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2020 Jeep Gladiator

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Gladiator years

Owner complaints for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator are substantially higher than the model-year median of 23.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

212 reports with mileage · 271 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 183 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 181 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports7 fire reports5 injury reports

Steering complaints

181 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 31, 2022
SteeringSuspension

at 70 mph after hitting expansion joint, the steering wheel and front end will violently shake until speed is below 50 mph. Dealership acknowledged this a known problem with jeeps-aka the death wobble. They think it is the tires but cannot replace them with fiat-chrysler approval. this is an absolutely unsafe scary to operate…

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at 70 mph after hitting expansion joint, the steering wheel and front end will violently shake until speed is below 50 mph. Dealership acknowledged this a known problem with jeeps-aka the death wobble. They think it is the tires but cannot replace them with fiat-chrysler approval. this is an absolutely unsafe scary to operate vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11459094

21,633 miles · Mar 24, 2022
Steering

The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle began to shake violently. The contact stated that the steering and brakes still functioned as needed and was able to safely exit the highway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the v…

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The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle began to shake violently. The contact stated that the steering and brakes still functioned as needed and was able to safely exit the highway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a severe oscillation event and advised that the tie bar and steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,633.

NHTSA ODI #11458189

Mileage unknown · Mar 2, 2022
Steering

This vehicle wanders and pulls you all over the road if your going over 30 miles an hour. Steering is very hard to control and feels like you can can over correct if not careful.

NHTSA ODI #11454855

Mileage unknown · Feb 23, 2022
Steering

The vehicle wants to wander from side to side when you go over 30mph. You arfe constantly having to correct for it.

NHTSA ODI #11453662

Mileage unknown · Feb 17, 2022
SteeringSuspension

My wife and I took delivery of a brand new 2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport on 4/28/2021. The vehicle is completely stock and has only been serviced by the dealership we purchased it from. In October 2021, we drove over a defect in the highway at approximately 70 miles per hour. The entire vehicle started shaking. It felt like the …

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My wife and I took delivery of a brand new 2020 Jeep Gladiator Sport on 4/28/2021. The vehicle is completely stock and has only been serviced by the dealership we purchased it from. In October 2021, we drove over a defect in the highway at approximately 70 miles per hour. The entire vehicle started shaking. It felt like the shaking was coming from the front suspension and steering. We pulled off the highway to the shoulder. As we slowed to about 50 miles per hour, the shaking stopped. There were no warning lights or indicators before, during or after this event. The incident was very frightening and could have led to losing control of the Jeep on a very busy 4 lane highway. We took the vehicle to the selling dealership to have it looked at. The service manager could not duplicate it but a steering damper replacement was ordered. We were able to duplicate the shaking in the same location on 10/21/2021 at 55 miles per hour and again 10/22/2021 in the same location, at 58 miles per hour. It happened several subsequent times. The steering damper was replaced on 12/13/2021. There were 12,887 miles on the Jeep then. The "Death Wobble" still occurred. A new steering gear was ordered by the dealership. The steering gear was replaced 2/14/2022. Mileage now 15,502 miles. As I was driving home from the dealership on 2/14/22, I ran over a transition strip onto the entry ramp to a 4 lane highway. I was going 70 miles per hour. The shaking started and was shaking so hard, my face skin was vibrating as were the numbers on all the gauges. If I were not kind of expecting this, I could have easily lost control. And as I was in a curve, I would have crashed in the very busy highway. The shaking did not stop until I was below 50 miles per hour on the exit ramp. The dealer has not been able to reproduce this. And to this point, the manufacture has not inspected the vehicle. Which they are able to do at anytime.

NHTSA ODI #11452554

Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2022
SteeringSuspension

Driving at 68mph a a very drastic wobble in the steering occured. Have an appointment with jeep dealership. Truck has thirty eight thousand miles with no warning of any kind . Sudden and abundant violent shaking .

NHTSA ODI #11450625

Mileage unknown · Jan 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 repl…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11448288

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2022
Electrical SystemSteeringSuspension

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 …

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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-has-a-major-steering-problem/ Lastly, I am on my second “head” or “stereo deck” and am still having multiple issues with the interface, which causes a random variety of heat/AC, lighting, stereo, phone, maps and auto start comfort settings (no heated steering or seat) and more. Local Jeep dealerships pretend to not know of any issues with a claim that there are no active recalls. I find this response appalling. I appeal to you for assistance for my safety. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI #11446414

Mileage unknown · Jan 1, 2022
Steering

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

NHTSA ODI #11445782

Mileage unknown · Nov 2, 2021
Steering

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.

NHTSA ODI #11439108

Official recalls

7

24V652000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

Sep 5, 2024

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Jeep Gladiator and 2018-2024 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. The instrument panel cluster may experience an internal short circuit and fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An instrument panel that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between October 3, 2024, and January 23, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 30B.

23V116000 · Power Train:clutch Assembly

Feb 23, 2023

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Jeep Wrangler, and 2020-2023 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Overheated clutch components may increase the risk of a fire. Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the clutch assembly and update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed from November 16, 2023 through July 25, 2024. Owners may contact (FCA US, LLC) customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 19A. This recall expands and replaces previous recall 21V-028. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 21V-028 will need to have the new remedy completed.

21V028000 · Power Train:clutch Assembly

Jan 28, 2021

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler and 2020-2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Overheated clutch components may increase the risk of a fire. Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will add software to reduce engine torque capability when clutch assembly temperatures rise to a level that may damage the inner pressure plate, free of charge." FCA has ordered a stop sale for the affected vehicles as of February 25, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 4, 2021.

20V580000 · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front:retractor

Sep 24, 2020

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seat Belts:front:retractor

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.

Seat Belts

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.

20V191000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Sep 10, 2020

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.

20V124000 · Power Train:clutch Assembly

Mar 3, 2020

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Jeep Wrangler and 2020 Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The overheated clutch components may increase the risk of a fire. Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reroute a wire harness and inspect the clutch system, and replace components as needed. The recall began April 30, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W12.

19V636000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft

Aug 29, 2019

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. The rear driveshafts may have been incorrectly assembled without grease in the monoblock joint.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A joint without grease may overheat and seize, possibly causing the driveshaft to fracture, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power. If the driveshaft completely separates from the vehicle it may become a road hazard. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US number for this recall is V95.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE25014 · Instrument Panel Cluster (ipc) Failure

Opened Oct 23, 2025 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

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 subject vehicles' IPC display includes the speedometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature, turn signal indicators, warning light, and other gauges that are normally illuminated while the vehicle is in operation.  Loss of the fuel gauge while driving may lead to an inability to determine the fuel level and result in a loss of motive power, and the loss of other safety-related information may impede a driver’s ability to take action to prevent a safety risk.  Furthermore, an IPC that is suddenly not visible to the driver may divert the driver’s attention from the driving task, potentially causing a vehicle crash. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation to evaluate the scope, severity and frequency of the alleged IPC malfunctions and to assess potential safety-related consequences. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov