TroubleCAR
58
Trouble

2020 Jeep Gladiator

Complaints: 466Avg mileage: 18,734 miSince: Jun 2019
CrashFire5 injured

Problem Areas

Steering
180
Electrical System
158
Power Train
51
Engine
43
Unknown or Other
33
Suspension
32
Visibility/Wiper
23
Service Brakes
16
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel
12
Vehicle Speed Control
11

Complaints Over Time

Recent Complaints

POWER TRAIN
Nov 20, 2023Winnemucca, NV
CrashFire

I was driving on the highway going 80mph in 6th gear and my wife smelled something then the gears started grinding I put it in neutral as I was slowing down I was trying to get to the exit which was about 1/4 mile away so I put the truck in 4th and thats when the transmission exploded sending fire and transmission parts on the highway. I saw flames come out from under the vehicle and from the engine compartment, I told my wife to get out and we got everything that we could grab and within 5 minutes the Jeep was engulfed in flames

SERVICE BRAKES
Aug 6, 2022Lufkin, TX
Crash1 injured

My truck malfunctioned at an automatic car wash. It has approximately 54k miles. I had no warning lights or system alerts on vehicle or Uconnect app. I stopped in the parking lot & put the Gladiator in Park, I left the ignition on. I got off truck & got a towel to clean interior.There are several spaces to vacuum. I put the vehicle in DRIVE to move forward & out of the way of a patron that was going to reverse out. In DRIVE, I pushed the gas pedal in a slight & normal way. The truck REVERSED in DRIVE position. It accelerated to an unknown speed, it felt constant. I pushed break with foot I pushed D with. Right foot. The breaks didn’t work. I tried breaking several times during incident, it was approximately 10 seconds. I didn’t have time to use e- break. I don’t believe back up camera was displayed. I concentrated on physically looking at surroundings & steering. I avoided hitting 1 car, a SUV & a brick wall. The truck made contact with around 4 trees & a sign. The damage was mainly to L side. There’s damage to R side & R back tire had a bulge on it. I went over a concrete, grassy area & felt the impacts of front & back ends going over it & landing. I went over another concrete curve & hit a tree at an angle around the middle of front L cab. The impact caused the car to bounce forward. It didn’t move. I put the truck in Park from D position. I pushed off button. I couldn’t get out of truck of driver side door it’s damaged. 1 witness & lady from suv stopped to check on me. I called police to crash site. He noted witness & lack of break marks. Roadside service wait was long, officer called one. I made a report to Uconnect that evening. They gave me a case # told me they’d move vehicle to a dealer, inspect, analyze & call me. I’ve called, recorded calls & told case was elevated to higher level & no info can be given to me. They refused to tell me where car was, if inspected, warranty info, or what malfunctioned. My ribs, clavicles, r shoulder hurt for a month.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS
1,200 miMar 4, 2020MEDINA, WA
Crash2 injured

I PURCHASED THE JEEP ON 12/30/2019. IT HAD 1,200 MILES WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN 4WD AND ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON TO INDICATE FAILURE. I HIT THE BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WHEN I COULD NOT STOP AT A RED LIGHT.*DT CONSUMER IS CURRENTLY WAITING ON DIAGNOSIS AND NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. DURING THE ACCIDENT CONSUMER HAD NECK, BACK, AND SHOULDER INJURIES. POLICE REPORT HAS BEEN FILED CASE [XXX]. ('PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).')*JB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
May 22, 2022Sanger, CA
Fire1 injured

Electrical system malfunction. Gladiator is burned down completely. Copart now has it under my insurance companies instruction. Large electrical fire. I took my vehicle into the dealer because the start stop feature stopped working. I received a call at the end of the day and was notified that both my batteries where bad. They replaced both under warranty and kept it over night for testing. Received a call the fallowing late morning informing my that my vehicle was repaired and was ready to be picked up. On my way home I was stopped at a light and noticed smoke coming out around the hood. I immediately pulled over and opened the hood. The electrical wire on the passenger side below the fuse panel were burning. I tried to put it out with a towel but was burned. I called 911 but by the time the fire department came it was too late. My Gladiator was completely burned down. This incident happened in front of a school as they where letting out. A police officer was there directing student to walk around the dangerous incident. The incident was inspected by the fire department and was confirmed in a report that it started in the engine compartment. No warning lamp or messages.

ENGINE
109,000 miOct 15, 2025Windsor Mill, MD
Crash

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle had suddenly started to vibrate and shake. The contact stated that the vehicle was maintaining its lane but was lurching from left to right. No warnings illuminated. The contact stated that she pulled off to the side of the road; however, when she turned the vehicle on, it would start shaking again. The contact stated that she would keep driving while the vehicle was shaking, and the shaking would eventually stop. The contact stated that the shaking was occurring at any speed and was also triggered when she would drive over any small bumps or dips in the road. The contact stated recently, while she was driving in traffic at approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle started to shake again, however, this time violently. The contact stated that at the time, it was raining. The contact stated that it felt like the vehicle had lifted up, and then she crashed into the guard rail on the driver's side front bumper. The contact stated that the bumper and an LED light bar attached to the front grill had made contact and were slightly damaged, and the driver's side headlight stopped functioning. The police were not called, and the contact was not injured. The contact reported that the driver's side front air bag had deployed but had not inflated and was draped on her lap. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact reported that after the crash, she observed the check oil and check brake warnings illuminated. The contact stated that she needed to depress the brake pedal with more force in order to stop. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

SERVICE BRAKES
Apr 25, 2023Riverside, CA
Crash

I was driving at about 5 MPH and about to go onto the Freeway on ramp in Riverside, California, when the sensor in my car went off and locked the brakes, causing the person behind me to rear-end me. This is not the first time this has happened with this vehicle. Luckily, I was not injured, however, this could have been a serious injury if I was traveling at a higher speed or under many other circumstances.

STEERING
Jan 29, 2023Cato, NY
Crash

Steering is very loose, wanders all over the road and is especially noticeable at higher speeds. It’s very exhausting constantly correcting the steering to keep straight on the road. There is a lot of play in the steering box. I’ve taken my jeep to be fixed by the dealership more times than I can count. I’ve had the steering box replaced 3 times with no improvement. This has been a day 1 issue that hasn’t been fixed. It’s especially dangerous in the snow, I had a perfect driving record till I went off the road during my first winter. Dealer confirmed there was a lot of play in the steering but hasn’t fixed it, they’ve just basically throw their hands up in the air. This isn’t what I expected when I bought a new Jeep, it’s been a nightmare.

SERVICE BRAKES
Jun 3, 2022Medina, WA
Crash

A braking sensor failed on the Gladiator causing the ABS, 4WD, and cruise warning lights to become illuminated. The brakes then did not work properly causing an accident. The EDR report shows the ABS system was turned off as a result of the sensor. The attached documentation shows an expert reviewed the information and came to the conclusion the failed sensor caused the ABS to be off which in turn caused the brakes to lock. The brakes locking caused a skid which caused the accident. Also to note the general manager of Bellevue AutoNation let me know the sensor has since been changed out along with the brake cables on 06/05/2021 for all Jeep Gladiators. Jeep has known this is a problem and has not done a recall.

AIR BAGS
22,000 miApr 17, 2021AKRON, OH
Crash

I HIT A GUARDRAIL AT 70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE WITH THE FRONT RIGHT BUMPER AND ROLLED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY AIRBAGS DEPLOYING.

SERVICE BRAKES
4,000 miOct 28, 2020LIVINGSTON, TX
Crash

FIRST INCIDENT WAS APPROACHING A TURN OFF INTO A SHOPPING AREA, A CAR WAS STOPPED THERE WAITING FOR TRAFFIC AS I APPROACHED I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO WAY DOWN, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO RECYCLE BRAKE PEDAL AS IT WENT SO FAR DOWN I WAS HITTING GAS PEDAL, THUS CAUSING ME TO COLLIDE. SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING TO TOWN AND A STRONG BRAKE BURNT SMELL WAS OCCURRING, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP AGAIN BRAKE PEDAL WENT WAY DOWN AGAIN WHICH THIS TIME I HAD TIME TO REGAIN CONTROL FROM HITTING GAS PEDAL AND FORCE STOP, INSPECTED BRAKES AND FRONT BRAKES WERE EXTREMELY HOT AND SMOKING AS IF BRAKES WERE BEING CONSTANTLY APPLIED, I DID NOT FEEL BRAKES BEING APPLIED GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY JUST SMELL AND INSPECTION OF FRONT BRAKES HEATING UP. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR STATION WAITING ON RESULTS. I FEEL THAT IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR AND MAJOR ACCIDENT.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2 miMay 7, 2020ATLANTA, GA
Crash

THE CAR GOES INTO COMPLETE HALT UNDER BRIDGE WITH LOTS OF VIBRATION. IT REACTS BY PRESSING THE BRAKES. IT HAS CAUSED ME TO CRASH. *TR

ENGINE
12,000 miJun 5, 2024Fleetwood, NC
Fire

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, they would smell a burning odor coming from the clutch. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the vehicle caught on fire after being driven for a while. The contact exited the vehicle and the fire department extinguished the flames. No injuries were sustained. A fire report and police report were filed however no information was not available. The contact stated the vehicle was towed to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however when the vehicle was taken to a dealer, the contact was informed that the recall remedy was not available as of yet and did not perform an interim fix. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Jul 21, 2021San Antonio, TX
Fire

Truck had very low power from day 1. Start/stop functionality mpcb short. Engine shacking and making noises. Engine burns oil. Trucks fuel economy is worse then a v12!I was getting 14 miles per gallon. The steering sucks it tilts to the right. Truck feels very unsafe to steer. The steering radius on ir is terrible. Trucks engine temperature goes up when is idling. Starter was staying on and hard to start. Engine would stall crossing the street. Engine stalled in the highway going 65 mph.it generated 10 check engine codes.the chassis of the truck is not completely welded trough. There is gaps all over it.over all the truck flimsy and unstable. The 4x4 was making noises. My oil would get black after 3k miles of driving it.If I was to leave truck on for it to get warm or cold any body could jump in and steal it, even if I have the keys. Truck started having issues at 7 k miles Ac didn’t blow very cold air. Hot air from outside will come in the pit. At last truck broke down it stalled in the middle of a intersection, or would not no into neutral to push it out of the road. I was trying to start it but the stater was very sluggish and after 3 times of me pushing on the start button it started smoking, when I saw this I panicked and trying to make it stop from starting but the starter kept going and going until it kept smoking after 5 minutes it stoped, I open the hood and it smelled like a electrical fire, I was going to call the fire department but it ceased smoking, so I stopped and somehow got it to a safe place. Truck didn’t want to start ever since. I never did any upgrades so that I would not void my warranty, I always did my oil changes and did my tire rotations. Never overloaded my truck or took it off-road. I never put a big trailer on it.I always washed it and took the best care of it as possible.mind you this all happened at 34 thousand miles and I am under new car warranty, even after all this I would still buy another Jeep gladiator

STRUCTURE:BODY
23,000 miNov 7, 2020DORCHESTER, MA
Fire

I ENTERED THE HIGHWAY AND MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON. I THEN LOST POWER STEERING. IMMEDIATELY GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION. AS I EXITED MY VEHICLE I OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD VENTS. THE ENGINE BAY THEN BECAME FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. VEHICLE IS TOTAL LOSS.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
12,900 miAug 18, 2020WESTON MILLS, NY
Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE BED OF VEHICLE TOWARDS TO THE CAB. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER THE VEHICLE AND JUMP OUT. THE CONTACT STATED THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISH BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED WHICH STATED THE FIRE STARTED UNDERNEATH THE BED OF VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER DEEMED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS. THE CONTACT STATED LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. A CASE WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,900.*DT*LN*JB*JB*DT*JB

POWER TRAIN
7,000 miSep 27, 2019TUCSON, AZ
Fire

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 70 WITH APPROX SPEED OF 65. CAUGHT ON FIRE. FLAMES AND LOTS OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER JEEP. SMOKE ENTERED CAB. WHAT I THINK IS TRANSMISSION FLUID LEFT TRAIL ON INTERSTATE. I HAVE PHOTO.*DT*JB*DT *JS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Aug 12, 2021Henderson, NV
1 injured

While exiting the vehicle from the front passenger door, I put my left hand on the door frame to close the front door. Simultaneously, the passenger in the rear passenger side exited the vehicle and closed the door. One of my fingers got caught between the door frame and the door and severed part of my my finger off. While I understand closing the door on my hand is not Jeeps fault, the normal result of closing the door on a finger is not instant amputation! I used a stick to see if I could replicate the results, and 100% of the time the door snapped the stick when placed above the door hinge. If that had been a childs hand, it would have cut it clean off.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 5, 2026Jefferson, GA

This complaint is a follow-up to NHTSA complaint number 11729095. Since submitting the original complaint, the issue has continued and is now occurring while the vehicle is in motion. The vehicle is experiencing intermittent electrical and communication failures affecting multiple systems. The issue began approximately three weeks ago after completing a normal drive and has persisted since that time, occurring randomly and without warning. Both the main battery and auxiliary battery have been replaced; however, the condition remains unresolved. Current symptoms include: •Multiple warning messages and warning lights activating simultaneously while driving (including “Service Antilock Brake System” and “Service Shifter”) •Loss of communication between multiple control modules •Fault codes that temporarily clear but return •Instrument cluster instability and erratic system behavior Power steering assist becomes intermittent during these events, making steering significantly more difficult, particularly when navigating curves or operating in heavy traffic. This creates a serious safety hazard due to reduced vehicle control. Diagnostic trouble codes associated with this condition include multiple communication-related faults (U-codes), indicating loss of communication between critical control modules. The condition may temporarily improve when the auxiliary battery system is bypassed and the battery sensor is disconnected, but the failures consistently return. The issue is ongoing, intermittent, and reproducible. No accidents have occurred to date; however, the condition presents a clear and increasing safety risk. Photographic evidence of warning indicators and system faults occurring during vehicle operation is available. Root cause remains UNKNOWN but is suspected to involve the auxiliary battery system, battery management system, wiring, or vehicle communication network.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Apr 3, 2026Jefferson, GA

The vehicle is experiencing intermittent electrical and communication failures affecting multiple systems. The issue first occurred approximately three weeks ago immediately after completing a normal drive. Since that time, the problem has occurred randomly and repeatedly. Following the initial event, multiple warning messages appeared, including “Service Shifter,” along with numerous fault codes indicating loss of communication between control modules. Both the main battery and auxiliary battery have been replaced; however, the issue persists with no improvement. Current symptoms include: •Intermittent loss of communication between modules •Repeated warning messages, including “Service Shifter” •Fault codes that temporarily clear but return after driving •Unpredictable and inconsistent vehicle system behavior The condition sometimes temporarily improves but the faults and warnings consistently return. This creates a safety risk due to unreliable vehicle operation, including potential loss of shifting capability, starting issues, or failure of electronically controlled systems while driving. The failure is ongoing and intermittent but reproducible. The vehicle has not been involved in any accidents related to this issue. Root cause is UNKNOWN but suspected to involve the auxiliary battery system, battery management system, wiring, or related electrical components.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Mar 28, 2026Waterford, MI

While I was driving the vehicle, the instrument cluster screen went completely blank and it won’t display any information like the speed, gas or anything about the vehicle information. Went completely blank while driving the vehicle, which could’ve caused an accident.

Other Gladiator Years

Other Jeep Models