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
2020 Jeep Gladiator
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Gladiator years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator are substantially higher than the model-year median of 23.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Gladiator years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
212 reports with mileage · 271 unknown
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.
- Electrical System. Review the 183 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 181 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
483 reportsTHE ROOF LEAKS IN THE CENTER FRONT AND WILL UNEXPECTEDLY HIT THE DRIVER WITH WATER WHILE DRIVING. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER THAT ALL JEEPS LEAK AND THAT HE WOULD TRY TO FIX IT BUT IT WOULD LIKELY GET WORSE. IT IS A DANGEROUS EVENT TO GET HIT BY WATER WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS A NEW JEEP 2020 GLADI…
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THE ROOF LEAKS IN THE CENTER FRONT AND WILL UNEXPECTEDLY HIT THE DRIVER WITH WATER WHILE DRIVING. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER THAT ALL JEEPS LEAK AND THAT HE WOULD TRY TO FIX IT BUT IT WOULD LIKELY GET WORSE. IT IS A DANGEROUS EVENT TO GET HIT BY WATER WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS A NEW JEEP 2020 GLADIATOR. SINCE I AM TOLD IT CAN'T BE FIXED IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A DANGEROUS FLAW. THEY HAVE OFFERED FOR ME TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER DEALER IN ANOTHER CITY TO ATTEMPT REPAIR. WITH WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT SEEMS TO BE AN AVOIDANCE.
AROUND LATE FEBRUARY THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A NOISE FROM THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT AREA. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN DENISON IOWA 3/4/20 AND THEY TOLD US THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE PARTS ARE BACK ORDERED FRO 4-6 WEEKS. THEY TOLD US IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT AFTER THEY TOOK IT APART IT STARTED DOING I…
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AROUND LATE FEBRUARY THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A NOISE FROM THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFT AREA. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN DENISON IOWA 3/4/20 AND THEY TOLD US THE FRONT DRIVE SHAFTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE PARTS ARE BACK ORDERED FRO 4-6 WEEKS. THEY TOLD US IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT AFTER THEY TOOK IT APART IT STARTED DOING IT MORE FREQUENTLY AND WHEN IT MADE THE NOISE IT PULLED HARD TO THE RIGHT AND SEEMED UNSAFE. WE CONTACTED FCA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR PARTS TEAM LOCATE THE REQUIRED PARTS. IT HAS NOW BEEN 41 DAYS AND THEY STILL DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS, AND THEY ARE TELLING US THEY DO NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WILL HAVE THE PARTS. THEY APPROVED RENTAL CAR BUT DUE TO THE EXPENSE WE RETURNED IT AFTER 1 MONTH. WE CAN ONLY GET THE MONEY WE HAVE PAID FOR THE RENTAL CAR AFTER OUR VEHICLE IS REPAIRED WHICH NOW SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER MONTH. WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY OUR MONTHLY CAR PAYMENT PLUS THE RENTAL CHARGES. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.
STEERING; SCARY TO DRIVE ON HWY. MANUAL TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT GRINDS CLUTCH RELATED I THOUGHT THAT WAS NORMAL CAUSE IT WAS BRAND NEW AND NOT BROKEN IN. NOT SO PROBLEM STILL THERE. BACK UP CAMERA DOESN'T ALWAYS ENGAGE I WONDER IF THE MANUAL SHIFTING HAS ANY FLAWS. TOO MUCH CRAP FOR SUCH A HIGH PRICE. WHEN CAN I RETURN. LMK. …
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STEERING; SCARY TO DRIVE ON HWY. MANUAL TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT GRINDS CLUTCH RELATED I THOUGHT THAT WAS NORMAL CAUSE IT WAS BRAND NEW AND NOT BROKEN IN. NOT SO PROBLEM STILL THERE. BACK UP CAMERA DOESN'T ALWAYS ENGAGE I WONDER IF THE MANUAL SHIFTING HAS ANY FLAWS. TOO MUCH CRAP FOR SUCH A HIGH PRICE. WHEN CAN I RETURN. LMK. *TR
I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE 3 DAYS. AT 40+ MPH, THE VEHICLE DRIFTS IN THE LANE. THERE SEEM TO BE A DEAD SPOT IN THE STEERING. DIDN'T NOTICE IT DURING THE TEST DRIVE, AS WE DIDN'T GO ON THE HIGHWAY AND GET OVERC40 FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. I DRIVE 25 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK, SO I NOTICED IT A LOT TODAY. THIS IS A $44,000 VEHICLE, IT SHOU…
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I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE 3 DAYS. AT 40+ MPH, THE VEHICLE DRIFTS IN THE LANE. THERE SEEM TO BE A DEAD SPOT IN THE STEERING. DIDN'T NOTICE IT DURING THE TEST DRIVE, AS WE DIDN'T GO ON THE HIGHWAY AND GET OVERC40 FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. I DRIVE 25 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK, SO I NOTICED IT A LOT TODAY. THIS IS A $44,000 VEHICLE, IT SHOULD NOT DO THIS. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT MONDAY AT 8 AM FOR THE RUNNING BOARDS, I WILL DEFINITELY BRING THIS UP.
WANDERING STEERING HAS BECOME DANGEROUS. STEERING IS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AND CAR WANDERS. STEERING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT LINE. CAREFUL ATTENTION IS REQUIRED AS STEERING IS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.
THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM THAT IS DESIGNED TO BOTH ALERT OF AN IMPENDING COLLISION AND APPLY BRAKES, IF NECESSARY. THE SYSTEM CAN BE SET TO: OFF, ALERT ONLY OR ALERT W/ EMERGENCY BRAKING. THE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IN FACT, IT WORKS SO IN FREQUENTLY THAT I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER.…
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THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM THAT IS DESIGNED TO BOTH ALERT OF AN IMPENDING COLLISION AND APPLY BRAKES, IF NECESSARY. THE SYSTEM CAN BE SET TO: OFF, ALERT ONLY OR ALERT W/ EMERGENCY BRAKING. THE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IN FACT, IT WORKS SO IN FREQUENTLY THAT I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY EVALUATED IT FOR 3 DAYS AND FOUND NOTHING DIAGNOSTICALLY WRONG. THE FACTS THAT I CAN CONFIRM ARE AS FOLLOWS: OCCASIONALLY THE ALERT WARNING SOUND WILL CHIME BUT THE BRAKES DO NOT ACTIVATE. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN WHAT CONDITIONS ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO ACTUALLY ACTIVATE AND WORK PROPERLY. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE HAD THE ALERT CHIME WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN IN FRONT OF ME BUT DURING THAT SAME DRIVE, WHEN A SECOND VEHICLE MAKES A SIMILAR RIGHT TURN, THE SYSTEM DOES NOT ALERT ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, OIL LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE AND LEFT A PUDDLE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HILLTOP CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM LOCATED AT (3291 AUTO PLAZA DRIVE, RICHMOND, CA 94806 (510) 243-6100) WHERE THE OIL PAN GASKET WAS REPLAC…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, OIL LEAKED FROM THE VEHICLE AND LEFT A PUDDLE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HILLTOP CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM LOCATED AT (3291 AUTO PLAZA DRIVE, RICHMOND, CA 94806 (510) 243-6100) WHERE THE OIL PAN GASKET WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2020 GLADIATOR NOT EVEN A MONTH OLD, 6 SPEED MANUAL. VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING PROFUSELY AND WAS EXPECTING A FIRE, LUCKILY ONLY BURNT CLUTCH SMELL. CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING IT AND ITS BRAND NEW. THE TRUCK CAN EITHER START ON FIRE OR EXPLODE! THIS IS BASICALLY A ROLLING TICKING TIME BOMB. IT'S IN AT THE DEALERSH…
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I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2020 GLADIATOR NOT EVEN A MONTH OLD, 6 SPEED MANUAL. VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING PROFUSELY AND WAS EXPECTING A FIRE, LUCKILY ONLY BURNT CLUTCH SMELL. CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING IT AND ITS BRAND NEW. THE TRUCK CAN EITHER START ON FIRE OR EXPLODE! THIS IS BASICALLY A ROLLING TICKING TIME BOMB. IT'S IN AT THE DEALERSHIP NOW WITH STILL NO REMEDY. FCA SHOULD BUY THIS BACK FROM ME. W12 RECALL PRESSURE PLATE IS ONLY A GUESS AND FRANKLY ITS [XXX]. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH A MORE ROBUST AND RUGGED SOLUTION THAT MATCHES JEEPS BRAND. 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).
UNSURE OF WHAT THE ISSUE IS BUT HAVE OCCASIONAL ISSUES WITH CLUTCH AND STEERING IS VERY LOOSE.
Official recalls
724V652000 · 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.
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.
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.
20V580000 · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front:retractor
Sep 24, 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts:front:retractor
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.
Seat Belts
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Ram 2500, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. In the event of a crash, a front seat belt retractor may not properly slow the occupant's forward movement after locking.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.
20V191000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Sep 10, 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
20V124000 · Power Train:clutch Assembly
Mar 3, 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Jeep Wrangler and 2020 Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The 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: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reroute a wire harness and inspect the clutch system, and replace components as needed. The recall began April 30, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W12.
19V636000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft
Aug 29, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. The rear driveshafts may have been incorrectly assembled without grease in the monoblock joint.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A joint without grease may overheat and seize, possibly causing the driveshaft to fracture, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power. If the driveshaft completely separates from the vehicle it may become a road hazard. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US number for this recall is V95.
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
1PE25014 · Instrument Panel Cluster (ipc) Failure
Opened Oct 23, 2025 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel
The Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) is opening a Preliminary Evaluation on 2020 Model Year Jeep Gladiators and Wranglers involving a malfunctioning Instrument Panel Clusters (IPC) resulting in the loss of important vehicle metrics and other status information. ODI has received 89 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging a complete or partial loss of the IPC display while driving. The subject vehicles' IPC display includes the speedometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature, turn signal indicators, warning light, and other gauges that are normally illuminated while the vehicle is in operation. Loss of the fuel gauge while driving may lead to an inability to determine the fuel level and result in a loss of motive power, and the loss of other safety-related information may impede a driver’s ability to take action to prevent a safety risk. Furthermore, an IPC that is suddenly not visible to the driver may divert the driver’s attention from the driving task, potentially causing a vehicle crash. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation to evaluate the scope, severity and frequency of the alleged IPC malfunctions and to assess potential safety-related consequences. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov
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