2020 Jeep Gladiator transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 23V116000Feb 23, 202369,201 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN: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.

  Risk: 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 21V028000Jan 28, 202142,887 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

  Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Jeep Wrangler and 2020-2021 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.

  Risk: 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 20V124000Mar 3, 202033,237 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

  Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Jeep Wrangler and 2020 Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.

  Risk: 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 19V636000Aug 29, 20193,733 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. The rear driveshafts may have been incorrectly assembled without grease in the monoblock joint.

  Risk: 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.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 5, 2026SCBrakesTransmission & Drivetrain

   Clutch overheated and cause an immense amount of smoke during drive with no warning indication from hud. Dealer stated that clutch has gotten well passed 390°c Heat from clutch has also caused front driver caliper to lock up and damage rotors.

   NHTSA complaint #11762397 · source
2. Filed Jun 10, 2026TXElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11743102 · source
3. Filed Apr 5, 2026GAElectrical SystemSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

   This complaint is a follow-up to NHTSA complaint number 11729095. Since submitting the original complaint, the issue has continued and is now occurring while the vehicle is in motion. The vehicle is experiencing intermittent electrical and communication failures affecting multiple systems. The issue began approximately three weeks ago after completing a normal drive and has persisted since that time, occurring randomly and without warning. Both the main battery and auxiliary…

   NHTSA complaint #11729265 · source
4. Filed Oct 20, 2025NJBrakesElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   Driver side rear wheel speed sensor. This is a known issue national back order on the part, mechanic installed new part system does not reset and clear. In the current state, abs offline four-wheel drive system service required traction control service required. What is the true fix for this?

   NHTSA complaint #11694493 · source
5. Filed Sep 16, 202555,000 miMTElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power, lost braking power, and lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving at high speeds, which caused the contact to be frightened. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times to be diagnosed,…

   NHTSA complaint #11687699 · source
6. Filed Aug 13, 2025TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   I am filing a safety complaint regarding repeated and unresolved transmission issues with my Jeep. The vehicle has undergone two full transmission replacements after a $10,000 repair, yet critical symptoms persist, including transmission overheating (up to 240°F) and a loud whining noise while accelerating. These problems continue despite no warning lights or diagnostic codes, creating a false sense of safety. On August 4, 2025, the vehicle reached 240°F and produced loud…

   NHTSA complaint #11680536 · source
7. Filed Jul 17, 2025NCTransmission & Drivetrain

   I took my vehicle to a local dealer to have to recall completed. They told me that they would not complete the safety recall due to vehicle modifications. Dealer stated that they had completed the recall on a previous vehicle and due to the same modifications the new software rendered the vehicle unusable. When the first 19a recall came out and there was no manufacturer remedy, I purchased a new clutch and had an authorized Jeep dealer (dealer I purchased the vehicle from)…

   NHTSA complaint #11674413 · source
8. Filed Jun 24, 2025NCTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission failed to go into reverse. 2020 Gladiator Rubicon with 57k miles.Transmission had been pausing and then shifting into reverse with a clunk sound. Have taken to a Jeep service shop and they did not find any error codes and were not sure of the cause. Problem started getting worse in the past couple of days to where when try to put in reverse, it will not do anything. the "R" light flashes. Have to shift into drive and then back to reverse to get it to go into…

   NHTSA complaint #11668917 · source
9. Filed May 20, 2025NJTransmission & Drivetrain

   On May 17th 2025, I brought my vehicle to the Jeep Chrysler Dodge of Paramus (315 Rte 4 West, Paramus, NJ 07652) for the recall repair. Today, on May 20, 2025, I received my vehicle back after refusing an additional $580 charge for a hydraulic clutch master cylinder replacement, which the dealership claimed was unrelated to the recall. I declined this service due to the financial burden and my belief that the repair should be covered under the recall, but this leaves my…

   NHTSA complaint #11662191 · source
10. Filed May 18, 2025TNElectrical SystemSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

    While driving in rush hour traffic, stop and go driving, a service shifter message started to intermittently appear, then the forward collision warning message started to frequently chime in and off, then I lost power steering, check engine light illuminated, other messages auto start stop service, service sway bar disconnect, transmission was stuck in 3rd gear then after a stop it would not shift out of 1st even switching to manual shift mode, was able to pull over to side…

    NHTSA complaint #11661742 · source
11. Filed Apr 15, 2025MOEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    The engine was loosing power and fuel economy declined. What was found is that the intake camshaft lobes worn down on the intake camshaft, passenger side. This issue has been has been found to be prevalent in many vehicles with this same 3.6 liter engine. Found online was also a class action lawsuit from Delaware that has been issued for this very defect.

    NHTSA complaint #11654855 · source
12. Filed Feb 4, 2025FLElectrical SystemSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

    Vehicle shut off spontaneously. All dash lights lit up. No steering, Could not turn .was able to drift to side of highway and avoid being hit from traffic. Would not start for 10 min. After manny attempts finally started but could not shift into gear. Errors on the dash. Had to turn off and on a few times to get going again.

    NHTSA complaint #11640720 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology