then he adds the caveat that he may have to do both heads for around $12000, but won't know until he tears down. I ask him how much for a factory reman engine installed and that comes out to around $14,000. BUT it comes with a 3 year/100,000 warranty. We check around and that seems to be the going price, but also hear that the 3.6L engine is notorious for failures. Is there a class action we can join?
The vehicle began sputtering and the engine stalled. The dash said that the drivetrain needed service. That made no sense. I started again and the dash now said the suspension needed service. This is weird. I started a third time and steam started coming from under the hood. Never did the gauges of the computer say anything about overheating. We had it towed to the Tustin dealer where we bought it and they said the oil cooler developed a leak and all the coolant was lost. Again, the system never gave us any indication or warning. SO the dealer is not certain what the issue is until he tears it down.
I suggest he does a compression test because the steam was coming from the air cleaner, which would indicate a blown head gasket. SO the dealer does the compression test and says #1 cylinder has low compression and wants to replace the head and the gasket for around $6000. Those of us that have built engines know that the head only needs replacing if it is severely warped and cannot be planed. Cast-iron heads do not warp that easily. But then he adds the caveat that he may have to do both heads for around $12000, but won't know until he tears down. I ask him how much for a factory reman engine installed and that comes out to around $14,000. BUT it comes with a 3 year/100,000 warranty. We check around and that seems to be the going price, but also hear that the 3.6L engine is notorious for failures. Is there a class action we can join?
- P D M., Tustin, CA, US