Jeep Gladiator Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2020–2026, owners filed 999 complaints about the Jeep Gladiator with NHTSA, most often about steering and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns. In CarWhere's ranking of 8 pickup trucks by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Gladiator places 8th: one of the highest complaint rates in that group. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2020 and 2021 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
999
NHTSA owner complaints (2020–2026)
25
Complaints citing a crash
18
Recall campaigns
2
Years to avoid
Most-reported Jeep Gladiator problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2020–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2019–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 333 | 33% | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 289 | 29% | 1 | 14 | 3 |
| Powertrain / transmission | 158 | 16% | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Engine | 130 | 13% | 2 | 14 | 4 |
| Suspension | 106 | 11% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 48 | 5% | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 48 | 5% | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility / wipers | 38 | 4% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Of all 999 complaints, 25 (3%) report a crash, 30 (3%) a fire and 17 (2%) an injury.
Jeep Gladiator complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each Gladiator model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 485 | 7 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2021 | 293 | 8 | Steering | Avoid |
| 2022 | 121 | 8 | Steering | — |
| 2023 | 57 | 6 | Electrical system | — |
| 2024(new) | 23 | 2 | Electrical system | — |
| 2025(new) | 17 | 1 | Electrical system | — |
| 2026(new) | 3 | 2 | Electrical system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Jeep Gladiator recalls
NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns across Jeep Gladiator model years 2020–2026. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26V363000Jun 4, 2026 | 2021–2025 | 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…NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 24V652000Sep 5, 2024 | 2020–2024 | 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… |
| 23V116000Feb 23, 2023 | 2020–2023 | Powertrain / transmission — 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. |
| 23V263000Apr 13, 2023 | 2021–2023 | 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. |
| 23V641000Sep 18, 2023 | 2022 and 2023 | Powertrain / transmission — manual transmission | Chrysler (FCA US), LLC is recalling certain 2022-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The rearview camera may fail to display the rearview image and the reverse lights may not illuminate when the… |
Best and worst Gladiator years
- Years to avoid: 2020 and 2021.
- No model year stands out as clearly better than the rest.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Jeep Gladiator years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Jeep Gladiator
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Steering: check for a steering warning light, heavy or notchy steering and clunks over bumps; power-steering faults show up at low speed.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Jeep Gladiator can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Jeep Gladiator reliability FAQ
Is the Jeep Gladiator reliable?
Across model years 2020–2026, owners filed 999 complaints about the Jeep Gladiator with NHTSA, most often about steering and the electrical system, and NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns. In CarWhere's ranking of 8 pickup trucks by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Gladiator places 8th: one of the highest complaint rates in that group. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2020 and 2021 as years to avoid. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Jeep Gladiator problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2020–2026, the most-reported areas are steering (333), the electrical system (289), the transmission (158) and the engine (130). One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Jeep Gladiator should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2020 and 2021 as years to avoid. Each model year is compared only with other Gladiator years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Jeep Gladiator last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 0% of 11,474 used Gladiator listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 0.4% had passed 150,000. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Jeep Gladiator have?
NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns covering Jeep Gladiator model years 2020–2026. The one covering the most model years is 26V363000 (steering, 2021–2025). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Jeep Gladiator?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Gladiator reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Jeep Gladiator, model years 2020–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- The pickup trucks ranking uses the same complaints and sales, weights serious complaints double and adjusts for vehicle age, then compares 8 models. See the full ranking.
- Year flags compare each Gladiator model year only with other Gladiator years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Gladiator compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.