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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
26 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 Jeep Gladiator steering problems

steering problem

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2021 Jeep Gladiator Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #40

Dec 162022

Gladiator

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Steering wheel shaking wile driving around 65 MPH, specially on cold weather around 30 to 40 degrees. Death wobble is the term I found been coming on jeep wranglers and gladiators. But not understand how this issue is not a recall from the FCA company. I bring my vehicle one time to the dealership the entire front suspension was replaced and the issue was ok for 11 months, now is happening again.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #39

Jan 092023

Gladiator

  • miles
While driving on the highway at accelerated high speed, the steering has completely locked up on two different occasions and unable to steer at all. The truck has to come to a complete stop for the steering to unlock.

- Cedar Crest , NM, USA

problem #38

Jul 072021

Gladiator

  • miles
My 2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport is very unsafe to drive specially at Highway speeds or speeds above 45 mph and multiple dealerships service departments are refusing to fix or even acknowledge the issue after not being able to fix the problem already due to no major recalls being offered by Jeep only a bulletin. Steering is very loose, and I cant drive my Jeep Gladiator Sport straight specially on a windy day. I have to constantly adjust my Jeep Gladiator Sport from side to side to keep it in my lane specially if being passed by a semitruck. My Jeep Gladiator Sport sways at speeds as low as 45 mph, but the problem increases at higher speeds. Most of the pulls on highway speeds or windy days are to the left and I have to hang on to the steering wheel for dear life or constantly correcting the wheel.

- El Centro, CA, USA

problem #37

Nov 282022

Gladiator 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On Monday, 28 November 2022 I was driving on I-40 in downtown Knoxville, TN. After hitting a bump in the rode the steering wheel began to shake violently and the front-end shake and wobble. I was traveling approximately 65 mph. When I slowed down to 35 mph it stopped. This occurred on a busy interstate at approximately 0900 hrs. I was lucky to be in the outside lane. There were no warning lights before or after. This happened three (3) more times in the same fashion today. When I got back home I scheduled an appointment with my local Jeep dealer. The earliest appointment is 20 December 2022. There was no crash and no police report.

- Sevierville , TN, USA

problem #36

Nov 252022

Gladiator

  • miles
1) Frequent spontaneous windshield cracks. 2) violent, out of control steering wheel vibrations at highway speeds nearly causing severe collisions. Reoccurring incidents. I-??m ready to file a lawsuit.

- Webb City, MO, USA

problem #35

Nov 012022

Gladiator 6-cyl

  • miles
Vehicle is 2 years old, with only 21,000 miles. Driving on the freeway, above 65mph, the vehicle wobbles violently if you hit a pot hole or a small bump. It jerks the steering wheel very hard from side to side, making it very difficult to stay within your lane. The only way to make the extreme wobble go away is to slow down significantly (<40mph) or sometimes come to a complete stop. A simple internet search and you will find MANY complaints about this with Jeeps, and it is commonly referred to as the "Death Wobble". PLEASE help us consumers put an end to this terrifying issue. I was on my way from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) and was almost involved in two accidents because of this. Very few drivers expect for the vehicle they are following behind of to slam on their brakes, which is exactly what I had to do on several occasions to control the wobble. I was almost rear ended on the freeway going 60+ mph on more than one occasion. For the sake of every Jeep owner, AND everyone else on the road, Jeep cannot continue to release vehicles with this well-known defect. My vehicle is currently at the dealership being looked at, but I suspect it will be an issue with the suspension parts, either worn or loose. Either way, not acceptable for a vehicle with this type of mileage. No warning lamps or messages given before the wobble occurs. As mentioned before, you hit one pothole or bump the right way and it starts to wobble very violently.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #34

Nov 132022

Gladiator

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving down the road approximately 60 MPH and the vehicle front end starts to wobble and the steering wheel starts turning violently back and forth. Very hard to keep control. Slowed down drastically and vehicle returned to normal. This happened twice on two trips 20 minutes apart. This could have easily caused a crash, and created a hazard requiring my vehicle to slow dramatically from highway speeds to regain control.

- Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

problem #33

Nov 052022

Gladiator

  • miles
-??Death Wobble-?? at Highway Speeds > 45 MPH. The steering wheel begins to -??Wobble-?? after hitting a pot hole or uneven surface such as a bridge joint. I have taken it in and was told everything is to factory specs. This is not the case and I have video. The latest incident occurred Saturday Nov 5th.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #32

Jan 242022

Gladiator

  • miles
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 get vehicle back in control.

- Pound, WI, USA

problem #31

Mar 032022

Gladiator

  • miles
Traveling speeds excess of 60 mph, any bump or flaw in the road will cause the vehicle to enter into severe vibration and shaking of front end/ axle. The steering wheel violently shakes from side to side and the vehicle will stay shaking until you reduce your speed to under 50 mph. Ball joints and other steering components are put under severe stress. The issue has been reported to the dealer who is unable to correct the issue even with replacing steering stabilizer as they suggest. A formal case was opened with the Chrysler group.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #30

Mar 122022

Gladiator

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

SUSPENSION: 2021 Jeep Gladiator - 12,000 Miles: On several occasions at freeway speeds vehicle hits uneven road / bumps and vehicle looses steering control like it jumps off the pavement / shutters over road way with no control: At one point I thought I blew a front tire and did loose some control of vehicle and pulled over to shoulder to scope it out: No tire blew: This is a major concern: My safety and the safety of passengers are at risks: I would not put my family members in this vehicle other than city driving!! Tried contacting MOPAR but was unable to do so - 12 March 2022 - A Joke

- Mendota Heights, MN, USA

problem #29

Feb 142022

Gladiator

  • miles
Steering is very loose. Vehicle constantly drifts and requires constant steering correction. Approximately 3-?? of slack in steering response.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #28

Feb 132022

Gladiator

  • miles
At highway speeds a uncontrollable wobble of the front wheels occurs when hitting a tar strip or bump that is only brought under control by stepping on the brakes very hard to slow the truck to 60MPH or less. I think that sudden slowing while in traffic puts not only my life in danger, but also those drivers around me. At this point, the dealer is replacing the steering damper. But I suspect this is a band aid to cover a larger issue. Current mileage is 13, XXX miles. The wheels, tires and suspension are factory stock.

- Fishing Creek, MD, USA

problem #27

Feb 182022

Gladiator

  • miles
1. Major electrical system intermittent failures, each incident progressively longer lasting and various malfunction warning lights/messages displayed in dash. 2. Loss of power steering while driving on three separate occasions within a 40 day period. First incident was loss of steering for only a few seconds. Second incident vehicle had to beame shut off and on multiple times before the computer reset and the vehicle drove fine. Third incident was catstrophic loss of electrical the system while driving, vehicle was pulled into middle turn lane where the engine died and would not start. Vehicle unable to start, shift, display hazard warning indicators etc. Vehicle displayed many errors and stated due to safety it would not be allowed to start without servicing. 3. Jeep has been at dealer three times. First incident, electrical malfunctioning was blamed on power step installation. Second incident was blamed on loose ground wire in engine bay. Third incident has yet to be determined by dealer. Vehicle is still at dealer, and there were approximately 73 computer DTC's pulled by the technicians that I was informed of. 4. Many various warning lamps and messages appeared on dash. Everything from shifter, engine, power steering, 4WD, no bus error, TPMS, electronic stability control, anti lock brakes, airbag system etc. These errors flickered on and off randomly before moving to next error displayed.

- Centerton, AR, USA

problem #26

Jan 192022

Gladiator

  • miles
I was exiting the freeway with a speed limit of 75 mph. On the off-ramp I lost control of the Gladiator. The front end wobble was so bad that I could not hold onto the steering wheel for fear of breaking my wrist. Instead I had to wrap my arms about the wheel in an attempt to stop the wobble. I was unable to keep the vehicle in my lane, and finally ended up in a large ditch next to the off ramp. What happened appears to be a problem with the Mopar 1.5" lift kit installed by the dealer. The kit was installed 8/17/2021. This incident occurred in Jan 2022, about 4,000 miles later. I had the kit installed and then inspected about a month later specifically to check for any loose bolts, and to double check the torque for the bolts. The CV bar in the front lost a the bolt on the passenger side, dropping the cross bar and resulting in total loss of control of the passenger side front tire. I felt very lucky not to have been injured, and not to roll the jeep. It took about 150 feet to stop the vehicle in the ditch. I am attaching a photo of the bar held in place after the accident using bungie cords. This was done just to get the bar off the road and allow for moving the vehicle. The mechanic was able to secure the cross bar with a new bolt. The original bolt and nut were not found. We speculate that either the bolt was not torqued correctly or might have been missing a lock washer. At any rate, potentially this could have resulting in much worse. If this happened just a few seconds earlier on the freeway, the damage and injuries could have been much worse. Now the vehicle is driving like new, after new bolt and alignment. However, I will be checking those bolts more frequently, particularly if I notice any extra play in the steering. Before this happened, the play in the steering had increased. I thought I just needed an alignment, but it was much worse than that. Really I would think this cross bar needs redesign to ensure it can't break loose.

- College Station, TX, USA

problem #25

Feb 032022

Gladiator

  • miles
Driving at approx. 70 mph the vehicle steering became very difficult to control. I was unable to turn the steering wheel ( it felt like a vehicle without power steering at low speed). I slowed the vehicle down, I could feel the steering get easy as I neared a stop. After stopping at a stoplight and resuming the vehicle drove normally. The vehicle was never shut off.

- Muscatine, IA, USA

problem #24

Jan 052022

Gladiator

  • miles
Transmission is very clunky and jerky especially at low speed or when little input is applied to the gas and or if you are switching between brakes and gas in traffic. Transmission feels very hesitant. The steering isn-??t terrible at low speeds but at highway speeds the vehicle wanders left and right at random. I have to put it a lot of micro movements with the steering wheel in order to keep it straight.

- Dalton, GA, USA

problem #23

Jan 272022

Gladiator

  • miles
The "death wobble." When driving over 55mph even the slightest bump will set off a violent chain reaction of vibrations. This causes unsafe driving conditions and loss of control. The only way to regain control is to quickly slow down to less than 55mph and at highway speeds this is extremely dangerous. Jeep has failed to fix this and wont even acknowledge that it is an issue.

- Yarmouth , ME, USA

problem #22

Jan 042022

Gladiator

  • miles
In January 2021, my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland became unstable at normal freeway speeds (60-75 mph) on many occasions. The slightest bump or surface irregularity stimulates a violent and sustaining side-to-side vehicle shudder/vibration from the front suspension that was very extreme that lasted for over 2 minutes or until the vehicle slowed to around 60 mph; where stable vehicle behavior restored. This extreme instability and needed hard braking creates a serious driving hazard. I have taken it to 2 separate dealers who cannot find any issue and are unwilling to investigate unless it happens in their presence even with video proof. I have also taken to a tire shop and had the tires re-balanced and put on a road force machine. The tire shop found no issues with the tires or balancing. This started at about 23,000 miles and occurs more as the temperatures drop. This failure mode is severe, occurs without warning, is not detectable until it occurs and is very frightening. My Jeep has stock, factory wheels and factory tires in good balance with no visible or abnormal tread wear. This is a dangerous condition that needs immediate correction. A 1 year old vehicle with 23,000 miles in excellent condition, no accident history and no modifications should not be doing this. Side note; I did have to have the engine replaced after 11 months of ownership and the Jeep came from the factory with cracked spark plugs and had the spark plugs replaced after 1 week of ownership. This is an ongoing issue with no resolution.

- Schertz, TX, USA

problem #21

Apr 282021

Gladiator

  • miles
The vehicle auto stops when the steering wheel is turned, in direct conflict with owner-??s manual. The owner-??s manual specifies that -??Steering angle beyond threshold-?? will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of initiating the event. Furthermore, the instrument cluster never presents a -??STOP/START READY-?? message which is the first necessary condition for an auto stop. This issue creates a serious safety hazard, as the vehicle presents incorrect information to the driver and the vehicle unexpectedly stops in traffic which confuses and distracts the driver. The unexpected / wanted stop in heavy traffic could cause a rear-end collision leading to serious injury or death. The malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel, who expressed safety concerns. The malfunction was also recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. However, an FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle is -??operating as designed-??. This portion of the vehicle-??s Auto Start / Stop System is NOT operating as designed and documented in the owner-??s manual. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle, as this is one of numerous hardware / software malfunctions plaguing the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

- Kingwood, TX, USA

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