2021 Jeep Gladiator Problems, Recalls & Reliability
452 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Jeep Gladiator, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 74/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Steering leads the reports.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2021 Jeep Gladiator sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings.
Avoid
Where 2021 sits among all Gladiator years
What owners report
“My Gladiator frequently experiences the Death Wobble at Highway speeds when I hit bumps in the road.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Gladiator
“RIGHT REAR AXLE LEAK AT 200 MILES, leaking behind the wheel from the axle housing down on the brake shield and into the wheel rim.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Gladiator
“The 3rd brake light in the tailgate malfunctioned This is required to pass New York State safety inspection A Jeep dealer replaced the part No warning on the dashboard of this light failing”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Gladiator
“The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V767000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Gladiator
“Four times within 8 months of the vehicle being new and now being the fifth time I have experienced what is termed "death wobble" where loss of control due to violent pounding/shaking of the front end occurs where most times it is necessary to slow down or stop drastically from highway speeds to…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Gladiator
“Jeep stoped running Towed to dealership Diagnostic shows recall fuel pump failure . Z 96/NHTSA-22V-767 I have dealership RO# 68945 Case # 88652766”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Gladiator
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 48 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 23,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 7,500 and 42,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
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…
Fix: 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,…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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,…
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.
Fix: 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 (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…
Fix: 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…
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.
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: 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…
Component: 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…
Technical service bulletins
696 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2021 Jeep Gladiator. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2021 Gladiator TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Jeep Gladiator reliable?
The 2021 Jeep Gladiator drew 452 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 74/100, scored against the model's worst year (2020).
What are the most common 2021 Jeep Gladiator problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Jeep Gladiator are steering (94 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (68), and electrical (58).
At what mileage do 2021 Jeep Gladiator problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Jeep Gladiator problems around 23,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 7,500 and 42,000 miles.
Does the 2021 Jeep Gladiator have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Jeep Gladiator. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.