Jeep recalls Gladiator over rear driveshaft production problem
There's a stop-sale on affected Gladiators with the driveshaft issue, but other models are clear for sale.
The Jeep Gladiator, long awaited and a darling in the eyes of the Jeep faithful, is subject to a new recall.
According to documents published by NHTSA, the Gladiator pickup is being recalled for a faulty rear driveshaft. Specifically, the manufacturing process somehow skipped the driveshaft's grease in the monoblock joint to keep things lubricated. Without it, the driveshaft is at risk of overheating, cracking and possible separating. The whole ordeal increases the risk of a crash and injury.
Contrary to other reports, there is not an overarching stop-sale on the Jeep Gladiator. A brand representative confirmed with Roadshow the stop-sale only applies to the affected Gladiators in the recall population if they haven't been sold. Total, there are 3,427 affected pickups. Jeep will still be happy to sell buyers one of the many Gladiators not part of the recall population.
If an owner's vehicle does not feature the driveshaft grease, they'll experience some noise or vibrations before something serious happens.
The recall will see owners bring their Gladiators back to the dealership for inspection. If a technician finds one of the faulty driveshafts, the pickup will receive a new rear driveshaft, complete with the essential grease. Look for recall notifications in the mailbox starting Oct. 18.
