This afternoon I was driving on a 35mph 4 lane road when my power steering suddenly went out. Because it was unusually light traffic and there are no turns or curves, I was able to safely maintain my lane until the power steering resumed just as quickly as it went out. Most women struggle with manually steering a normal sized car- a truck this heavy is nearly impossible. Had I been going any faster or if I were on a curve, I would have absolutely wrecked. There were no alarms, no signals no messages, nothing. Because this Judy happened, I have not yet had it looked at my a mechanic.
2021 Jeep Gladiator steering complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 95, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My name is [XXX] , and I am writing to formally submit a complaint regarding the loss of my vehicle due to engine fire. The vehicle was a 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon, VIN [XXX] , with approximately 26,666 miles at the time of loss. I purchased the vehicle on May 13, 2021. The fire occurred on July 10, 2025. I was driving on the freeway, and my vehicle lost power and dashboard warning lights illuminated. When I pulled over, the engine was on fire. The fire department came and doused the flames but my entire engine was destroyed. After the fire, I retained legal counsel and initiated an independent investigation through Fire Cause Analysis in Berkeley, California. Their findings identified the origin of the fire as being linked to the power steering pump electrical connector. I later discovered that the federal safety agency has an open investigation identified as PE24024 concerning Jeep Gladiator engine fires which notes that the fires reported to the federal safety agency for this vehicle originated at the power steering pump electrical connector - coinciding with the finding of Fire Cause Analysis. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving on the highway on 1/19/2026, the electric power steering system abruptly stopped working. It took all my strength to steer the vehicle to take the first available exit. The failure made controlling the vehicle very difficult, putting my safety, my family's safety and the safety of others around me at risk. As soon as the vehicle slowed to approximately 20mph, the power steering started working normally again. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. There were no warning lamps, messages or notifications during the power steering failure. There were no warning lamps, messages or notifications after the power steering started working normally again. I did a complete system scan using a scan tool that can detect Diagnostic Trouble Codes from all vehicle systems, and no DTCs were detected. See attachment.
My vehicles rear locker went out on me while driving on the road and completely destroyed itself. I have video evidence on how that looks at the shop where it cost me over 3k to get a new one because I could t drive it or I had to get a whole new rear differential. My steering is already been going loose at 70k miless
While driving yesterday vehicle lost power steering and almost cause a crash. Upon talking to multiple shops and online researching we all came to a conclusion it was the can bus board (controller area network) shops stated this is a very know problem with jeeps. I feel as this is a safety factor for this. Now I am at the point in fixing it and trading in the vehicle due to my family and trying to be safe. Codes are saying lost of communication with can bus basically all the computers are not talking to each other.
The heating steering wheel had an electrical short in the heating element where it began to melt the rubber of the steering wheel and start smoking. This became very hot where it could burn my hand. I was forced to pull over immediately to diagnose the problem before anything else could burn. The smoking stopped when I tuned off the heated steering wheel.
Approximately two months ago while driving about 65 mph on the interstate the power steering failed, and reverted to manual steering. The vehicle became extremely difficult to turn. I was near an exit, and as I slowed to leave the interstate, at 30-35 mph the steering began to work normally. I did not have the issue investigated. Two days ago while going to work, and descending a mountain which had numerous sharp curves the power steering failed again. I was traveling around 40 mph, and the vehicle was extremely difficult to steer. As I reduced speed to about 25mph the steering resumed normal operation. I was making a 90 degree downhill turn when this event occurred. I almost departed the road on a steep drop off. Had my wife been driving I do not think she would have possessed enough strength to keep from going off the road. I had the vehicle checked, by a mechanic and there were no codes or anomalies detected. I am a certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic, as well as an Aviation Safety Inspector. This issue with my Jeep is an accident waiting to happen. There are a significant number of complaints for this same issue. the federal safety agency needs to address this issue.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that there were several unknown warnings illuminated, and the instrument cluster had started flashing on and off. The contact stated that the vehicle slowed down while depressing the accelerator pedal and continued to lose motive power. The contact stated that a warning flashed on the instrument cluster to "Pull Over" and that "Vehicle Was Going to Shutdown". The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right and that the brake pedal was difficult to depress, requiring the activation of the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed back to the residence. The contact stated that her husband determined that the 12-Volt battery needed to be replaced. The contact stated that a new battery was installed; however, the vehicle had failed again with the same symptoms. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
After about 27000 miles, I was driving down I476 at approximately 55-65 mph. It was on a stretch of road with occasional ridges and on hitting one of them, the steering began to vibrate more and more. It eventually resolved itself as I slowed down to around 40 mph. This happened on a number of occasions under much the same conditions and I took the vehicle into Videon, a local Jeep dealer. They immediately replaced the steering damper as they claimed it was worn. I do not have the old damper, it was retained by Videon. I feel that had the road conditions been any less than dry and offering good grip, the vehicle may well have become uncontrollable as the shimmy was very violent. The steering on this vehicle has always been vague but I put that down to the relatively antiquated design of the Jeep and the fact that our other car is a Subaru which is very precise.
Driving approximately 40 mph, power steering went out almost wrecked dash said service shifter.
Death wobble, while traveling down any road that has a bump or is not smooth as glass I get the front end wobble, the only way to stop it is to slow down, have had a couple near miss accidents because of this. This jeep is all original, second time in shop was told all original parts are fine no wear no loose parts. They are putting a steering damper on it. Was told by the dealership where it was purchased “it’s a jeep thing”. Because of the wobble had to replace tires because of uneven wear, had tires rebalanced multiple times trying to fix issue, now another fix to see if it works.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving on the interstate highway at 70 MPH, the vehicle wobbled abnormally with unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was also informed that the steering dampener might have been the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000.
See attached document for complaint.
We were heading out on a vacation trip on a cold(20+ degree day). We had just reached a road that we were merging on to and started accelerating to get up to speed. I went to change lanes, doing about 50mph, to pass a slower moving vehicle. I noticed the power steering quit functioning and had to muscle the steering to keep from going off the road. I continued down the road without power steering. When we slowed down to about 30mph to make the next turn, power steering started to function again. No more occurrances for the rest of the trip. I have not had it checked due to there is nothing failing now. I have read many Jeep forum posts of the same happening to other Jeep Gladiator owners with the electronic Power Steering pumps, and being cold days, while accelerating and no power steering, then regaining when slowing to 30mph.
This vehicle has a death wobble above 50 mph when hitting a slight bump in the road causing loss of control. It has been repaired multiple times with no resolution. We tried arbitration but because we continued to drive it, they ruled in the manufacture's favor not understanding we had no choice but to continue driving it to take my wife's father to cancer treatments. It now has 56000 miles on it and is dangerous to drive. I did file a complaint here two years ago and wonder why a recall hasn't happened since I am not the only one with this issue. Every Jeep owner I talk to said they had the death wobble but after upgrading the suspension, it went away. A vehicle owner shouldn't have to spend thousands to fix a 50+ thousand dollar vehicle to make it safe to drive.
On [XXX] at approximately [XXX] I was travelling West on [XXX] , between Hamlin and Kimballton, Iowa. I had been driving with my cruise control set at 60MPH, until I caught up to an 18 wheel livestock semi truck. The semi was travelling near 40MPH due to curves in the road in this area. With no traffic coming from the West and an acceptable stretch of passing zone, I decided to pass the semi. As I entered the Eastbound lane to begin my pass, I pressed the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and accelerated past the semi. As I was completing the pass, the road began to curve to the left, which naturally caused the Jeep to re-enter the Westbound lane, which is what was expected and is what I wanted to do, as I was well clear of the semi. What startled me, actually scared me to death, is when I attempted to steer to the left in order to remain centered in the Westbound lane. When I attempted to steer, the steering wheel seemed to be locked in the straight forward position. I grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and it took pretty much all I had to force the steering wheel to turn left at all. I had to have come within inches of dropping off the shoulder on the right (North) side of the road, while still in the left curve. The steering remained very "tight" and very hard to move much outside of the centered position. I continued driving as there was very little traffic. Upon reaching the town of Harlan, IA I had planned to stop and access the situation. However, when the vehicle speed slowed to somewhere around 30MPH, the steering system corrected itself and began to function normally. I continued to my destination in Omaha, NE without further issue. To say that this event scared me is an understatement. It could not have happened at a worse time and I believe I was within inches of exiting the roadway due to the inability to control the vehicle. I am certain that if my wife or kids had been driving, a crash would have INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FO
My 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave began experiencing "Death Wobble" in early December, 2024, at highway speeds after hitting a bump in the road. I purchased this vehicle new from the dealer in 2021. I put new tires on the vehicle at 60,000 miles in September, 2024. The wobble is violent and sustained resonant shaking of the front end that continues until the vehicle speed decreases below 30 MPH. I had the front end inspected and the wheels re-balanced and rotated by Big-O, but the problem persists. Big-O indicated that the bushings, stabilizers, tie-rods, ball joints and bearings appeared tight, but the steering damper may need to be replaced. I've attempted numerous times to schedule investigation and repair with the Stoneridge Dodge Chrysler dealer in Pleasanton, CA, but so far have been unsuccessful. The dealer does not appear to take this issue seriously, and said I may need to leave the vehicle with them for a week or two until they could get around to looking at it. I've started researching this issue and discovered that there are pages of complaints on the federal safety agency and the blogs are full of horror stories regarding this issue. There was a class-action lawsuit settled by FCA but it appears to apply only to the 2020 Gladiator and 2018-2020 Wranglers. Service Bulletin 02-004-21 has some instruction for re-torquing the lower ball joints and Mopar Case Number [XXX] has instruction for replacement of the Steering Damper 68251580AF and outboard attachment bolt 06513445AA. Hopefully, FCA will step up and correct this issue before someone is seriously injured or killed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding a serious safety issue with my 2021 Jeep Gladiator (VIN: [XXX] ). On Sunday, [XXX], while my wife was driving the vehicle on the highway near our home in southeast Boston, she experienced intense and violent shaking that did not subside until she slowed down and pulled over. She was alone at the time, and the event was frightening and could have led to a severe accident. Upon researching the issue, she discovered it is commonly referred to as the "Death Wobble," a phenomenon widely reported online and even acknowledged by Jeep dealers, including Chrysler Dodge Jeep of Columbia. Following the incident, I contacted our local Jeep dealer, Best Jeep in Plymouth, MA, to have the vehicle inspected. Their service team identified the issue and replaced the following parts: •Damper Steering •Bolt Shoulder Square Neck •Nut Hex Flange Lock •Bolt Hex Flange Head •Nut Hex Nut Coned Washer When I inquired with Service Advisor Matthew Preston about warranty coverage, he informed me that the repairs were not covered because the vehicle is outside the warranty period. However, he also mentioned that this problem is common in other Jeeps, further emphasizing its systemic nature. From my research, I learned that Jeep has acknowledged this issue in the past. A proposed settlement in 2022 extended warranty coverage for specific models, including certain Jeep Gladiators, to cover the replacement of front suspension dampers. This settlement highlights the widespread nature of the "Death Wobble" and the manufacturer’s recognition of the problem. Numerous Jeep owners have reported similar issues, and the phenomenon is so concerning that it has been the subject of widespread media. I firmly believe that it should be addressed through a factory recall. A vehicle as recent as our 2021 Jeep Gladiator should not be experiencing such critical safety issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I purchased my Gladiator in May of 2021 and the "Death Wobble" started in December of the same year. I took it to the dealership that I purchased my Jeep from and they told me that "it was due to the overly aggressive tires that were on the jeep". I told them that I purchased the jeep from them with those tires on it! Since then I have had out of pocket repairs totaling in excess of $3000.00. The "wobble" has been reproduced for them but that was the answer I got. The wobble happens every month or so but definitely happens when I hit a bump in the road or when I hit 60 mph and there is a deviation in the road (i.e. a divit, curve or sometimes even if I change lanes). The wobble is so bad that I have to immediately brake and drop my speed below 25 mph to eliminate the wobble. This has been a safety hazard where I have had cars behind me almost rear-end me because I had to slow down or I would lose control of the entire car. I don't drive my car for any distances longer than 10 miles from my home.
Just purchased this vehicle from Anderson Nissan of Lake Havasu City, AZ with 4759 miles. After leaving the city and driving on [XXX] heading [XXX], I immediately encountered fairly serious speed wobbles at 70 mph after driving over the bridges for drainage under the highway. Immediately slowed to 60 mph to stop wobble. This occurred approximately 8 times on [XXX] after driving over these bridges or irregular pavement. Nearly home, I was involved in an extremely serious speed wobble at 70 - 75 mph in an area of [XXX] in [XXX]. A slight vibration occurred then an extremely violent speed wobble ensued. Cars in this area drive at very high speeds. Fortunately, I was able to get the car to the side of the road without getting hit or wrecking. I barely kept control of it and very surprised I did not wreck with the other cars. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started to wobble. The contact's husband researched the failure and determined that the vehicle was experiencing the death wobble. The vehicle was uncontrollable while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, where it was determined that the steering damper needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall for the failure. The contact called the recall center and was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
My 2021 Jeep Gladiator received the 19A Clutch Recall in late June 2024. The recall was issued due to clutch pressure plates disintegrating, blowing a hole in the transmission housing, and causing vehicle fires. Upon return, my vehicle was unable to drive smoothly. After further investigation, I determined that if the clutch and throttle were operated concurrently, the engine would shut off. The engine would shut off anywhere between 1 MPH and highway speed causing issues with operating hydraulically assisted systems (power brakes and power steering). In practice, this led to the engine shutting off between most gear shifts causing a jerky driving condition due to the engine needing to clutch start itself. I did not test how well the steering or brakes worked while the engine was shut off due to safety concerns. While pulling into my driveway, I momentarily lost control of the vehicle when the engine died while traveling at low speed and with the steering wheel turned. I lost power steering and was unable to correct the direction in travel before driving onto my lawn. I returned the vehicle to the dealership and replicated the issue for them. They confirmed the issue was present. The issue was determined to be a faulty ECU flash causing the issue. A revised flash was made available to dealerships 7/12/24 and installed in my vehicle 7/15/24. Component that Failed: Faulty ECU flash Safety: The vehicle's engine would shut off while moving Reproduced by Dealership: Yes Inspected by Manufacturer: No Warning lights or messages: No Additional Info: I have been in contact with other owners with the same issue. This faulty ECU flash seems to only have had this effect on 2021 models. The following is personal input. I hope the irony is not lost on you all that a safety recall fix caused an arguably more pronounced and repeatable safety problem. Additionally, I notified Jeep Cares that this could kill or injure someone and they told me to send Chrysler a letter.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving 35-65 MPH and driving over minor bumps on the roadway, the vehicle experienced a death wobble. The contact stated that the steering wheel and the front end of the vehicle were shuddering violently, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact depressed the brake pedal to slow down and allowed the vehicle to stop shuddering. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, where it was test-driven, but the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the drag link assembly and other unknown parts were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
Several times a day when I drive over un-even pavement the front end, wheels, & steering wheel start violently shaking and become uncontrollable to the point other vehicles move out of the way. It will only stop when speed is lowered low 5 mph. This has happened between 25-40 mph. Too afraid to drive at highway speeds. This vehicle is a 2021 with only 12,800 miles on it. Very scary situation to be in, especially for a vehicle I bought new and have never taken off road.
At speeds of 45-70mph the Jeep randomly begins a violent shaking of the steering wheel/tires/suspension components. The Jeep is completely stock and the tires have been rotated and rebalanced which did not assist in resolving the issue.
Driving on the freeway at freeway speed. Hit a bridge transition point and the front end started to shake uncontrollably. I braked and was able to pull to the side. Got out and checked. No visible damage. Took the truck to the dealer. They replaced my steering damper and track bar. The truck only had 6K miles. Again at 20,000 miles the same parts needed to be replaced as the same thing was happening. There has been a class action lawsuit settled on this same model. My vehicle is completely stock. This is a huge safety concern.
When driving on the interstate at interstate speeds, the steering randomly locked up. The steering wheel could not be turned.
While driving on a highway around 70 MPH upon traveling on a bumpy portion of roadway or a transition from an overpass back to roadway the steering starts to Shimmy extremely bad. The only way to get this to stop is pull over and bring the vehicle to a complete stop. I was almost killed when there was no shoulder available In a construction zone on [XXX] in Florida and I had to stop in the lane of traffic and was almost rear ended by a semi tractor trailer. I’ve made a complaint about this before. The dealer previously changed the steering damper but unfortunately the new damper is not the fix to this safety issue. Luckily I’m an experienced driver and a retired law enforcement officer and have calmness to work through this issue. If it was a young driver with little experience the outcome would be sadly different. Sooner or later I believe a fatality will occur due to this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This vehicle has around 8000 miles on it. While driving at highways speeds, several times the steering would start to wobble violently. Normally after hitting a small bump in the road. After researching this was called a death wobble. The vehicle is stock and has not been modified. Has jeep issued a remedy?
At highway speed and encountering a small bump the front-end will jump violently side to side. This can only be stopped by braking to below 50 MPH. Nearly got rear-ended numerous times.
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