PentaStar real world information

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I thought I would share some good information for the Chrysler Pentastar engines from some real world experiences I have had with it.

The first year these engines were introduced I was working for a company that had a fleet of 95 Dodge Caravans. Over the first couple of years that these engines came out the company decided to replace their aging fleet over slowly to newer Dodge Caravans with these engines.

Including the one I bought from the company when I left and gave it to my dad.

These vans were fully loaded weight wise from day one and weren't treated well by the folks driving them. They also saw oil changes when they were convenient and not when the OLM or some set number by the oil change shop said it was due.

When I left 4 years later most of these vans were being traded in with very high mileage on them (300K km's / 180K-ish Miles) Pretty much all of them survived without any catastrophic failures like engines/transmissions (I think we had 2 but we attributed them to the drivers).

Anyway I knew I was going to buy one of them for my dad at trade-in time because he's a mechanic and mine had about 180,000km at that point but had been rust proofed and well looked after by myself. His is still going strong at 300K KM's (180K-ish Miles) and he's actually down in South Carolina with it right now.

I'm throughly impressed with the Pentastar V6, especially with the slight revised ones in these later years and I thought given the sample size I saw and the abuse they took and survived that I would post it here for anyone contemplating this great engine / van type.

Cheers.
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They were still running '95 Caravans when they replaced them with Pentastar powered vans?
crazy2.gif


Off topic rant - I can't believe Chrysler quit using the Pentastar badge on their vehicles. I thought it was a clean, distinctive emblem. Of course being an 80's child I grew up as they plastered it on everything from an Omni to a New Yorker.
 
Yeah we just traded our volvo for a clean 2014 gc. Nice rig, co.fortabke for the family and plenty of power. Did an oc when we bought it with some magnatec and im doing a trans pan drop and fluid+filter replace. Bought the dorman pan with the drain plug and the chrysler reusable gasket.
 
They got 16 years out of the last batch and only 5/6 out of these ones?

I like the Pentastars, good power. My grandmother has a 2014 with 32k miles. Unfortunately the oil pan and timing chain cover were leaking so the dealer had to reseal them. Was quite a big job to have done but it's under warranty.
 
Originally Posted By: Superflop
Yeah we just traded our volvo for a clean 2014 gc. Nice rig, co.fortabke for the family and plenty of power. Did an oc when we bought it with some magnatec and im doing a trans pan drop and fluid+filter replace. Bought the dorman pan with the drain plug and the chrysler reusable gasket.


I don't believe that transmission has a dipstick, just a plug on the filler tube. You're going to have to improvise. I think if you google something like 62TE dipstick something should come up.
 
Fleet vehicles are good examples of what vehicles can endure, given heavy use and only basic maintenance.

We have the option to buy our vehicle after the lease, but I would never buy any fleet vehicle. 1) The lease company usually wants way too much for them. 2) I know what they have been through...

I've seen vehicles go 180,000 without a single fluid changed other than oil. Skipped oil changes altogether. 15,000 miles on conventional oil. Filters not being replaced. And that's just the maintenance, or lack there of, let alone the drivers' abuse.

My signature, regarding the oil/filter in the Ford, is in jest. But it really is true.
 
No cylinder head failures? You read on the www. and some people would lead you to believe everyone of them is destined to fail, and that the problem was never resolved. Everyone I know with a Pentastar powered mini van, GC, Durango, or Wrangler has been very pleased.
 
Thanks StevieC for the write up.

The other advantage for buying these vans is that the wreckers will have all sorts of parts available for when you need them 10-15 years later.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
They were still running '95 Caravans when they replaced them with Pentastar powered vans?
crazy2.gif


Off topic rant - I can't believe Chrysler quit using the Pentastar badge on their vehicles. I thought it was a clean, distinctive emblem. Of course being an 80's child I grew up as they plastered it on everything from an Omni to a New Yorker.


No we had a fleet of 95 total mini-vans. They weren't from 1995. Hahahahaha
 
Originally Posted By: Farmer

I don't believe that transmission has a dipstick, just a plug on the filler tube. You're going to have to improvise. I think if you google something like 62TE dipstick something should come up.


Yeah no dipstick, just a filler tube. I looked up the specs online and you have to fully warm up the transmission and stick something down the tube to measure. The dealers have a special tool. I just made one out of a PVC tube and marked it with a marker. I don't believe in filled for life transmissions.
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Originally Posted By: demarpaint
No cylinder head failures? You read on the www. and some people would lead you to believe everyone of them is destined to fail, and that the problem was never resolved. Everyone I know with a Pentastar powered mini van, GC, Durango, or Wrangler has been very pleased.


We had 2 engine blow up, and one with a transmission as well but we attributed this to the abusive drivers.

The other 93 we hadn't seen any cylinder head problems and my dads is at 300K KM (180K Miles) and still going strong.
 
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Originally Posted By: JC1
Thanks StevieC for the write up.

The other advantage for buying these vans is that the wreckers will have all sorts of parts available for when you need them 10-15 years later.


You're welcome... I just thought it was a good sample size to talk about here with some great real world results under not so great conditions.
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Originally Posted By: StevieC
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
No cylinder head failures? You read on the www. and some people would lead you to believe everyone of them is destined to fail, and that the problem was never resolved. Everyone I know with a Pentastar powered mini van, GC, Durango, or Wrangler has been very pleased.


We had 2 engine blow up, and one with a transmission as well but we attributed this to the abusive drivers.

The other 93 we hadn't seen any cylinder head problems and my dads is at 300K KM (180K Miles) and still going strong.


Driver abuse is common, very common so there's no surprise there.
 
I know I can Google this, but...

There was only 1 Pentastar engine? How come nobody mentions the size of their Pentastar engines? (2.6l, 3.0l etc.)

What sizes did they come in and what was their year range?
 
Ahhhh, so the 3.6l V6 in my cousin's 2014 Dodge Charger was a Pentastar.

I saw the same engine (I think) in a Mercedes-Benz wagon. I opened the hood and said, "My, that looks familiar".
 
I've been very pleased with the pentastar power plants in my Durango and Journey. Flex plate on the Journey had to be replaced at 29,000 miles but other than that, the drive train has been solid. Journey just turned 50k miles.

My Durango is on track to be the best vehicle I've owned - she currently has 81,000 on her. Drive train has been flawless. Only hiccup its had was a faulty TPM sensor at 800 miles.
 
Originally Posted By: Brett776
I think it’s only the 3.6L V6 released in 2011 or so.


I believe the 3.2L V6 in the new Cherokee KL is also called the Pentastar. Not sure if it is just a smaller version of the 3.6 or if it is a completely different engine altogether.



The later model 3.6 engines seem to be doing okay. The first couple years had some issues with heads cracking and a few rod bearing problems as well as stalling issues. They also have been known to run a little hotter off-road in the Wrangler community. Then again, anything that is crawling along in the desert for hours at a time on giant up-hill climbs might run a bit warmer.
 
This topic comes up often, but it's always good to see further evidence that the Pentastar 3.6L and 62TE trans are a great, well proven drivetrain. You see very few problems with them. I know our 2013 Grand Caravan with this combo was awesome for the ~5yrs, 75K miles we owned it. I did have a burning oil smell from time to time, where I could never locate the source in the later months we owned it was about it. No visible drips or leaks. Amazing power and great steady-state highway fuel economy.
 
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Originally Posted By: Kira
I know I can Google this, but...

There was only 1 Pentastar engine? How come nobody mentions the size of their Pentastar engines? (2.6l, 3.0l etc.)

What sizes did they come in and what was their year range?

Size is not important to some people
smile.gif
 
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