Jeep Gladiator owners suing Stellantis over an underhood fire risk are still fighting their case in federal court, after a judge in July 2026 rejected the automaker’s bid to force the dispute into private arbitration. The lawsuit centers on a defect that regulators say Jeep did not fully address with a recall until roughly two years after one of the fires at the heart of the case.

Key Points

• Plaintiffs Sandra and James Teuber sued FCA US LLC (Stellantis) in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan over a fire that destroyed their 2022 Jeep Gladiator
• The fire broke out on July 5, 2024, while the Gladiator was parked in their driveway about 10 feet from their attached garage, according to details of the case reported by CarComplaints.com
• The complaint blames a defective electrical connector on the power steering pump, the same component NHTSA was investigating at the time the suit was filed
• Jeep did not issue a recall covering that defect until June 2026, nearly two years after the Teubers’ fire

According to the case summary, firefighters could not immediately access the fuel tank as the blaze spread from the front of the vehicle, ultimately requiring roughly 3,800 gallons of water and 35 gallons of firefighting foam to bring it under control, with an estimated 20 gallons of gasoline leaking onto the property. The Teubers filed suit in early 2025, while Jeep had no recall on the books for the connector defect and only a federal investigation was underway.

NHTSA eventually determined the defect existed and Stellantis filed Recall 26V363 in June 2026, covering 787,887 Wrangler and 289,112 Gladiator models from the 2021 through 2025 model years, or 1,076,999 vehicles in the US. The recall report describes the defect as an electric hydraulic power steering pump connector “susceptible to high resistance” due to manufacturing tolerance issues, which can cause overheating “even when the ignition is off” and potentially lead to a fire. NHTSA’s filing documented 72 field reports and one injury as of the recall date.

Until repair parts became available, Jeep told owners to park affected vehicles away from structures and other cars — an interim warning that arrived roughly two years after the Teubers’ fire and, according to the lawsuit, after the company already knew about the risk. A judge’s order in the case, dated July 6, 2026, denied Stellantis’s motion to compel arbitration, allowing the litigation to continue in open court rather than be resolved privately.

What Owners Should Do

• Owners of 2021-2025 Wrangler and Gladiator models should confirm recall status by VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup tool
• Follow the park-outside guidance until a dealer confirms the repair has been completed
• Report any burning smells, warning lights, or steering issues to a Jeep dealer immediately rather than waiting for a scheduled appointment

Stellantis has not publicly commented on the Teuber litigation beyond its court filings.