2021 Jeep Gladiator

In January 2021, my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland became unstable at normal freeway speeds (60-75 mph) on many occasions. The slightest bump or surface irregularity stimulates a violent and sustaining side-to-side vehicle shudder/vibration from the front suspension that was very extreme that lasted for over 2 minutes or until the vehicle slowed to around 60 mph; where stable vehicle behavior restored. This extreme instability and needed hard braking creates a serious driving hazard. I have taken it to 2 separate dealers who cannot find any issue and are unwilling to investigate unless it happens in their presence even with video proof. I have also taken to a tire shop and had the tires re-balanced and put on a road force machine. The tire shop found no issues with the tires or balancing. This started at about 23,000 miles and occurs more as the temperatures drop. This failure mode is severe, occurs without warning, is not detectable until it occurs and is very frightening. My Jeep has stock, factory wheels and factory tires in good balance with no visible or abnormal tread wear. This is a dangerous condition that needs immediate correction. A 1 year old vehicle with 23,000 miles in excellent condition, no accident history and no modifications should not be doing this. Side note; I did have to have the engine replaced after 11 months of ownership and the Jeep came from the factory with cracked spark plugs and had the spark plugs replaced after 1 week of ownership. This is an ongoing issue with no resolution.

In December, 2021, my 2021 Jeep Willys Gladiator became unstable at normal freeway speeds (70-75 mph) on ~8 occasions. At these speeds, the slightest bump or surface irregularity stimulates a violent and sustaining side-to-side vehicle shudder from the front suspension that was so extreme that it splashed my cola and ice from the center cup holder to the dashboard and doors. R-L-R Steering inputs had no effect and hard braking had no effect until the vehicle slowed to around 60 mph; where stable vehicle behavior restored. This extreme instability and needed hard braking creates a serious driving hazard. The dealer is installing a new steering damper. The engineer in me says there is a bearing, bushing or ball joint as root cause. This defect manifested at ~23,000 miles and occurs more readily as the temperatures drop below 20 deg F. This failure mode is severe, occurs without warning, is not detectable until it occurs and its effect is panic-inducing. My Jeep has stock, factory aluminum wheels and normal sized Michelin All-Season radial tires in good balance with no visible or abnormal tread wear. I ordered this vehicle new on 3/1/2021. The 'Gladiator forum' calls this condition "death wobble". Anecdotally, the condition appears to be associated with vehicles having "lift kits" as well as stock vehicles. My 'Willys Jeep is built by FCA with a modest suspension lift relative to the base Gladiator models. Other (anecdotal) owner information has identified loose ball joints, defective drag link bushings and steering free play as root causes in other new, low mileage vehicles. I am a retired engineer with vehicle development, professional driving and prototype vehicle experience. This is a dangerous condition that needs immediate correction. A 7-month old vehicle with 25,000 miles in excellent condition, no accident history and no modifications SHOULD NEVER DO THIS. A steering damper may reduce this death wobble but there is a more likely root cause.

My jeep has bottomed out multiple times on normal road bumps. I've owned 4 other jeeps and have never experienced this before I've noticed there is one 3" of travel allotted between the front axle and the bump stops and I under stand that the diesel motor weight more than the 3.6l but to not compensate for the extra weight and running the same suspension setup as the 3.6l is not even right.... To spend 57,000$ on a vehicle that I can't just drive down the road without having to watch for bumps or manhole cover because I don't want to jar my back is no peace of mind.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering assist. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle with manual steering functionality. The contact stated that one and a half miles later the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact pulled to the nearest parking lot and notified the dealer of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,900.

The vehicle auto starts when the AC is turned on with the Auto HAVC set to off. The owner’s manual states that “the engine will start automatically when” the “Actual cabin temperature is significantly different than temperature set on Auto HVAC.” 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 may 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, 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.

The vehicle auto starts when the fan is turned on without the AC. 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 may 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, 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.

The vehicle auto starts when the defrost is turned on below the max or full setting. The owner’s manual specifies that “the engine will start automatically when” the “HVAC is set to full defrost mode”. 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 may 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, 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.

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.

The vehicle auto starts when opening the driver’s door. This is not listed under “Conditions that will cause the engine to start automatically while in STOP/START AUTO STOP ACTIVE mode” in the owner’s manual. Other Jeep models do not auto start upon opening the driver’s door. This auto start issue poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle will unexpectedly start and begin to roll when the driver’s door is open and the driver is not properly secure in the driver seat. 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.

The vehicle auto stops when the defrost is turned off, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifies that “HVAC is set to full defrost mode” will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of initiating the event. Additionally, this issue occurs when the HVAC is operating at less than full defrost mode. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a “STOP/START READY” message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops in traffic which confuses and distracts the driver. The unexpected / wanted stop in heavy traffic could cause a rear-end collision leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, 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.