2021 Jeep Gladiator engine problems
54 of the 292 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Jeep Gladiator name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 119 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 54 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 3 · 2022: 31 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 7
Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.
292 complaints in all about the 2021 Jeep Gladiator, 7 filed in 2025. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Jeep Gladiator engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The vehicle randomly stalled out / died while idling, with the clutch pedal fully engaged. This poses a serious safety hazard as the vehicle may unexpected stall out at a traffic light or while driving resulting in a serious accident. The most likely risk is a stalled out vehicle in heavy traffic resulting in a rear end collision.
The vehicle’s throttle spikes / surges when the driver completely lifts off the accelerator and presses in the clutch. The issue indicates the throttle sticks after the driver lifts off the accelerator. The issue happens in multiple gears at various RPMs. The issue happens with or without the climate controls off.
The vehicle’s throttle bounces and surges off idle, in direct opposition to the driver’s inputs to the controls. After the driver lifts off the accelerator and engages the clutch, the RPMs drop slowly to idle, then the throttle regularly bounces and surges without user input to the controls by ~500 to ~1,500 RPMs.
The vehicle’s throttle surges sporadically when shifting gears without driver input to the accelerator / controls. The issue impacts the driver’s ability to operate the vehicle safely in heavy traffic or dynamic situations.
The vehicle auto stops when putting on the driver’s seat belt, in direct conflict with owner’s manual. The owner’s manual specifies that if the “Driver’s seat belt is not buckled” it will prevent an auto stop, but preventing the auto stop is the opposite of the act of buckling the seat belt initiating the auto stop.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications119 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0300 P0128 P0403 P2100 P00FD P0562 P152F P26F3
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2021 Jeep Gladiator names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2021 Jeep Gladiator
Source: the same files- steering problems 94 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 71 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2021 Jeep Gladiator?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 54 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (18% of everything owners filed about it), and 119 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2021 Jeep Gladiator?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 8 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2021 Jeep Gladiator?
Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.