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.
There is an active parts recall for some Gladiators, Recall 26A, for the right rear axle shaft. This part on my vehicle has been failing for over 6 months. The ABS system, Traction Control, and 4WD system have active fault codes, preventing these systems from working as intended. In the last month, this problem has become unsafe due to 3 separate incidents where the traction control has triggered during normal driving conditions, causing the vehicle to become inoperable. In each of these incidents, I was travelling in a straight line, on dry roads, when the traction control system activated, preventing all acceleration to occur. In the first occurrence I was in a tunnel, and unable to pull over as there was no shoulder. This was driving in a straight line, accelerating up to about 15 mph before the traction control kicked in and disabled the drive train. Traffic was able to safely pass me while I coasted through the tunnel with my hazards on. Turning the vehicle off, then back on was the only way to cure this condition. The next 2 times were both at unprotected stop signs, meaning cross traffic did not have a stop sign. When I pulled out into the middle of the road, the traction control activated, causing the vehicle to lose forward momentum and power. One of these incidents, traffic did have to slow and alter course to account for my vehicles failure in the road. During the 6 months of the axle going out, the ABS system triggers at intermittent times during normal driving/braking conditions. I have tried working with the dealership where I purchased the vehicle, and with Chrysler directly. Both parties deflect responsibility to the other, stating there is no way to help escalate these problems because they are a recall item. I have been directed to wait for parts and to continue driving the vehicle, despite it seeming like a safety risk.
Starting in August of 2022 I started getting error messages from the car about Electronic Stability Control, Antilock Brake Systems, and Collision Avoidance problems. These seemed to come and go. But if I was on the highway with Cruise Control on and these messages appeared the car immediately drops out of Cruise Control. In addition if it happened while braking the pedal would go almost to the floor and I would have to pump several times to get the brakes to work. I took this car to the dealership on 10/3/2022, 3/20/2023, and 5/20/2023. In the first 2 instances I was told the part would be available within 6 weeks. For the last instance I was told the part would be in in 2 weeks. That was over 6 weeks ago and still Jeep has been unable to provide the part. Being unable to provide a part so key to many safety systems represents a significant safety concern.
On February 25, 2023, while slowing down as I approached an intersection controlled by a red signal light and applied my brakes which was slowing me down. My foot never moved off the brake pedal as I slowed down. Suddenly, the Jeep Gladiator "accelerated/surged" forward and stated gaining speed. Although I was applying constant pressure on the brake pedal, the vehicle never slowed down or stopped because after traveling 200-300 feet and striking two signal light poles and a communications box, the vehicle came to a stop. This was the third incidence of Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA). Tshe vehicle is available for inspection and under the supervision of Safeco Insurance. In this case, injuries were limited to a passenger broken toe and the driver being bruised. Similar accidents involving striking stationary poles resulted in death but we were spared that outcome. The first instance of SUA occurred on a street near my home and while applying constant pressure on the brake pedal, the vehicle finally skidded to a stop after traveling approximately 200 feet. The second instance of SUA occurred while pulling into a parking lot, and again, after applying constant pressure on the brake pedal, the vehicle came to a stop after traveling approximately 300 feet. After the first and second instances, I took the vehicle into the dealership, but they could not find anything wrong. The police report blamed an electrical/mechanical failure. No warning lights or messages were noted.
The vehicle suddenly accelerates. The rpm-€™s shoot up real high, the Jeep accelerates and the brakes do NOT work. This has occurred while driving at 55-60 mph and twice driving in city traffic going approx. 30-35. The acceleration increases and is stuck. I press the brakes and they do not work until whatever is sticking releases.
Vehicle will give you a warning to not shut off vehicle or you may not be able to put it back in drive, it automatically puts itself in park when coming to a stop at a stop light (without any door being opened). Automatically gives itself throttle when in Four Low. This vehicle has been in the shop more than I have had it since purchasing on 3/27/2021 for all of these electrical problems and whatever other problem it is that it has (I am unsure). It has never been fixed and is currently sitting at Freemont Motors in Cody WY waiting another attempt at repair.
- Cody, WY, USA
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On 3 different occasions the acceleration got stuck and increased speed. I pressed the brake over and over and the Jeep would NOT reduce speed or slow down for what ranged between 30 - 45 seconds. Had there been a vehicle directly in front of me I would have slammed into the vehicle. If I had been trying to stop at an intersection I would not have been able to stop. I had my child in the car two out of the three times this has occurred. The dealership states that they have not had any complaints of this occurring and could not replicate it during the few minutes they drove it and do not seem to be concerned that this issue could seriously injure or kill me, my child, or others. This is a SERIOUS issue that should be addressed immediately.
Vehicle derates power when ambient temps are 85* F and up while towing my camp (which is far below the max tow rating) During a couple of these derates I was in areas where the speed limit was 65 and 75 mph, my max obtainable speed was 35mph. I heavy truck traffic i feel that was in danger and a hazard in the road. This vehicle is rated to tow far more than the loads it is actually capable of towing in higher temperatures. I have seen my oil temps rise to 265* F on multiple occasions and it seems this is around the temperature that the vehicle starts to derate. It has been my observation that the cooling system is under sized and in turn puts occupants of the vehicle at risk.
While towing a trailer the vehicle suddenly reduces power to less than half and multiple check engine lights appear. This seems to happen only when outside temperatures are above 80f. I went from going 65mph to 45mph within 1/4 mile which caused sudden traffic issues behind me. I have had the vehicle to the dealer multiple times and they do not find anything even though there are multiple engine lights. I have had it happen a over 8 times in 1 year. I also have a co-worker that has had the same issue.
The vehicle-€™s throttle surges sporadically when shifting gears without driver input to the accelerator / controls. The issue impacts the driver-€™s ability to operate the vehicle safely in heavy traffic or dynamic situations. The throttle surges while shifting introduce delays to driver reaction times, and they create a safety hazard in heavy traffic where fractions of a second can make the difference in a major accident. The throttle surge while shifting malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at the local dealership. However, the Service Director falsified and backdated the service records to claim that they -€œcouldn-€™t duplicate concern-€ and that the -€œvehicle is driving normal.-€ The throttle surge while shifting was recreated by 4 independent mechanic shops and documented as a safety concern. An FCA Technical Advisor (TA) claimed that the vehicle was -€œoperating as designed-€œ both when he could not recreate the issue and when he could recreate the issue. Both of these statements cannot be correct and factual as they directly contradict each other. Additionally, the FCA TA claimed that the vehicle is equipped with Rev Matching; however, the vehicle-€™s owner-€™s manual and available technical documentation do not mention Rev Matching. And, the issue occurs while braking when a vehicle would not intend to Rev Match. The randomness of this throttle surge issue also causes the driver to briefly take their eyes off the road between every shift to check the tachometer for the throttle surge malfunction. Distractions like this which divert the driver-€™s attention during what should be routine driving tasks, creating a safety hazard. To account for the unexpected throttle spike, the driver must deviate from a normal driving routine by taking extra steps and inducing significant delays in response times. I feel unsafe driving the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
The vehicle-€™s throttle spikes / surges when the driver completely lifts off the accelerator and presses in the clutch. The issue indicates the throttle sticks after the driver lifts off the accelerator. The issue happens in multiple gears at various RPMs. The issue happens with or without the climate controls off. The issue regularly occurs in 4th gear at 44 mph at ~1900 RPMs. On 1/26/2021 while on a ride along, the customer and Service Tech at Texan DCJR were able to recreate the issue multiple times. On 1/29/2021, the Service Director at Texan DCJR stated to the customer that he and 3 members of his team were able to recreate the issue multiple times. However, the Service Director falsified and backdated the service records to 1/28/2021 claiming that they -€œcouldn-€™t duplicate concern-€ and that the -€œvehicle is driving normal.-€ After two inspections, the FCA TA claimed that he -€œcouldn-€™t duplicate concern-€, the -€œvehicle is driving normal-€, and that the vehicle was -€œoperating as designed-€. Then on 9/17/2021, the FCA TA was able to recreate the issue multiple times, but the FCA TA continued to state that the vehicle was -€œoperating as designed-€œ. The FCA TA contradictory claims the vehicle was -€œoperating as designed-€ both when he could not recreate the issue and when he could recreate the issue. This throttle surge issue substantially impairs the vehicle-€™s use as it impacts shifting gears and normal driving operation. The issue occurs sporadically which surprises and distracts the driver creating a serious safety hazard as attention is diverted from the road to the instrument cluster. The issue also creates a serious safety hazard as it induces driver confusion by making them think they accidentally pressed the accelerator while shifting. The claims of -€œoperating as designed-€ indicates that the Jeep Gladiator Engineering Design Team designed a vehicle to spike the throttle without driver inputs to the controls. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
The vehicle fails to maintain idle. During normal driving conditions the idle spikes significantly and noticeable from 200 -€" 2,000 RPMs. The throttle surges unpredictably without driver input to the controls. The failure of the vehicle to maintain idle creates a serious safety hazard as it distracts the driver-€™s attention and substantially impairs the vehicle-€™s use during routine driving tasks. The failure to maintain idle malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by multiple service personnel at the local dealership. However, the Service Director falsified and backdated the service records to claim that they -€œcouldn-€™t duplicate concern-€ and that the -€œvehicle is driving normal.-€ An FCA TA stated that, -€œThere are certain scenarios where the engine's idle speed may increase normally without accelerator input, this would include A/C operation or alternator charging requirements, however the difference in rpm is very slight and most people do not notice it and it will not cause the vehicle to gain or lose speed.-€ However, the malfunction occurs with a fully charged battery and the climate controls off, and it is highly noticeable. The FCA TA stated that the vehicle was -€œoperating as designed-€ when he could not recreate the failure to maintain idle malfunction. However, the same FCA TA stated the vehicle was -€œoperating as designed-€ after he was able to recreate the failure to maintain idle. Both of these statements cannot be factually correct as they directly contradict. Four independent mechanic shops evaluated the vehicle and were able to recreate the failure to maintain idle. A new Service Director and a Service Manager at another dealership both recreated / observed the failure to maintain idle and said that it was not right. However, after inspecting the vehicle again the FCA TA stated that -€œthis is normal characteristic of the vehicle-€, implicating Jeep Gladiator Engineering Design Team. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
The vehicle operates in direction violation of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): 49 CFR 571 Standard No. 124 outlining the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards governing the operation of the Accelerator Control Systems. The -€œstandard establishes requirements for the return of a vehicle's throttle to the idle position when the driver removes the actuating force from the accelerator control.-€ 571.124 Section 5.1 requires that -€œthere shall be at least two sources of energy capable of returning the throttle to the idle position within the time limit specified by S5.3 from any accelerator position or speed whenever the driver removes the opposing actuating force.-€ 571.124 Section 5.3 requires that the -€œmaximum time to return to idle position shall be 1 second.-€ After testing, the average return to idle time is 5.2 seconds, indicating the failure of a dual-redundant fail safe. The excessive delay in the return to idle is due to frequent but unpredictable throttle spikes that occur without input to the controls as the driver-€™s foot is completely off the accelerator. These unexpected / unwanted throttle surges vary from ~200 to ~1,500 RPMs. The excessive delay in the return to idle poses a significant safety risk to the driver and others. The throttle malfunction was reproduced and confirmed by 4 personnel at the local dealership, including the Service Technician, Shop Foreman, Service Manager, and Service Director. However, the Service Director falsified and backdated the service records to claim that they -€œcouldn-€™t duplicate concern-€ and that the -€œvehicle is driving normal.-€ An FCA Technical Advisor (TA) inspected the vehicle, and he recreated the failure to return to idle within 1 second. However, the FCA TA claims that vehicle is -€œoperating as designed-€ indicating that the Jeep Engineering Team violated this Federal Regulation governing the safe operation of a motor vehicle when designing the Gladiator. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
While ACC deactivated but not turned off (in "cancelled state", where you can resume with a button), I was at a Drive-Thru ordering my food, when I finished ordering I slowly lift my foot of the brake then suddenly the car lunged forward as if it was going to catch up to set cruise control speed, fortunately I braked immediately otherwise I could have crashed into the car in front of me. Another incident happened on my driveway, I stopped on my driveway to open the garage door, when I lifted my foot of the brake, the car lunged forward. (Same as before, ACC deactivated but not turned off). It is very scary and worrisome, I am worried that it will happen again and I won't be so lucky then.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Pocatello, ID, USA