Full 42RLE overhaul bundle: seal kit, 21 frictions, 17 steels, valve body, speed sensor, filter and harness plug for 2003-up Jeep and Dodge.
A 42RLE that drops into second-gear limp mode, flares badly on the 2-3, or has burned clutches after a long slip rarely gets fixed with a single part. This overhaul bundle covers the whole job at once: a gasket and seal kit, 21 friction plates, 17 steel plates, a replacement valve body (04800171AA), a speed sensor (04799061AB), a filter (68059549AA) and the solenoid harness connector plug (52854001AA), so you rebuild the unit with fresh components throughout instead of guessing which single part failed.
The 42RLE is Chrysler's four-speed, rear-wheel-drive-based automatic with electronic shift control carried over from the 41TE program. The friction and steel plates in this kit make up the underdrive, overdrive, 2-4 and low/reverse clutch packs that do the actual gear changes; the valve body routes line pressure to apply them and carries the shift solenoids; and the speed sensor feeds the transmission control module the input and output shaft speed it needs to calculate ratio and time each shift. When one of those systems fails under load, it usually damages the others, which is why a full rebuild with new frictions and steels alongside the valve body and sensor outlasts replacing only the part that failed first.
Pull the pan and check the fluid condition and the magnet for metal. If the fluid is burned or carries friction material, or the transmission has already set a speed ratio code and gone into limp mode, a single-part swap usually comes back. Our Chrysler Ultradrive problems guide and slipping-under-load guide cover the diagnostic codes and Clutch Volume Index checks that tell you whether you are looking at a single clutch pack or a transmission that needs a full rebuild.
This kit is listed for 2003-and-later 42RLE units in the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Liberty, the Dodge Nitro, and Chrysler PT Cruiser applications that used this transmission. Confirm the casting tag and part numbers on your case against the ones in this kit (04800171AA valve body, 04799061AB speed sensor, 68059549AA filter) before ordering, or send your year, make, model and VIN. Browse every 41TE/42RLE-family part we stock on the 41TE parts page.
Strip the unit down, replace every friction and steel rather than reusing any, and measure clutch pack clearance against spec before buttoning it back up. Install the new valve body and torque its bolts in sequence, seat the new speed sensor with a fresh O-ring, and replace the solenoid harness connector plug at the same time since a cracked or corroded plug causes the same limp-mode symptoms as a bad sensor. If you also need the transmission filter separately for a future service, the 42RLE filter and pan gasket kit matches this build. Fill with ATF+4 and run a scan-tool quick learn before the road test so the adaptive controller starts clean against the rebuilt unit.
| Transmission | Chrysler 42RLE 4-speed RWD |
| References | 04799061AB, 04800171AA, 68059549AA, 52854001AA |
| Includes | Gasket and seal kit, 21 friction plates, 17 steel plates, valve body, speed sensor, filter, solenoid harness plug |
| Listed fitment | 2003-up Jeep Liberty, Wrangler; Dodge Nitro; Chrysler PT Cruiser |
| Shipping weight | 10.56 lb |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
A gasket and seal kit, 21 friction plates, 17 steel plates, a valve body (04800171AA), a speed sensor (04799061AB), a filter (68059549AA) and the solenoid harness connector plug (52854001AA).
2003-and-later 42RLE units in the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Liberty, the Dodge Nitro, and Chrysler PT Cruiser applications that used this transmission. Confirm the casting tag and part numbers on your case before ordering.
If the fluid is burned, the pan magnet has friction material on it, or the transmission is stuck in limp mode with a stored speed ratio code, a single-part swap usually fails again. A full rebuild with fresh frictions, steels, valve body and sensor is the more durable fix.
ATF+4 only.
A cracked or corroded harness connector plug causes the same limp-mode and code symptoms as a failed speed sensor, so replacing it during the rebuild avoids a comeback for an unrelated electrical fault.
Fill with ATF+4 and run a scan-tool quick learn procedure before the road test so the adaptive shift controller relearns against the rebuilt transmission.
