2021 Jeep Gladiator Air Bags & Restraints Problems

On 12-13-23 I hit an 8 point buck going 55mph head on between the 2 headlights doing 15k in damage.. airbags did not deploy. On 4-11-26 I was hit by a drunk driver head on. I was going 33mph, he was going much faster in a Polaris rzr hit me on the driver side tearing off my tire, and whole suspension completely, sending me into an embankment... and still no airbags deployed.

Description of the Safety Issue I am submitting this complaint to report a serious seat belt safety incident involving entrapment and inability to self‑release, which required emergency intervention. While parked, my daughter as a passenger in my Jeep Gladiator, became tangled in the seat belt in such a way that she was physically unable to release herself or exit the vehicle. Despite multiple attempts, the seat belt could not be disengaged, and the situation escalated to the point where I had to cut the seat belt to free her. This was not caused by a crash, sudden stop, or misuse. The seat belt’s configuration, retraction behavior, or release mechanism appeared to contribute to the entrapment and prevented normal occupant egress. Why This Is a Safety Concern Seat belts are intended to protect occupants and allow safe release when needed. In this incident, the seat belt instead: -Entrapped a child occupant -Prevented self‑release -Created a situation where cutting the belt was the only way to avoid further harm Had this occurred during an emergency (fire, water submersion, post‑collision scenario), the inability to quickly exit the vehicle could have resulted in serious injury or worse. Outcome of the Incident -No collision occurred. -No vehicle warning lights or alerts were present. -The seat belt was rendered unusable only because it had to be cut as an emergency safety measure. -The incident caused significant distress and created an immediate safety hazard. Request for Review I am requesting that NHTSA: -Review this incident as a potential seat belt design or functional defect -Consider whether similar incidents may be occurring but underreported -Evaluate whether this issue warrants further investigation, service bulletin, or recall activity Seat belts should never place occupants—especially children—into situations where escape is difficult or impossible.

The contact owned a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a corner, another vehicle was speeding and crashed into the front driver's side quarter panel. The impact pushed the vehicle forward, causing the front driver's wheel to swipe a telephone pole before landing on a residential lawn. The other vehicle then crashed into a telephone pole. The front driver's side air bag deployed, but there was a hole in the side air bag and the driver's air bag failed to fully deploy. Additionally, a burning odor was detected after the air bags deployed. The police and fire departments arrived on the scene, and a police report was filed. The contact was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact had surgery on her left arm from wrist to elbow, which required four titanium plates. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,250.

Air bag sensor fails to properly sense a passenger in the passenger seat and the service airbag warning light cycles on and off. To keep it from cycling - one must disconnect the sensor. I have contacted the dealer to diagnose the problem. The condition occurred after starting the vehicle and occurs whether there is a passenger or not. It also occurs while the car is in run mode. Airbag will not function or may deploy with too much force

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that the rear middle seat belt failed to retract or operate as needed. The contact stated that the seat belt had to be manually tightened to function as needed. The contact initially took the vehicle to the dealer where a diagnostic test found no defect with the seat belt. As the failure persisted, the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer where the failure was confirmed and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a failure with the occupant classification module which produced fault code: B2122-00. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 3,153.