Jeep in a jam: Owners face service visits over faulty dashboard

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation following owner complaints involving 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler vehicles. The probe covers 232,209 units that may experience sudden instrument panel blackouts while in motion. When the display fails, drivers lose access to key data such as speed, fuel level, and engine temperature — a situation that could lead to sudden stops or potential road hazards.

According to NHTSA, 89 confirmed reports have been filed describing partial or complete failures of the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) — the system responsible for displaying critical vehicle information. Of particular concern is the loss of fuel gauge readings, which can result in vehicles unexpectedly running out of gas, especially on highways.

The investigation is being conducted in cooperation with Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep and Chrysler. Stellantis has confirmed its participation and pledged to develop a technical fix once the root cause is identified. In a separate announcement, NHTSA also issued a recall for 291,664 Ram ProMaster vans due to potential overheating in radiator fan circuits.

The widespread IPC malfunction poses a serious challenge for Jeep. Beyond the immediate safety risk, it raises questions about the brand’s electronic reliability and underscores how dependent modern vehicles have become on digital systems. Even a brief loss of display data can have direct safety implications. Owners of the affected Jeep and Ram models are urged to monitor their dashboards closely and contact their dealers at the first sign of irregularities.