2020 Jeep Gladiator Problems and Recalls (481 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2020 Jeep Gladiator is Steering (31% of 481 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 481 complaints · 7 recalls
What problems show up on the 2020 Jeep Gladiator?
151 of 481 filings named Steering (31% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (133 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Rear camera / backup safety, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Steering 151 complaints · 31.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 11
- Fires 7
- Injuries 6
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 151 | 31.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 133 | 27.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 44 | 9.2% | 2 crashes · 4 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 29 | 6.0% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 23 | 4.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 22 | 4.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 10 | 2.1% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 8 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 6 | 1.3% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 61 | 12.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 20V124000 was reported 158 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V028000 was reported 489 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V116000 was reported 1,245 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V652000 was reported 1,380 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V636000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V124000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V191000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V580000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V028000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V116000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V652000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE25014 |
Safety Recalls (7)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Rear camera / backup safety, and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 19V636000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A joint without grease may overheat and seize, possibly causing the driveshaft to fracture, resulting in a sudden loss of drive power. If the driveshaft completely separates from the vehicle it may become a road hazard. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft, free of charge. The recall began October 10, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US number for this recall is V95.
-
Recall campaign 20V124000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- The overheated clutch components may increase the risk of a fire. Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reroute a wire harness and inspect the clutch system, and replace components as needed. The recall began April 30, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W12.
-
Recall campaign 20V191000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
-
Recall campaign 20V580000
Safety recall 20V580000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash, if the front seat belts fail to lock, there is an increased risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt retractors, free of charge. The recall began November 12, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W67.
-
Recall campaign 21V028000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- Overheated clutch components may increase the risk of a fire. Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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 ordered a stop sale for the affected vehicles as of February 25, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 4, 2021.
-
Recall campaign 23V116000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- Overheated clutch components may increase the risk of a fire. Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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. Owners may contact (FCA US, LLC) customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 19A. This recall expands and replaces previous recall 21V-028. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 21V-028 will need to have the new remedy completed.
-
Recall campaign 24V652000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- An instrument panel that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
- 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. FCA's number for this recall is 30B.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 9 of 481 complaints · page 1 of 20
CrashFireInjuryDeath
the driver instrument cluster has failed. completely blank no fuel gauge no odometer. was told this vin is not covered under the recall even though this is the issue behind the recall.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My 3.5 instrument intermittently goes out for days and will come back on and back off again. I took it to the nearest dealer but this did not sjow up on his scan but it out again. As you will see in the photo the vehicle is running but no display. Milage is a little over 69,000. Dealer informed me that many of these were recalled but not my particular vehicle. He said it would cost me $1600 to get it repaired. It appears to me the recall may need to be expanded. I also contacted the jeep website but was told my vehicle was not covered under the recall.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel failed to display critical safety information as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Midas, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted, and the vehicle was diagnosed and determined to need a new instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The instrument Custer went blank during a vacation trip, did not know how much fuel was in it. Took to dealer they tried to put in a new one and it was also faulty, been waiting 3 weeks and still no new part🤬
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was rear ended while stopped and the seat belts didnt lock causing injury to my face from hitting the steering wheel.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The digital dash that displays the speed, shows fuel level and if 4x4 is active went blank, when I went to turn my vehicle on
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The start-stop system reports unavailable, then within a few miles of driving, the check engine light will come on, followed by problems with the transmission shifting gears, sometime causing the vehicle to stay in first or second gear while accelerating and creating a dangerous driving situation. Power cycling the vehicle sometimes helps. Diagnostic trouble codes show low voltage in one or more O2 sensors, "too lean" warnings and cylinders randomly misfiring. Engine runs very rough at idle with the strong smell of gas in the exhaust. Dash information shows battery voltage around 12.3 at start up increasing to low 13 while idling. This occured around 40,000 miles and dealer replaced the aux battery and reset system. It occurred again around 60,000 miles (20 months later) and owner replaced both auxiliary battery (testing showed bad) and main battery. System functioned normally after resetting codes. It occurred again about 8 months later at 72,000 miles. The F42 fuse was pulled, cleared codes and reset computer by removing battery power for 1 hour. System returned to normal.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TRUCK WOBBLIES WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE STEERING TAKES TWO TO THREE INCHES TO TURN THE STERRING WHEEL BEFORE THE TRUCK STARTS TO TURN. NOT RESPONSIVE AS IT WAS.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On May 27, 2026 at approximately 11:00 PM, my 2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland (VIN: [XXX] ) suffered catastrophic engine failure during normal operation at 78,190 miles. The alternator seized, causing the harmonic balancer (crankshaft damper) to fracture. The broken balancer fell into the engine block, causing extensive internal damage requiring complete engine replacement at significant cost. This failure sequence points to a design and/or manufacturing defect in the OEM alternator and/or its mounting system on the 3.6L Pentastar V6. A properly designed alternator should not seize with enough force to fracture the harmonic balancer and deposit debris into the engine block under normal operating conditions. The vehicle was not involved in any accident or operator abuse. It was being driven normally with no prior warning — no dashboard lights, no unusual sounds, no prior related mechanical issues. I request NHTSA investigate whether this failure pattern is systemic across 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles and other 3.6L Pentastar V6 platforms, including the Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, and Dodge Durango. Sudden complete engine failure at highway speeds is an immediate crash hazard to the driver and surrounding motorists. I respectfully request a formal defect investigation and, if warranted, a safety recall with full remediation and reimbursement of repair costs to affected owners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2020 Jeep Gladiator?
Owners named Steering most often — 151 of 481 reports (31%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2020 Jeep Gladiator?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Rear camera / backup safety, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2020 Jeep Gladiator?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.