2021 Jeep Gladiator Powertrain & Transmission Problems

I am writing regarding my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave, which recently suffered engine damage due to a faulty head gasket. I understand the vehicle is approximately 5,000 miles over the 60,000-mile warranty; however, I believe this issue should not be my financial responsibility given the circumstances. At around 60,000 miles, I brought my Jeep in for a full service and inspection to ensure it was in top condition. I was informed at that time that everything looked fine and that there were no issues to address. Since then, I’ve continued to maintain the vehicle properly and drive it with care. The sudden head gasket failure, which ultimately led to engine damage, came as a complete surprise. This situation has been extremely difficult — not only because of the unexpected cost, but also because this Jeep was meant to be my long-term vehicle. My family and I have been loyal Mopar customers for years, and I’ve always trusted in the quality and reliability of your vehicles and service network. Given that I sought professional service and maintenance through authorized channels, and that no issues were identified at the time, I kindly request that Mopar consider a goodwill repair or assistance. I don’t believe it’s fair to be held financially responsible for a mechanical failure that likely existed but went undetected during a recent inspection. I’m grateful that nothing happened to me on the road, as I was unaware of the developing problem under the hood. I truly hope Mopar can stand behind its reputation for integrity, safety, and customer care by helping me through this situation. Thank you for your time, understanding, and continued support. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Without any warning and after about 7 minutes of driving, Jeep turned off while driving at about 40 mph. There were no dash lights or warnings and the Jeep has never had an issue or any other symptom previously. Would not start and had to be towed. 8 hours later it was still in a crank no start condition. Both batteries were fully charged so not a battery issue. I'm a long time Jeep owner, VP of the Middle Peninsula Jeep Association LLC and fairly well versed in Jeep mechanics. I only say that to let you know that I have a lot of experience with Jeeps, was able to exclude certain causes and have not encountered thisnwith any of my previous Jeeps. Jeep is in show condition and meticulously cared for. The day after vehicle shut off, all dash lights and windows also stopped working so issue also caused batteries to fully drain. Dealership says it is needs a new PDC. I strongly suspect this is due to manufacturer defect related to PCM and some of manufacturing defects associated with COVID-era manufacturing issues. Uncertain if it could also be related to other open recall. Vehicle has less than 50K on it. It really doesn't feel right that just a large component would go out on such a new Jeep and definitely isn't in accordance with the quality I've come to know and expect when owning other Jeeps. Would appreciate anything you can do to assist. On another note, about half of the Gladiators I see have the 3rd brake light out (mine included). Any idea what the issue could be with that as I also have to get that replaced, too. Many thanks!

Gladiator on 3rd transmission and likely to need a 4th now at 26,000 miles. Each one failed the same way. The second gear in the manual transmission starts occasionally popping out of gear while driving and progresses in frequency over time to the point that it is impossible to keep in second gear at all. This may result in unsafe conditions such as loss of control of the vehicle. Each of my first two transmissions which were replaced were inspected by dealership technicians and the problem found to be easily repeatable. On tearing down of the transmission, pieces of internal components such as synchros were found to be disintegrated. I believe the transmissions were inspected by engineers from Jeep or its parent company though no findings were made available to myself. There were no warnings beyond the gradual escalation of the issue itself. The problem started happening at about 8000 to 10,000 miles on each transmission.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted abnormally roughly. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle was jerking abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated while driving to the dealer, and the dealer reset the code. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the messages to "Turn Off Vehicle and Let the Clutch Cool Down", "Clutch Hot Performance Limited", and "Reduce Clutch Use" were displayed on the instrument panel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was serviced under an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,159.

Brought vehicle in for new tires. Upon inspection it was found that the rear axle seal was leaking. Contacted Jeep customer service and was told vehicle had no recalls. I state that there was a Customer Service Notification for this issue and was told there was not. Was told vehicle was out of warranty and was at was at my expense. Told the service rep that this issue was brought up when it was in warranty and was told by dealership that it wasn't an issue. Customer rep then told me i needed to get a second opinion at that time and that there was nothing that could be done.

Passenger side rear axle leaking gear oil. Issued was repaired by dealership No warning I just saw the oil on the tire and in my driveway

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle and turning the ignition, the vehicle displayed signs of electrical power but failed to start as expected. The contact stated that the message "Service transmission - Continue to drive - Do not shift or turn the vehicle off until you reach your desired location as you may not be able to shift again" was displayed and the contact was unable to disengage the Accessory mode. The service transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,000.

2021 Jeep Gladiator at 43K miles brought in for oil change. Lube tech noticed that the right rear axle seal was leaking fluid with fluid sprayed over the inner wheel and nearby assembly. FSA Customer Satisfaction Notification states to reference CSN 26A and that the recommended remedy is to replace the right rear shaft. If not repaired/replaced, this could lead to damage to the transmission. I contacted my local dealership who informed me that my vehicle had no open recalls, even though Jeep forums state the problem is affecting thousands of Gladiators like mine.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local 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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with a loud rattling noise coming from the clutch. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

The vehicle would not turn over, but the battery came on. The vehicle wouldn’t allow me to turn off the battery and stayed in the position while I waited for the tow truck. By the time the vehicle made it to the dealership they refused to do a diagnostic and attempted to charge me for battery replacement even though it was due to a car malfunction. While the care was glitching the dash displayed messages about the stability control module and transmission were out and malfunctioning. If I were to be driving, the vehicle would have shut down while I was driving.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that the passenger’s side rear axle was leaking. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the "Rear Axle Locked" message was flashing on the instrument panel. Upon investigation, the contact discovered an unknown recall for the rear axle fluid leak. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,080.

Transmission failure 850RE. 86000 miles. Known problem with this transmission. Left wife and children stranded in a very dangerous location on highway. Could not move vehicle off roadway.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Started hard shifting and then really struggled to shift and accelerate once I slowed down. Took to dealership and they said the transmission will need to be replaced. The engine light came on just shortly after the hard shifting and inability to accelerate.

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.

COMPLAINT: It is unacceptable that there is NO fix for this safety recall. The vehicle can not be considered safe to drive by my local Jeep dealer until a fix is done. Jeep has had since Feb and still there is no remedy. I am losing the safe use and operation of my vehicle.

While driving multiple warnings appears on the dash including bus communication, airbag, transmission communication, and abs. The vehicles engine began to randomly change rpm. The transmission began to shift speratically and was unable to maintain speed. The vehicle would not allow me to turn on hazard lights to warn surrounding motorists. Similar warnings appeared on the dash once before and the vehicle would not start and left me stranded. When taken in for service for the no start issue, the dealer performed no repairs for this issue and stored P codes were cleared prior to the vehicle being returned to me. I am currently awaiting a service appointment for the issue that happened while driving.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.