Most common 2021 Jeep Gladiator problems
Share of the 292 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Jeep Gladiator complaints by model year
Best Gladiator years: 2024, 2023, 2022. Compare all years →
2021 Jeep Gladiator recalls (8)
Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Pump
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 "Off" position.
Remedy: 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, free of charge.
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
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."
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.
Power train › Manual transmission › Control module › Software
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 of drive power.
Remedy: 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 1-800-853-1403.
Fuel system, diesel › Delivery › Fuel pump
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the HPFP and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023.
Power train › Clutch assembly
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.
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.
Engine
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.
Remedy: 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.
Show 2 more recalls
Back over prevention › Display function
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 Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: 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 for this recall is Z86.
Power train › Clutch assembly
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.
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…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2021 Jeep Gladiator:
Underhood fires
On September 6, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24024 to investigate allegations of engine compartment fires in model year 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles. Most reports described fires starting on the front passenger side of the engine compartment while the vehicle was turned off, with several originating specifically at the electrohydraulic power…
High pressure fuel pump failure
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 Cummins turbodiesel engines.
What 2021 Jeep Gladiator owners say
Steering all 94 →
My name is [redacted] , and I am writing to formally submit a complaint regarding the loss of my vehicle due to engine fire. The vehicle was a 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, VIN [redacted] , with approximately 26,666 miles at the time of loss. I purchased the vehicle on May 13, 2021. The fire occurred on July 10, 2025. I was driving on the freeway, and my vehicle lost power and dashboard warning lights illuminated. When I pulled over, the engine was on fire. The fire department came and doused the flames but my entire engine was destroyed. After the fire, I retained legal counsel and initiated an independent investigation through Fire Cause Analysis in Berkeley, California. Their findings identified the origin of the fire as being linked to the power steering pump electrical connector. …
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving 35-65 MPH and driving over minor bumps on the roadway, the vehicle experienced a death wobble. The contact stated that the steering wheel and the front end of the vehicle were shuddering violently, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact depressed the brake pedal to slow down and allowed the vehicle to stop shuddering. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, where it was test-driven, but the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the drag link assembly and other unknown parts were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 71 →
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 contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving 37 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the vehicle made abnormal grinding and metallic sounds. The contact stated that the sound persisted, and the transmission bell housing fractured. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the contact's workplace. The dealer was notified of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer had been contacted and would cover the bell housing replacement; however, the contact would be charged a labor cost and a repair cost for the clutch and flywheel replacement. The dealer advised the contact to take the vehicle to their location once the parts became available. …
Engine & cooling all 54 →
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, there was an alarming amount of white smoke emanating from the engine compartment and permeating the interior of the vehicle, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and evacuate the vehicle. Moments later, the entire front of the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. Local Emergency Services arrived on the scene and were able to extinguish the fire. During the failure several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and deemed a total loss by the Insurance provider. A fire report was filed and preliminary findings on the potential cause of the fire were provided but the contact was unaware of the cause. A Police report was filed, and injuries were reported. …
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. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving approximately 60-75 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
2021 Jeep Gladiator engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl turbo diesel | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 22 / 28 / 24 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 4WD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Jeep Gladiator a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Gladiator to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 292 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Jeep Gladiator?
The steering — 94 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about linkages › drag › link › connection. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (71) and engine & cooling (54).
How many recalls does the 2021 Jeep Gladiator have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2021 Jeep Gladiator, the most recent from June 4, 2026 (pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Jeep Gladiator?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024, 2023 and 2022. See the full Jeep Gladiator years comparison.
At what mileage do 2021 Jeep Gladiator problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 89% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.