2021 JEEP GLADIATOR Suspension Problems

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.

[XXX] 2021 Jeep Gladiator had a recall on the rear axle seal leak they told me the parts were on back order and the dealership allowed the recall to time out. When they ordered them I took it in and they said the parts were the wrong parts and needed to reorder them. Jeep will rev up to around 7000 rpms and hesitates to go up steep hills. Power stearing fluid keeps leaking from somewhere. 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 on several occasions while driving approximately 45 MPH, the front end of the vehicle and the steering wheel began shaking violently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to stop the vehicle from shaking. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Mileage: 36,000

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)

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.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving approximately 70 MPH, the front end of the vehicle and the steering wheel began shaking violently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, and the shaking gradually disappeared. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.5 The contact stated on April 8, 2024 there was another severe front "end wobble”, this following after the dealership replacing major steering components under warranty.

Mileage: 28,000

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.

See video of incident here: [XXX] Additional video is here: [XXX] The incidents happened while driving on the interstate at approximately 70mph. When a normal expansion joint or bump was traversed, the steering wheel would suddenly oscillate continuously, with the degree of the oscillation growing more severe over time. The entire body of the vehicle shook violently. The only way to recover from the severe oscillation was to reduce speed substantially - generally to below 40 mph - or to encounter another bump to upset the oscillation. We took the Gladiator to a local Jeep dealership. They stated they replaced the steering damper and that the manufacturer had updated the part number (the failed damper was the old part number). However, we still feel a looseness in the suspension that we did not feel previously with this vehicle. When traversing bumps at speed, sometimes the oscillation can still be felt, but it is not continuous as shown in the videos. We suspect the steering damper may have been damaged to due another loose or failed component that is still in service on the vehicle. The vehicle is stock and has not been modified previously. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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?

Extreme wobble in front suspension and steering wheel when driving at freeway speeds. Also conventionally known as the "Death Wobble". Occurred on 3/8/23 - repair of steering stabilizer by dealer did not remedy the issue Returned to dealer on 3/13/23 - replaced inner and outer tie rod ends and drag link Recurred on 12/7/23 -again replaced tie rod ends for excessive play in ball and socket joints.

Each time I drive my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Diesel over 55-60mph, I experience the 'death wobble' and i have to brake /slow down to under 50mph before it will stop. This is really dangerous on the Atlanta highways where people are driving far in excess of 60mph and tend to tailgate & change lanes quickly. When I first bought the truck, I didn't experience this but in the past year, it has been happening pretty much every time I drive on the highway (which I avoid now). The most recent time was the WORST, which is prompting this complaint.

This Jeep has the death wobble. When you’re going 70+ miles an hour and hit a bump. It violently shakes and you have to slow down to 55 quickly for it to stop. This has been an ongoing issue and I have even put a new set of tires on and it’s continued. This is a known issue but there’s not been a recall. I had a previous 2012 Jeep and it did the death wobble on that as well.

2021 Jeep Gladiator High Altitude with 29000 miles and in stock configuration. Experienced the "Death Wobble" after hitting slight depression in roadway at 65mph. Jeep front end would not stop vibrating until at complete Stop. This appears to be a design flaw. Reporting the occurance to the dealer for resolution.

Experiencing the well known Jeep "death wobble" at highway speeds above 65MPH when riding over a minor surface bump. Very violent shaking of entire vehicle. I have to immediately reduce speed to below 45mph to stop shacking. Reducing this speed at highway speeds is very dangerous, especially if occurring in the passing lane.

While driving at highway speeds and the vehicle goes over a bump, bridge connection, etc the vehicle goes into an uncontrollable “death wobble”. This began with less than 10,000 miles on the vehicle, and the vehicle has not had any alterations from factory (factory wheels, tires, suspension, etc.). I brought the vehicle to the dealer in Oct 2022, and a part was on national backorder, after 2 months it arrived and was installed Dec 2022, and the problem persists and now the dealership says a different part is needed, also on nation back order. When you are driving the vehicle and the “death wobble” starts it is extreme shaking of the vehicle front end, and steering wheel. The only way to fix is to slow the vehicle down to 25-30 mph, which can be very dangerous on the highway, especially when in the fast lane on a busy highway with other traffic traveling between 65-80 mph. This has occurred well over a dozen times, and has not only been frightening each time but a few of those times my vehicle has become a hazard to other drivers to avoid. Currently I cannot feel safe driving the vehicle on the highway and have been confined to local driving on city roads.

Death wobble when hitting bumps on highway after 55mph.feels like front end wants to come of the jeep very scary situation. 2-Clutch noise when pressing and realeasing

The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the steering wheel started wobbling. The contact stated that the rear of the vehicle was also wobbling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the stabilizer needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part not being available. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 28,000.

Mileage: 28,000

My 2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport is very unsafe to drive specially at Highway speeds or speeds above 45 mph and multiple dealerships service departments are refusing to fix or even acknowledge the issue after not being able to fix the problem already due to no major recalls being offered by Jeep only a bulletin. Steering is very loose, and I cant drive my Jeep Gladiator Sport straight specially on a windy day. I have to constantly adjust my Jeep Gladiator Sport from side to side to keep it in my lane specially if being passed by a semitruck. My Jeep Gladiator Sport sways at speeds as low as 45 mph, but the problem increases at higher speeds. Most of the pulls on highway speeds or windy days are to the left and I have to hang on to the steering wheel for dear life or constantly correcting the wheel.

On Monday, 28 November 2022 I was driving on I-40 in downtown Knoxville, TN. After hitting a bump in the rode the steering wheel began to shake violently and the front-end shake and wobble. I was traveling approximately 65 mph. When I slowed down to 35 mph it stopped. This occurred on a busy interstate at approximately 0900 hrs. I was lucky to be in the outside lane. There were no warning lights before or after. This happened three (3) more times in the same fashion today. When I got back home I scheduled an appointment with my local Jeep dealer. The earliest appointment is 20 December 2022. There was no crash and no police report.

1) Frequent spontaneous windshield cracks. 2) violent, out of control steering wheel vibrations at highway speeds nearly causing severe collisions. Reoccurring incidents. I’m ready to file a lawsuit.

Vehicle is 2 years old, with only 21,000 miles. Driving on the freeway, above 65mph, the vehicle wobbles violently if you hit a pot hole or a small bump. It jerks the steering wheel very hard from side to side, making it very difficult to stay within your lane. The only way to make the extreme wobble go away is to slow down significantly (<40mph) or sometimes come to a complete stop. A simple internet search and you will find MANY complaints about this with Jeeps, and it is commonly referred to as the "Death Wobble". PLEASE help us consumers put an end to this terrifying issue. I was on my way from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) and was almost involved in two accidents because of this. Very few drivers expect for the vehicle they are following behind of to slam on their brakes, which is exactly what I had to do on several occasions to control the wobble. I was almost rear ended on the freeway going 60+ mph on more than one occasion. For the sake of every Jeep owner, AND everyone else on the road, Jeep cannot continue to release vehicles with this well-known defect. My vehicle is currently at the dealership being looked at, but I suspect it will be an issue with the suspension parts, either worn or loose. Either way, not acceptable for a vehicle with this type of mileage. No warning lamps or messages given before the wobble occurs. As mentioned before, you hit one pothole or bump the right way and it starts to wobble very violently.

“Death Wobble” at Highway Speeds > 45 MPH. The steering wheel begins to “Wobble” after hitting a pot hole or uneven surface such as a bridge joint. I have taken it in and was told everything is to factory specs. This is not the case and I have video. The latest incident occurred Saturday Nov 5th.

Four times within 8 months of the vehicle being new and now being the fifth time I have experienced what is termed "death wobble" where loss of control due to violent pounding/shaking of the front end occurs where most times it is necessary to slow down or stop drastically from highway speeds to get vehicle back in control.

Under heavy breaking the rear wheels of my vehicle lifted off of the pavement. This loss of traction and shift in weight resulted in a head on collision with a vehicle in the opposite lane of traffic. After the accident I discover that the suspension for my vehicle was incorrect to the level that FCA released a TSB regarding the issue. The suspension that was equipped with the vehicle was designed for the gasoline motor and the weight associated with that motor. My vehicle has the diesel motor (approximately 600lbs heavier) along with factory equipped steel bumpers adding additional weight. This factory design failure created a vehicle that could not perform as designed and as I found out via an automotive accident, a vehicle that under heavy breaking can lift its rear wheels off of the ground.

My front suspension keeps bottoming out while driving down the road. If I catch a pothole or dip in the road I will bottom out. Today I was in a parking lot and it bottomed out going over a speed bump. I know there is a TSB for the eco diesel Rubicons but for no other sub-models.

Traveling speeds excess of 60 mph, any bump or flaw in the road will cause the vehicle to enter into severe vibration and shaking of front end/ axle. The steering wheel violently shakes from side to side and the vehicle will stay shaking until you reduce your speed to under 50 mph. Ball joints and other steering components are put under severe stress. The issue has been reported to the dealer who is unable to correct the issue even with replacing steering stabilizer as they suggest. A formal case was opened with the Chrysler group.

SUSPENSION: 2021 Jeep Gladiator - 12,000 Miles: On several occasions at freeway speeds vehicle hits uneven road / bumps and vehicle looses steering control like it jumps off the pavement / shutters over road way with no control: At one point I thought I blew a front tire and did loose some control of vehicle and pulled over to shoulder to scope it out: No tire blew: This is a major concern: My safety and the safety of passengers are at risks: I would not put my family members in this vehicle other than city driving!! Tried contacting MOPAR but was unable to do so - 12 March 2022 - A Joke

I was exiting the freeway with a speed limit of 75 mph. On the off-ramp I lost control of the Gladiator. The front end wobble was so bad that I could not hold onto the steering wheel for fear of breaking my wrist. Instead I had to wrap my arms about the wheel in an attempt to stop the wobble. I was unable to keep the vehicle in my lane, and finally ended up in a large ditch next to the off ramp. What happened appears to be a problem with the Mopar 1.5" lift kit installed by the dealer. The kit was installed 8/17/2021. This incident occurred in Jan 2022, about 4,000 miles later. I had the kit installed and then inspected about a month later specifically to check for any loose bolts, and to double check the torque for the bolts. The CV bar in the front lost a the bolt on the passenger side, dropping the cross bar and resulting in total loss of control of the passenger side front tire. I felt very lucky not to have been injured, and not to roll the jeep. It took about 150 feet to stop the vehicle in the ditch. I am attaching a photo of the bar held in place after the accident using bungie cords. This was done just to get the bar off the road and allow for moving the vehicle. The mechanic was able to secure the cross bar with a new bolt. The original bolt and nut were not found. We speculate that either the bolt was not torqued correctly or might have been missing a lock washer. At any rate, potentially this could have resulting in much worse. If this happened just a few seconds earlier on the freeway, the damage and injuries could have been much worse. Now the vehicle is driving like new, after new bolt and alignment. However, I will be checking those bolts more frequently, particularly if I notice any extra play in the steering. Before this happened, the play in the steering had increased. I thought I just needed an alignment, but it was much worse than that. Really I would think this cross bar needs redesign to ensure it can't break loose.

The "death wobble." When driving over 55mph even the slightest bump will set off a violent chain reaction of vibrations. This causes unsafe driving conditions and loss of control. The only way to regain control is to quickly slow down to less than 55mph and at highway speeds this is extremely dangerous. Jeep has failed to fix this and wont even acknowledge that it is an issue.

In January 2021, my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland became unstable at normal freeway speeds (60-75 mph) on many occasions. The slightest bump or surface irregularity stimulates a violent and sustaining side-to-side vehicle shudder/vibration from the front suspension that was very extreme that lasted for over 2 minutes or until the vehicle slowed to around 60 mph; where stable vehicle behavior restored. This extreme instability and needed hard braking creates a serious driving hazard. I have taken it to 2 separate dealers who cannot find any issue and are unwilling to investigate unless it happens in their presence even with video proof. I have also taken to a tire shop and had the tires re-balanced and put on a road force machine. The tire shop found no issues with the tires or balancing. This started at about 23,000 miles and occurs more as the temperatures drop. This failure mode is severe, occurs without warning, is not detectable until it occurs and is very frightening. My Jeep has stock, factory wheels and factory tires in good balance with no visible or abnormal tread wear. This is a dangerous condition that needs immediate correction. A 1 year old vehicle with 23,000 miles in excellent condition, no accident history and no modifications should not be doing this. Side note; I did have to have the engine replaced after 11 months of ownership and the Jeep came from the factory with cracked spark plugs and had the spark plugs replaced after 1 week of ownership. This is an ongoing issue with no resolution.

In December, 2021, my 2021 Jeep Willys Gladiator became unstable at normal freeway speeds (70-75 mph) on ~8 occasions. At these speeds, the slightest bump or surface irregularity stimulates a violent and sustaining side-to-side vehicle shudder from the front suspension that was so extreme that it splashed my cola and ice from the center cup holder to the dashboard and doors. R-L-R Steering inputs had no effect and hard braking had no effect until the vehicle slowed to around 60 mph; where stable vehicle behavior restored. This extreme instability and needed hard braking creates a serious driving hazard. The dealer is installing a new steering damper. The engineer in me says there is a bearing, bushing or ball joint as root cause. This defect manifested at ~23,000 miles and occurs more readily as the temperatures drop below 20 deg F. This failure mode is severe, occurs without warning, is not detectable until it occurs and its effect is panic-inducing. My Jeep has stock, factory aluminum wheels and normal sized Michelin All-Season radial tires in good balance with no visible or abnormal tread wear. I ordered this vehicle new on 3/1/2021. The 'Gladiator forum' calls this condition "death wobble". Anecdotally, the condition appears to be associated with vehicles having "lift kits" as well as stock vehicles. My 'Willys Jeep is built by FCA with a modest suspension lift relative to the base Gladiator models. Other (anecdotal) owner information has identified loose ball joints, defective drag link bushings and steering free play as root causes in other new, low mileage vehicles. I am a retired engineer with vehicle development, professional driving and prototype vehicle experience. This is a dangerous condition that needs immediate correction. A 7-month old vehicle with 25,000 miles in excellent condition, no accident history and no modifications SHOULD NEVER DO THIS. A steering damper may reduce this death wobble but there is a more likely root cause.

My jeep has bottomed out multiple times on normal road bumps. I've owned 4 other jeeps and have never experienced this before I've noticed there is one 3" of travel allotted between the front axle and the bump stops and I under stand that the diesel motor weight more than the 3.6l but to not compensate for the extra weight and running the same suspension setup as the 3.6l is not even right.... To spend 57,000$ on a vehicle that I can't just drive down the road without having to watch for bumps or manhole cover because I don't want to jar my back is no peace of mind.

Experienced death wobble-violent shaking of steering wheel and car side to side -on highway on 1/6/2022. It happened twice, 5 mins from my home. Both incidents occurred in expressway. Once while traveling 70mph and had to swiftly change two lanes in rush hour traffic to the slow lane. The shaking stopped stop at reduced speed to 50. Then the second time minutes later I was going 57mph in the slow lane and the violent shaking started again. Luckily it was at my homes exit. I slowed down and drove the 4 blocks on the streets straight to my garage. Called Jeep next morning and they can’t pick it up until Wednesday, January 12. Bought this truck brand new from Jeep in May 2021. When I test drove it, steering pulled to one side. Had it aligned as part of the purchase. Months later I had steering problems and took it to them and they changed the track bar. A few weeks ago I did an oil change with them and they rotated the tires. And now I got the death wobble twice yesterday. There’s something in the suspension that’s either broken, loose, or worn out. I don’t feel safe.

Right rear axle seal leak causing oil to go onto brake pads Oil leak from shock absorber reservoir

Rear Axle Assembly leaking fluid onto rear brake drum and wheel hub assembly, potentially rendering brakes non-functional in rear of vehicle. Excessive drift/play in steering at moderate speeds (40mph+) "Death Wobble" experienced at speeds ~70mph. Front wheels/suspension near total loss of control. Steering column violently shuddering, and required excessive force to control. Vehicle is dealer stock, completely unmodified, with only 9500 miles on it. Dealer currently has vehicle. Replaced rear axle assembly. Currently test driving to try and reproduce shaking in steering and front drivetrain.

8000 miles on new purchase, never off road, this Jeep goes into a violent shimmy/wobble 60-70 when in an ever so slight off of center steering angle on the freeway after crossing an expansion joint or other sharp road irregularity. Coasting down is the only way it goes away. Full Throttle acceleration out doesn't help, nor hard braking. It's NOT consistent, but it's happened to me three times in recent weeks as the summer temperatures subsided from the 80's F into the fall 40-60 F. Again, purchased brand new May 2021, tire pressures are proper, only driver, no other passengers or cargo. The onset is unexpected and frightening. The local Dodge / Jeep dealer where I have had one oil change seems to be unaware of a fleet issue or problem. It seems to be widely reported on various automotive blogs. Please help. [XXX] 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 while driving 70 MPH on concrete pavement, after transitioning from the concrete pavement to asphalt, the front end of the vehicle bottomed out inadvertently. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle at a lower speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who tests drove the vehicle and diagnosed that the front shock absorber needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they would follow up with the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,100.

Mileage: 1,100