Jeep Gladiator problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 7 model years (2020–2026), NHTSA has logged 994 owner complaints and 18 safety recalls for the Jeep Gladiator. That averages 25.9 complaints per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (index 0.64 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Midsize pickups segment it ranks #4 of 5 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 20.0.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 90% below the 2020 and 2021 models (19 early complaints per model year versus 148).
The 2020 model year has the highest rate (71.3 complaints per year) and the 2024 model year the lowest (8.2). Model years 2020 and 2021 run at least 50% above this model's average of 25.9 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years. Model years 2023 and 2024 run at least 40% below this model's average of 25.9 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Steering (27.7% of complaints), followed by Electrical (23.4%) and Transmission / powertrain (14.2%). Steering complaints are 4.3 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 54 complaints (5.4%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 22 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 203 complaints versus 211 in the previous 12 months — down 4%. The 2020 model year generated the most recent reports (75). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 30 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 18 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2022 (4), 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning, 1 fixable over the air. 3 NHTSA investigations have covered this model, 2 still open; the latest is “Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Failure” (preliminary evaluation, opened 2025-10-23, still open).
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Colorado, but fewer than Toyota Tacoma.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 ▲50%+ | 484 | 71.3 | 1.77 | 75 | 7 | Electrical | View › |
| 2021 ▲50%+ | 292 | 50.5 | 1.25 | 48 | 8 ⚠ | Steering | View › |
| 2022 | 120 | 25.1 | 0.62 | 30 | 8 ⚠ | Steering | View › |
| 2023 | 57 | 15.0 | 0.37 | 17 | 6 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
| 2024 Fewest complaints | 23 | 8.2 | 0.2 | 16 | 2 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 15 | 8.4 | 0.21 | 14 | 1 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 3 | 3.0 | 0.07 | 3 | 2 | Engine | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 203 · Previous 12 months: 211 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Steering ›
275 · 27.7% · 4.32 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Electrical ›
233 · 23.4% · 1.49 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Transmission / powertrain ›
141 · 14.2% · 1.21 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Engine ›
132 · 13.3% · 0.6 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Body & structure
38 · 3.8% · 0.42 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
37 · 3.7% · 1.49 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Unspecified or other
34 · 3.4% · 0.38 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
33 · 3.3% · 0.77 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Brakes
31 · 3.1% · 0.52 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
18 · 1.8% · 1.17 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Airbags & seat belts
14 · 1.4% · 0.37 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
5 · 0.5% · 0.27 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Driver-assist systems
3 · 0.3% · 0.05 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 30 months
What owners report
Emergency brake not working properly consistently, loosens, has been repaired, replaced, still fails, loosens. Have had 2 accidents related to this, leg was run over.
My husband parked this car in my driveway at 8:15 pm. Our security cameras show a spark under the car at 8:35. By 8:42 the front half of the car was completely engulfed in flames. The front half of the car is totally burned.
My 2020 Jeep Gladiator has been experiencing transmission slipping, jerking at 20–30 mph, and rough shifting into Reverse, with diagnostic code P0733.
The interior driver's side door latch lever is experiencing extreme delamination. The "liquid chrome" silver coating has cracked and peeled away from the plastic lever.
While I was driving home with 2 of my boys, the instrument cluster malfunctioned and went completely blank while driving. I had a mechanic check the vehicle and the fuses were/are working fine.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Midsize pickups
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nissan Frontier | 316 | 8.7 | 0.21 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 15 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 2 | Ford Ranger | 713 | 18.8 | 0.47 | Improving | Rising | 41 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 3 | Chevrolet Colorado | 857 | 21.2 | 0.53 | Worsening | Rising | 9 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 4 | Jeep Gladiator | 994 | 25.9 | 0.64 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 18 | Steering |
| 5 | Toyota Tacoma | 965 | 27.2 | 0.67 | Stable | Rising | 15 | Transmission / powertrain |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 18
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 1
- Over-the-air fix: 1
Safety recalls: 2020 (7) · 2021 (8) · 2022 (8) · 2023 (6) · 2024 (2) · 2025 (1) · 2026 (2)
Investigations
- Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Failure Open
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) is opening a Preliminary Evaluation on 2020 Model Year Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers involving a malfunctioning Instrument Panel Clusters (IPC) resulting in the loss of important vehicle metrics and other status information. ODI has received 89 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging a complete or partial loss of the IPC display while driving. The …
- High pressure fuel pump failure Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, ODI sought to determine if the related defect alle…
- Underhood fires Closed
On September 6, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24024 to investigate allegations of engine compartment fires in model year 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. Most reports described fires starting on the front passenger side of the engine compartment while the vehicle was turned off, with several originating specifically at the electrohyd…