The National Highway Traffic Administration is investigating complaints about 2022 Jeep Gladiators built at its Toledo assembly plant. Jeep’s Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance group determined that certain automatic transmissions built at the Ohio plant had faulty transmissions. Jeep has recalled only 11 Jeep Gladiators (so far). 

Has Jeep had a lot of recalls?

While not very many Gladiator vehicles, it is only the latest in a string of recalls related to Toledo. This affects Jeep Gladiators equipped with the parking wheel improperly crimped. It affects the parking wheel and pawl engagement. This can manifest in the loss of Park, resulting in rollaway. 

Owners report that under acceleration the Gladiator feels differently. They also report noises and trouble codes flashing. Jeep has determined that the problem affects the production of Gladiator trucks built between June 29 and July 6. Jeep will send out recall notices in mid-October. 

What is the fix for the 2022 Jeep Gladiator?

The fix does not involve replacing the affected components. Instead, it involves replacing the 8HP75 transmission unit. Yes, the entire ZF transmission. 

The 8HP75 eight-speed automatic transmission made its debut in 2008. It was first put into the BMW 7 Series. Eventually, it became available in all BMW models down to the 1 Series. Developed and built by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, it quickly was made available in a wide range 

Vehicles throughout the world. These include Audi, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Volkswagen, and many other automakers. 

Does ZF or Jeep make the Gladiator transmission?

Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, and Jeep vehicles began using the transmission as well. It licensed a smaller 850RE transmission from ZF, which began production in 2013 at its Kokomo transmission plant. But ZF manufactures the 8HP75 for Stellantis. It debuted a second version in 2014, and a third in 2018. 

Jeep’s 850RE is only available with the optional 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6. It pumps out 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. It is a $2,500 mandatory option when ordering the EcoDiesel engine. 

How many Jeep Gladiator recalls have there been?

In all, there have been five recalls since the Gladiator came out in 2019. The first, in 2019, was for driveshaft U-joints having not been greased at the factory. Jeep replaced the driveshafts of those vehicles affected. 

By 2020, the NHTSA issued three recalls. The first one, in March, was for fracturing friction plates in manual transmission-equipped Jeeps. Then in April, a software issue was the second recall. This was over a software problem that kept the rear backup camera image displayed after shifting out of Reverse. A software update corrected the problem. The third recall was in September for faulty seat belt retractors. Jeep replaced tensioners of those affected free of charge. 

For 2021, only one recall was issued for Jeep vehicles. This one was also for fracturing the inner friction plate in manual Jeeps. But it was caused by overheating of the clutch assembly. The fix was to update the software to reduce engine torque when temperatures rise and replacement of the inner pressure plate.