Anyone switched oil types with success?

Bought my 2020 Cherokee Latitude (first mistake) and it’s running 0W20 as recommended by the mechanic and dealer. But here’s the issue… it’s guzzling oil like it’s going out of style, and I think the oil sensor might be messed up too. Every few hundred feet, I get an oil change alert even if I just did one.

I’ve read online that Cherokees can use other oil types like 5W30 or 10W30. It’s got me wondering if 0W oil is just too thin and maybe why it’s burning through so fast. Has anyone here switched oil types and seen any improvement? This seems like a common issue with these models, so I’d really appreciate any advice.

Honestly, I’d just top up the oil and look at trading it in. From what I’ve read, it sounds like there’s a known issue with the piston rings not sealing well against the cylinders, which causes this. Switching oil weight probably won’t fix that.

@Charlie
That sounds like a major defect. My parents have a 2020 Grand Cherokee, and they haven’t had a single issue yet. It only has about 21,000 miles, though.

@Charlie
Yeah, I’m thinking about trading it in… only problem is finding something similar in the same price range as when I got it. Keeping my eyes open, though. Thanks for the input!

Keir said:
@Charlie
Yeah, I’m thinking about trading it in… only problem is finding something similar in the same price range as when I got it. Keeping my eyes open, though. Thanks for the input!

Yeah, sadly, they’re just not worth much because they don’t have the best reputation.

@Palmer
Yep, can’t argue with that :sweat_smile:

Keir said:
@Charlie
Yeah, I’m thinking about trading it in… only problem is finding something similar in the same price range as when I got it. Keeping my eyes open, though. Thanks for the input!

If you’re set on keeping it, your only option might be taking it to a shop that can replace the piston rings with properly sized ones. Really makes you wonder why Jeep hasn’t recalled it.

I feel you on the oil issue. I’ve used 5W20 in our Compass with the 2.4 engine and 5W30 in my Wrangler since day one. But the oil consumption problem goes beyond just the oil weight. You could try a heavier oil and see if it helps a little, but as others here have mentioned, it’s likely leaking through the piston rings. It’s frustrating, but they did upgrade the piston rings in 2021, and we haven’t had any issues with ours since then, so it’s definitely a fixable problem. Are you still under warranty?

@Peyton
Honestly, probably not. That would be too convenient! I’ll definitely double-check, though. Thanks for the tip!

Keir said:
@Peyton
Honestly, probably not. That would be too convenient! I’ll definitely double-check, though. Thanks for the tip!

How many miles are you at? The powertrain warranty is 5 years/60k miles, so you should be covered by time if nothing else.

@Peyton
Oh wow, I didn’t know that! I’m only at 40,000 miles, so I’ll have to check if mine was the 3-year one. Definitely should’ve gotten the extended warranty… hindsight, right?

Keir said:
@Peyton
Oh wow, I didn’t know that! I’m only at 40,000 miles, so I’ll have to check if mine was the 3-year one. Definitely should’ve gotten the extended warranty… hindsight, right?

Yeah, the powertrain warranty lasts longer than the bumper-to-bumper (which is only 3 years/36k). So you should be okay.

My wife has a 2016 Renegade, and we’re seeing the same thing with 0W20… can’t believe how quickly it goes through oil.

It’s not the oil causing the issue; it’s probably the oil rings that aren’t sealing right.

An engine burning oil this fast isn’t normal. It’s usually more than just the oil type. If the oil’s leaking, you might see oil puddles under the car or an oil-covered engine, which could mean a gasket issue. If you see gray smoke coming from the exhaust that smells like burnt oil, that’s almost always a sign of bad piston rings.