I have 2007 Jeep burning between 1 to 1-1/2 qts of oil per 1000 miles. I?ve persistent enough to get a meeting with a zone rep.
My attorney wants me to bring 2 letters with me from professionals stating this is not normal. I have one from the shop that has done maintenance on the Jeep form day 1.
I would like to find another professional, somebody with dealership or manufacturer credentials. But I know a Chrysler service manager won?t touch this with a ten foot pole,
Any ideas where I should go? I am willing to pay for it.
I really, really want ot keep this jeep, I just want them to fix it.
You can find recommended mechanics on this web site. Surf around till you find the rating page for mechanics.
You probably want an Engineer with a degree who specializes in the automotive field if your going to court. Might carry more weight than a mechanic, but get your lawyer’s opinion on this.
I could not write that letter because I know it is not an indication of a defective product too burn that much oil. Mind you I said “no indication” as in many engines do it, not that it is desireable.
You can get all the letters you want from technicans but if the spec for oil consumption is within their specs… Chrysler will not do anything for you.
Plus you have a 2-3 year old vehicle so unless you have had this problem from day 1 you are out of luck.
I for one would not give a letter unless I had done a oil consumption test to verify your concern.
My old dad used to say, If it aint burning oil, somethings wrong with it.
Consumption test is done. it is documented as just over a qt per 1000 by the dealer, but my mechanic and I both agree that it is more
Not saying the engine is defective, just not operating properly. Just want them to fix the valves and oil rings. Nothing more.
I’m not going to call myself an expert or anything else and I don’t know if it will mean anything or not, but I might be able to help with this a bit. Mail me at ok4450@yahoo.com and I’ll provide a few details.
You never know what will happen. About 3 years ago on this forum a lady with a Subaru was getting hosed, and hosed badly, by a shop to the extent that I offered to help. I live in OK and she lived in TX so I wasn’t real confident anything I offered would be worth much.
Months went by and she mailed me for a letter with an explantion and a few pics. I provided this and never heard from her again. After forgetting all about it, not too many weeks ago she mailed me out of the blue to let me know that she had taken this shop to court and won her case based on the info I provided. The shop was ordered to refund every last dime she had paid them so never say die.
Better to go down swinging rather than waving a surrender flag is the way I look at it.
When the rings dont seat durring break in, the oil consumption is usually a good deal higher than you describe. If it was ever overheated, and the rings were collapsed, that is not the mfg. fault, uless it happened on his watch, at the dealership etc. and again I would expect greater oil consumption. Both those conditions would also be accompanied with a loss of power in most cases. What you describe sounds more like leaking valve seals to me, but I’m not an expert or an engineer.
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We don’t know where you live. Even if you told us, only a few might live anywhere near you. Ask your friends, relatives, neighbors and workmates who runs a good shop. If you get a couple that are recommended often, you can start with them.
If the engine is proven to be defective, Chrysler will install a new “long block”…They are NOT going to repair your engine…
But your engine is NOT defective, burning a quart of oil every 1000 miles in no way detracts from the serviceability of your vehicle. It could continue on like that for 200,000 miles. You may not LIKE it, but that is not going to get you a new engine…
That is a lot of oil, but it may well be within Jeep’s design specs. A lot about modern cars is far better than the old cars, but oil usage is not one of them. It is totally normal (maybe not desirable) to burn that much oil. Do you are your attorney have data on what is considered normal by industry standards today? I suspect you are just wasting your money and adding to the wealth of that attorney.
The Squeaky Wheel Very Often Gets The Grease.
You can call it “normal” or say “They all do that” or it’s within “specs” or whatever you’d like, but to me it isn’t right. Also, it sounds as though the Chrysler technicians’ consumption test could be a little skewed. “Consumption test is done. it is documented as just over a qt per 1000 by the dealer, but my mechanic and I both agree that it is more”
I agree with OK4450 and his assessment," Better to go down swinging rather than waving a surrender flag is the way I look at it." I salute him for his willingness to try and help set this right.
Besides, Chrysler owes this guy a favor. He’s one of their good customers. “I really, really want to keep this jeep, I just want them to fix it.” They need all the customers they can get and it behooves them to keep the ones they’ve got.
I have gone against the odds and the advice of others before in situations similar to this and have come out ahead. The fact that Chrysler is meeting with Rick is even a positive sign. They could have told him to go pxxx up a rope.
Good luck, Rick ! Hats off to you, OK4450 ! I’m pulling for you!
CSA
Car makers may refer to this kind of oil consumption as normal but I will never agree with it for one second.
If there are no oil leaks and one assumes the engine was broken in properly oil can only be lost past the valve seals and/or piston rings.
It is quite possible for a defect to exist from day one and if this dealer did not perform a leakdown test (which is not a 100% surefire test) then the dealer is remiss.
One issue is that it’s quite likely that a leakdown test would have to be paid for by the customer bucause it’s unlikely that Chrysler was pay for it under warranty.
As to assembly line glitches, consider this. It only takes one intake valve seal improperly installed to cause oil consumption like this.
A tech building an engine in a shop will check a 100 things while building an engine. (rod sideplay, piston/cylinder wall clearance, ring gaps and staggering, etc.)
An assembly line engine is not going to get that done. Everything will be turned out en masse by CNC machines and thrown together. In a perfect world, every spec will be the same and no problems will exist.
However, it only takes one iffy cross-hatch pattern on one cylinder wall, one piston with a ring installed upside down, or whatever to cause a problem.
Another way I look at it is this way. If a car maker says that a quart per 1000 miles is normal then point that then let them point that out in the owners manual warning disclaimer by advising them to add a quart every 1000 miles between the oil change interval that is also recommended in that manual.
This would also mean that every single vehicle made should also blow through oil like that if it’s considered “normal”. So does this mean one that doesn’t burn oil is a mutant and suffers a design flaw? 
Hard to believe they consider this normal. Could they even meet EPA requirements burning oil at that rate? Seems like it would be polluting terribly.
Good luck with your claim you’ll need it. I once had a VW that was using a quart like every 700 - 800 miles and they checked it out and said it was normal. I also have a friend who went through the same thing with her Audi. You’ll waste your money on a lawyer.
An auto manufacturer is not going to take any notice of the opinion of an outside expert unless the OP engages in litigation. That, obviously, means hiring an attorney unless the limits in the Small Claims Court in his state would permit him to file suit in that venue. (In many states, the limit is $5,000, but in some states it is a lower monetary limit) The good news about Small Claims Court is that the plaintiff can represent himself.
If the OP has to press his case in a “regular” court of equity (rather than a Small Claims Court), his attorney will obtain an expert witness. There are registries of expert witnesses that are available for every conceivable type of litigation, and his attorney will know whom to contact for this purpose. And, the other good news is that the plaintiff’s suit normally requests compensation for all legal fees, in addition to the actual settlement that the plaintiff is seeking. If you win, you are then awarded legal fees + the actual settlement.
Car makers claim this kind of oil consumption is normal for one reason only; money.
If car makers had to go back in and start repairing or replacing engines, even under sharply discounted labor/parts warranty rates, the cost would be in the countless billions of dollars.
It’s not difficult to see which route they would go when weighing billions of dollars on one hand against claims of normalcy on the other hand.
I worked at a Chrysler/Plymouth/Jeep dealer for 6 years. Recently I asked the shop foreman-- if such a Jeep was leaking about a QT/1000 miles–would it be covered under the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. “Not in my book” was his answer. I said, well, then it’s like a gray area, right? He agreed. In other words, the district rep could easily rule in your favor. You can get the toll free phone # to call in your owner’s manual or call the dealer and ask for it. Like the others say, don’t give up.