Explainer
Pentastar V6 Oil Capacity and Oil Type by Model Year, 2015-2027
Quarts, viscosity grade and Stellantis oil standard for the 3.6L Pentastar V6 in 17 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram nameplates, with year-by-year changes and source conflicts.
By the Midwest CDJR editorsUpdated November 8, 20266 min read
The short answer: a 3.6L Pentastar takes either 5 or 6 quarts of oil with a filter, and either 5W‑20 or 0W‑20, and the right pair depends on the vehicle and the model year, not on the engine. In the owner's-manual data we hold for 2015 through 2027, 17 nameplates list a 3.6L engine. Six quarts goes with the Durango in every year listed, the pre-2018 Wrangler, the two-row Grand Cherokee through 2021, the Charger, Challenger and 300, and the older vans. Five quarts goes with the newer Wrangler, the Gladiator, the Pacifica and Voyager, the Grand Cherokee L, and the Ram 1500 from 2019.
Every one of those listings cites the same Stellantis oil standard, MS‑6395, whether the grade printed beside it is 5W‑20 or 0W‑20. That is why the viscosity can move between years without the standard changing. The tables below come from the manual capacity and fluid tables in our research database, one row per vehicle and year range. If you pull your own oil in a Minneapolis driveway or a Des Moines shop bay, this is the lookup to have open.
The 3.6L at a glance by nameplate
"Qt" is quarts of engine oil with filter, as the manual lists it. Grades are as printed for the 3.6L.
| Vehicle and years | Oil with filter | Grade listed | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep Wrangler JK, 2015–2018 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Wrangler JL, 2018–2027 | 5 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Jeep Gladiator, 2020–2027 | 5 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2015 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Grand Cherokee, 2016–2021 two-row | 6 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Grand Cherokee L and WL, 2021–2025 and 2027 | 5 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Dodge Durango, 2015 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Durango, 2016–2027 | 6 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Dodge Charger, 2015–2023 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Dodge Challenger, 2015–2023 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Chrysler 300, 2015–2023 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Chrysler 200, 2015–2017 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Chrysler Pacifica, 2017–2027 | 5 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Chrysler Voyager, 2020–2026 | 5 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Town & Country, 2015–2016 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan, 2015–2020 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Dodge Journey, 2015–2019 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Ram 1500, 2015–2018 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Ram 1500, 2019–2027 | 5 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Ram 1500 Classic, 2019–2024 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Ram ProMaster, 2015–2021 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| ProMaster, 2022–2027 | 6 qt | 0W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
| Ram Cargo Van, 2015 | 6 qt | 5W‑20 | MS‑6395 |
A few footnotes keep the table honest. The 2018 model year holds two Wranglers, the older JK at 6 quarts and the all-new JL at 5. The 2022 Grand Cherokee page carries a "WK carryover" row at 6 quarts next to the new two-row model's 5. The Grand Cherokee has no 3.6L oil row in the manual data for 2026 (more on that below), and the Charger and Challenger 3.6L rows end with 2023. The 2024-2025 Charger pages hold no 3.6L oil row, and the 2026-2027 Charger rows list 3.0L engines instead.
Where the grade changes
The year a vehicle moves from 5W‑20 to 0W‑20 is the question behind most "5W‑20 vs 0W‑20 Pentastar" searches, and the answer is different per model:
- Grand Cherokee and Durango: 5W‑20 in 2015, 0W‑20 from 2016 on.
- Wrangler: the JK stays at 5W‑20 through 2018. The JL lists 0W‑20 from its first model year, 2018.
- Ram 1500: 5W‑20 for 2015-2018, 0W‑20 from 2019. The Classic, which kept selling alongside the new truck, stays on 5W‑20 through its last listed year, 2024.
- ProMaster: 5W‑20 through 2021, 0W‑20 starting 2022.
- Charger, Challenger, 300: the 3.6L stays at 5W‑20 through 2023. The 5.7L HEMI in the same cars switched to 0W‑20 in 2022, which is an easy way to put the wrong oil in a V6 if you work from a HEMI chart.
- Pacifica, Voyager, Gladiator: 0W‑20 is the only grade in every year through 2026. The 2027 Gladiator and Pacifica rows add 5W‑20 (see the next section).
From 2022, the manuals add words such as "full synthetic" and the API Starburst mark for 0W‑20 oils. The Charger, Challenger and 300 rows for 2022-2023, and the Classic rows for 2020 and 2022-2024, also name 5W‑30 as an acceptable substitute if 5W‑20 cannot be found. So does a 2019 Classic row, and several Ram 1500 rows from 2015, 2016 and 2018. These are backup instructions in the manuals, not a change of the primary grade.
The 2026-2027 wording
Newer manuals widen the choice for some vehicles. The 2027 rows for the Wrangler, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Durango, Ram 1500 and ProMaster list 0W‑20 full synthetic and add 5W‑20 as a second grade. The 2027 Pacifica does the same except on the LX, whose row lists 0W‑20 full synthetic only. The 2026 Durango rows already carry that wider wording. The standard is still MS‑6395. The earlier 0W‑20 rows name one primary grade.
eTorque and hybrid variants
The 3.6L comes with a belt-driven mild-hybrid assist in a few places, and the manuals do not list a separate oil capacity for it:
- Wrangler: the spec sheets show 3.6L eTorque availability from 2020 through 2023 (Sahara in 2020; Sport, Sahara and Rubicon in 2021-2023 with the automatic). From 2024 the sheets' 3.6L availability lines no longer mention eTorque. The manual capacity stays 5 qt for each of those years.
- Ram 1500: the sheets label the 3.6L "with eTorque" from 2019 and the manual lists one 3.6L capacity, 5 qt from 2019 on.
- Pacifica Hybrid (variant rows from 2017 through 2026): the plug-in hybrid's 3.6L row shows the same 5 qt and 0W‑20 as the gas minivan.
Where the sources disagree
Our database holds both the owner's manual tables and the engineering spec sheets, and they do not always match on the 3.6L:
| Vehicle and years | Manual table | Spec sheet |
|---|---|---|
| Ram 1500, 2019–2027 | 5 qt | 6.0 quarts (5.7 liters) |
| Jeep Gladiator, 2020–2027 | 5 qt (4.73 or 4.7 L) | 5.7 quarts (5.4 liters) |
| Dodge Journey, 2015–2019 | 6 qt with 5W‑20 | 5.5 quarts with filter, "SAE 10W‑30 MAF" |
| Grand Cherokee, 2026 | no 3.6L row listed | 5.0 quarts (4.7 liters) for both the two-row and the L |
| Chrysler 200, 2015–2017 | 6 qt with 5W‑20 | 6 quarts (5.7 liters) with dry filter, "SAE 5W30" |
For the Ram 1500, the sheet row says 6.0 quarts for the eTorque 3.6L in every year from 2019 while the manual row says 5. For the Gladiator the sheet runs 0.7 quart higher than the manual in every year. We do not know which figure is right for your truck and we are not choosing; when the two differ, the manual in your glovebox and the dipstick are the tie-breakers. Add oil in steps and check the level rather than pouring in the full printed amount.
How to check your own vehicle
Begin with your 17-character VIN in the decoder page. For a 2018 Wrangler or a 2022 Grand Cherokee that settles which of the two generations you own, and with it the 5 versus 6 quart question. After that, the spec explorer shows the capacity and fluid rows for your exact year, including every row quoted above.
