Work on the Pentastar everyday. The head and rocker arm issues are 100% accurate but the vehicle's affected are pretty low. Enough so that we purchased a 3.6 in my wife's car. For the most part they run great and have great power.

Ive had 3 vehicles with the 3.6L Pentastar. Never a single issue with any of them. Ive always done 5000 mile oil and filter changes on them. Fantastic engine!

Just did a major tune up and maintenance of my 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan at 140k miles. Let me tell you, this engine has given me probably the best "cheap car" experience I've ever had. Lots of good responsive power. Now, to be fair, the overall reliability experience with this van has been merely okay. The sliding doors and automatic windows had mechanical problems, and some flimsy plastic transmission lines cracked and leaked. It sure ain't a Honda or Toyota, you know? But certainly no major failures. But buying it used often means a BIG discount for a great engine and family car. That's how I got it. Plus all the seats fold down flat, and you have a pseudo-cargo van. So yeah, it's the kind of engine that you can find cheap and, with a bit of research, find a deal.

if powerpoints were this informative when i was in school, i wouldnt have been as bored in class lol

As a Technician who repairs most brands, I have seen a few with worn rocker arms and some of the plastic cooling system components fail but they mostly all have problems with the use of plastic components. Compared to some of the engines today I would say that the 3.6 engine is above average for reliability.

My 3.6 Liter Chrysler engine has been flawless since 2015. Great engine!

Biggest majority of 3.6s I've dealt with were oil cooler issues. Our shop always replaces them with the aluminum unit since most of them seem to start leaking from the seal between the plastic housing and the aluminum cooling block. Ford had a similar issue in the v6 engines and the plastic thermostat housings that would warp and lose their seal. I think in the past 3 years I've had 2 3.6s come in with rocker arm failures. I've yet to have one with a cylinder head failure. I've lost count on how many oil coolers I've replaced.

The 3.6 is still a very reliable engine get the newer ones with updated parts. I seen one with 620k miles before losing a timing chain tensioner and locking it up.

I have a 2015 JKU with around 80K on the clock, the Pentastar is still running great, but I will be sure to keep my eyes peeled for any of these issues! Great video, thanks!

I just had to change my heating and cooling system on my 2013 Grand Cherokee. Also the auto-starter for it as well. I do love the engine and glad it has been running great. I make sure to take great care of my engine to keep it running as best as it could.

My 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3.6L Pentastar has been a great SUV so far. 141,000 miles and only needed a thermostat replacement 3 years ago. Other than that, it's reliable and continues to run great.

I'm the original owner of the 2012 T&C and I love the van. The only two things that I'm not happy with are the spare tire placement and no power sliding buttons on the back of the seats when stowing the second row seats. I have been extremely lucky to have no mechanical issues. The hood however had to be repaired due to rust under the paint. That happened about 4 1/2 years after I purchased it. The work was done under warranty and looks beautiful. I only have 54682 miles on it in 10 years.

I have one in a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I bought new and that now has 113,000+ miles. It's the quietest, smoothest, most trouble-free engine I've ever had. I change the oil myself, on schedule, and use quality oil and filter. (I love how easy, quick, and clean it is to change the oil and filter.) I also run a bottle of Techron concentrate through it each 3.000 miles.

I have a Chrysler 300s v6 pentastar and so far i have 58.000 miles on it, and i have never gone to the mechanic for any issue with the motor, no tics noise and I think is the best car i ever had. Very powerful, smooth i love it. My was made in Canada 🇨🇦

Have a 2015 with the 3.6. It needed new lifter and rocker for one cylinder at 98k miles. Fortunately, I had bought the 100k extended warranty. As long as they had the engine out, I had them replace all the lifters and rockers. It was pricey, but the warranty covered much of the cost of opening the engine and it provided peace of mind.

The cylinder head issue hit my dad on his 300. Broke his heart. He'd already traded it in (after Chrysler fixed it with a refurbished part) before Chrysler sent him a notice saying they'd replace the part with a new part about 2 months later.

Mines got 120k on my charger and I beat on it like crazy and it’s taken it all so far.

The biggest issue I saw while working at a dodge dealer. Was the oil cooler leaking. Causing oil to fill the valley of the engine. It was always a bad O-ring on the cooler. Constant heating and cooling would cause it to break and leak oil everywhere. Most people think it's the oil pan or drain bolt because of where the oil comes down. I guess that issue hasn't been reported enough yet, but it affects every 3.6L

Thanks for the research on this issue. I've been seriously considering buying a Mopar with this engine, so I now know what to look (or listen to) for to avoid an expensive issue.

My Avenger has one and it’s been perfect so far! 130k miles ain’t don’t anything but change oil and plugs coils! She still gets up and goes with you! 282hp in a lighter avenger and 200 with the 6 speed move pretty good! Great mid range! I got 20’s on mine so it hooks hard and goes!

Thanks for another informative video! I learned my lesson buying first year cars- that's the main reason I got the Durango.. it's like a fine wine! ;)

Great engine lots of HP n Torque. In our 2011 Dodge Journey will over 200k miles. Never once have had an engine problem

Have a 2012 chrysler 300s with the 3.6 pentastar engine. Have 229,000 km with no issues. Did get a misfire code after using 89 grade twice, switched to minimum 91 grade and issue went away. It is a tank with great power and fuel economy mix. Have driven 3 lengthy trips with no issues. Only use synthetic oil and regular changes. Love it.

I had this in my 14 Promaster. The motor was terrific. The radiator did leak early on and was replaced under warranty. I kept it 7 years and just sold it this spring. Great combination of power and economy and smoothness. Call me a fan. Knowing the roller rockers could be weak, I never let it sit idling as that reduces oil flow. And I always changed the oil with good synthetic every 5k miles. No issues on mine!

I've owned three (2014 Journey, 2012 Wrangler & currently a 2014 Wrangler). No issues with any of them although it's worth noting that all were under 100k miles during my ownership. No complaints from me!

My 13" Charger SE got 197k miles with zero problems except for the oil cooler gaskets drying up and cracking causing a minor coolant leak. Fuel pump went out at 196k. Serviced religiously at oil change recommendations and tuned to match 91-93 octane gas. Real cheap prevention in total, hope this helps anyone concerned about their 3.6L.

The open deck design is used on all modern engines . It doesn't sacrifice cylinder strength , it keeps the tops of the bores round over time due to the fact that they are separated from the head bolts . On the old closed deck engines the pressure from the head bolts would pull the tops of the cylinders inward , making them out of round over time . The pentastar has an extremely robust bottom end that can handle a lot of boost .

I have a 2014 Journey with 282,000 miles on it. Other than having to replace the oil cooler and thermostat housing, it’s been flawless.

I own a 2016 Chrysler 300C Platinum with the 3.6L VVT and I’ve had no issues 88k miles. Change the oil every 5k miles with synthetic oil and always used the 87 recommended octane gasoline. Not even a tick out of the engine is heard. It runs perfectly healthy so far!

Chrysler had that same problem with the LA series engines (273/318/340/360) where they weren't getting all the casting sand out of the blocks. We fixed a bunch of them back in the '80's

Have a 2017 pentastar in my jeep jk . Been running 89 octane since I got it and will continue now after watching this video. I also change the oil more then average and use pennzoil synthetic . Hoping for many more years of happiness from the 3.6L.

My 2015..so far so good. Thanks for making this video and giving us the heads up. The more you know.

Its Been on wards top ten engine list for like 10 years.

Only 4K miles on our 20 Gladiator. I’ve been very pleased w performance and 8speed auto transmission. Feels solid all around!!

Our 2011 wk2 with the 3.6 vvt has 178k and yes, shes been a little higher in maintenance then some but she still runs good, quiet and smooth, the oil looks clean between changes as well. Impressive at nearly 200k

To be honest I haven't experienced any of these problems. I bought my 2011 Caravan used with 168,000kms on it. I've put another 40,000 kms on it and no tick or coolant issues at all. Clearly idk what, if any, recalls or repairs may have been done before. I will only use full synthetic oil in this engine though because of seeing videos about the tick. Great job on the video.

253,000 trouble free miles in my 2012 avenger r/t. I drive pretty hard too. Just keeping up on maintenance seems to keep most problems away

Had my lifters and rockers replaced under warranty 70k miles ago. Zero issues since

Thank you. Your video was very thorough. I'm having a lot of problems with my 2011 Town and Country. I'm just searching for answers to help my mechanics help me.

My 2011 Challenger V6 ran great after owning it for 3 years before upgrading to a challenger srt8. I like to think what helped my engine from experiencing any problems were that I had replace the coolant overflow tank and added new coolant during the first few months of purchase. Driving mostly at night to work and avoid long drives during the hot summer. Also not doing alot of burnouts and high accelerations. It was a good commuter car. Got it used from 76k miles until I sold it with 108k miles. Only real I had was with the front right control arm.

I had a 2013 AWD Charger with the V6. Never had a problem with the engine, although I did have issues with the alternator (covered by warranty), and some electronic quirks. The car was also equipped with e-shift, and there was a recall for that. Otherwise, the car had plenty of power, was quick to accelerate, and fun to drive. The AWD came in handy for adverse weather. I miss that car!

Wow, your knowledge on these motors are phenomenal. Thanks bro,appreciete all the work you put into making these videos. Cheers

Great video Intel. I definitely had misfires with my 2013 Chrysler 200 V6 and and my AC would not hold coolant. I had to get rid of it. Had it for 3 years.

My 2012 Caravan had a issue around 65k with the head. Took it to a Dodge dealer and Dodge warrantied 100%. I now have 179k on it with no problems ticks, engine light. Good maintenance intervals are done.

I was amazed at the gas mileage my 3.6 got in my 2014 Grand Cherokee and that thing was a tank of an suv. 24-27mpg at 75mph depending on wind and terrain. I'm back in a HEMI Ram but considered a brand new single cab short bed Ram with the 3.6 since they were going for so cheap but knew the HEMI in a single cab short bed was what I really wanted. In a car or suv I'd own another 3.6 because of how smooth and refined the feel was.

Almost never fails when a charger or whatever with the V6 pulls next to me and I hear *tick* *tick* *tick* . Even my neighbors does it lol.

Great vid. Direct and concise. Very informative. 5*

I have a 2012 V W Routan w/the 3.6. At about 120,000 miles the flywheel failed, the center completely broke out of it. Engine still ran fine but w / a nocking sound from the broken flywheel. Engine now has 140.000 miles, runs great, very smooth, great power, 20 -22 m p g.

Great vid, really enjoyed!!!! 👍👍👍

I had that engine in my 2013 300, great engine, traded at 130000 still running strong.

I own a 2014 Grand Caravan and it just hit 150k. I have experienced basic issues since owning. The damn oil filler, it "needed" a new water pump (dealer said it was leaking but never saw a drop) and starter. Other than that I've needed to do brakes and tires. I have been very impressed with this engine and hope to have the same luck with the one in my wifes 20 Pacifica.

Really well done video! I had to replace the oil cooler on my 2014 Chrysler 200 S at about 110k miles. Opted for the Dorman aluminum replacement. And I will be upgrading to other aluminum replacement parts if/when the original plastic parts fail.or wear. Other than that, no problems whatsoever. Great engine with lots of power.

I had this engine in an older Chrysler 200. Made almost 300 horsepower back in 2012 for a sedan. Was a fun car to drive forsure

My 2015 and 2019 Pentastar V6s have performed well, so far.

I currently own a 2015 Dodge Challenger with this same engine. At present, it has a total of 24,000 miles and I have had no issues. This is a "third" car that my wife and I use for Sunday drives. It is an extra car. Overall, I really love this car! I would recommend the car and the engine based on my personal experience with it.

On my 2013 Wrangler 3.6 I started having reduced heat on drivers side and found sand in heater core when back-flushed. This was at 6 year 90,000. several videos on sand issue if you have reduced heat. Plugs replaced at 105,000 shown normal wear. Thermostat (spring stuck open) replaced at 105,000. So I'm relatively happy with the durability of the engine.

I have a 13 Charger with the 3.6 with 151k on it and still runs like new. Haven't had to do anything except regular maintenance

I've been subscribed for a while now and I just happen to be currently looking at buying a 2011-2014 charger with the v6 engine. So this definitely is helpful for me right now and a funny coincidence.

The Millennium Falcon of engines. makes my dad van go so fast.i remember beating a older model wrx one time.

Awesome video and bang on , I have one on my Ram 1500 and had to replace the cams on the passenger side at 250000 kms

Great video 👍

I have a 2015 Town and Country with about 75k miles. Recently got code p0128 which is related to the thermostat. Plan on replacing it soon. Van has been reliable overall

I have. 2015 Caravan...at 70,000 miles left cylinder head failure and replaced under warranty. I’ve had a broken motor mount and a thermostat replaced as well. Even with all that - a great affordable family vehicle.

I've had a 2012 Chrysler 200S, a 2014 Chrysler 300S, and now a 2019 Chrysler 300S, all with the 3.6L engine and no issues so far. They have been great engines.

I'll have to remember to use mid grade gasoline in mine once in awhile. I usually cheap out at the pumps. My 2014 is been excellent so far never even went back to the dealership once.

Great engine, I had the 3.6 in 2 Journey's and now my 2018 Durango.

I had a 2015 dodge journey with the 3.6L V6 it was a amazing engine, HOWEVER. The maintenance I took care of it was over the top. I also used 10w40 which kept me from having chain stretch and pre mature timing chain adjuster failure, which was issues that I knew about. I never really knew about these other issues nor did I experience them in my 184 thousand miles I had the SUV. However it did crack the flywheel and the drive shaft to the rear wore out at around 114K and needed replaced. Which was expensive asf. I would still have it but unfortunately someone pulled out infront of me last week so it's in SUV heaven now 🤧

wow this is pretty interesting for these motors I think it is pretty cool how they were going to name them phoenix. So far with my own v6 challenger I have had no issues thus far and am looking into tuning. I have seen that certain companies that offer tunning for these engines say that with a certain tune, things like knocking can be prevented as well as fuel economy seem to go up more. I am interested in learning more about these engines so I will keep looking.

love the gran turismo-esque background music.

Mine has been a amazing engine. I have a 2016 challenger. 80k miles. I also run it pretty hard for a normal car and there is no ticking yet.

We have a 2012 grand caravan. Had the misfire issue with the cylinder head, but it was replaced under warranty at around 60k. Had a broken thermostat, and after replacing it the housing leaked and had to replace that too. Had a ticking rocker arm and changed that at around 120k... thankfully before it wiped out the cam. Had a misfire issue at about 140k that drove me nuts. Finally figured out it was a bad cam phaser on the rear exhaust cam. Changed all of them while i was in there. Because of the misfire, the rear catalyst went bad but isn’t plugged, just setting a code every once in a while. Its got 160k on it now. Oh, and the drain back valve broke off in the oil filter housing last oil change but i was able to get one and replace it without changing the whole filter housing. Im a mechanic, and told my wife this was all going to happen when she wanted to buy it, but she didn’t believe me...

Thank you for this video you help save me from making a big financial mistake.

Had an 89 Voyager with 3L Mitsubishi V6. Valve guides twice, once under warranty. Bought a 98 Caravan with V6. Don't remember displacement. Ran that as well as the Voyager for over 150K miles.

I had one in my 2012 200, loved it. No leaks, and always ran good. Then again, it had less than 50k on it. The fatal flaw was the stupid horrible performing/shifting transmission in those early 3.6's.

May 07 jgc laredo 3.7 just surpassed 227K and she still runs amazing no issues and will be running her till the wheels falls off!

Marspeed, thank you for this educational video! My 2013 Dodge Charger SE is currently with a repair shop after I started hearing lifter tick at 106K miles. I'm having them install Melling lifters. I hope there's no rocker arm or camshaft damage. To the best of your knowledge, is there any mfg warranty to cover this?

On my 3rd 3.6 and I love them. Never had an issue. Had a 2012 also,only put 55k on it and got a killer trade in on it

Since they fixed the original head issue these are one of the best v6s ever made in my opinion, I’ve put 100s of thousands of miles on this motor and never had a problem.

Have a 2012 3.6 213,000 miles never had any major issues still driving today running smoothly

Very nice details, great video.

The first new car I ever owned was the 1995 Intrepid. Then I traded up for the ES Model. Can you do a pros and cons on the Intrepid and the engine. My main problem was trying to locate a replacement exhaust manifold cover which is why, in 1999, I traded up for a Dodge Ram High Top Conversion Van!!! Thank you.

I like how detailed this vid was. Could you please do the 4.7L next?

You are 100% correct! I only run 91 plus octane in mine since 2011 brand new. Being a gearhead from the early days I knew that was the key to cars head issues. I've now got 77k on mine. FYI: I just changed out the Serp Belt #3 with a Goodyear, ACDELCO Tensioner and Pulley. The #663 is the correct belt! Not the #665. The #665 will work but its actually a bit longer the result over time at say 35-45k is slippage and you'll know it by the steering assist starting to grumble when you hit the brakes in the beginning on your drive. I wont be driving the Dayco Belts anymore. They are good for 35-45k then they start to crack. Replacement of the above will indeed blow you away as the car feels like new and its very smooth. Another FYI, the pulley bolt 16ft ft lbs torqued with a small amount of blue locktite, use a serrated plyers to start the retainer for the bolt on the backside of the pulley, you need this part and then reinstall and tighten it down, it a little tricky but you can get it done. I used a hard mallet, and serrated plyers to get is back in place on the pulley assembly. Nobody put that in their posts here, and you must have the part to engage the reinstall properly. The tensioner bolt is 40 Ft Lbs and yes Locktite it but remember a little bit say the first 1/2 inch a small 1 inch strip, and your good to go. Hope this helps and your vid was just excellent A+. Change your oil 5w30 every 4 to 5 k with a new filter and your car will love you. The Wix Filters from NAPA are OEM. I forgot here is something you must have for the 2011 to 2014: DORMAN 917992 This is the oil bypass valve. It is mandatory that you have one in your glove box or tool box. These fail and will leave you dead on the side of the road or you change the oil and remove the brown plastic oil cap and you have a spring and broken plastic underneath from the bypass failure. I really mean this if you own this type of car you must have one spare always. If not your dead on arrival. They just fail on their own, replacing this part takes two minutes. Replaced one during a regular oil change, the new spare is in the Glove Box. All the best.

Incredibly well done video.

A few BASIC things to prevent a lot of engine troubles. #1change your oil every 6 months or 5000kms(8000 is too much). #2 DON'T DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT. I can't stress that one enough And #3 do your daily, weekly, and monthly checks. It's your vehicle, you paid a shit tonne of money for it, look after it.

This engine is a hoss in our 2013 town and country 136kand no issues. BUT I am a used car dealer and I Can honestly say almost ever used town and country I see at Auction is making a ticking sound. I hear it on the Routan as well. Funny though newer grand caravans run very well at auction I have seen very few with a nasty tick

I had this engine in 2012 GCaravan and there was a slight lifter knock after driving the car for 10 minutes or more. That noise was there since I bought it new and I had it checked at the dealership after 1 week of owning it and they couldn't find any issues with it. So I drove it like that for the 8 years with that noise and it did not get worse or better, it just stayed the same. I was very meticulous with my maintenance and that's is why I drove it until 140 000 miles and then sold it bc the transmission was about to go. The only cooling system component I replaced was the tatar housing as it is made out of plastic and there was a small crack and thus leaking a bit of coolant. Otherwise, it was a very reliable vehicle. I used it for Uber and drove it many places. It drove like a champ and that 3.6l v6 drove like a champ. It was smooth, economical and reliable.

Awesome video. Thank you

It's still a decent engine for the base Chargers 👍

These are definitely the big three issues with the engine. FYI: There is an aftermarket fuel pump made of aluminum. Also make sure you only use the specific Mopar brand antifreeze.

I'm a salesman and drive my 2018 Dodge Challenger GT, purchased in 2017, a lot of miles to put it mildly. My V6 is closing in on 200k miles. From its first oil change at 500 miles, I've used nothing but Amsoil. Other than plugs, cooling system flush and recently the tranny fluid, second time, with Amsoil. Bottom line, any grease or fluids all have been replaced with Amsoil products. Its an amazing car that gets very close to 30 mpg highway. It doesn't leak fluids or use any oil. I change my oil and filter every 6000. I know it can go much longer but I feel it's cheap insurance. Best car I ever owned.

Very nice video, I had literally every one of these problems on my 2013 Jeep Wrangler JK!!

WOW! I've had every issue this video explained. I have a 2012 Jeep Wrangler, I had to replace my engine at 115K ($8K) approx. 2 months ago. My heater core is busted, haven't had heat or air in 3 years. And my Jeep randomly overheats, the overheating is not serious but I have to keep an eye on the needle. I love my Jeep just wish I didn't have all of these issues.

My 2012 Chrysler 300 has the 3.6, 138k miles on it and not a single problem with the car since I’ve had it. Very solid engine in my opinion

I have a 2011 Journey Mainstreet. I'm experiencing fuel leakage around 2 injectors. Any way to tell if it's the injector o-rings or if it's the actual fuel rail?

My 2011 Chrysler 200 equipped with the 3.6L VVT has experienced many if not all the issues described in this video. I found this very informative and helpful… What to do next!?!?

I love mine in the 2011 Grand Caravan. But I’m shocked you didn’t mention the TIPM issues. I had to send mine out to have the fuel relay board repaired. But overall it’s a beast. It has never ever used any oil. Ever!

Would it help to flush the cooling system when it’s new to get the dust out? It would be interesting to run the old coolant through a filter and see what showed up.

Thanks for the information great to know.

I have a 2011 Challenger v6. Only issues I've had is replacing thermostat housing, twice. It's annoying bleeding the coolant system. But after replacement runs like a champ.