10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,265 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #54

Jun 262020

Gladiator 6-cyl

  • 60 miles
I purchased a new Jeep Gladiator rubicon and took it for a hundred mile trip on the highway to visit a relative. At highway speeds around 70 miles per hour, the truck needs constant attention and adjustment to stay in the lane. When you correct to the center of the lane, it wanders to the side, then you correct again, and it wanders to the other side. The next day I drove the a hundred miles on the highway back home and it repeated. I could not drive the truck one handed as it constantly needed correction. I've had previous Jeep, Bronco, land cruisers, and 4 wheel drive vehicles. This is not normal and is a safety problem. It is scary to drive when a semi truck is next to you as the Jeep is difficult to keep in a straight line. Driving the vehicle wears you out, from constantly steering back and forth to correct. I've researched the issue on-line and this issue is well known in the Jeep community. There is a Jeep Gladiator forum where there are numerous complaints. At least three aftermarket companies are making products to correct the problem. It appears that the steering box flexes where it connects to the frame. There are multiple videos on line showing the steering box flex when the steering wheel is turned. When you turn the steering wheel with the tire on the ground, the steering box twists a little causing the wandering vehicle at speed. People that purchase the aftermarket bracket/brace for the steering box say it corrects the problem. My truck is currently at the dealer with 300 miles on it, and they say they can not see a problem with the vehicle. Since this is a new model, I suspect that the manufacturer will not correct the problem until there are wrecks or recalls due to the steering. Please ask the manufacturer to correct this dangerous problem.

- Wildwood, MO, USA

problem #53

Jun 272020

Gladiator 6-cyl

  • 3,600 miles
The steering on my Jeep jtr (Gladiator rubicon) is sloppy. When driving at highway speeds the truck wants to wander and requires lots of correction to maintain a given path. On windy days or when semi tucks pass both hands are required at all times just to maintain a given path. Researching online revels lots of complaints exist with this issue. There are videos (and I have included pictures of my jtr) showing the steering box moving off the frame when the steering is actuated. Syngery manufacturing has developed a brace for the track bar and the sector shaft that eliminates this play and almost all people who have paid to install this aftermarket brace report much improved steering. The combination of complaints, videos, pictures and an already developed "fix" - not to mention personal experience driving my vehicle - all points to a problem with the design of this steering setup. Jeep needs to rectify this immediately.

- Tempe, AZ, USA

problem #52

May 012020

Gladiator

  • 10 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the power steering was loose which caused the vehicle to be difficult to steer. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact reduced the vehicle speed to 50 mph, and the steering operated as designed. The vehicle was taken to bill luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram located at 2425 w. camelback rd, phoenix, AZ 85015, and the contact was informed that the vehicle operated as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10.

- Anthem,, AZ, USA

problem #51

Jun 012020

Gladiator 6-cyl

  • 3,574 miles
The steering on my Gladiator rubicon has too much drift and play, I'm constantly correcting from drifting side to side and the faster speed the more correction. My wife refuses to drive it. I'm 61 yrs old and have always owned offroad vehicles including 5 Jeep's. this is a real problem Jeep, this is dangerous for other drivers as well.

- Greenville, IN, USA

problem #50

Apr 012020

Gladiator 6-cyl

  • 0 miles
My steering is incredible dangerous, my wife and child are not safe driving this truck and I cant believe I'm the only one...I'll be screenshotting this process to see if any results cone from this....Fiat/Jeep should never put out a product that steers and pulls you off the road as this truck will most definitely do!!!!!!

- Florence, AL, USA

problem #49

May 122020

Gladiator 6-cyl

  • 960 miles
This is the second time my Gladiator has been back for steering related issues. The first was drifting to the right which was corrected by adjusting the toe (at 412 miles). Today I brought it in again because at highway speed the steering needs constant correction to stay in the lane. The dealer indicated that the front end alignment was in factory specs but the tires were a few pounds over so perhaps that was the problem. I only got to drive about 55 mph on the way home but the problem still exists. My old 2009 Wrangler unlimited has never had any such steering issues and still tracks straight at 110K. There is obviously a problem that maybe Jeep (fca) has yet to acknowledge because there are numerous videos/blogs listing complaints very similar to mine and also numerous complaints filed with the NHTSA. A company, synergy mfg, has come up with a novel solution due to demand for a fix so apparently there is a problem.

- Stuart, FL, USA

problem #48

Apr 042020

Gladiator

  • 180 miles
I've had the vehicle 3 days. At 40+ mph, the vehicle drifts in the lane. There seem to be a dead spot in the steering. Didn't notice it during the test drive, as we didn't go on the highway and get overc40 for any length of time. I drive 25 miles one way to work, so I noticed it a lot today. This is a $44,000 vehicle, it should not do this. I have an appointment Monday at 8 am for the running boards, I will definitely bring this up.

- Navarre, FL, USA

problem #47

Mar 052020

Gladiator

  • 10,700 miles
Wandering steering has become dangerous. Steering is extremely unstable and car wanders. Steering is extremely difficult to maintain straight line. Careful attention is required as steering is difficult to maintain.

- Viera, FL, USA

problem #46

Feb 032020

Gladiator

  • 5,500 miles
Unsure of what the issue is but have occasional issues with clutch and steering is very loose.

- Knightdale, NC, USA

problem #45

Dec 052019

Gladiator

  • 500 miles
While driving the vehicle at highway speeds(50mph+) the steering wanders left and right. I've taken it to my local dealership and they confirmed that the vehicle does indeed wander but stated that since another vehicle on their lot of the same make and model has the same issue it can't be fixed and should be considered "normal".

- Buckeye, AZ, USA

problem #44

May 292019

Gladiator

  • 200 miles
Truck feels loose when driving down the hwy, like there is play in the steering box. Have had it back to the dealer over 3 times and it still does the same thing. It feels unsafe trying to drive down the road, my wife and daughter will not drive it. They say it's to hard to stay in there lane. The truck has done this sense I bought it.

- Livingston, TX, USA

problem #43

Sep 032019

Gladiator

  • 300 miles
Truck wonders when wheel is straight. Been to the dealer twice to have it fixed, . they did nothing

- Shelby Twp., MI, USA

problem #42

Dec 162019

Gladiator

  • 100 miles
The steering is loose, requires constant drive adjustments to stay in lane.

- Carlisle, PA, USA

problem #41

Nov 132019

Gladiator

  • 50 miles
Steering issues - large dead spot in steering that makes it extremely dangerous to drive. My wife won't even drive the vehicle as it scares here at highway speeds. Around town the dead spot is smaller - still a work out to keep straight, but very dangerous at highway speeds. The truck wanders all over and you have to constantly correct. Cross winds are even worse as you have to cross the gap of the dead zone when the gust stops before controlling the steering. Took in to the dealer last week - they checked it all over, found nothing wrong underneath - told me that +/- half an inch dead spot is in spec. Problem is that on a rack in the shop, the dead spot is smaller (while a whole inch in play is still a lot and should be unacceptable for any car made in the last couple decades). On real world driving conditions, there is resistance from the road, so the dead spot is a little larger. Go faster, like the 75 and 80mph roads in Texas, the dead spot is huge. At highway speeds it looks similar or worse than this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&V=Q8tfehcotjq&feature=emb_logo will be taking it to another dealer and another until resolved - not safe to drive on highway - and compared to our other Jeep - the steering in that is tight and responsive - so this is an issue that can be resolved if Jeep wants to resolve. Many other videos were posted, looks like many taken down now. Something isn't right in the steering box - too much slop - need engineering to put out a fix as service shops at dealers have no guidance to fix, and will just keep saying it's a Jeep thing (but not all Jeep have this issue and not all Gladiators have this issue, which means it can be fixed).

- Tyler, TX, USA

problem #40

Jan 222020

Gladiator

  • 3,000 miles
There is a 2" plus dead zone in the steering where driver input turns the wheel neither left nor right. This is marginally acceptable in most situations but in winds and or towing it becomes very dangerous. Like driving a boat with a loose rudder.

- Malvern, PA, USA

problem #39

Feb 082020

Gladiator

  • 13,000 miles
Death wobble. When driving at speeds of 65+ mph when the weather is below 38F, if my Jeep hits a significant bump in the road the steering wheel begins to violently shake as does the rest of the vehicle. It stops after I reduce my speed to below 55mph.

- Warwick, RI, USA

problem #38

Jan 232020

Gladiator

  • 30 miles
The steering on my vehicle drifts within the lane and is very difficult to operate. The dealer said it is a combination of electric and mechanical steering which is sensitive. Dealer said repair for this issue at this time. Waiting for a software update.

- Apollo Beach, FL, USA

problem #37

Nov 252019

Gladiator

  • 2,000 miles
At speeds of 65+ mph. Irregularities in the road surface cause the vehicle to swerve randomly toward the ditch or the other lane. Holding a single lane is near impossible.

- Tyrone, NM, USA

problem #36

Feb 022020

Gladiator

  • 500 miles
Went on a 100 mile trip and was exhausted when I returned home from trying to keep it between the lines. It wandered all the time.

- New Castle, IN, USA

problem #35

Nov 162019

Gladiator

  • 15 miles
The steering on this Jeep has a 1-1.5" play on either side of driving straight and wanders all over the road.. it takes some serious effort to keep it driving straight.

- Madison, MS, USA

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