With unquestionable off-road capability and solid payload and towing ratings, the 2023 Jeep Gladiator should easily satisfy most truck buyers. But there are some considerable compromises made to everyday comfort and drivability made in pursuit of all this capability.
Freedom Edition package with unique styling and enhanced off-road enhancements
Additional off-road equipment optional on High Altitude trim
More standard features on some trims
Part of the first Gladiator generation introduced for 2019
What is the Gladiator?
Even though it took Jeep a while to do it, introducing the Gladiator, essentially a Wrangler with a pickup bed, was pretty much a no-brainer for the brand. It combines most of the Wrangler's deeply impressive off-road capability with strong towing numbers and the kind of practicality that can only come from a pickup bed. Ready to rock crawl right off the showroom floor, the Gladiator has proven to be a huge hit among the Jeep faithful, and it's highly unlikely that Jeep will do anything too drastic for 2023.
That said, reports abound that Jeep will fit the Wrangler's 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain into the Gladiator, but whether it will show up for 2023 is uncertain. Making 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft, as well as offering 22 miles of pure EV range, the 4xe powertrain should prove to be plug and play (see what we did there?) with the Gladiator. Since that powertrain is only offered in the higher trim levels of the Wrangler, we expect the same for the Gladiator. Incidentally, the 4xe powertrain will make its debut in the 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee early in 2022.
Speaking of Jeep powertrains, is there hope of seeing a Gladiator 392? Since the Wrangler has made ridiculous use of the 6.4-liter V8, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to imagine the Jeep folks adding it to the Gladiator lineup, just because they can. As for other changes, we expect them to be mild and fairly subtle. But if the Gladiator is a little too rough around the edges for you, check out the Chevy Colorado with the ZR2 package, the Toyota Tacoma outfitted in its TRD Pro trim, or the hot new Ford Bronco.
Edmunds says
Adaptability and capability are two hallmarks of the Jeep Gladiator, and it's possible the trucky Jeep will take on the future with the brand's 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain in the 2023 model. We'll know more in the coming months, so stick with Edmunds for all the latest updates on one of the most unique vehicles on the market.
The 2023 Jeep Gladiator has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and 5 recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.
Recalls
5 recalls found
Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.
If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).
Recall Number:
24V652000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
30B
Number of vehicles affected:
32863
Defect Description:
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Jeep Gladiator and 2018-2024 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. The instrument panel cluster may experience an internal short circuit and fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Defect Consequence:
An instrument panel that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will replace the instrument panel cluster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed between October 3, 2024, and January 23, 2025. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 30B.
Recall Number:
24V199000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
14B,33B,34
Number of vehicles affected:
38164
Defect Description:
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Ram 1500, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Chrysler Pacifica, Ram 3500, Ram 3500 cab chassis, Ram 2500, Ram 4500 cab chassis, Ram 5500 cab chassis, 2023 Jeep Gladiator, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a GVWR less than 10,000 lbs., and Chrysler Voyager vehicles. The steering column control module may not be welded properly, which can prevent the driver's air bag from deploying in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Defect Consequence:
An air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will inspect and replace the steering column control module, as necessary free of charge. Some owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2024 through June 20, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's numbers for this recall are 14B, 33B, 34B, 35B, 36B.
Recall Number:
23V641000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
92A
Number of vehicles affected:
6298
Defect Description:
Chrysler (FCA US), LLC is recalling certain 2022-2023 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. The rearview camera may fail to display the rearview image and the reverse lights may not illuminate when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 111, "Rear Visibility" and 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Defect Consequence:
A disabled rearview image can decrease the driver's visibility of the rear view, and disabled reverse lights may not alert others that the vehicle is reversing, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will replace the gear position sensor, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 7, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 92A.
Recall Number:
23V263000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
01A
Number of vehicles affected:
45832
Defect Description:
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator, and 2022-2023 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with a 3.0L diesel engine. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) may fail.
Defect Consequence:
Fuel pump failure can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will replace the HPFP and replace additional fuel system components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 17, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 01A.
Recall Number:
23V116000
Manufacturer Recall Number:
19A
Number of vehicles affected:
69201
Defect Description:
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Jeep Wrangler, and 2020-2023 Jeep Gladiator vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. The clutch pressure plate may overheat and fracture.
Defect Consequence:
Overheated clutch components may increase the risk of a fire. Additionally, damage to other nearby components can result in debris falling onto the road or a loss of drive, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Dealers will replace the clutch assembly and update the software on the vehicle that mitigates all safety risks related to the clutch assembly, free of charge. Interim owner letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 6, 2023. Owners will receive a second notice once remedy parts become available. FCA US will notify dealers and begin notifying owners, in phases, starting with the 2023 model year vehicles on or about 11/30/2023, 12/19/2023 for 2018 model year vehicles, 04/18/2024 for 2019 model year vehicles, 06/04/2024 for 2020 model year vehicles, 07/02/2024 for 2021 model year vehicles, and 08/01/2024 for 2022 model year vehicles. Owners may contact (FCA US, LLC) customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 19A. This recall expands and replaces previous recall 21V-028. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 21V-028 will need to have the new remedy completed.
2022 Jeep Gladiator Sport S 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (3.6L 6cyl 6M)
I highly recommend the Sport S with the Max Tow Package. Torquey and smooth, the automatic 8-speed transmission is pretty nice with the trusty 3.6 L V6. It's a real hauler or puller when I need it, it's articulation is great for some off road adventures and is comfortable on the highway. Plus, the sticker on my door has a rated payload of 1465 lbs! Don't let them tell you it's not "Jeep" … enough or it's not "truck" enough or it's not comfy enough. Get the customer preferred package with hard top and stick with the M+S rated all terrains for smooth and quiet daily driving. This is a perfect niche vehicle for some people!
Prior to purchase of our new '22 Gladiator Willy's Sport, we were previously looking at a new JL '22 Wrangler 2 door Willy's to replace a '14 Jeep Patriot (2.4l, 4WD, 5spd manual). We had thought we had what we wanted sorted out, particularly being a Manual Transmission and were planning to special order the Wrangler, but we wanted to test drive a manual beforehand. A local dealer had … only one manual transmission truck on the lot, a '22 Gladiator Mojave (3.6l, 4.10 rear, 6spd manual). That's where we learned the master cylinder for the manual trans used in the JT & JL's has horrible feel. It's easy enough, but lacks feel for the engagement point. Also, the manual trans gearing is way too tall for the final gear ratios selected. If it had 4.88's stock, it would be a lot better with the manual, literally too tall to use 6th on the highway unless you're breaking the speed limit. We did come away with a great appreciation for Gladiator itself since it could actually replace two vehicles instead of one and decided to further investigate and test drive an 8spd Automatic one.
It's a completely different truck with the well matched gear ratios of the 8spd Automatic transmission, even with the base diff 3.73 final gearing. We tested several others, including a base Sport model (3.73 rear) with a manual 6spd again just to confirm the clutch feel was that way across the board and a Sport S with the Max Tow package (4.10 gearing & 8spd automatic trans, stiffer suspension/firmer truck like ride, etc) to narrow down the drivetrain options. We decided on the base gas 3.6l Willy's Sport, with the 8spd automatic and factory tow hitch as the only options. With these trucks, there's only 4wd, even stock you get dual Dana 44 rears. The Willys package adds a Limited Slip Rear differential, aluminum rims w/ mud terrain tires, rock rails and appearance features like a blacked out grill & bumper, tinted windows, painted fenders and retro decals.
What makes these specials compared to their other mid-size counterparts isn't entirely about what you get with them, but what they don't come with. Manual windows, manual locks, manual seats, manual transfer case (less to fail), basic screen display, actual manual knob controls instead of the screen, basic & functional plastic interior, minimal Nanny Devices, etc. Simple & durable over the long haul. As for what comes standard, Dana 44 solid front & rear axles, 3.73 gearing, A/C, Cruise Control (an option on almost all other mid size trucks), 4/7 way trailer wiring, floor drains, lockable interior storage, LED bed lights, trans/fuel tank skids, a convertible top, 8 speaker stereo std, brake-lock diffs, etc. Let's not forget that it's the most capable 4WD mid-size truck, even the base models work well off-road and the aftermarket support if you want to modify is endless.
This isn't the truck for everyone. Those that basically want a car with a truck bed or expect that level of luxury & quietness may not like the simplicity of the Gladiator. The Gladiator is like a New-Old truck, just refined. It's narrow enough (just like the JL) and has the right running gear to get into some serious off-roading, and the electronics don't get in the way while doing so unlike other brands. It rides superbly well for a solid front axle vehicle. The windshields are prone to cracking from stones due to the angle. There is some extra noise, especially with a soft top, but it's much less then you'd expect short of when it's raining. The exterior door hinges are prone to chipping paint sheerly because of the fact that they are designed for easy removal and stick out. The 3.6l V6 is a little chattery, but it's normal and runs well. Oil changes are a breeze with the top mount oil filter. Also, the heater in these is exceptionally good! Heats up very quickly and will literally fry your fingers like a hot dog. The standard 8 speaker stereo sounds fantastic. The Android Auto and screen are easy to use. The back-up camera is very clear. The soft top is very easy to drop on a nice day and makes clear warm night drives extra special. The hard top panels are easy to remove too. The fuel economy is exceptional for a 4,700 pound truck with a non-direct injected gas engine. I'm getting 18mpg on stock running gear in the city & 22 unladden on the highway. It tows my 3,000.lb loaded trailer without breaking a sweat (the 8spd auto/gas V6/3.73 gearing max tow capacity at 6,000.lbs). The ZF 8spd auto is one of the best modern "too many gears" automatics. It's always in the correct gear for the situation, doesn't "hunt" around or automatically upshift to 8th when you're barely spinning enough RPM's for 5th. It'll automatically downshift to use engine braking on declines as well. Shifting is smooth. The manual transfer case shifts better as it gets used (breaks in/meshes between range shifting) and works as it should. Fit & finish is better than my decades worth of GM's (which I still own, LOL). Seats are firm but comfortable. The rears are easy to fold-up or remove.
Also should note, they are built at the original Willy's-Overland plant in Toledo, OH where all the Wranglers and the original Gladiator trucks were built.
After 5,000 miles, and more than a few of those earning a few Jeep Honor Trail badges and clambering off-road, it's holding up exceptionally well. No trips back to the dealer for warranty issues yet either.
It's everything you need and nothing you don't.
Love it so far
5 out of 5 stars
Treemanrick, 04/09/2022
2022 Jeep Gladiator Sport S 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (3.6L 6cyl 6M)
I drove it from Richmond Va. to Orlando fl. And back. The average was 30.1 mpg. Not bad. Got the deal from Dotta Chrysler Jeep in Pa. They delivered to Richmond. Va. I asked a little more for my trade and they agreed. Chris is a working sales guy. A regular guy. No hype. See Chris. It is a sport s diesel. Not a choice on Edmonds.
Yes, I paid for it, but guess what,
I'm 71, I drive the crap out of it. It doesn't take no for an answer. I live in the Atchafalaya Basin, in the only community within the Atchafalaya River flood basin levee. This vehicle puts my boat where I need it, my camper where it doesn't like it. I've overtowed with it, but don't tell anybody.
I don't know if it will outlive me, but I'll … give it a chance.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 Jeep Gladiator, so we've included reviews for other years of the Gladiator since its last redesign.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1200" height="588" fill="none" preserveAspectRatio="none"%3E%3Cmask id="b" width="1200" height="588" x="0" y="0" maskUnits="userSpaceOnUse" style="mask-type:alpha"%3E%3Cpath fill="url(%23a)" d="M896 513c116 45.015 222 64 304 75V0H0v501c40 36.024 154 76 340 76s344-146.269 556-64Z"/%3E%3C/mask%3E%3Cg mask="url(%23b)"%3E%3Cpath fill="url(%23c)" d="M896 513c116 45.015 222 64 304 75V0H0v501c40 36.024 154 76 340 76s344-146.269 556-64Z"/%3E%3Cpath fill="url(%23d)" fill-opacity=".15" d="M581.718 62.893c42.993 1.53 86.281 5.888 129.704 13.204 311.828 52.485 552.538 242.016 657.698 483.656-149.97-147.971-450.891-226.33-789.375-232.079-338.534.839-640.434 74.572-792.746 220.292 108.75-240.047 352.255-425.97 664.832-473.803a1041.548 1041.548 0 0 1 129.887-11.27Z"/%3E%3Cpath fill="url(%23e)" fill-opacity=".5" d="M611.247 209.93a1458.84 1458.84 0 0 1 139.573 27.692c333.61 83.239 577.16 267.208 668.67 475.188-148.93-138.63-468.279-241.218-835.209-290.421-367.6-43.915-702.265-24.445-881.281 72.561 140.567-178.524 422.355-295.817 766.181-293.074 47.867.484 95.274 3.212 142.066 8.054Z"/%3E%3Cpath fill="url(%23f)" d="M735.039 879.394c48.524-6.62 97.023-16.967 145.3-31.2C1227.03 746.059 1475.76 472.327 1564.28 145c-151.17 209.633-482.23 344.436-865.05 388.31C315.515 568.571-35.93 504.564-227 330.342-73.333 632.61 226.169 849.617 586.429 878.604c50.15 3.871 99.74 4.07 148.61.79Z" opacity=".3"/%3E%3Cpath fill="url(%23g)" d="M694.222 783.712c50.956 12 103.317 20.27 156.946 24.578 385.102 31.013 738.232-146.76 952.062-439.434-231.22 151.216-613.24 158.795-1012.047 55.796C394.784 312.716 68.643 114.101-55.211-133c37.44 360.528 253.087 691.895 601.449 858.946 48.557 23.091 97.963 42.302 147.984 57.766Z" opacity=".9"/%3E%3Cpath fill="url(%23h)" fill-opacity=".5" d="M896 513c116 45.015 222 64 304 75V0H0v501c40 36.024 154 76 340 76s344-146.269 556-64Z"/%3E%3C/g%3E%3Cdefs%3E%3ClinearGradient id="a" x1="1005" x2="989.087" y1="23" y2="552.522" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse"%3E%3Cstop stop-color="%23007EE5"/%3E%3Cstop offset=".333" stop-color="%231561D4"/%3E%3Cstop offset="1" stop-color="%230A4AAB"/%3E%3C/linearGradient%3E%3ClinearGradient id="c" x1="1005" x2="989.087" y1="23" y2="552.522" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse"%3E%3Cstop stop-color="%23007EE5"/%3E%3Cstop offset=".334" stop-color="%231561D4"/%3E%3C/linearGradient%3E%3ClinearGradient id="d" x1="675.999" x2="879.999" y1="648.999" y2="120.999" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse"%3E%3Cstop stop-color="%23fff"/%3E%3Cstop offset="1" stop-color="%23fff" stop-opacity="0"/%3E%3C/linearGradient%3E%3ClinearGradient id="e" x1="656.5" x2="637.602" y1="213" y2="622.259" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse"%3E%3Cstop offset=".115" stop-color="%23fff" stop-opacity="0"/%3E%3Cstop offset=".944" stop-color="%23017D8D"/%3E%3C/linearGradient%3E%3ClinearGradient id="f" x1="398" x2="737" y1="599" y2="387" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse"%3E%3Cstop stop-color="%2300ABB5"/%3E%3Cstop offset="1" stop-color="%2300A0B5" stop-opacity="0"/%3E%3C/linearGradient%3E%3ClinearGradient id="g" x1="1051.5" x2="271" y1="567" y2="575" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse"%3E%3Cstop stop-color="%230098C2"/%3E%3Cstop offset="1" stop-color="%23033E96" stop-opacity="0"/%3E%3C/linearGradient%3E%3ClinearGradient id="h" x1="1005" x2="986.038" y1="23" y2="587.43" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse"%3E%3Cstop offset=".813" stop-opacity="0"/%3E%3Cstop offset=".972"/%3E%3C/linearGradient%3E%3C/defs%3E%3C/svg%3E)
