MajorCommonFluid Leaks

Jeep Cherokee: Plastic oil filter housing and oil cooler leak in the engine valley (3.2 Pentastar V6)

Plastic oil filter housing and oil cooler leak in the engine valley (3.2 Pentastar V6) is a common fluid leaks fault on the Jeep Cherokee on the 2014–2021 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $700 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 18 documented faults on the Jeep Cherokee.

Vehicle: Jeep Cherokee
Engine: 3.2L
Years: 2014–2021
Fuel: petrol
System: Fluid Leaks

This page covers the Jeep Cherokee as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Jeep Cherokee faults18 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Cylinder head yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The 3.2 Pentastar V6 uses a plastic oil filter housing with a built-in oil cooler that sits in the valley between the two cylinder heads. The plastic can crack and its seals harden, so it leaks oil, coolant or both down the back of the engine, where the leak is hard to see and often misdiagnosed. Left alone it can drop the oil or coolant level low enough to damage the engine, and oil on the hot exhaust is a fire risk. FCA has bulletins covering the housing, but there is no extended warranty, and the repair means removing the intake plenum to reach it.

What you would notice

Burning oil smell after a drive
Oil drips under the back of the engine
Coolant level dropping with no obvious leak
Oil or coolant pooled in the valley at the top of the engine

How to check it

Where to look. Top centre of the engine, in the valley between the cylinder heads under the intake plenum

With the engine off, open the bonnet and use a phone torch to look down between the two cylinder heads under the intake for wet oil or dried coolant crust. Look underneath at the back of the engine and on the ground where the car was parked for fresh oil drips. Check the coolant reservoir level against the marks and the dipstick oil level. After the test drive stand by the engine and sniff for burning oil. Ask if the oil filter housing has ever been replaced. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the intake plenum removed to check the housing for cracks, and have the cooling system pressure tested.

Parts involved: Cylinder head.

What it costs to put right

$700 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the oil filter housing or oil cooler ever been replaced?”
“Do you have to top up oil or coolant between services?”
“Has there ever been a burning oil smell?”

Now check the Jeep Cherokee you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

8020 Automotive, Chrysler 3.2 and 3.6 Pentastar oil filter housing problem guide
CarComplaints.com, 2016 Jeep Cherokee engine leaking oil complaints (3.2 V6 cracked oil filter housing, oil cooler replaced)
Samarins 2014-2022 Jeep Cherokee common problems (3.2 V6 oil cooler leaks)

Jeep Cherokee buyer questions

Is plastic oil filter housing and oil cooler leak in the engine valley (3.2 pentastar v6) serious on a Jeep Cherokee?

We rate it major and common on the Jeep Cherokee. The 3.2 Pentastar V6 uses a plastic oil filter housing with a built-in oil cooler that sits in the valley between the two cylinder heads. The plastic can crack and its seals harden, so it leaks oil, coolant or both down the back of the engine, where the leak is hard to see and often misdiagnosed. Left alone it can drop the oil or coolant level low enough to damage the engine, and oil on the hot exhaust is a fire risk. FCA has bulletins covering the housing, but there is no extended warranty, and the repair means removing the intake plenum to reach it.

How much does it cost to fix on a Jeep Cherokee?

$700 to $1,800 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Jeep Cherokee years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2014–2021 Jeep Cherokee. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.