To be Fair to the Gladiator we have not yet actually come across these faults in this exact vehicle yet. However given that the Australian market has only been blessed with the petrol V6 engine by penstar, the very same motor that features in the wrangler and the Grand Cherokee one can safely assume that the common faults are likely to move over. There is obviously a possibility that these common issues have been rectified in the newer engines, only time will tell.
Negatives for the Gladiator. Very long wheel base. This is a new thing for Jeep, whilst its not a reason to not buy it its not consistent with Jeeps designs and off roading ability. It may be suitable for using a boat trailer on a slippery boat ramp but Jeep lovers are used to the shorter wheel base of the wrangler and the Grand Cherokee.
No Diesel. For some reason the Diesel engines are not an option to the Australian market. This is a huge turn off for the Austrian Jeep fans as the need to buy a vehicle of that size with a price tag around the $70K mark is normally people who want towing and the torque that comes with a Diesel engine.
Towing capacity taps out at 2721KG. This is far less than other vehicles in the similar category and backs up the same point made about the lack of a diesel option.
Possible mechanical faults consistent with he 3.6 in earlier models.
Below is a link to the common faults on the 3.6 engine.
Additionally a brief look suggests that Jeep have continued with the poor design of the oil cooler/filter housing. This is a common issue to which we have covered previously.
Jeep Petrol V6 Oil Cooler fault.
Finally the V6 Petrol engine is common for the left bank running lean which can cause the inlet valves to burn. We have looked at this in the article below.
Features:
All Gladiators come standard with an 8.4-inch touchscreen display featuring both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and satellite navigation.
There is also a seven-inch driver information display, LED front and rear lights, black three-piece modular hardtop, nine-speaker Alpine Premium Audio, and keyless access and start.
The fully-loaded Rubicon adds the aforementioned off-road gear plus 17-inch Granite Crystal Alloy wheels shod in 32-inch BFGoodrich off-road Tyres, Off Road Plus driving mode, steel rear bumper, leather-trimmed seats, shift knob and parking brake handle, as well as heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
Overall its a fun well styled ute but we are skeptical of sales figures likely to be high due to the lack of diesel options available.
