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.
2020 Jeep Gladiator complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2020 record →
First, my secondary battery died 1.5 yrs into ownership and completely disabled my vehicle at a stop light, which left me nearly getting slammed into multiple times from the rear at an extremely busy intersection. There was no warning that the battery was failing — no “idiot light” — and a fire truck had to assist in getting me to safety. I was stranded for 3.5 hrs awaiting a tow to the dealership, who kept it for a week before it was replaced. Secondly, I have had no less than 5 terrifying “death wobble” incidents to date with the truck when traveling on the freeway at high speeds of 65 - 75 mph. My truck is stock from the factory with no modifications to suspension, tires, or anything, so this should NOT be happening. I stopped by a local dealership and was told that I would need the Fox steering dampener to fix this but no one seems to be able to asses my truck to rectify and replace it without forcing me to leave it for days or even a week or more, which I cannot do since I’m in outside sales and this is my work truck. As per your website, I have discovered an existing recall on this same issue for the 2018 - 2019 Jeep Wrangler. Apparently, Jeep has carried forward this issue to their new Gladiators. This is an VERY DANGEROUS defect. This appears to have generated 91 reports as per this article: https://pickuptrucktalk.com/2020/08/jeep-addresses-gladiator-wrangler-steering-issue/ It is also addressed in this article: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/the-2020-jeep-gladiator-ha
Driving at highway speeds vehicle is almost uncontrollable. Has dead spots in the steering. When you hit a bump it is super hard to control. Have to slow down most of the time to keep from veering into other lanes. Now it makes a horrible popping sound. Hate driving thus thing
The visors come out of their sockets which result in blocking one's vision and making the visor not only useless but a safety issue. It bugs me that there are all kind of YouTube videos about how to fix this and they say that getting the Jeep replacement kit results in the same thing happening. I don't understand why Jeep has not fixed an obvious problem and issued a recall. We certainly did nothing to cause the visors to come out of their sockets. This is obvious and doesn't require that it be confirmed by a dealer. There is no warning when the visor will initially break and no warning when it can fall down and block your view. The normal road vibrations are enough to cause it to fall out.
Two missing Bolts on Rear Drivers side break caliber.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the front end of the vehicle suddenly experienced severe shaking and vibration. The contact indicated that the failure occurred immediately after driving onto a bridge. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000.
Constant issue with what is commonly known as death wobble. Dealer will not fix. Nearly uncontrollable when hitting uneven bumps. Have to slow down well below traffic speed to get it to stop.
2020 JEEP GLADIATOR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AN ISSUE WITH THE REAR LEFT AXLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE MADE A CLUNKY NOISE. MULTIPLE REPAIR ATTEMPTS WERE MADE AND DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE LAST REPAIR ATTEMPT WAS TO REPLACE THE DIFFERENTIAL, BUT THE PART WAS UNAVAILBLE WITH NO POSSIBLE ETA INFORMATION.
While exiting the vehicle from the front passenger door, I put my left hand on the door frame to close the front door. Simultaneously, the passenger in the rear passenger side exited the vehicle and closed the door. One of my fingers got caught between the door frame and the door and severed part of my my finger off. While I understand closing the door on my hand is not Jeeps fault, the normal result of closing the door on a finger is not instant amputation! I used a stick to see if I could replicate the results, and 100% of the time the door snapped the stick when placed above the door hinge. If that had been a childs hand, it would have cut it clean off.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V028000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Truck had very low power from day 1. Start/stop functionality mpcb short. Engine shacking and making noises. Engine burns oil. Trucks fuel economy is worse then a v12!I was getting 14 miles per gallon. The steering sucks it tilts to the right. Truck feels very unsafe to steer. The steering radius on ir is terrible. Trucks engine temperature goes up when is idling. Starter was staying on and hard to start. Engine would stall crossing the street. Engine stalled in the highway going 65 mph.it generated 10 check engine codes.the chassis of the truck is not completely welded trough. There is gaps all over it.over all the truck flimsy and unstable. The 4x4 was making noises. My oil would get black after 3k miles of driving it.If I was to leave truck on for it to get warm or cold any body could jump in and steal it, even if I have the keys. Truck started having issues at 7 k miles Ac didn’t blow very cold air. Hot air from outside will come in the pit. At last truck broke down it stalled in the middle of a intersection, or would not no into neutral to push it out of the road. I was trying to start it but the stater was very sluggish and after 3 times of me pushing on the start button it started smoking, when I saw this I panicked and trying to make it stop from starting but the starter kept going and going until it kept smoking after 5 minutes it stoped, I open the hood and it smelled like a electrical fire, I was going to call the fire department but it ceased smoking, so I stopped
My Jeep Gladiator at high speeds drifts constantly from side to side. I just completed a 14 hour trip mostly at highway speeds and I was in fear of my life as the jeep CONSTANTLY drifted in my lane and into other lanes the entire trip. It is clear that the steering mechanism and how the car handles is very SUB PAR and will cause accidents. I am very concerned about going back on the road with this car and will NOT use this on long trips. I am completely exhausted from making adjustments with the wheel to keep me from running into other cars and trucks. I need to know what can be done to FIX this problem?
I was driving, accelerating into heavy traffic, and just about to go under an overpass (sunny day), when the Forward Collision System activated and hard-braked me to a stop, nearly causing an accident with the vehicle behind me. Although there was a car in front of me, it was not close and there was no danger of a collision (it was accelerating). Worse, no warnings came from the system until it started braking. This has happened several times, always in heavy traffic, and always on a underpass or lower bridge deck. I'm going to have to turn this system off, because I don't want to get rear-ended. My FCS is on the medium setting.
At any speed above 10 miles per hour, the steering feels really loose. Very dangerous at highway speeds where I am constantly having to correct my wandering vehicle in order to keep it in a lane. I only have 4500 miles on the truck and it has been like this since I purchased it. For an almost 60k vehicle, it handles like an 60’s model Ford with manual steering. The dead zone in the steering wheel is ridiculous for a vehicle from the 21st century. This vehicle will cause a crash if you are not careful with the over-correction.
IN MOTION; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, SWAY AT DISCONNECT, SHIFTER, SPEED CONTROL, NO BUS, SERVICE AIRBAG, COOLING FAN BEGAN RACING, SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE TO NEUTRAL , FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTION READING EMPTY, RED LIGHT OVER TEMP GAUGE WENT ON , ERRATIC STEERING AND BRAKING ; VERY UNNERVING, WENT IN TO BE FIXED AND AFTER 2 1/2 WEEKS I RECEIVED IT BACK LAST TUESDAY APRIL 27TH, AND YESTERDAY MAY 1ST CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON , THIS TIME WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON AND CAN'T TURN OFF , ABS LIGHT ON AGAIN.
ONE OR MORE OF THE SUSPENSION KITS SOLD BY ROCK KRAWLER USED INFERIOR MATERIALS IN THE CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS THAT WILL BREAK DOWN WITH THE USE OF HYDROCARBONS (GREASE) CAUSING SLOP/PLAY IN THEM WHICH COULD CAUSE ERRATIC AND OR LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL PARTICULARLY IN THE FRONT ARMS. THEIR ARMS REQUIRE THAT THEY BE GREASED PERIODICALLY AS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THEY DID NOT MAIL OUT ANY NOTICES TO THE CUSTOMERS THAT PRUCHASED THE DEFECTIVE ARMS BUT RATHER LEFT IT UP TO THE CONSUMERS TO FIND OUT ON THEIR OWN. THEY HAVE A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE AND A LINK ON THEIR WEBSITE IN REFERENCE TO A TSB #2 BUT UNAWARE CUSTOMERS MAY BE IN JEOPARDY WITH THE SAFETY OF THEIR LIVES OR OTHERS. THE BUSHINGS AS THEY STATE WERE SUPPLIED BY DAYSTAR. HERE IS A LINK TO THEIR WEBSITE LISTING THE TSB'S: HTTPS://ROCKKRAWLER.COM/TECHNICAL-SERVICE-BULLETINS/
THE VEHICLE RADIO WILL EXPERIENCE A VERY LOUD POPPING SOUND THROUGH THE BASE RADIO SPEAKERS AS IT APPEARS TO SHORT OUT WHILE AT START UP OR DRIVING. THIS IS VERY STARTLING AND DISTRACTING TO THE DRIVER AND MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THE RADIO ALSO LOSES TIME OFTEN, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 13 TIMES FOR THIS. JEEP CARES ADVISED ME TO GET TSB ( TECHNICIAN SERVICE BULLETIN) # 08-015-21. THIS UPDATE WAS SUPPOSE TO FIX " EVERYTHING " THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. WHEN AT START UP THE RADIO WENT TO A BLACK SCREEN AND LOCKED UP FOR NEARLY A WEEK. THE NEXT WEEK IT BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN AND THEN WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY THE LOUD POP APPEARED AGAIN AS THE RADIO SHORTED OUT AS IT HAS BEEN. A VIDEO OF THE LOCKED UP RADIO AND INFORMATION WAS SENT TO JEEP CARES WHO DISMISSED THESE EVENTS SAYING TO JUST TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT OCCURRES. THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE AS IT ONLY LAST ABOUT A MINUTE WHEN IT SHORTS OUT WITH THE STARTLING POP SOUND. JEEP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THESE BASE RADIOS SINCE 2018 AND NOW IN 2021 MY JEEP GLADIATOR IS STILL UNCHANGED, THE SUPPOSED TSB FIX HAS FIXED NOTHING. THE SUDDEN STARTLING LOUD SOUND HAS JARRED ME ENOUGH TO NEARLY GO OUT OF MY LANE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AS IT IS COMPARATIVELY LOUD AS A RIFLE BEING FIRED FROM THE SPEAKERS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY CONCERN AS JEEP SEEMS TO BE IGNORING CUSTOMERS CONCERNS ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I HIT A GUARDRAIL AT 70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE WITH THE FRONT RIGHT BUMPER AND ROLLED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY AIRBAGS DEPLOYING.
JEEP WONDERS TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT HAVING TO COORRECT THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE TIME
MANUFACTURE SAFETY RECALL ISSUED NHTSA#21V-028, RECALL #Y07 2018-2020 JL & 2020 JT SOFTWARE UPDATE. THE IS STILL NO SOLUTION FROM JEEP. IT'S BEEN OVER 3 MONTHS.
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE STEERING CONSTANTLY WANDERS LEFT TO RIGHT. STEERING RESPONSE IS VERY SLOW AND IS VERY DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AS VEHICLE PULLS TO LEFT OR RIGHT CAUSING DANGEROUS OVER CORRECTION BECAUSE OF UNRESPONSIVE STEERING. THE PROBLEM OCCURS IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND HAD HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS NEW. VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 5300 MILES ON IT. THE CHRYSLER DEALER HAS NO INTEREST IN TAKING CARE OF THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY CHRYSLER THAT CONFIRMS THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.
VERY SPONGINESS, BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. BOTH WHEN TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE AND WHEN IN MOTION ON CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TO A JEEP GLADIATOR DEALER, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BUT NOT FIX THE BRAKE PROBLEMS.
I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE DEC 15, 2020. I HAVE LESS THAN 3,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, AND I HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE LESS THAN 3 MONTHS. THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR BROKE AT THE MOUNT, WHICH CREATES A VISIBILITY ISSUE BECAUSE IT HANGS AND OBSTRUCTS THE VIEW TO DRIVE SAFELY. I NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER MOUNT FOR THE VISOR IS ALSO LOOSE/HAS A LOT OF PLAY. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH GLADIATORS AND WRANGLERS AS THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THEM BEFORE AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OWNERS OF THESE MODELS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE ON PRACTICALLY NEW VEHICLES OR AT LOW MILEAGE.
DRIVER VISOR AT MOUNT POINT BROKE CAUSING VISOR TO HANG AND OBSTRUCT DRIVER VIEW OF WINDSHIELD. TRUCK HAS BEEN DRIVEN LESS THAN 3000 MILES/3 MONTHS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE. I HAVE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE CHEAP, WEAK, PLASTIC FITTING THAT SWIVELS AND HOLDS MOST OF THE VISORS WEIGHT.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE JEEP GLADIATOR AND THE STEERING SEEMS EXTREMELY LOOSE AS IF I DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER 50 MPH. I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY MAKE CORRECTIONS WHEN DIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AS IT REQUIRES INTENSE FOCUS NOT TO VEER INTO OTHER LANES. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A JEEP DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS THE LOOSENESS AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE STEERING BOX NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, IN WHICH THEY DID. NEEDLESS TO SAY; BECAUSE, I AM POSTING THIS COMPLAINT, THE STEERING STILL FEELS TOO LOOSE, MAKING ME REGRET PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE. THE STEERING PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY, IT IS TOO DANGEROUS.
I HAVE HAD THE JEEP GLADIATOR SINCE NOVEMBER 2019 AND IT HAS HAD MULTIPLE ENGINE ISSUES ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS LEADING UP TO WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS "BLOWN HEAD GASKETS". IT STARTED AFTER JUST A FEW MONTHS WITH LESS THAN 1000 MILES WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. THE ENGINE WOULD ALSO RUN ROUGH. THEY BELIEVED IT WAS BAD FUEL. AT APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS THE SAME THING HAPPENED AT AROUND 3500 MILES. THIS TIME THE SAID IT WAS A BAD CYLINDER. NOW AT 14 MONTHS AND AT AROUND 8000 MILES MY HIGH TEMP LIGHT CAME ON OUT OF NO WHERE AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD. I HAD PREVIOUSLY JOKED WITH THEM THAT THEY HAD JUST DISABLED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AS THAT NEVER CAME ON. I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR AND PULLED INTO A GAS STATION. MEGEE MOTORS HAS FULL RECORDS OF THE ISSUES.
CURRENTLY ON MY 6TH BAD/DANGEROUS STEERING GEAR BOX. 4 BAD ALUMINUM & 2 BAD 'UPGRADED' STEEL BOXES. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED BECAUSE OF THE GIANT DEAD-ZONE OR FREE-PLAY IN THESE BOXES. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED WHEN THEY SWITCHED TO STEEL CONSTRUCTION, BUT I WAS SADLY MISTAKEN. THE PROBLEM REMAINS THAT THERE IS ZERO QUALITY CONTROL AT THE MANUFACTURING PLANT FOR THESE GEAR BOXES, AND IT'S FCA'S UNETHICAL PRACTICES THAT ARE TO BLAME. IMO. THEY COULD STEP UP TSB 08-074-20 TO A RECALL, BUT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM STILL REMAINS. THESE UNETHICAL SCUM BAGS DO NOT CARE ONCE THEY HAVE OUR MONEY. CAN I CALL FOR A REAL FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE FCA ON THIS PLATFORM? WHEN YOUR KIDS RADIO FLYER WAGON HAS TIGHTER STEERING THAN YOUR BRAND NEW $50K JEEP, THERE'S A PROBLEM. ALL THE PLAY IS INSIDE THE STEERING BOX. I SENT ONE OF THESE BAD BOXES TO A SPECIALTY SHOP, AND HERE ARE THEIR FINDINGS........... THE BALL SIZING IN THE WORM GEAR NEEDS TO BE UPSIZED/RE-MACHINED TO GET THE PROPER FITMENT FOR NO FREEPLAY. THE PRELOAD ON THE VALVING WAS INCORRECT, THE VALVE WAS MISBALANCED, BEARING PRELOAD INCORRECT, THE ADJUSTMENT CAP FOR THE VALVING WAS NOT PROPERLY STAKED CAUSING IT TO TEAR UP THE THREADS, AND 'WE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE ENGINEERS THOUGHT THAT A STEERING GEAR, BUILT LIKE THAT WOULD BE OK'.
FRONT WHEELS START VIOLENTLY WOBBLING AT HIGHER SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY MAKING STEERING AND HANDLING THE VEHICLE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO PULL OVER AND STOP THE VEHICLE MOTION. IT IS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY AND UNPREDICTABLY SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW. DODGE SAYS THEY HAVE NO FIX READY.
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE RECALL, I AM PAYING A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS JEEP THAT I DONT FEEL SAFE DRIVING AS IT CAN CATCH ON FIRE. THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO FIX RIGHT NOW IS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE DRIVEN JEEPS MY WHOLE LIFE AND NEVER HAD A LIFE THREATENING ISSUE LIKE THIS. IF THERE IS NO SOLID SOLUTION I WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER FCA AGAIN
THERE ARE NOW 2 RECALLS ON MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH FAILURES. ORIGINAL RECALL 20V124000 AND A NEW ONE 21V028000. BOTH ARE FOR CATASTROPHIC PRESSURE PLATE FAILURES FOR CLUTCH SLIPPING, OVERHEATING AND FRAGMENTING. WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ALL THESE PRESSURE PLATES WHEN THE CLUTCH DISK WEARS DOWN OVER TIME AS IS NORMAL FOR A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND STARTS SLIPPING THEN? IT WILL MOST LIKELY OVERHEAT THESE PRESSURE PLATES AND CAUSE FAILURE THEN. IF THESE PRESSURE PLATES ARE DEFECTIVE THEY NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED AND NOT JUST REROUTE ELECTRICAL LINES AND REPROGRAM THE SOFTWARE TO LIMIT ENGINE TORQUE. FIX THE ISSUE!
DEATH WOBBLE AND VIBRATION WHEN VEHICLE HOT IN DIFFERENT SURFACES LIKE CROSSING BRIDGE WHEELS AND STEERING UNCONTROLLABLE AT HIGH SPEED OVER 40 MPH. UNUSUAL SMELL INSIDE CABIN. THIS HAPPENS ON HIGHWAY AFTER ABOUT TWO HOURS OF DRIVING.
I NOTICED A STRONG BURNING SMELL DRIVING MY 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR WHILE DRIVING A FOREST ACCESS ROAD IN COLORADO. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN THE CAR FAILED TO MOVE WHEN PUT INTO GEAR. AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS - THE JEEP WOULD GO INTO GEAR BUT THE WHEELS NEVER ENGAGED. IT WAS TOWED FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE DEALER IN DENVER WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CLUTCH WAS "CHARRED". THE JEEP HAD 16,000 MILES ON IT.I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS MY ENTIRE LIFE (I AM 60 YRS OLD) AND NEVER HAD A CLUTCH GO UNDER 100K ON 6 VEHICLES
OUR 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR HAS A DEFROST ISSUE ONLY DEFROSTS CENTER AND IN WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS SNOW BUILDS UP IN THE VIEW OF THE DRIVER THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE JEEP FORUMS. AIR FLOW ONLY COMES OUT OF CENTER VERY LITTLE ON DRIVERS SIDE AND LITTLE ON PASSENGER SIDE. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP TO HELP WITH ISSUE. THEN WAS TOLD THAT'S HOW IT'S DESIGNED. DUE TO SAFETY MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE LONG DISTANCE WHEN IT SNOWS JUST FIGURED ON ALL ISSUES JEEP WOULD HAVE A FIX FOR .
STEERING WANDERS LEFT TO RIGHT START STOP BATTERY WON'T CHARGE REAR DEFROSTER 1/3 WORKS
FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER DESIGN IS [XXX]. IT ONLY BLOWS AIR STRAIGHT UP THE CENTER. SO, WHERE THE DRIVER LOOKS, WHERE THE PASSENGER LOOKS, AND THE WIPERS THEMSELVES, DOES NOT GET DEFROSTED. ALWAYS COVERED IN ICE. I NEED TO STOP AND SCRAPE THE WINDSHIELD EVERY 10-15 MINUTES, EVEN WITH THE DEFROSTERS ON HIGH. HORRIBLE, AND VERY UNSAFE DESIGN, BY JEEP. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
I'VE OWNED MY GLADIATOR 6 MONTHS. I HAVE PUT JUST OVER 6,000 MILES ON IT, AND SINCE THE FIRST WEEK, IT HAS DRIVEN LIKE COMPLETE GARBAGE. IT WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD, AND CONSTANTLY NEEDS OVER STEER CORRECTION TO KEEP THE VEHICLE GOING STRAIGHT. AFTER DOING SOME LIGHT INVENSTIGATION, JEEP KNOWS THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE. THEY ISSUED A TSB REPAIR FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND I HAVE HAD IT COMPLETED. ONCE COMPLETED, THERE WAS NO NOTICEBLE DIFFERENCE. IF ANYTHING IT WAS WORSE. DRIVER FATIGUE IS EXPERIENCED WITH EVERY RIDE IN THE VEHICLE. IT HAS STEERING DEAD SPOTS AT 10 AND 2 ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE STEERING WHEEL IS LIMP AND UNRESPONSIVE.
THE STEERING IS LOOSE AND TENDS TO WANDER, MOST NOTICEABLE GOING FREEWAY SPEEDS. I AM CONSTANTLY CORRECTING IT.
DRIVING ON INTERSTATE SPEED APPROX 65, TRUCK BEGINS TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY . PULL TO DISABLED VEHICLE LANE.
THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY JEEP GLADIATOR HAS A LOT OF PLAY WHICH ALLOWS THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN LEFT AND RIGHT WITHOUT THE WHEELS MOVING. AND ALSO THE WHEELS CAN MOVE LEFT AND RIGHT WITHOUT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT THE STEERING. I CONTACTED A LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN MAY OF 2020 ABOUT MY CONCERN BUT WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. RECENTLY FCA CONTACTED ME ABOUT A FIX WHICH INVOLVED REPLACING THE STEERING GEAR BOX. HOWEVER I'M HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THE REPAIR PERFORMED.
BOTH LATCHES ON MY 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR SOFT TOP INADVERTENTLY UNLATCHED WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, CAUSING THE TOP TO START OPENING. DRIVER AND PASSENGER GRABBED TOP AND CONDUCTED EMERGENCY STOP ON SHOULDER OF INTERSTATE TO KEEP THE SOFT TOP FROM FULLY OPENING. THE INADVERTENT OPENING OCCURRED THREE TIMES IN SPAN OF 15 MINUTES AT INCREASINGLY SLOWER SPEEDS. TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE THE SOFT TOP TO WINDOW FRAME WITH BUNGEE STRAPS INSTALLED OVER THE LATCHES TO KEEP LATCHES IN PLACE. CONCERNED THAT AN INADVERTENT OPENING OF THE SOFT TOP AT INTERSTATE SPEED MIGHT CAUSE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHILE DEALING WITH GRABBING THE SOFT TOP AT HIGH SPEED, STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TOP, AND/OR POTENTIAL FOR SOFT TOP TO DEPART THE JEEP AND DAMAGE VEHICLES DRIVING BEHIND. THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES APPEARS TO BE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE TWO LATCHES THAT SECURE THE SOFT TOP TO WINDOW FRAME. LATCHES SEEM TOO WEAK/LOOSE TO PROVIDE SECURE CLOSURE OF THE SOFT TOP. I TOOK THE JEEP GLADIATOR TO A CHRYSLER/DODGE/JEEP DEALER AND THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR ADJUSTING THE LATCHES. THE DEALER MECHANIC ADJUSTED MY JEEP'S LATCHES ACCORDING TO TSB SPECIFICATIONS. IN MY OPINION, THE LATCHES ARE STILL LOOSE AND UNSTABLE. WILL NOT DRIVE MY JEEP AT HIGHWAY SPEED UNTIL THE ISSUE IS FIXED. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER TO HOPEFULLY RESOLVE THE ISSUE.
THE VEHICLE STARTS WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION MOVING UNCONTROLLABLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND YANKS YOUR STEERING OUT OF CONTROL ( DEATH WOBBLE) DID IT 6 TIMES TO THE POINT THAT I CAN NOT TRUST THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT GOES OUT OF STEERING CONTROL BOTH FRONT TIRES MOVE UNCONTROLLABLY SIDE TO SIDE LIKE IF BOTH WHERE FLAT AND YANKS YOU SIDE TO SIDE TAKES YOU OUT OF ROAD
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED ERRONEOUS INFORMATION INDICATING AN INACCURATE SPEED. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER READING WAS 83 MPH. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER ELK GROOVE JEEP LOCATED AT 8575 LAGUNA GROVE DR, ELK GROVE, CA 95757 AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,200.
THE DEFROSTER DOES IS NOT DESIGNED TO BLOW HOT AIR ACROSS THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN A SERIOUS VISIBILITY ISSUE DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER. IN ADDITION TO THE ICE BUILDUP ON THE WINDSHIELD THE WIPERS BECOME DISABLED BECAUSE THE AREA THAT THEY REST ON DOES NOT RECEIVE DEFROSTER HEAT. A QUICK SEARCH ONLINE REVEALS SEVERAL FORUMS AND VIDEOS OF OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES. IN ADDITION THE LED HEADLIGHT DESIGN COLLECTS SNOW AND ICE AND BECOMES COMPLETELY BLOCKED AND RESULTS IN ZERO VISIBILITY DURING SNOWY CONDITIONS. THE DEALER AND JEEP HAVE SAID THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR EITHER PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT 15 MPH WHEN THE ICING BEGAN AND DID NOT GET BETTER REGARDLESS OF SPEED,. THE JEEP GLADIATOR WINDSHIELD DEFROST AND LED HEADLIGHT DESIGNS ARE A HAZARD. BELOW IS A LINK TO THE EXACT ISSUE. HTTPS://WWW.JEEPGLADIATORFORUM.COM/FORUM/THREADS/DEFROSTER-ISSUES.36391/
MY TRUCK FAILS TO DEFROST ABOUT 1/2 TO 1/3 OF MY WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER-SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I NOTICED THIS BEHAVIOR IN MY TRUCK THE DAY I PICKED IT UP. FOR ME, IT DOESN'T DEFROST THE 1/3 OF THE WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT, INHAVE HEARD FROM OTHER JEEP GLADIATOR AND JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS THAT THE DEFROSTING ISSUE CAN BE MORE SEVERE, OR CAUSE MORE OF THE WINDSHIELD TO BE COVERED IN FROST. I ACTUALLY HAD TO CARRY A PIECE OF CARDBOARD ON MY DASHBOARD TO HOLD OVER THE VENTS TO DISTRIBUTE THE AIR TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN I SPOKE WITH JEEP OVER THE PHONE, THEY JUST SAID 'WE HAVEN'T HEARD OF THIS/THERE IS NO TSB, ETC.' I HAVE MADE IT CLEAR MANY TIMES THAT I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE WITH BOTH JEEP DIRECTLY AND WITH TWO SEPARATE DEALERS'NONE OF WHICH SEEM TO EVEN WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR TEST FOR THE ISSUE'EVEN THOUGH VISIBILITY (ESPECIALLY IN WINTER CONDITIONS) IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN IN MY OPINION (IF NOT JEEP/FCA'S).
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, WENT OVER A ROUGH SURFACE ON THE ROAD AND THE GLADIATOR STARTER SHAKING AS IF I HAD HAD A BLOW-OUT. ONCE I SLOWED DOWN IT STABILIZED. HOWEVER, IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TWICE IN A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA. UPON RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I'VE COME TO LEARN THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM CALLED "DEATH WOBBLE" THAT HAPPENS ON JEEP OFF-ROAD VEHICLES, WHICH MAKES IT ALL THE MORE CRITICAL THAT NHTSA REQUIRE CHRYSLER-FIAT TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THANK YOU.
THE STEERING FEEL IS VERY LOSE. THE TRUCK HAS THE FEELING LIKE IT WANDERS IN THE LANE AND ALWAYS NEEDS STEERING CORRECTION TO KEEP IT GOING STRAIGHT. NONE OF MY OTHER CARS HAVE EVER DRIVEN LIKE THIS INCLUDING MY PAST JEEPS. THIS MAINLY HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH ON A 2 LANE ROAD, MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME STUCK OR FROZEN IN ITS POSITION. I WAS UNABLE TO COURSE CORRECT, AND ENDED UP BRAKING INTO THE MEDIAN. I NEVER LOST ENGINE POWER, OR POWER STEERING. THE WHEEL WAS SIMPLY LOCKED, STUCK, OR FROZEN. ONCE STOPPED, I TRIED THE WHEEL AGAIN, AND IT WORKED. I'VE SINCE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO JEEP, AND THEY ARE ATTEMPTING REPAIR.
EXCESSIVE STEERING WANDER/ROAD WALKING. THIS IS BEING REPORTED IN LARGE NUMBERS OF JEEP GLADIATOR VEHICLES IN ALL JEEP FORUMS. ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND WITH INCREASED WINDS, OR TOWING. JEEP CURRENTLY HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 08-074-20 ACTIVATED, BUT DEALERSHIPS DON'T HAVE AVAILABLE STOCK OF THE REPLACEMENT STEERING BOX CALLED FOR, AND SEEM DISINTERESTED IN REPLACING BECAUSE IT IS NOT A RECALL. THIS CONDITION AND PROBLEM HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE BUYING THE VEHICLE, AND THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS BY OTHER BUYERS ACROSS ALL FORUMS. PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A RECALL, AS THE PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS, AND AFFECTS MOST VEHICLES, SO AS TO FACILITATE REPLACEMENT.
TRUCK WANDERS ON HIGHWAY. STEERING HAS PLAY IN IT THAT IS BASICALLY A DEAD SPOT ROUGHLY 2 INCHES EACH WAY FROM CENTER. RETURNED TO DEALER THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. SERVICE MANAGER TOLD MY WIFE AND I THAT JEEP DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND QUOTE "YOU CAN EITHER DRIVE IT THE WAY IT IS OR LET IS SIT IN DRIVEWAY". SERVICE MANAGER UNSURE WHAT THE ISSUE IS BUT ADMITTED TO ME THAT THERE IS PLAY IN THE STEERING. WE DROVE A COMPARATIVE NEW FROM THE LOT AND THE ISSUE WAS SLIGHTLY WORSE ON IT. STILL WAITING, NOW SIX CALENDAR DAYS, FOR RESPONSE FROM SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT NEXT STEPS. I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AND WOULD LIKE TO COMPANY TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE
THE VEHICLE DEVELOPED SEVERE SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THIS IS TYPICALLY REFERRED TO AS DEATH WOBBLE. THE VEHICLE STEERING, SUSPENSION, AND TIRES HAVE NOT BEEN MODIFIED FROM THE FACTORY. THE STEERING HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE PURCHASING THE ISSUE BUT HAS RECENTLY DEVELOPED INTO A MUCH MORE UNSAFE CONDITION.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator → · Every Gladiator year → · How the figures are calculated →