Jeep Gladiator problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 6 model years (2020–2025), NHTSA has logged 978 owner complaints and 16 safety recalls for the Jeep Gladiator. That averages 30.0 complaints per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (index 0.71 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Midsize pickups segment it ranks #5 of 5 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 20.7.
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
Across six model years from 2020 to 2025, the Jeep Gladiator recorded 978 owner complaints and 16 safety recalls, averaging 30.0 complaints per year which is fewer than typical at an index of 0.71 against all tracked vehicles. While the 2020 model year shows the highest rate at 72.1 complaints per year with 52 complaints describing a crash or fire, the 2024 model year has the lowest rate at 8.6 complaints. The most common problem area is Steering accounting for 27.9% of complaints and occurring 4.3 times as often as across all tracked vehicles, followed by Electrical at 23.4% and Transmission / powertrain at 14.0%. Owners report recurring terms such as "steering", "instrument", "wobble", "cluster" and "death", with 21 injuries reported across all model years and 0 deaths.
Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.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 (72.1 complaints per year) and the 2024 model year the lowest (8.6). Model years 2020 and 2021 run at least 50% above the model's own average — the ones to research most carefully. Model years 2023 and 2024 sit well below the model's average.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Steering (27.9% of complaints), followed by Electrical (23.4%) and Transmission / powertrain (14.0%). Steering complaints are 4.3 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Recurring terms in owner reports: “steering”, “instrument”, “wobble”, “cluster” and “death”. 52 complaints (5.3%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 21 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 211 complaints versus 208 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace. The 2020 model year generated the most recent reports (83). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 30 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 16 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 defect investigations have covered this model, 3 still open; the latest is “Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Failure” (opened 2025-10-23, still open).
Every other tracked model among Midsize pickups has fewer complaints per year, including Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Complaints in first 2 years on the road | vs. same-year average | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Years to research carefully | 481 | 72.1 | 1.71 | 181 | 3.18 | 83 | 7 | Electrical | View › |
| 2021 Years to research carefully | 289 | 50.9 | 1.21 | 116 | 1.9 | 47 | 8 ⚠ | Steering | View › |
| 2022 | 115 | 24.6 | 0.58 | 37 | 0.5 | 30 | 8 ⚠ | Steering | View › |
| 2023 | 55 | 15.0 | 0.36 | 28 | 0.34 | 19 | 6 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
| 2024 Fewest complaints | 23 | 8.6 | 0.2 | 11 | 0.16 | 18 | 2 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
| 2025 | 15 | 9.0 | 0.21 | — | — | 14 | 1 ⚠ | Electrical | View › |
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: 211 · Previous 12 months: 208 Steady
Problem areas
Transmission / powertrain ›
137 · 14.0% · 1.2 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- clutch43
- axle25
- train recall20
- power train26
Engine ›
131 · 13.4% · 0.6 vs. all vehicles · Falling
- confirmed personnel18
- malfunction reproduced18
- technical advisor17
- fca technical17
Body & structure
38 · 3.9% · 0.42 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- visor11
- windshield15
- defrost7
- sun8
Wheels, tires & suspension
36 · 3.7% · 1.48 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- wobble16
- death14
- bump10
- suspension9
Interior & equipment
33 · 3.4% · 0.38 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- apparently6
- visor3
- flames3
- clutch3
Fuel system
32 · 3.3% · 0.76 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- fuel19
- pump13
- tank10
- system diesel5
Brakes
29 · 3.0% · 0.49 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- brake23
- braking9
- caliper3
- pedal8
Lighting
18 · 1.8% · 1.18 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- led8
- brake light7
- snow6
- headlights6
Airbags & seat belts
14 · 1.4% · 0.37 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- airbags5
- deploy5
- seat belts4
- air bag4
Other
5 · 0.5% · 0.28 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.
Common terms in reports
- steering317
- instrument141
- wobble100
- cluster108
- death101
- clutch54
- speeds148
- fca53
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 30 months
What owners report
What happened: Driving on road, check engine light and traction control light appeared, smelled metallic-type odor, pulled over, before I could put it in park smoke started pouring from under the hood on passenger side.
2025 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon X. I have experienced two separate incidents in less than a month where the vehicle accelerated suddenly and violently, while attempting to park in my garage.
the driver instrument cluster has failed. completely blank no fuel gauge no odometer. was told this vin is not covered under the recall even though this is the issue behind the recall.
Component Affected: Power Train / Automatic Transmission (850RE 8-Speed)Description of Safety Hazard:While driving my 2022 Jeep Gladiator (53,940 miles), the transmission experienced a severe internal component failure, specifically throwing error code…
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH on uneven road surfaces, the vehicle experienced violent shaking in the front end and the steering wheel.
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 | 293 | 8.1 | 0.19 | Worsening | Steady | 15 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 2 | Ford Ranger | 668 | 19.3 | 0.46 | Improving | Rising | 38 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 3 | Chevrolet Colorado | 817 | 21.7 | 0.52 | Worsening | Steady | 9 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 4 | Toyota Tacoma | 929 | 26.6 | 0.63 | Stable | Rising | 15 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 5 | Jeep Gladiator | 978 | 30.0 | 0.71 | Improving | Steady | 16 | Steering |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 16
- 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)
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.  Th…
- Underhood fires Open
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 9 Vehicle Owner's Questionnaire (VOQ) reports, 1 Death and Injury report, and multiple field reports alleging incidents of engine compartment fires in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. The majority of the reports describe a fire occurring while the ignition in the vehicle was in an âOFFâ state with a suspected…
- 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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Jeep Gladiator model year has the most complaints?
The 2020 model year has the highest rate (72.1 complaints per year) and the 2024 model year the lowest (8.6).
Is the Jeep Gladiator getting better or worse?
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). In the last 12 months owners filed 211 complaints versus 208 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace.
What are the most common Jeep Gladiator problems?
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Steering (27.9% of complaints), followed by Electrical (23.4%) and Transmission / powertrain (14.0%). Recurring terms in owner reports: “steering”, “instrument”, “wobble”, “cluster” and “death”.
How does the Jeep Gladiator compare with other Midsize pickups?
Within the Midsize pickups segment it ranks #5 of 5 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 20.7. Every other tracked model among Midsize pickups has fewer complaints per year, including Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma.
Does the Jeep Gladiator have recalls or open investigations?
Recalls: 16 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 defect investigations have covered this model, 3 still open; the latest is “Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) Failure” (opened 2025-10-23, still open).