2021 JEEP GLADIATOR Complaints

Without any warning and after about 7 minutes of driving, Jeep turned off while driving at about 40 mph. There were no dash lights or warnings and the Jeep has never had an issue or any other symptom previously. Would not start and had to be towed. 8 hours later it was still in a crank no start condition. Both batteries were fully charged so not a battery issue. I'm a long time Jeep owner, VP of the Middle Peninsula Jeep Association LLC and fairly well versed in Jeep mechanics. I only say that to let you know that I have a lot of experience with Jeeps, was able to exclude certain causes and have not encountered thisnwith any of my previous Jeeps. Jeep is in show condition and meticulously cared for. The day after vehicle shut off, all dash lights and windows also stopped working so issue also caused batteries to fully drain. Dealership says it is needs a new PDC. I strongly suspect this is due to manufacturer defect related to PCM and some of manufacturing defects associated with COVID-era manufacturing issues. Uncertain if it could also be related to other open recall. Vehicle has less than 50K on it. It really doesn't feel right that just a large component would go out on such a new Jeep and definitely isn't in accordance with the quality I've come to know and expect when owning other Jeeps. Would appreciate anything you can do to assist. On another note, about half of the Gladiators I see have the 3rd brake light out (mine included). Any idea what the issue could be with that as I also have to get that replaced, too. Many thanks!

Approximately two months ago while driving about 65 mph on the interstate the power steering failed, and reverted to manual steering. The vehicle became extremely difficult to turn. I was near an exit, and as I slowed to leave the interstate, at 30-35 mph the steering began to work normally. I did not have the issue investigated. Two days ago while going to work, and descending a mountain which had numerous sharp curves the power steering failed again. I was traveling around 40 mph, and the vehicle was extremely difficult to steer. As I reduced speed to about 25mph the steering resumed normal operation. I was making a 90 degree downhill turn when this event occurred. I almost departed the road on a steep drop off. Had my wife been driving I do not think she would have possessed enough strength to keep from going off the road. I had the vehicle checked, by a mechanic and there were no codes or anomalies detected. I am a certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, as well as an Aviation Safety Inspector. This issue with my Jeep is an accident waiting to happen. There are a significant number of complaints for this same issue. NHTSA needs to address this issue.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that there were several unknown warnings illuminated, and the instrument cluster had started flashing on and off. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed down while depressing the accelerator pedal and continued to lose motive power. The contact stated that a warning flashed on the instrument cluster to "Pull Over" and that "Vehicle Was Going to Shutdown". The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right and that the brake pedal was difficult to depress, requiring the activation of the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The contact stated that her husband determined that the 12-Volt battery needed to be replaced. The contact stated that a new battery was installed; however, the vehicle had failed again with the same symptoms. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The third brake light, located on the tailgate of the 2021 Jeep Gladiator, has ceased to function due to a failure within the printed circuit board (PCB) inside the light housing. This issue has been confirmed by a third-party repair shop, which has noted that the PCB appears to be broken or damaged, rendering the brake light inoperable. Notably, the vehicle's instrument panel does not provide any notification or alert regarding the malfunction of the third brake light, which could lead to a significant safety risk. This failure impacts the vehicle's ability to properly signal braking and deceleration to other motorists, particularly from the rear. Given that the third brake light is a critical component for road safety, this issue poses a significant risk of rear-end collisions, especially under conditions where visibility is compromised. When the third brake light fails to illuminate this reduces the overall visibility of the vehicle’s braking signals, particularly in situations where the tailgate is obscured or when the vehicle is loaded. The lack of a functional third brake light increases the likelihood of a rear-end collision, putting both the driver and other road users at risk. The failure of the third brake light due to a malfunctioning PCB appears to be a common issue among 2021 Jeep Gladiators. The problem has been reported by multiple owners, and the root cause appears to be related to the design or manufacturing of the printed circuit board within the light assembly. The third brake light has been inspected by a third-party repair shop, which confirmed the malfunction of the PCB. However, despite the issue being identified, there has been no alert or warning displayed on the vehicle's instrument panel. There is no indication within the vehicle's diagnostic system that the third brake light is inoperative. Given the potential safety hazards and the recurring nature of this issue I respectfully request that the NHTSA conduct an investigation.

The vehicle turned off while sitting at a red light; luckily it started back up. I did receive the service stat stop warning light. Took the vehicle into the dealership, and both the main battery and auxiliary battery are bad. Last November, both batteries were just replaced. My vehicle was purchased new in June 2021, and this will be the fourth set of batteries it has had.

I am writing regarding my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave, which recently suffered engine damage due to a faulty head gasket. I understand the vehicle is approximately 5,000 miles over the 60,000-mile warranty; however, I believe this issue should not be my financial responsibility given the circumstances. At around 60,000 miles, I brought my Jeep in for a full service and inspection to ensure it was in top condition. I was informed at that time that everything looked fine and that there were no issues to address. Since then, I’ve continued to maintain the vehicle properly and drive it with care. The sudden head gasket failure, which ultimately led to engine damage, came as a complete surprise. This situation has been extremely difficult — not only because of the unexpected cost, but also because this Jeep was meant to be my long-term vehicle. My family and I have been loyal Mopar customers for years, and I’ve always trusted in the quality and reliability of your vehicles and service network. Given that I sought professional service and maintenance through authorized channels, and that no issues were identified at the time, I kindly request that Mopar consider a goodwill repair or assistance. I don’t believe it’s fair to be held financially responsible for a mechanical failure that likely existed but went undetected during a recent inspection. I’m grateful that nothing happened to me on the road, as I was unaware of the developing problem under the hood. I truly hope Mopar can stand behind its reputation for integrity, safety, and customer care by helping me through this situation. Thank you for your time, understanding, and continued support. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Gladiator on 3rd transmission and likely to need a 4th now at 26,000 miles. Each one failed the same way. The second gear in the manual transmission starts occasionally popping out of gear while driving and progresses in frequency over time to the point that it is impossible to keep in second gear at all. This may result in unsafe conditions such as loss of control of the vehicle. Each of my first two transmissions which were replaced were inspected by dealership technicians and the problem found to be easily repeatable. On tearing down of the transmission, pieces of internal components such as synchros were found to be disintegrated. I believe the transmissions were inspected by engineers from Jeep or its parent company though no findings were made available to myself. There were no warnings beyond the gradual escalation of the issue itself. The problem started happening at about 8000 to 10,000 miles on each transmission.

BRAKE PEDEL TO CLOSE TO GAS PEDEL.. WHEN THE DRIVER PUSHES ON BRAKE PEDEL HE CAN PUSH ON THE GAS PEDEL.. THE TRUCK WENT FORWARD VERY FAST./. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK USED

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, there was an alarming amount of white smoke emanating from the engine compartment and permeating the interior of the vehicle, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and evacuate the vehicle. Moments later, the entire front of the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. Local Emergency Services arrived on the scene and were able to extinguish the fire. During the failure several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and deemed a total loss by the Insurance provider. A fire report was filed and preliminary findings on the potential cause of the fire were provided but the contact was unaware of the cause. A Police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact's father suffered minor burns to both hands but had not sought medical attention. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the vehicle was retrieved for inspection. The manufacturer provided a determination of the inspection, and the vehicle was returned to the contact without providing the contact with the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BLANK AND VEHICLE SPEEDOMETER AND TACH AND ALL GUAGES ARE INOP., THE VEHICLE HAS THE 3.5 INCH CLUSTER THAT IS SUBJECT TO RECALL BUT FCA DENIES THAT THIS VEHICLE IS COVERED BY THE RECALL