BEWARE: 392 Engine warranty denied at 2,100 miles by Jeep/Stellantis

[Boo392]

So, what is it that causes the need to change the oil every 6 mo?

To the OP, I am so sorry that you are going through this. I can only imagine. Thank you for your post. This has me thinking about the leftover 2024 and 2025 392s that have been sitting.

Exactly my point. They can sit on the lot and be sold without an oil change but in a customers garage. Double standard.

 

[Boo392]

According to AI here's the breakdown:

1. Oil degrades on the calendar whether you drive it or not
This is true for every modern engine, not just the 392. Oxidation, moisture absorption, acid buildup, additive depletion, and fuel/condensation contamination all happen over time even if the Jeep just sits in your garage. Synthetic oil resists it better than conventional, but it still degrades. Virtually all manufacturers now include a time limit (6 months or 12 months) precisely because of this. The 392 simply uses the more conservative 6-month cap.

2. The 6.4L 392 HEMI is a high-performance SRT engine, not a "truck" or "normal" HEMI
- It makes 470–485 hp with a much more aggressive cam, higher compression, and runs significantly hotter and with higher cylinder pressures than the 5.7L or truck-spec 6.4L.
- It is built to the same oil spec as Hellcats, Redeyes, Demons, etc.—all of which carry the exact same "6 months/6,000 miles max" rule.
- These engines are known to be harder on oil (higher shear, more heat, sodium-filled exhaust valves, etc.). Degraded oil has been directly linked to the cam/lifter failures that have plagued late-model HEMIs. Stellantis shortened the interval specifically to reduce those failures in the high-output variants.

3. Compare to truly "normal" Jeep engines
- 3.6L Pentastar → 10,000 miles or 12 months
- 5.7L HEMI (non-392) → 6,000–8,000 miles or 12 months in most cases
- 6.4L 392 → explicitly 6 months (no "or 12 months" option)

The 392 is deliberately held to the stricter SRT/HEMI performance schedule, not the standard Jeep schedule.

4. Warranty reality
Yes, Stellantis is strict about it for warranty protection, but they’re strict because bad oil has actually caused expensive failures in these engines. They’re not just being arbitrary—they’ve seen the repair bills.

Bottom line: The 6-month rule exists primarily to keep the oil fresh enough for a high-strung 470+ hp engine that is known to punish old oil. The fact that it’s “just a V8” is irrelevant—these are not 1990s pushrod small-blocks running 5W-30 dino oil. This is a modern high-output HEMI that will eat its cam/lifters if you let the oil go bad, and Stellantis knows it.

Most 392 owners who baby their Jeeps and drive <5k miles a year still change it every 5–6 months and consider it cheap insurance.

Thanks for the information and I totally understand that. The point of this post though is to ask if that is the case, why is there no policy from Jeep, or any other manufacturer, to have the oil changed regardless of the amount of time the vehicle has been on the lot. It could be years and customers are being sold “expired” oil.

On the same line of thinking shouldn’t a vehicle that has sat on the lot for 2 months come back in 4 more months if oil is degrading that quickly?

 

[Boo392]

u cant be serious u did not change the oil for 23 months ,u cant fix stupid,i would not cover it either. the oil does not sit in the dealerships lot for years. they service them, u r trying to justify youre stupity ,by saying they dont change the oil,well when is the last time someone drove a 392 off the lot and the engine seized, then u try another angle to get it fixed ,with someone being rude to u from jeep ,and that did not work. anyone that goes 23 months without an oil change

Does somebody need a hug? Relax,

Look, I take full responsibility for not changing the oil. The vehicle sat for the first year, I drove it a little in the months after, and then it imploded. I just never thought about it since I barely ever drove it, my bad.

The entire point of this post is not to argue the warranty. The question is why are dealers not required to change the oil every 6 months? This is not a policy and I’ve talked to multiple dealers. Oil changes are not required by dealers on new vehicles, period. Sure, some might do it, but plenty don’t, and customers are being sold vehicles that the manufacturers consider expired but only when owned by the customer and not the dealer.

Bringing this up infuriated Ryan Lamb at Stellantis because he couldn’t come up with a reason why the double standard exists.

 

[Excaliburitto]

Thanks for the information and I totally understand that. The point of this post though is to ask if that is the case, why is there no policy from Jeep, or any other manufacturer, to have the oil changed regardless of the amount of time the vehicle has been on the lot. It could be years and customers are being sold “expired” oil.

On the same line of thinking shouldn’t a vehicle that has sat on the lot for 2 months come back in 4 more months if oil is degrading that quickly?

I personally have no knowledge of whether this is true or not. Perhaps the dealers do change the oil as part of the sales preparation? I’m not sure. Unless you have concrete evidence and proof of this, you might not want to use it as an argument.

I don’t know the details of how and when the engine seized, if there was enough oil in the engine, and how many of those 2000+ miles were driven after the oil expiration. For instance, if the Jeep was left unused for 20 months and then you drove 2000 miles on it, your case would be much weaker than the opposite scenario: driving most of the 2000+ miles in the first year and then it seized on the 24th month after driving only 5 miles.

 

[Boo392]

I personally have no knowledge of whether this is true or not. Perhaps the dealers do change the oil as part of the sales preparation? I’m not sure. Unless you have concrete evidence and proof of this, you might not want to use it as an argument.

I don’t know the details of how and when the engine seized, if there was enough oil in the engine, and how many of those 2000+ miles were driven after the oil expiration. For instance, if the Jeep was left unused for 20 months and then you drove 2000 miles on it, your case would be much weaker than the opposite scenario: driving most of the 2000+ miles in the first year and then it seized on the 24th month after driving only 5 miles.

I hear you, and again, I’m not chasing the warranty. This is more of public service announcement.

I talked to multiple Jeep dealerships who confirmed that there was no policy from Jeep to change the oil on a vehicle when it is sold to the customers. I’m sure some dealerships do, but it is not required. Bringing this point up to Ryan Lamb at Stellantis infuriated him so much that he screamed over me and ended the call. If there was indeed a policy in place I’m sure he would have mentioned it.

A quick google search asking if Jeep dealerships are required to change the oil when a new vehicle is sold will yield you this answer:

No, a new Jeep is not required to have its oil changed before it's sold.

 

[Mallcrawler_392]

Should have taken the Jeep to Daves Auto Center in your neck of the woods after Jeep denied you. Had them crack the motor open to see what caused the seized motor. A YouTube video from him on the reason would be awesome!

 

[Boo392]

I didn’t know Dave’s auto center existed but you are right, that would have made great content and I would love to know the actual reason for failure even though it likely wouldn’t have changed the outcome.

 

[Ray R]

Once the repair is done, what’s your warranty look like?

 

[great one 99]

I hear you, and again, I’m not chasing the warranty. This is more of public service announcement.

I talked to multiple Jeep dealerships who confirmed that there was no policy from Jeep to change the oil on a vehicle when it is sold to the customers. I’m sure some dealerships do, but it is not required. Bringing this point up to Ryan Lamb at Stellantis infuriated him so much that he screamed over me and ended the call. If there was indeed a policy in place I’m sure he would have mentioned it.

A quick google search asking if Jeep dealerships are required to change the oil when a new vehicle is sold will yield you this answer:

No, a new Jeep is not required to have its oil changed before it's sold.

but youre case is differant ,u went 23 months ,on factory oil that is relly pro 2-1/2 years old ,a dealer not changing the oil at month 6 or month 12 is is not going to cause the engine to inplode ,what u did , caused the engine to implode. i can bet there r no 2023 392 sitting on dealers lot with 2 plus year old oil

 

[392... The Bronco Killer]

Oh man, this thread is the excuse I needed to get me away from my in-laws.

Keep it going! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

[Warped]

According to AI here's the breakdown:

1. Oil degrades on the calendar whether you drive it or not
This is true for every modern engine, not just the 392. Oxidation, moisture absorption, acid buildup, additive depletion, and fuel/condensation contamination all happen over time even if the Jeep just sits in your garage. Synthetic oil resists it better than conventional, but it still degrades. Virtually all manufacturers now include a time limit (6 months or 12 months) precisely because of this. The 392 simply uses the more conservative 6-month cap.

2. The 6.4L 392 HEMI is a high-performance SRT engine, not a "truck" or "normal" HEMI
- It makes 470–485 hp with a much more aggressive cam, higher compression, and runs significantly hotter and with higher cylinder pressures than the 5.7L or truck-spec 6.4L.
- It is built to the same oil spec as Hellcats, Redeyes, Demons, etc.—all of which carry the exact same "6 months/6,000 miles max" rule.
- These engines are known to be harder on oil (higher shear, more heat, sodium-filled exhaust valves, etc.). Degraded oil has been directly linked to the cam/lifter failures that have plagued late-model HEMIs. Stellantis shortened the interval specifically to reduce those failures in the high-output variants.

3. Compare to truly "normal" Jeep engines
- 3.6L Pentastar → 10,000 miles or 12 months
- 5.7L HEMI (non-392) → 6,000–8,000 miles or 12 months in most cases
- 6.4L 392 → explicitly 6 months (no "or 12 months" option)

The 392 is deliberately held to the stricter SRT/HEMI performance schedule, not the standard Jeep schedule.

4. Warranty reality
Yes, Stellantis is strict about it for warranty protection, but they’re strict because bad oil has actually caused expensive failures in these engines. They’re not just being arbitrary—they’ve seen the repair bills.

Bottom line: The 6-month rule exists primarily to keep the oil fresh enough for a high-strung 470+ hp engine that is known to punish old oil. The fact that it’s “just a V8” is irrelevant—these are not 1990s pushrod small-blocks running 5W-30 dino oil. This is a modern high-output HEMI that will eat its cam/lifters if you let the oil go bad, and Stellantis knows it.

Most 392 owners who baby their Jeeps and drive <5k miles a year still change it every 5–6 months and consider it cheap insurance.

Thank you. That is what I was looking for.

Just curious as my AMG Mercedes is also a high strung, performance motor and oil change/service is only recommended once a year. Either way, I still follow the recommendations for each. 3 oil changes in only 4500 miles for my 392; initial and then every 6 mo.

 

[Boo392]

Once the repair is done, what’s your warranty look like?

The warranty is restricted:

A restricted Jeep warranty means that
coverage for a specific vehicle is temporarily limited or flagged, requiring pre-approval from an area manager before repairs can be made under warranty. This restriction is often triggered by issues like modifications, a history of neglect or improper maintenance, or a salvage/rebuilt title. It is not the same as a completely canceled warranty, but it does require extra steps before a warranty claim is processed.

 

[Boo392]

but youre case is differant ,u went 23 months ,on factory oil that is relly pro 2-1/2 years old ,a dealer not changing the oil at month 6 or month 12 is is not going to cause the engine to inplode ,what u did , caused the engine to implode. i can bet there r no 2023 392 sitting on dealers lot with 2 plus year old oil

What caused the issue, or the warranty, are not the focus here. To bring you back to the original post:

I realize that the warranty is voided by my inaction. That is not the point of this post. The point of this post is:

1 - Help others from making the same mistake.
2 - Get an answer to why Jeep is selling vehicles with "expired oil", by their own definition, and holding their customers to a higher standard for oil changes than they are their dealerships?

 

[great one 99]

What caused the issue, or the warranty, are not the focus here. To bring you back to the original post:

I realize that the warranty is voided by my inaction. That is not the point of this post. The point of this post is:

1 - Help others from making the same mistake.
2 - Get an answer to why Jeep is selling vehicles with "expired oil", by their own definition, and holding their customers to a higher standard for oil changes than they are their dealerships?

pretty sure no one, on here, motor has seized from poor oil change intervals

 

[saturnfire]

One reason I did my first oil changes under 1000 miles and take it to the dealership, regardless of miles every 5 1/2 months to a week under the 6 month mark. Dealerships are only there to make money. You are no body to them. They do make exceptions to commercial buyers. Folks that buy 10-15+ vehicles a year. Too much of a hassle for me. Everyone knows that Texas Dealerships are the worst of the worst because they just don't care....with that said I try to go to the same place out in the sticks to service my vehicles.

With my older vehicles, I learn how to do almost everything myself. The biggest issues for me are all the F$%$%^%^ing sensors. But the beauty of the "interWeb" there are fixes for almost all of these . Just buy a good scan tool.

 

[Boo392]

pretty sure no one, on here, motor has seized from poor oil change intervals

I’m positive someone here hasn’t changed their oil for 6 months and 1+ days while under warranty.

 

[Huckle Monster]

Most 392 owners who baby their Jeeps and drive <5k miles a year still change it every 5–6 months and consider it cheap insurance.

I get you said "most" but I have a '24 with less than 5k on it. I've changed the oil once. Have other vehicles (Cars, motorcycles, side by sides, even golf carts) with the same or worse maintenance schedules. Never had an issue in 30+ years of vehicle ownership. One man's "Cheap Insurance" is another's "Assumed Liability". LOL. I don't vaccinate every winter either, just sayin'.

 

[great one 99]

I’m positive someone here hasn’t changed their oil for 6 months and 1+ days while under warranty.

yes and they dont have a failed engine ,im positive no person is at 2 years

 

[Ced392]

A yearly oil change on anything valuable enough is a good habit. My father-in-law does this on his tractors and other machinery. My buddy has 15-20 dealerships and he would go nuts if a car was sitting for more than 6 months.

 

[saturnfire]

For the older vehicles....I just buy the oil from wally world and do it myself. The Jeep has to be the easiest oil change to do. "It is a crime" to take it in to the dealership ...but still cheap insurance.