Engine Replacement - Route 66 Extended Warranty FAIL!! 

I keep seeing videos like these which make me lean more towards buying a 4runner. O.O

Ah man that’s terrible! Sorry to hear about that. I got the extended warranty for my 392 at Fort Collins Jeep and they asked me if I’d be lifting it and gave me the appropriate policy.

If my 2016 JKU’s engine ever lets go! It’s getting a HEMI no doubt about it.

Glad it’s back on the road! This has been my big reason for not modifying my new Rubicons. It shouldn’t be like that tho… the lift didn’t break your motor.

Glad you're back up and running! We know you take care of Optimus, and I'm sure with the new motor you'll have amazing adventures ahead! Can't wait to see what you have in store for the channel. Stay safe and Cheers from the 'Springs!

Happy to see you are back up and running with Optimus

Research the Moss/Magnuson act. Or something close to that. Says basically a mild modification can't void a warranty. A lift kit has nothing to do with an engine problem. Good luck.

Dude, you need to take that warrantee company to small claims court - guaranteed win

Surprised the rocker(s) didn't start making a racket before the engine failure.

Thank you for the heads up on this issue, I just got back from the Dealership, they updated my extended warranty that included my JKS 3"lift I will be billed in about 2 weeks. So sorry that you learned the hard way! But thanks again

I just recently got an extended warranty for my 2021 Jeep Gladiator as my original 3-year OEM/factory warranty was about to expire. Given that Jeep almsot always is shown pretty far down on the "Most Reliable Vehicles" lists, I was concerned about not having a little longer coverage. Mine it still stock (and will stay stock), so no excuses for them there to blame me/deny coverage. Still, I was aware of the many negative stories of aftermarket/3rd-party extended warranties (Endurance & Car Shield for 2 examples), so for sure I don't want those -- it had to be be factory/OEM. Consequently, I went with Mopar's "Maximum Care" that covers me until mid-2029. Hope I never NEED it though, but if I do, it'll be money well spent. And if I do NOT need it, that's also good: It means my "Chrysler/Fiat/Stellantis" Jeep wasn't "crap" (as some say) after all. Win-Win I'd say. Here's hoping, as so far MY Jeep has been great (only 2 minor issues in 3 years of ownership, both of which were covered under warranty). -- BR

That is quite a story. Thanks for the heads up on a 3rd party warranty company. They want your money for no coverage.

Glad optimus is back on the road, even though it was a big PITA.

Glad to see Optimus up and running again Kerry! Hope to run into you again on the trails or at an event!

Thank you Kerry for an awesome public service video for those of us that wouldn't think to get the lifted clause. BTW, I've always enjoyed your videos and am subscribed to your channel. I learned in this video you are local to Berthoud, which are my stomping grounds as well. I'd love to meet you someday and get some tips and tricks from a real down to earth pro like yourself. Thanks again and glad you're back on road!

In my 50+ years working in the service side of the auto industry, both retail & wholesale, extended warranties aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. Kerry, unless it explicitly states in your warranty documentation that a lifted vehicle is not covered, then they have to pay to fix your Jeep. They’re just jacking you around. Frankly, the only good extended warranties I’ve been exposed to are the ones from the vehicle manufacturers themselves, and even those have loopholes.

My Jeep is a 2021 JLUR and only has 13k on it but I also bought a Route 66 extended warranty. 8 years/125k bumper to bumper. Mine has a stock lift but I have been wanting to put 37’s on it and lift it slightly. Route 66 maybe getting cancelled now and I’ll let them know why.

I can see why bigger tires might require special coverage, but a lift? Sorry man. I feel for you.

Sorry you had so much trouble, glad all is working well now. Hope I get to see you at Overland Expo West.

I own a 2016 JKU with a Mopar lifetime warranty and it remains unmodified. Additionally, I have a 2018 Grand Cherokee covered by a 100,000-mile warranty. It's helpful to know the potential costs for an engine replacement for both vehicles, as I plan to keep them.

Ouch! I have a Continental extended warranty. I'll call them to see if they cover lifted Jeeps (Mopar), and going offroad. Seems like these extended warranties are a scam. I remember asking them if I can do my own oil changes, since I'm close to retiring. Nope, a licensed shop has to do it. Wow.

Sorry that happened. Warranty and insurance companies often look first for ways to avoid paying a claim. If the motor on my 2016 JK goes, I would consider a v8 swap. Far more expensive I know, but the 3.6 is just so anemic.

I hate that that happened Kerry. I bought my JK used from a dealer that included an Allstate powertrain warranty. The Jeep was lifted when I purchased it, and I had the dealer include a letter that stated that the lift and 35's would not void the powertrain warranty. Hopefully I won't need to test that. Jeep life!

Dang dude. That's messed up. Not sure what a lift has to do with the motor though. I would contact an attorney

That stinks!!! Boosted JL 3.6s live for about a week. Glad you ran away from that one.

Great to know, i have an extended warrenty myself i bought through the dealer, I have a 2019 Rubicon with only 30k on it, will be out in your area in June, me and my son camp at Carter Lake, but we are planning a trip down to Buena Vista and check out the 4 mile area, video you took looked like a fun drive and camp area, Thanks

My kid got a 3rd party warrantee for his truck when he bought it from a dealer then six months later his clutch slave cylinder wet out. He had to pay a hundred bucks to be told it was a wear part and not covered. We went over the fine print and they covered almost nothing on the engine, transmission, front or rear axles, everything was a wear item even the cam, crank shaft, rods and pistons as well as all the bearings. In the contact, we found there was a pro-rated cancelation clause, he ended up getting half his money back which was good to cover the repair that we did ourselves. All I can say is read the fine print and know what your buying.

The labor cost to install the new engine is what surprised me. Aftermarket warranties are a scam, I would never waste my money on one.

I usually stick to the extended warranty from the manufacturer. I can’t say if it’s better or worse but I think they’d be easier to work with. I don’t think they (mfg warranties) do silly “gotcha” addendums. They’d have to prove that the lift was the cause of the engine failure.

Dorman sells a oil filter/cooler assembly that's supposed to eliminate the factory ones problems

I used to listen to a consumer advocate on AM radio. He always said don't buy a 3rd party warranty. Only buy from the manufacturer.

It’s a 3rd party program called Carefree Car Protection w/lift kit coverage. Under Fidelity Warranty Services

I have the MOPAR premium warranty 10 year/100k miles with $100 deductible. The extended warranties are a waste of money. We broke down and had to be towed and they denied my claim and wouldn't pay for the tow or the hotel. Don't buy extended warranties.

I’ve used Route 66 for my mustang when the engine blew. They tried to deny it, but after some back and forth they covered the whole thing minus fluids.

9k for a used engine replacement damn man

Another content creator mentioned AMW ( company that swaps in hemi engines ) sells the 3.6 they pull . Idk if true but for anyone else that may have same issue. Also got extended warranty but regretted it . One - looking back it was just a upsale for dealer. Secondly im constantly harassed to upgrade or buy a different warranty. Augh!

Did you ask where it stated you needed that addendum?

Did you ever look into a hemi swap? 5.7 could have been that much more money.

Curious - DID the Shop investigate/check for a MOPAR Reman Engine Assembly; which comes with a 3yr/100,000 mile parts and labor warranty? It is complete drop in. Very unfortunate event; as AStanton posted; the MFG Warranty/Service contracts are the way to go..

that sucks! but glad you got back up and running! calling to confirm is great but please people get it in writing and I don't mean an email from a sales person saying something is covered! p.s Rubi is well known for Hemi Swaps so I suspect thats why they have available used 6 cylinder engines available which is great! AMW would likely have been another great source!

Did you drop the warranty company, or did you add the lifted Jeep addendum?

That sucks going through all of that! I’ve never trusted extended warranties, especially on vehicles I intend to modify, but still, that warranty company is full of BS. Did they tell you how the lift caused your engine to explode? And just one more thing…..are you going to install an oil catch can on your new engine? Keep up the great videos!

Hi Kerry, sorry to hear about your experience. How much did you spend on your extended warranty?

Did the policy specifically exclude lifted vehicles? If not, I think you have a good claim against them.

Route 66 Extended Warranty should be ashamed of themselves for denying your claim. It sucks companies look for ways to screw over the people that not only pay them but trust them.

Yeah, I would never go thru a 3rd party warranty company. Their only goal is to deny claims. Stick with a Mopar warranty. And Yeah, if it's lifted and bigger tires they will try to deny the claim.

Being that the lift had nothing to do with the engine blowing, I don’t see how they could deny that claim, laws have been written concerning this I believe. That’s unethical practice in my opinion.

I'm curious if there are any 3rd party warranties that are actually good and will really cover stuff. In the past year I've had 3 catastrophic failures in my JKUR and have had to replace the engine, the transfer case, and the entire rear axle. Now the Jeep is down with engine problems again. I wonder if a warranty could actually be worth it in my case.

I might have missed... mileage? Glad ita fixed. And thanks for PSA on that company

My insurer actually asked if I would be going off road...a weird question I thought. I answered: It's a Jeep...thats what its made for.

good to know. thanks

Good info to know about 👍

Glad you got it fixed we are headed to slaughter house on Sunday

That’s pretty crappy and why people have a distrust of extended warranties. Why wouldn’t the extended warranty company want photos of the vehicle or an inspection report to begin with? Did you buy the lifted vehicle addendum so you can continue to use the extended warranty on the next issue and is there an addendum to cover the replacement engine?

New sub here, thanks for the information. I have an extended MOPAR warranty do I need to check if they cover lifted vehicles? Is this the turbo engine?

I'm gonna have to guess if you get down to technicalities, it's the over-sized tires that caused all of this. Not the lift. I have 31's on my old 4.0 XJ with 4.5" of lift. Keeping it easier on my 238k miles motor. If i went 33s, I'd re-gear.

Just curious what weight oil were you using? I’ve heard that the 0W-20 synthetic oil is too thin so I’m using a 5W-30 full synthetic…

Oh, that's terrible! I hope you win at small claims. At the very least, you should have the cost of the warranty refunded.

What mileage did your engine fail?

Dishonest scumbags! I have Toyota extended warranty coverage, I'm going to call them to see if my lift voids the engine warranty. Even though they know a suspension lift has nothing to do with a catastrophic engine failure

All I heard is ls or hemi swap 😂. Just kidding of course. Good luck with getting this all resolved

Wow, That’s quite a story. First, I would never buy a third party warranty like scam shield, I mean Car Shield. Most of them are scams. That warranty company would probably denied your claim anyway even if your jeep wasn’t lifted. I’m in California and most of these third party warranty companies are banned from doing business in California.

Lift has nothing to do with that failure.

It's that pentastar rocker arm problem again

😔

is that the same vehicle extended warranty company that does the harassing phone calls?

Just about all the warranty companies, especially the extended ones are pure trash. Making money is the bottom line and hiding loopholes to keep that money is their main goal and they do it very well. Same deal with insurance companies. Sorry this all happened and you had to go through it. I have always told myself when and if the motor goes it's time to LS swap it.

Small claims court. Any judge will call bs on that.

And I know I had a blast with you on slaughterhouse thank you Kerry

Anyone who buys these third-party warranty is a fool. This has been happening time and time again.

All 3rd party warranties are rip offs. They make money off not paying out. Their entire business model is taking in more than they pay out. You want a warranty, take that monthly payment and put it in a high interest savings account and keep it for yourself.

NEVER buy any "third party" warranty ESPECIALY for a Jeep. MOPAR only!!!!!

I thought it was common knowledge that third party warranties are a scam. Hopefully you learned your lesson.

Sorry this happened to you. It sucks for sure, but here are a couple of pointers for anyone who simply just wants to keep better tabs on their vehicle. Listen, look, smell, and feel.... anything and everything related to your vehicle. Sounds stupid and silly but our senses help us understand what's normal and what's not. As an example, our JL's are ticky at start up that's a known characteristic (not an issue) and doesn't always sound the same at start up, but that's why it's important to know what's normal and not. Another example, use those gauges. When we're running down the road, on the trail, or at the mall know what your oil pressure is and know that it varies due to the type of pump we have and design of the system. Also watch temps. Rarely due major failures not have some type of prewarning signs or clues. Not saying it can't happen, but rarely. As an Engineer who works in manufacturing specifically related to equipment reliability we perform various types of failure mode analysis on various types of machines and equipment and one method of monitoring motor life in our world is oil analysis. The kits are usually around $20 and you simply take a sample of your oil (at an oil change) and send it in. In the paperwork you fill out the details of what kind of engine, size, etc... They have database of all engines and will evaluate the oil and send you a report. Most likely you won't know exactly what all the numbers are, but they highlight the problem areas and provide feedback on potential causes. The best thing is to have regular samples in order to establish a base line and best to do this when your engine is young. That way if you do an analysis each year, then you'll likely have 10k to 15k intervals which will show a trend if any. Example, you take a sample at 10k miles, then next year at 25k. the results might show a high particulate count of a certain type of brass. the suggestions at the bottom of the report will likely say that this particular brass is used in x,y,z components in your motor which gives you a good starting point to begin looking at things. My last finding that prevented a failure was on my YJ many years ago. The report came back with that same type of result and specified that my water pump contained that particular type of material. My jeep was already at 90k miles so I changed the pump proactively and I found the impeller shaft bushing was eating away. Somehow it hadn't failed enough to start leaking into the weep hole but that was a good find, specifically since I was planning a 2 day drive jeep trip. Again, there are circumstances where things will just let go, but anything we can do to prevent or catch things before hand helps. Oil analysis is just one of these tools. My YJ (that I've owned for 28 years) is at 168k and still a beast. My dad's TJ (that I featured on my little for fun channel) is at 288k and is also still a beast. My 18JLUR is at 73k runs great, but I'm watching my analysis numbers closely. Lol, but seriously I love the 3.6 along with 8 speed auto.

Not just a warranty company, most insurance companies will not cover a modified vehicle.

I never get warranties. I'm myself is an insurance.

I’d hire an attorney and sue the warranty company!

IMHO..... extended warranty or not, there is no reason for the engine to destroy itself unless it has been abused. I'm not saying that you abused yours, just an observation from a long time wrench turner.

Towing is too hard on a 3.6 pentastar, if you plan on towing get a full size pickup IMO

AlLL 3rd party warranty companies are trash.

3.6/3.8 worst engine design ever…I have at least 10 friends who needed new motors in their Wranglers with less than 90k miles…even under warranty the dealership will not cover it especially if it has mods

I would sue the living tar out of these crooks!!!! But on the flip side, replacement of a 100k mile jeep engine sucks beyond words.

thats a very known factory defect, 70 percent of 3.6 motors have that issue. they just started a class action lawsuit against Chrysler for the known 3.6 rocker arm issue, you should research that lawsuit and hopefully get some of your money back if not all. plus i would take that warranty company to court over it cause lifted has nothing to do with the motor issue, warranty's are a scam i dont ever buy any other then what comes with the jeep when bought. good luck, im on my last jeep wont ever see me buying another one. 3 and done

At least you won't need anymore tax write off's for the rest of the year for your youtube income.

Anyone that buys an aftermarket warranty for their vehicle is fool. There is enough info out & going back years now, telling the world what a scam they are. NO pitty for you. If you don’t sue the warranty company, You got what you deserved, good & hard