Jeep Gladiator Diesel
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Jeep Gladiator Diesel, model year by model year — ranked from 153 federal NHTSA complaints across 2021–2022.
Diesel-equipped Gladiators show a narrower but still notable complaint pattern across their two model years. In 2021, the launch year for the oil-burner, 138 total complaint occurrences included an auto start/stop system malfunction tagged safety-severity at 28 occurrences, plus steering wheel wobble at highway speeds (20) and a separate "Death Wobble at Highway Speeds" complaint (16) — the same steering instability theme that shows up across Jeep's broader Wrangler and Gladiator lineup. Fuel system issues leading to engine malfunction added 17 occurrences, and a rear axle seal leak rounded out the top five.
The 2022 model year settled down considerably, with total complaint occurrences falling to 46. Steering lock-up at high speeds (11) and death wobble (9) remained the top two issues, but a vehicle-catching-fire complaint, tagged safety-severity, is worth noting even at just 6 occurrences, alongside an instrument panel failure and a lower-volume fuel system stalling complaint.
No recall campaigns appear against either model year in this data, which is worth flagging on its own — the steering wobble and fire-risk complaints exist in the owner-reported record without a corresponding factory remedy showing up here, so a buyer would want to verify directly with a dealer whether any service action has since been issued.
Between the two years, 2021 carries both the higher volume and a genuine mechanical spread — steering, fuel delivery, and drivetrain all show up — while 2022 is comparatively quieter, though with barely a year separating them and complaint counts reflecting what owners chose to report rather than a true failure rate, that gap shouldn't be read as more than a mild reassurance. A pre-purchase inspection focused on steering feel at highway speed and a look at service history remain the better guide.
Jeep Gladiator Diesel problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021worst | 109 | 14 | 1/6 | Auto Start/Stop System Malfunctions Electrical · 28 complaints |
| 2022worst | 44 | 7 | 1/4 | Steering Lock-up at High Speeds Steering · 11 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2021–2022. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.