2021 Jeep Gladiator

Front brake caliper(s) was seizing up causing smoking and a burning smell. Vehicle was also pulling to the right when braking. Brake fluid or something like it coated the front drivers side wheel. Took vehicle back to dealership where vehicle was purchased new. Vehicle is still under warranty/extended warranties. The dealer did inspect and found front calipers to be seizing up causing excessive wear on brake pads and rotors. They did replace both front calipers but not the brake hoses. They also replaced and charged me for new brake pads and rotors. Not even a week later, I called the dealer to report the same problem, the brakes were again seizing up and there was a smoking/burning smell. The dealer ordered the new brake hoses, found that the brake hoses they attempted to re-use had collapsed causing all the above mentioned problems. The dealer had them installed and so far so good.

This vehicle has a repeating electronic problem involving the warning lights and function of abs, traction control, four-wheel drive system, forward collision warning, and both adaptive and normal cruise control. When the steering wheel is turned slightly right, like when navigating a highway curve, those warnings illuminate and the vehicle disables cruise control. It also has a lack of power due to what seems to be the traction control system activating. Also, the brake system has a shutter in the pedal and has reduced effectiveness for a few moments until the ABS and traction control systems stop function. I have taken the vehicle into a dealer, Larry H Miller CDJR in West Bountiful, Utah when it started to show this problem as I was leaving Portland. They replaced the front left ABS wheel speed sensor. This did not rectify the problem. I then took it to Gene's Chrysler in Fairbanks, Alaska upon my return home. That shop failed to warranty the repair, and charged additional diagnosis fees on top of correcting the Z96 high pressure fuel pump recall. They advised replacing the clock spring in the steering wheel that provides electrical connection to the buttons and is integrated in all of those safety systems. Prior Jeep models have had a consistent problem with the clock spring failing and a recall was issued due to affecting airbag deployment from the steering wheel. I am concerned that this clock spring related issue may lead to reduced braking effectiveness, loss of power at speed to react to traffic, and failure to deploy the airbag in an accident. The dealerships will not warranty this repair.

My 2021 Jeep Gladiator received the 19A Clutch Recall in late June 2024. The recall was issued due to clutch pressure plates disintegrating, blowing a hole in the transmission housing, and causing vehicle fires. Upon return, my vehicle was unable to drive smoothly. After further investigation, I determined that if the clutch and throttle were operated concurrently, the engine would shut off. The engine would shut off anywhere between 1 MPH and highway speed causing issues with operating hydraulically assisted systems (power brakes and power steering). In practice, this led to the engine shutting off between most gear shifts causing a jerky driving condition due to the engine needing to clutch start itself. I did not test how well the steering or brakes worked while the engine was shut off due to safety concerns. While pulling into my driveway, I momentarily lost control of the vehicle when the engine died while traveling at low speed and with the steering wheel turned. I lost power steering and was unable to correct the direction in travel before driving onto my lawn. I returned the vehicle to the dealership and replicated the issue for them. They confirmed the issue was present. The issue was determined to be a faulty ECU flash causing the issue. A revised flash was made available to dealerships 7/12/24 and installed in my vehicle 7/15/24. Component that Failed: Faulty ECU flash Safety: The vehicle's engine would shut off while moving Reproduced by Dealership: Yes Inspected by Manufacturer: No Warning lights or messages: No Additional Info: I have been in contact with other owners with the same issue. This faulty ECU flash seems to only have had this effect on 2021 models. The following is personal input. I hope the irony is not lost on you all that a safety recall fix caused an arguably more pronounced and repeatable safety problem. Additionally, I notified Jeep Cares that this could kill or injure someone and they told me to send Chrysler a letter.

There is an active parts recall for some Gladiators, Recall 26A, for the right rear axle shaft. This part on my vehicle has been failing for over 6 months. The ABS system, Traction Control, and 4WD system have active fault codes, preventing these systems from working as intended. In the last month, this problem has become unsafe due to 3 separate incidents where the traction control has triggered during normal driving conditions, causing the vehicle to become inoperable. In each of these incidents, I was travelling in a straight line, on dry roads, when the traction control system activated, preventing all acceleration to occur. In the first occurrence I was in a tunnel, and unable to pull over as there was no shoulder. This was driving in a straight line, accelerating up to about 15 mph before the traction control kicked in and disabled the drive train. Traffic was able to safely pass me while I coasted through the tunnel with my hazards on. Turning the vehicle off, then back on was the only way to cure this condition. The next 2 times were both at unprotected stop signs, meaning cross traffic did not have a stop sign. When I pulled out into the middle of the road, the traction control activated, causing the vehicle to lose forward momentum and power. One of these incidents, traffic did have to slow and alter course to account for my vehicles failure in the road. During the 6 months of the axle going out, the ABS system triggers at intermittent times during normal driving/braking conditions. I have tried working with the dealership where I purchased the vehicle, and with Chrysler directly. Both parties deflect responsibility to the other, stating there is no way to help escalate these problems because they are a recall item. I have been directed to wait for parts and to continue driving the vehicle, despite it seeming like a safety risk.

Starting in August of 2022 I started getting error messages from the car about Electronic Stability Control, Antilock Brake Systems, and Collision Avoidance problems. These seemed to come and go. But if I was on the highway with Cruise Control on and these messages appeared the car immediately drops out of Cruise Control. In addition if it happened while braking the pedal would go almost to the floor and I would have to pump several times to get the brakes to work. I took this car to the dealership on 10/3/2022, 3/20/2023, and 5/20/2023. In the first 2 instances I was told the part would be available within 6 weeks. For the last instance I was told the part would be in in 2 weeks. That was over 6 weeks ago and still Jeep has been unable to provide the part. Being unable to provide a part so key to many safety systems represents a significant safety concern.

While slowing to a stop and fully depressing only the brake with my right foot my vehicle rapidly accelerated into the back of another truck. It felt like the front brakes engaged, but the rear wheels continued to accelerate as the vehicle transmission worked to downshift. Serious safety issue-I am 100% confident that I was standing on the brake and not the accelerator. The road was dry with no gravel and I was gradually slowing to a stop when this occurred.

The vehicle auto starts when the brake pedal is pressed. The owner’s manual does not list this as one of the “Conditions that will cause the engine to start automatically”. The vehicle is operating in direct conflict with owner’s manual. This auto start issue poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly start and begin to roll when the driver is not ready. Additionally, if someone is operating on or under the vehicle, it will result in a serious injury or the loss of a finger when the vehicle auto starts in violation of the driver’s intent. The unexpected / wanted start could cause a collision with another vehicle or pedestrian leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at 2 Jeep dealerships, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is “operating as designed“. This portion of the vehicle’s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner’s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

There is a failure of the vehicle’s Brake Throttle Override (BTO) system which poses a serious safety hazard. When braking the throttle will surge from ~500 to ~1,500 RPMs without driver input (foot completely off the accelerator pedal, clutch pedal pressed in, and applying brake pedal). Despite the driver’s foot firmly engaging the brake pedal, the vehicle sends rogue commands to the throttle to surge in the direction opposition to the driver’s inputs and intentions. The BTO malfunction creates a serious safety hazard as it impacts stopping distance. It also causes driver distraction / confusion causing them to second guess that they accidentally brushed the accelerator, which could lead to a serious accident. There is a significant risk that the vehicle’s BTO system may not prevent an unintended acceleration (UA) event leading to severe injury or death. For driver safety, the BTO system should be fully operational and the throttle should not spike while braking. The BTO malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at the local dealership. However, the Service Director falsified and backdated the service records to claim that they “couldn’t duplicate concern” and that the “vehicle is driving normal.” An FCA Technical Advisor (TA) inspected the vehicle, and he stated that “the brake pedal should always take precedence over the accelerator”. The FCA TA stated that the vehicle was “operating as designed” when he could not recreate the issue. However, the same FCA TA stated the vehicle was “operating as designed” after he was able to recreate the throttle surge while braking multiple times. Both of these statements cannot be factually correct as they directly contradict. The FCA TA claims that vehicle is “operating as designed” indicating that the Jeep Engineering Team violated the BTO standard governing the safe operation of a motor vehicle when designing the Gladiator. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.