2021 Jeep Gladiator Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: September 28, 2026 · Filed: September 30, 2026

While I was driving home with 2 of my boys, the instrument cluster malfunctioned and went completely blank while driving. I had a mechanic check the vehicle and the fuses were/are working fine. He stated that he found issues online about Jeep Gladiators from this model year having issues with the instrument cluster suddenly going blank due to a parts issue. There is an active recall for this issue, but my truck is not included. When I called Jeep Customer Care, I was told that NHTSA was responsible for which VIN #'s were included. They also facetiously stated that if I had any issues with that I should reach out to the NHTSA, so I did. I spoke with a helpful NHTSA agent that stated it was the manufacturer who was responsible for which vehicles were included (Call Reference # 1889375) and it would be helpful for me to make a formal complaint using the website.

Incident: March 1, 2026 · Filed: September 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that two years ago the vehicle was taken to a dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); to prevent the clutch from overheating. However, the failure started after the vehicle was repaired under the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving, there was smoke coming from under the hood. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to perform the inspection or confirm the failure due to the age and mileage on the vehicle. The contact stated that the software update included a transmission kill switch to be activated whenever the clutch overheated, but the kill switch failed to operate as intended. The message that the clutch was overheating was displayed on the instrument panel during the failure. There was a burning odor and smoke during the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000.

Incident: June 10, 2026 · Filed: September 9, 2026

My Transmission is skipping on 3rd gear ratio code and reverse is getting stuck with only 70,000 2021 and i was the only owner.

Incident: August 24, 2026 · Filed: August 24, 2026

Component Affected: Power Train / Automatic Transmission (850RE 8-Speed)Description of Safety Hazard:While driving my 2022 Jeep Gladiator (53,940 miles), the transmission experienced a severe internal component failure, specifically throwing error code P0733-00 (Gear 3 Shift Incorrect Ratio). This causes the transmission to violently slip, shift harshly, or completely fail to engage 3rd gear while accelerating.This creates an immediate and severe safety hazard on public roads. When the transmission fails to engage the gear, the vehicle experiences a sudden, uncommanded loss of motive power while in traffic. This leaves the vehicle coasting without acceleration, exposing myself and my passengers to an extremely high risk of being rear-ended by oncoming traffic.This issue is a known manufacturing defect involving the internal transmission "D" Clutch assembly, as documented in manufacturer Technical Service Bulletin TSB 21-009-25. The dealership refused to properly pull the historical codes or address the issue, leaving a dangerous, defect-plagued vehicle on the road. Stellantis / Jeep needs to issue a mandatory safety recall for this 850RE transmission D-clutch defect before this sudden loss of acceleration causes a fatal accident

Incident: July 1, 2026 · Filed: August 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH on uneven road surfaces, the vehicle experienced violent shaking in the front end and the steering wheel. The contact stated that the vibration reoccurred while depressing the brake pedal and ceased after the vehicle had decelerated. The failure was associated with the death wobble. A diagnostic test was performed at a dealer, and an estimate for the repair was provided; however, the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

Incident: August 4, 2026 · Filed: August 11, 2026

Truck failed to find gear shuddered lost speed in traffic while going up a hill. Limp mode was initiated. This is a known manufacturers defect with a tsb applied against the known issue. Issue is widespread when researched but not made known by the manufacturer of the truck. Dealership refusing repair under goodwill due to truck being out of mileage by 5000miles. Symptoms started prior to exiting warranty but due to no communication by dealership or manufacturer unit was not brought in for repair prior. Repeat this is a known defect that is being ignored by manufacturer.

Incident: July 26, 2026 · Filed: July 29, 2026

I am experiencing the "Jeep Death Wobble" which occurs intermittently after hitting any road imperfections i.e. uneven road surface connections, potholes, or rumble strips, causing a violent and sudden shaking of the steering wheel at highway speeds. I feel like the wheels are going to fall off it shakes so bad!!! I either have to slow down to under 45 mph or less, or come to a complete stop in order for it to stop wobbling. This does not happen on smooth road surfaces. I have a stock 2021 Jeep Gladiator which I bought brand new the end of 2020. Whenever this happens, I need to get off the road if there are people behind me as I need to slow my speed and or exit the roadway. This puts me at risk especially when traveling interstate highways with tractor trailers and other large vehicles behind me. I advised the dealership in the past that I was experiencing this problem and they were supposed to order a stabilizer for my jeep but have never heard back about it. My Jeep is available for inspection as it has not been fixed. My Jeep was just in for bad calipers/brakes/rotors and had a multi-point inspection on 7/11/26 and 7/22/26. However, the wobble still happens. I am listing below the most recent date that this wobble occurred which was 7/26/26

Incident: July 10, 2026 · Filed: July 29, 2026

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.

Incident: July 22, 2026 · Filed: July 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V363000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that the vehicle had passed the inspection. The contact was advised to continue to park the vehicle away from the residence. The contact was confused. The contact asked the dealer why the vehicle was still considered a fire risk. No explanation was provided. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Incident: June 4, 2026 · Filed: July 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V363000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle could be taken to the dealer to be inspected; however, the vehicle would remain with the dealer until parts became available. The dealer informed the contact that parts for the recall repair were expected in September 2026. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.