2020 Jeep Gladiator Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 Jeep Gladiator most often describe two very different problems: vague, wandering steering reported almost immediately after purchase, and blank or inoperable instrument panel displays reported at higher mileage. Clutch-related complaints on manual-transmission trucks and occasional violent front-end shaking over bumps also appear in the sample. Electrical and steering complaints together account for most of what owners write in about.

1. 1
   Steering

   Steering wander and excessive play

   • 184 complaints (38%)
   • median 525 mi at 0.7 yrs old (116 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the truck needing constant small corrections to stay in a lane, especially above roughly 50-60 mph, along with an inch or more of steering wheel movement before the front wheels respond. Some report the vehicle being pushed around by passing trucks or crosswinds. Complaints describe dealers checking alignment and finding it within specification, in some cases telling owners the feel is normal for the electric power steering, and others note a service bulletin for a replacement steering gear. Commonly reported in the first few thousand miles, with many entries filed within weeks of purchase.

   What to check: Drive it at highway speed on a straight road and note how much the wheel must move before the truck reacts; ask whether the steering gear or power steering software has been updated under the bulletin.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “As I was driving my 2020 Jeep Gladiator with only 460 miles down I-95 between new smyrna beach and titusville. The truck kept wandering into passing lane as I was on cruise control and had to keep correcting to keep from intruding into other lane. I have driven many jeeps before and even older wranglers never felt so loose. This is dangerous !”

   NHTSA complaint #11350131, filed 2020-08, 460 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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11327180, filed 2020-06, 3,574 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Instrument panel goes blank or inoperable

   • 137 complaints (28%)
   • median 54,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $949 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe the instrument cluster going dark or blinking on and off, sometimes after the infotainment screen flashes colors, leaving no speedometer, fuel gauge, temperature or warning lights. In several cases owners say a dealer diagnosed an internal cluster fault and replacement was needed; others were told parts were on back order or were quoted diagnostic fees. Several owners link the symptom to recall 24V652000 but state their VIN was not included. Mostly reported between roughly 35,000 and 86,000 miles.

   Recall 24V6520007 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the truck and confirm every gauge, the odometer and warning lights illuminate; ask whether the cluster has been replaced and whether the vehicle is covered by the instrument panel warranty extension or recall 24V652000.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact stated that the instrument panel appeared blank, no warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11616140, filed 2024-09, 51,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that the instrument panel failed to function as intended. The instrument panel displayed a black screen. In addition, none of the necessary information needed to safely operate the vehicle was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11695321, filed 2025-10, 80,000 miles
3. 3
   Suspension

   Front-end shake over bumps (wobble)

   • 57 complaints (12%)
   • median 12,000 mi at 1.2 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners describe the front wheels and steering wheel shaking violently after hitting a bump at highway speed, easing only after slowing down substantially; some say it has happened repeatedly. Complaints note the truck was unmodified, and that dealers either could not reproduce it or had no repair to offer. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 47,000 miles, typically at 55-70 mph after a bump.

   What to check: Test drive over broken pavement at highway speed and check for play in the steering and front suspension components; ask whether the truck is stock or has a lift or oversized tires.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11307939, filed 2020-02, 13,000 miles

   “Front wheels start violently wobbling at higher speeds on the freeway making steering and handling the vehicle almost impossible. The only way to stop it is to pull over and stop the vehicle motion. It is a serious and dangerous problem. This has happened occasionally and unpredictably since the vehicle was new. Dodge says they have no fix ready.”

   NHTSA complaint #11395179, filed 2021-02, 1,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Clutch slip, burning smell and recall wait

   • 21 complaints (4%)
   • median 20,562 mi at 3.4 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners of manual-transmission trucks describe the clutch slipping, failing to engage when shifting, and a burning odor, with one report of a fire after a burning smell. Several say they received notice of the clutch pressure plate recall but were told parts were not yet available, and the dealer confirmed the failure was recall-related. Reported from about 12,000 to 50,000 miles.

   Recall 23V116000Recall 21V028000Recall 20V124000

   What to check: On a manual truck, feel for slip under acceleration in a higher gear and ask whether the clutch recall has been completed with the updated parts; an automatic avoids this issue entirely.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There are now 2 recalls on manual transmission clutch failures. Original recall 20v124000 and a new one 21v028000. Both are for catastrophic pressure plate failures for clutch slipping, overheating and fragmenting. What is going to happen to all these pressure plates when the clutch disk wears down over time as is normal for a manual transmission and starts slipping then? It will most likely overheat these pressure plates and cause failure then. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11394659, filed 2021-02, 22,500 miles

   “The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving, the clutch was slipping. While shifting gears, the clutch failed to engage. The backup camera was inoperable. Additionally, while exiting the express ramp, there was a burning odor detected. 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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11578941, filed 2024-03, 38,000 miles

Buying note. Check the steering feel on a highway test drive and the instrument cluster on start-up, since those are the two most common owner complaints, and confirm whether the clutch and cluster recalls or the panel warranty extension have been applied to the specific truck.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.