2020 Jeep Gladiator

PICKED UP A NEW SPORT S GLADIATOR JUST BEFORE XMAS 2019. DURING INITIAL TEST DRIVES, I WAS EXPECTING SOME DEGREE OF SLOP IN THE STEERING, BUT DURING SUCH A LIMITED TIME, IT WAS NOT EVIDENT EXACTLY HOW BAD IT IS. BETWEEN 35-55 MPH, THIS VEHICLE IS ALMOST UNDRIVEABLE. THE SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE (NEEDING CONSTANT CORRECTION) IS BEYOND BELIEF. AT HIGHER SPEEDS, IT GETS LESS UNCONTROLLABLE, BUT I USUALLY DRIVE IT LOCALLY, AND IT'S TRULY TERRIFYING. ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON FEATURE ON ALMOST EVERY GLADIATOR, TO THE POINT THAT A COMPANY HAS DEVELOPED AND SELLS A $250 PART TO REDUCE THIS DEATH-SWAY. THE ISSUE IS THE STEERING BOX BEING BOLTED TO THE FRAME (WHICH FLEXES UNDER NORMAL USE) ALONG WITH A SUB-PAR ANTI-SWAY DAMPENER AND FACTORY-CALLIBRATED STEERING BOX, WHICH HS WAY TO MUCH PLAY (BUT CAN BE ADJUSTED). IN MY OPINION, THIS ISSUE IS GROUNDS FOR A RECALL IMMEDIATELY BEFORE PEOPLE GET KILLED. IT'S THAT DANGEROUS THAT I REFUSE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE OVER ANY DISTANCES OTHER THAN TO MY LOCAL STORE. IT IS NOW BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAVE STATED THEY CANNOT MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION OR ADD THE SYNERGY ADAPTER WHICH RESOLVES THE ISSUE BECAUSE FIAT-CHRYSLER HAVE NOT ADMITTED THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THE NHTSA HASN'T FORCED THEM TO RESOLVE THIS. MY HOPE IS THAT SOMEONE DOESNT GET KILLED BEFORE THIS GETS RESOLVED - BUT WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO....

JEEP WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD WITH VERY LITTLE STEERING PLAY IN THE WHEEL. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU ARE GOING 40 OR 80MPH, IT WANDERS. MY WIFE DROVE IT THE OTHER DAY AND SAID SHE FELT LIKE EVERYONE WOULD THINK SHE WAS DRUNK. I TOOK THIS INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND THEY SAID IT WAS WITHING MANUFACTURERS SPEC. ALL STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE TIGHT ACCORDING TO THEIR DIAGNOSIS. THEY DID NOT SEE AN ISSUE AND THIS WANDERING WAS NORMAL. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD WITH GUSTY WINDS AT 60MPH. WE ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED AN AC RELATED ISSUE WHERE THE AC WILL BE BLOWING COLD, THEN START TO SMELL A WARM MUSTY SMELL AND HEAT WILL BILLOW OUT FROM UNDER THE DASH ON BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER FEET. OPENING UP THE GLOVEBOX SEEMS TO ALLOW THE HEAT TO POUR OUT AND THEN THE JEEP WILL RETURN TO NORMAL COMFORT COOLING. DOES NOT MATTER IF THE VEHICLE IS ON AC, AUTO AC OR RECICULATION. VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING LONG TRIPS FOR SEVERAL HOURS. SPEED DOES NOT MATTER, BUT APPEARS TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

VEHICLE WANDERS IN LANE FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. HARD TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE. IF THE WIND IS BLOWING OR GUSTY, THE VEHICLE WILL DART FROM ONE SIDE OF LANE TO THE OTHER. DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING BOX. YOU CAN MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL FROM ABOUT 10:00 TO 1:00 AND THE STEERING TIRES WILL NOT MOVE.

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 WHO STATED IT WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. ISSUE PERSISTED AND RETURNED AGAIN THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THIS TIME IT WAS REPORTED THAT TIE ROD ENDS WERE BAD AND TECH SAID IT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED TO BE DRIVEN. AFTER TIE ROD REPLACEMENT IT WAS DRIVEN WITH SERVICE MANAGER AND ISSUE PERSISTS. 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. THE VEHICLE IS NOT ABLE TO BE SAFELY DRIVEN ABOVE 45-50MPH. TRUCK WAS PURCHASED WITH ROUGHLY 400 MILES ON IT. NOW HAS 1400, 400 OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCUMULATED FROM THE 100 MILE ROUND TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP.

WANDERING STEERING AT HIGHWAY & FREEWAY SPEEDS IS UNSETTLING AND UNSAFE. I DROVE HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP 40 MILES AND THOUGHT THE WIND MUST BE CAUSING THE TRUCK TO DART ALL OVER THE FREEWAY. I DROVE ON THE STREET THE NEXT WEEK, NOT NEARLY AS NOTICEABLE AND WITH THE CROWN ON THE SURFACE STREETS IT'S HARDER TO FEEL. THE NEXT WEEK, A 70 MILE TRIP SOUTH WAS EXHAUSTING. I THOUGHT SOMETHING MIGHT BE BROKEN. BUMPING THE RUMBLE STRIP ON THE FOG LINE AND THE BOTTS DOTS IN THE LANE LINE WAS THE NORM THE WHOLE TRIP ON THE FREEWAY. THE AMOUNT OF TAKE-UP IN THE STEERING IS AN ARC OF 10 DEGREES OR MORE WHEN PARKED AND ENGINE OFF - THAT'S STEERING BOX SLOP. AN URGENT TURN ISN'T POSSIBLE, AND TURNING WHILE BRAKING IS SKETCHY AT BEST. THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT MY TRUCK FROM FORGOT MY NAME AS SOON AS WE DROVE OFF THE LOT - FINE, I GET IT. DON'T LIE TO ME AND TELL ME THAT SCARY STEERING IS NORMAL, DRIVE A RAM 1500 AND YOU WON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS. GETTING PUSHED OFF BY THE SERVICE MANAGER ON A SAFETY ISSUE IS WRONG. I TOOK OUR TRUCK TO AN INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION SPECIALTY SHOP AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CASTER IN THE FACTORY GEOMETRY, WHICH THE FACTORY TRIES TO MASK WITH TOO MUCH TOE IN. THEY MEASURED EVERYTHING, SAID IT WAS IN FACTORY SPEC. THE DEAD SPOT IN THE STEERING BOX IS EXACERBATING THE POORLY ENGINEERED FRONT AXLE PROBLEM (LACK OF CASTER). I HAVE A 93 WRANGLER THAT HAS MORE PURPOSEFUL STEERING, THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. WHEN STEERING ENGINEERING FIXES ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE IN THE AFTER MARKET, AND FCA HAS ALREADY IMPROVED THE 2020 JL WRANGLER STEERING FROM THE FACTORY (SEE MEDIA/PRESS ARTICLES), THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. PLEASE MAKE FCA FIX THIS SAFETY ISSUE.

I PURCHASED A NEW JEEP GLADIATOR RUBICON AND TOOK IT FOR A HUNDRED MILE TRIP ON THE HIGHWAY TO VISIT A RELATIVE. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AROUND 70 MILES PER HOUR, THE TRUCK NEEDS CONSTANT ATTENTION AND ADJUSTMENT TO STAY IN THE LANE. WHEN YOU CORRECT TO THE CENTER OF THE LANE, IT WANDERS TO THE SIDE, THEN YOU CORRECT AGAIN, AND IT WANDERS TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE NEXT DAY I DROVE THE A HUNDRED MILES ON THE HIGHWAY BACK HOME AND IT REPEATED. I COULD NOT DRIVE THE TRUCK ONE HANDED AS IT CONSTANTLY NEEDED CORRECTION. I'VE HAD PREVIOUS JEEPS, BRONCOS, LAND CRUISERS, AND 4 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. IT IS SCARY TO DRIVE WHEN A SEMI TRUCK IS NEXT TO YOU AS THE JEEP IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP IN A STRAIGHT LINE. DRIVING THE VEHICLE WEARS YOU OUT, FROM CONSTANTLY STEERING BACK AND FORTH TO CORRECT. I'VE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ON-LINE AND THIS ISSUE IS WELL KNOWN IN THE JEEP COMMUNITY. THERE IS A JEEP GLADIATOR FORUM WHERE THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. AT LEAST THREE AFTERMARKET COMPANIES ARE MAKING PRODUCTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT APPEARS THAT THE STEERING BOX FLEXES WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE FRAME. THERE ARE MULTIPLE VIDEOS ON LINE SHOWING THE STEERING BOX FLEX WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITH THE TIRE ON THE GROUND, THE STEERING BOX TWISTS A LITTLE CAUSING THE WANDERING VEHICLE AT SPEED. PEOPLE THAT PURCHASE THE AFTERMARKET BRACKET/BRACE FOR THE STEERING BOX SAY IT CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER WITH 300 MILES ON IT, AND THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. SINCE THIS IS A NEW MODEL, I SUSPECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM UNTIL THERE ARE WRECKS OR RECALLS DUE TO THE STEERING. PLEASE ASK THE MANUFACTURER TO CORRECT THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

THE STEERING ON MY JEEP JTR (GLADIATOR RUBICON) IS SLOPPY. WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE TRUCK WANTS TO WANDER AND REQUIRES LOTS OF CORRECTION TO MAINTAIN A GIVEN PATH. ON WINDY DAYS OR WHEN SEMI TUCKS PASS BOTH HANDS ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES JUST TO MAINTAIN A GIVEN PATH. RESEARCHING ONLINE REVELS LOTS OF COMPLAINTS EXIST WITH THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE VIDEOS (AND I HAVE INCLUDED PICTURES OF MY JTR) SHOWING THE STEERING BOX MOVING OFF THE FRAME WHEN THE STEERING IS ACTUATED. SYNGERY MANUFACTURING HAS DEVELOPED A BRACE FOR THE TRACK BAR AND THE SECTOR SHAFT THAT ELIMINATES THIS PLAY AND ALMOST ALL PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID TO INSTALL THIS AFTERMARKET BRACE REPORT MUCH IMPROVED STEERING. THE COMBINATION OF COMPLAINTS, VIDEOS, PICTURES AND AN ALREADY DEVELOPED "FIX" - NOT TO MENTION PERSONAL EXPERIENCE DRIVING MY VEHICLE - ALL POINTS TO A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THIS STEERING SETUP. JEEP NEEDS TO RECTIFY THIS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WAS LOOSE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT REDUCED THE VEHICLE SPEED TO 50 MPH, AND THE STEERING OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BILL LUKE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM LOCATED AT 2425 W. CAMELBACK RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85015, AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10.