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2021 Jeep Gladiator

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Gladiator years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Jeep Gladiator are substantially higher than the model-year median of 23.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 46 of 290 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Steering. Review the 94 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports

What owners actually said

290 reports
85,159 miles · Apr 28, 2025
Power Train

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the messages to "Turn Off Vehicle and Let the Clutch Cool Down", "Clutch Hot Performance Limited", and "Reduce Clutch Use" were displayed on the instrument panel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer…

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The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the messages to "Turn Off Vehicle and Let the Clutch Cool Down", "Clutch Hot Performance Limited", and "Reduce Clutch Use" were displayed on the instrument panel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was serviced under an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,159.

NHTSA ODI #11657252

Mileage unknown · Apr 13, 2025
Electrical SystemSteering

Driving approximately 40 mph, power steering went out almost wrecked dash said service shifter.

NHTSA ODI #11654320

Mileage unknown · Apr 3, 2025
SteeringSuspensionWheels

Death wobble, while traveling down any road that has a bump or is not smooth as glass I get the front end wobble, the only way to stop it is to slow down, have had a couple near miss accidents because of this. This jeep is all original, second time in shop was told all original parts are fine no wear no loose parts. They are p…

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Death wobble, while traveling down any road that has a bump or is not smooth as glass I get the front end wobble, the only way to stop it is to slow down, have had a couple near miss accidents because of this. This jeep is all original, second time in shop was told all original parts are fine no wear no loose parts. They are putting a steering damper on it. Was told by the dealership where it was purchased “it’s a jeep thing”. Because of the wobble had to replace tires because of uneven wear, had tires rebalanced multiple times trying to fix issue, now another fix to see if it works.

NHTSA ODI #11652661

Mileage unknown · Mar 29, 2025
Power Train

Brought vehicle in for new tires. Upon inspection it was found that the rear axle seal was leaking. Contacted Jeep customer service and was told vehicle had no recalls. I state that there was a Customer Service Notification for this issue and was told there was not. Was told vehicle was out of warranty and was at was at my expen…

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Brought vehicle in for new tires. Upon inspection it was found that the rear axle seal was leaking. Contacted Jeep customer service and was told vehicle had no recalls. I state that there was a Customer Service Notification for this issue and was told there was not. Was told vehicle was out of warranty and was at was at my expense. Told the service rep that this issue was brought up when it was in warranty and was told by dealership that it wasn't an issue. Customer rep then told me i needed to get a second opinion at that time and that there was nothing that could be done.

NHTSA ODI #11651461

Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2025
Unknown Or Other

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Fishbone Offroad bed rack (an aftermarket accessory on my Jeep Gladiator) failed structurally, developing cracks at all four outside corners of the beam with rust at the welds. The rack is available for inspection upon request…

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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Fishbone Offroad bed rack (an aftermarket accessory on my Jeep Gladiator) failed structurally, developing cracks at all four outside corners of the beam with rust at the welds. The rack is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The rack’s failure posed a collapse risk while supporting a 200-lb roof-top tent and a 50–60-lb 270° awning. A collapse during driving or camping could have caused the load to fall, potentially leading to a crash, injury, or damage to the vehicle or others on the road. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, as the rack was removed from use after the failure was discovered to prevent a collapse. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The manufacturer, Fishbone Offroad, was sent photos of the damage but has not physically inspected the rack. They offered to inspect it if I paid for shipping, which I declined. No police, insurance representatives, or others have inspected it. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps or messages, as this is an aftermarket accessory. The cracks were hidden under the load of the roof-top tent and only became visible after its removal in early 2025. Rust at the welds was the only prior symptom, noticed a few months earlier.

NHTSA ODI #11650870

17,000 miles · Mar 26, 2025
Steering

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving on the interstate highway at 70 MPH, the vehicle wobbled abnormally with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. Th…

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The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving on the interstate highway at 70 MPH, the vehicle wobbled abnormally with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was also informed that the steering dampener might have been the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000.

NHTSA ODI #11650760

Mileage unknown · Mar 18, 2025
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

The center brake light went out on my Jeep around 30000 miles. I don’t know when it went out, but it’s an obvious safety concern and common problem with Jeep Gladiator’s. My vehicle is outside warranty of warranty, but a search of a Jeep forum reveals the dealers covered some folks under warranty but not others. My dealer want…

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The center brake light went out on my Jeep around 30000 miles. I don’t know when it went out, but it’s an obvious safety concern and common problem with Jeep Gladiator’s. My vehicle is outside warranty of warranty, but a search of a Jeep forum reveals the dealers covered some folks under warranty but not others. My dealer wants $330 to fix what is obviously a defective part of a key safety feature (LED lights are typically rated for 50,000 hours or 6 years of constant illumination).

NHTSA ODI #11649137

Mileage unknown · Mar 18, 2025
Visibility/wiper

I was driving on a highway and the sun visor suddenly fell down but was still suspended by a wire and therefore obstructed my view. Nearly caused an accident. The arm that supports the sun visor seems to have dislodged from its housing. A quick search revealed this is such a common problem, there are many aftermarket parts so…

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I was driving on a highway and the sun visor suddenly fell down but was still suspended by a wire and therefore obstructed my view. Nearly caused an accident. The arm that supports the sun visor seems to have dislodged from its housing. A quick search revealed this is such a common problem, there are many aftermarket parts sold to fix this problem. My vehicle is outside warranty, but several Jeep forum posts indicate this issue was not covered by Jeep’s warranty. The Jeep dealer is charging $382 to fix what should be a recall.

NHTSA ODI #11649133

Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2025
Power TrainSuspension

[XXX] 2021 Jeep Gladiator had a recall on the rear axle seal leak they told me the parts were on back order and the dealership allowed the recall to time out. When they ordered them I took it in and they said the parts were the wrong parts and needed to reorder them. Jeep will rev up to around 7000 rpms and hesitates to go up…

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[XXX] 2021 Jeep Gladiator had a recall on the rear axle seal leak they told me the parts were on back order and the dealership allowed the recall to time out. When they ordered them I took it in and they said the parts were the wrong parts and needed to reorder them. Jeep will rev up to around 7000 rpms and hesitates to go up steep hills. Power stearing fluid keeps leaking from somewhere. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11648643

Mileage unknown · Feb 25, 2025
Steering

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI #11644809

Official recalls

8

26V363000 · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:pump

Jun 4, 2026

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Jeep Wrangler, Wrangler 4XE, and Jeep Gladiator vehicles. The electric hydraulic power steering pump wiring may overheat and cause a vehicle fire, even when the vehicle is parked with the ignition in the "Off" position.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures, until their vehicle is repaired. Dealers will inspect and replace the wiring and electric hydraulic power steering pump, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 9, 2026. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 21D. The Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 11, 2026.

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.

24V572000 · Power Train:manual Transmission:control Module:software

Aug 1, 2024

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator vehicles that were previously remedied under NHTSA recall number 23V-116. The software for the powertrain control module may cause an engine stall, which can result in a loss of drive power.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 92B. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 23V-116 will need to have the new remedy completed.

23V263000 · Fuel System, Diesel:delivery:fuel Pump

Apr 13, 2023

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, and 2022-2023 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with a 3.0L diesel engine. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the HPFP and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 01A.

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.

22V767000 · Engine; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Oct 13, 2022

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, and 2021-2022 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail, causing an engine stall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the HPFP and inspect and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z96.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Engine

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, and 2021-2022 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail, causing an engine stall.

Consequence: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the HPFP and inspect and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z96.

Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, and 2021-2022 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail, causing an engine stall.

Consequence: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the HPFP and inspect and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z96.

22V638000 · Back Over Prevention:display Function

Aug 25, 2022

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Jeep Wrangler, RAM 1500 and 2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. A radio software error may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 6, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA, LLC's number for this recall is Z86.

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.

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

2

PE24024 · Underhood Fires

Opened Sep 6, 2024 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:pump

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 9 Vehicle Owner's Questionnaire (VOQ) reports, 1 Death and Injury report, and multiple field reports alleging incidents of engine compartment fires in model year (MY) 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. The majority of the reports describe a fire occurring while the ignition in the vehicle was in an ‘OFF’ state with a suspected origin at the passenger front side of the engine compartment. An ignition ‘OFF’ vehicle fire can result in an increased risk of occupant injury, injury to persons outside the vehicle, and property damage, with little to no warning. ODI has contacted the vehicle manufacturer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and learned of several thermal events originating at the power steering pump electrical connector in recent model year Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. The location of the pump connector is located at the passenger front side of the engine compartment, coinciding with the majority of fire reports known to ODI. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to assess the cause, scope, and frequency of the alleged defect. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Numbers document, go to NHTSA.gov.

EA23001 · High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure

Opened Mar 17, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Diesel:delivery:fuel Pump

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE21-021 on October 14, 2021, to investigate incidents alleging a stall/loss of motive power as a result of high-pressure fuel pump failures in certain model year (MY) 2019-2020 Ram 2500, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy duty trucks equipped with 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engines. During the investigation, ODI sought to determine if the related defect allegation was limited in scope to the recalled population. After review of information request response materials from both FCA and BMW, NHTSA determined that sufficient information to identify a comprehensive recall population could not be produced by FCA and BMW.During the investigation FCA filed recalls 22V406, 22E048, 22V767, and 22E087 which include vehicles not identified in the initial subject population by ODI. ODI also received recall 21V586, involving loss of motive power due to failed CP4 fuel pumps on certain BMW manufactured vehicles. An information request letter response received from BMW indicated that failed pumps on their vehicles were caused by an interaction between pump internal components and US market diesel fuel, leading to increased slip and eventual particle-generating wear surface. Additional work will be done to identify whether a similar root cause is associated with the FCA recalled population and if similar wear dynamics occur on pumps supplied to vehicle manufacturers other than those included in the recalled population.ODI has upgraded this investigation to an EA in order to 1) determine engineering specifications of internal pump components that are correlated with pump failure leading to loss of motive power or other safety related hazards, 2) identify vehicle populations equipped with alleged defective pump variants, 3) assess if vehicles equipped with alleged defective pump variants result in an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety and 4) gather and review any other relevant information related to high pressure fuel pump failure associated with the subject populations of recalls 21V586, 21V880, 21E094, 22V406, 22E048, 22V767, and 22E087.Review of the above information will allow NHTSA to confirm root cause and recall remedy viability, and identify and evaluate vehicle populations equipped with pump components that may pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following complaint identification numbers: 11257550, 11351441, 11361603, 11361616, 11365300, 11365426, 11365858, 11366401, 11372337, 11373793, 11374797, 11376793, 11377871, 11378173, 11384377, 11386063, 11387018, 11399710, 11402550, 11415339, 11418868, 11418870, 11427075, 11434276, 11436807, 11437226, 11437249, 11437273, 11437292, 11437294, 11437394, 11437399, 11437403, 11437405, 11437423, 11437528, 11437565, 11437579, 11437580, 11437590, 11437679, 11437744, 11437781, 11437842, 11437993, 11438006, 11438008, 11438121, 11438138, 11438155, 11438392, 11438629, 11439359, 11439879, 11440397, 11443030, 11446542, 11448163, 11453556, 11458918, 11460558, 11469337