Jeep Gladiator Complaints

996 consumer complaints on file.

#11449656January 31, 2022
STEERING, SUSPENSION
The "death wobble." When driving over 55mph even the slightest bump will set off a violent chain reaction of vibrations. This causes unsafe driving conditions and loss of control. The only way to regain control is to quickly slow down to less than 55mph and at highway speeds this is extremely dangerous. Jeep has failed to fix this and wont even acknowledge that it is an issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448783January 25, 2022
STEERING, SUSPENSION
In January 2021, my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland became unstable at normal freeway speeds (60-75 mph) on many occasions. The slightest bump or surface irregularity stimulates a violent and sustaining side-to-side vehicle shudder/vibration from the front suspension that was very extreme that lasted for over 2 minutes or until the vehicle slowed to around 60 mph; where stable vehicle behavior restored. This extreme instability and needed hard braking creates a serious driving hazard. I have taken it to 2 separate dealers who cannot find any issue and are unwilling to investigate unless it happens in their presence even with video proof. I have also taken to a tire shop and had the tires re-balanced and put on a road force machine. The tire shop found no issues with the tires or balancing. This started at about 23,000 miles and occurs more as the temperatures drop. This failure mode is severe, occurs without warning, is not detectable until it occurs and is very frightening. My Jeep has stock, factory wheels and factory tires in good balance with no visible or abnormal tread wear. This is a dangerous condition that needs immediate correction. A 1 year old vehicle with 23,000 miles in excellent condition, no accident history and no modifications should not be doing this. Side note; I did have to have the engine replaced after 11 months of ownership and the Jeep came from the factory with cracked spark plugs and had the spark plugs replaced after 1 week of ownership. This is an ongoing issue with no resolution.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448503January 23, 2022
SUSPENSION
In December, 2021, my 2021 Jeep Willys Gladiator became unstable at normal freeway speeds (70-75 mph) on ~8 occasions. At these speeds, the slightest bump or surface irregularity stimulates a violent and sustaining side-to-side vehicle shudder from the front suspension that was so extreme that it splashed my cola and ice from the center cup holder to the dashboard and doors. R-L-R Steering inputs had no effect and hard braking had no effect until the vehicle slowed to around 60 mph; where stable vehicle behavior restored. This extreme instability and needed hard braking creates a serious driving hazard. The dealer is installing a new steering damper. The engineer in me says there is a bearing, bushing or ball joint as root cause. This defect manifested at ~23,000 miles and occurs more readily as the temperatures drop below 20 deg F. This failure mode is severe, occurs without warning, is not detectable until it occurs and its effect is panic-inducing. My Jeep has stock, factory aluminum wheels and normal sized Michelin All-Season radial tires in good balance with no visible or abnormal tread wear. I ordered this vehicle new on 3/1/2021. The 'Gladiator forum' calls this condition "death wobble". Anecdotally, the condition appears to be associated with vehicles having "lift kits" as well as stock vehicles. My 'Willys Jeep is built by FCA with a modest suspension lift relative to the base Gladiator models. Other (anecdotal) owner information has identified loose ball joints, defective drag link bushings and steering free play as root causes in other new, low mileage vehicles. I am a retired engineer with vehicle development, professional driving and prototype vehicle experience. This is a dangerous condition that needs immediate correction. A 7-month old vehicle with 25,000 miles in excellent condition, no accident history and no modifications SHOULD NEVER DO THIS. A steering damper may reduce this death wobble but there is a more likely root cause.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448288January 20, 2022
STEERING
Driving at speeds between 55-75 mph, when the gladiator hits a bump in the road (most commonly a straight bridge gap) the entire front end shakes uncontrollably. When speeding up the shake gets worse. The only remedy is to drop the speed 7-10 mph to stop the shaking. The jeep has been taking in and the steering dampener was replaced, the problem started again about 1 year later. It seems to be worse when the temperature is below 40 degrees.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448257January 20, 2022
SUSPENSION
My jeep has bottomed out multiple times on normal road bumps. I've owned 4 other jeeps and have never experienced this before I've noticed there is one 3" of travel allotted between the front axle and the bump stops and I under stand that the diesel motor weight more than the 3.6l but to not compensate for the extra weight and running the same suspension setup as the 3.6l is not even right.... To spend 57,000$ on a vehicle that I can't just drive down the road without having to watch for bumps or manhole cover because I don't want to jar my back is no peace of mind.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11448205January 20, 2022
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering assist. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle with manual steering functionality. The contact stated that one and a half miles later the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact pulled to the nearest parking lot and notified the dealer of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,900.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447739January 17, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I am getting a "service shifter" error and then my power steering goes out and the vehicle goes into "limp mode" This has happened at 70mph on the highway causing me to almost lose control of the vehicle around turns and slow down to an unsafe speed. I have taken it to multiple dealers that could not duplicate the issue but could see codes in the system. The vehicle is once again in the shop now and they are trying to blame everything but the Jeep itself. I know a few other Gladiator owners this has happened to.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447541January 14, 2022
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle auto starts when the AC is turned on with the Auto HAVC set to off. The owner’s manual states that “the engine will start automatically when” the “Actual cabin temperature is significantly different than temperature set on Auto HVAC.” The vehicle is operating in direct conflict with owner’s manual. This auto start issue poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly start and may begin to roll when the driver is not ready. Additionally, if someone is operating on or under the vehicle, it will result in a serious injury or the loss of a finger when the vehicle auto starts in violation of the driver’s intent. The unexpected / wanted start could cause a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447539January 14, 2022
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle auto starts when the fan is turned on without the AC. The owner’s manual does not list this as one of the “Conditions that will cause the engine to start automatically”. The vehicle is operating in direct conflict with owner’s manual. This auto start issue poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly start and may begin to roll when the driver is not ready. Additionally, if someone is operating on or under the vehicle, it will result in a serious injury or the loss of a finger when the vehicle auto starts in violation of the driver’s intent. The unexpected / wanted start could cause a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447536January 14, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
The vehicle auto starts when the defrost is turned on below the max or full setting. The owner’s manual specifies that “the engine will start automatically when” the “HVAC is set to full defrost mode”. The vehicle is operating in direct conflict with owner’s manual. This auto start issue poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly start and may begin to roll when the driver is not ready. Additionally, if someone is operating on or under the vehicle, it will result in a serious injury or the loss of a finger when the vehicle auto starts in violation of the driver’s intent. The unexpected / wanted start could cause a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447535January 14, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle auto starts when the brake pedal is pressed. The owner’s manual does not list this as one of the “Conditions that will cause the engine to start automatically”. The vehicle is operating in direct conflict with owner’s manual. This auto start issue poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly start and begin to roll when the driver is not ready. Additionally, if someone is operating on or under the vehicle, it will result in a serious injury or the loss of a finger when the vehicle auto starts in violation of the driver’s intent. The unexpected / wanted start could cause a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 Jeep dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447533January 14, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The vehicle auto starts when opening the driver’s door. This is not listed under “Conditions that will cause the engine to start automatically while in STOP/START AUTO STOP ACTIVE mode” in the owner’s manual. Other Jeep models do not auto start upon opening the driver’s door. This auto start issue poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly start and begin to roll when the driver’s door is open and the driver is not properly secure in the driver seat. The unexpected / wanted start could cause a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 Jeep dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447532January 14, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle auto stops when the defrost is turned off, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifies that “HVAC is set to full defrost mode” will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of initiating the event. Additionally, this issue occurs when the HVAC is operating at less than full defrost mode. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops in traffic which confuses and distracts the driver. The unexpected / wanted stop in heavy traffic could cause a rear-end collision leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447531January 14, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, STEERING
The vehicle auto stops when the steering wheel is turned, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifies that “Steering angle beyond threshold” will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of initiating the event. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops in traffic which confuses and distracts the driver. The unexpected / wanted stop in heavy traffic could cause a rear-end collision leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447530January 14, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, AIR BAGS
The failure of the vehicle’s safety condition check for an empty driver’s seat for an auto stop indicates that the “Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)” and/or the “Advanced Front Air Bag system” are not receiving proper information. This creates a serious safety hazard as the front air bags may not deploy or may not “adjust the inflation rate of the Advanced Front Air Bags” as specified in the owner’s manual. For driver safety, these systems and their associated sensors should be fully examined and tested. The vehicle auto stops when the driver’s seat is not occupied, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifically states that if the “Driver’s seat is not occupied” that the “engine will not stop.” Note that this system safety check is separate and distinct from the “Driver’s seat belt is not buckled” check. The vehicle fails to properly check for the empty driver’s seat safety condition before initiating an auto stop. The associated auto stop malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 Jeep dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“, despite the vehicle operating in violation of the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447525January 14, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, SEATS
The vehicle auto stops when the driver’s seat is not occupied, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifically states that if the “Driver’s seat is not occupied” that the “engine will not stop.” Note that this system safety check is separate and distinct from the “Driver’s seat belt is not buckled” check. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. The vehicle fails to properly check for the empty driver’s seat safety condition before auto stop. This auto stop violates Jeep’s published safety check condition and poses a serious safety hazard. This issue poses additionally serious safety hazards as the vehicle will shut off with the driver outside the vehicle, leaving the driver with an incorrect understanding that the vehicle is properly locked out from an auto start condition. Therefore, if the driver is operating on or under the vehicle with it auto stopped, the passenger can unintendedly auto start the vehicle resulting in a serious injury or the loss of a finger. Additionally, in thinking that the vehicle is off the driver may leave the vehicle unattended in their garage and after 5 minutes the vehicle will auto start filling the garage / house with toxic fumes and presenting a serious life-threatening fire hazard. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447522January 14, 2022
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle auto stops when the hood is closed and the driver remains in the seat with the seat belt buckled. The owner’s manual specifies that an open hood will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of closing the hood initiating the event. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops which confuses and distracts the driver. Additionally, after jump starting another vehicle, the vehicle’s battery may be sufficiently depleted. Upon closing the hood, the vehicle could auto stop, and with the numerous other malfunctions impacting the auto stop system the vehicle may not be able to restart possibly leaving the driver stranded. The unexpected / wanted auto stop could cause a rear-end collision of the stranded vehicle leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447518January 14, 2022
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle auto stops when turning down or turning off the climate controls, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. This condition is not listed as one of the three conditions to activate an auto stop in the owner’s manual. This condition is also not listed as one of the conditions that will inhibit the vehicle from an auto stop in the owner’s manual. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops in traffic which confuses and distracts the driver. The unexpected / wanted stop in heavy traffic could cause a rear-end collision leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 different dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447513January 14, 2022
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEAT BELTS
The vehicle auto stops when putting on the driver’s seat belt, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifies that if the “Driver’s seat belt is not buckled” it will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of the act of buckling the seat belt initiating the auto stop. Furthermore, the instrument cluster does not present a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents factually incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops creating driver confusion and distraction. Additionally, this creates a serious safety hazard as the issue inhibits the driver from attempting to flee an emergency situation, wherein the driver hops into an idling vehicle, plugs in their seat belt, and the vehicle turns itself off. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 different dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447506January 14, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System activates and shuts off the vehicle while the instrument cluster reads “STOP/START NOT READY”, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. Per the owner’s manual, the first condition for an Auto Stop with a manual transmission is that the instrument cluster must read “READY”. Other Jeep vehicles, clearly show “READY” on the instrument cluster before shutting off. However, the Jeep Gladiator presents a false / incorrect “NOT READY” notification to the driver on the instrument cluster before shutting off. This anomaly with the Auto Stop / Start System distracts the driver and creates confusion impeding normal driving operations such as stopping at traffic lights / signs, pedestrian areas, and parking lots. This poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly shut off when the driver is not prepared and presented with an incorrect notification warning. In heavy traffic, this could lead to a stalled vehicle and a rear-end collision. The “NOT READY” malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 different dealership, who expressed safety concerns. The “NOT READY” malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle was “operating as designed“. The vehicle is NOT operating as designed, as the Jeep design engineers would likely not design a vehicle that presents blatantly incorrect information to the driver. If this display screen on the instrument provides false information to the driver, other displays may also provide false readings to the driver. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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