Just got a MY23 Gladiator with a hard top, and I’m still waking up to a soaked passenger floorboard after rain.
2nd time it’s happened… Pulled the plug to drain it, but the carpet’s still totally soaked. I’m parking in a covered garage now, but last night I had it outside.
Both times, it’s been when the truck’s parked facing downhill in my driveway. It’s not that steep, but it’s been enough to cause this problem, it seems.
I live in the rainy PNW. What can I do to avoid mold? And what should I tell the dealer to check?
After the first time, the dealer put it under their “rain simulator” for a whole day and couldn’t find anything even when the back end was lifted up.
Yes, the door was closed, and no, the window wasn’t open!
For me, it depends on how steep the slope is. My driveway has a little bit of a slope, and when I park higher up, that’s when I get water, whether I’m backed in or not. I try to park where there’s the least amount of slope, which is annoying, but so far, no leaks.
Have you taken out the freedom panels? I didn’t put mine back right once, and it caused the same type of leak. Make sure they’re clamped down evenly.
All Wranglers and Gladiators have carpets you can pull out, so you can hose them off and dry them. In summer, I leave mine out and just use the slush mats from Mopar… easy to clean and makes it quick to find drain plugs if you get it flooded!
@Aubrey
Same here! Try putting some vaseline or other lube on the seals to make them softer and easier to seal tight. You can also simulate rain with a sprinkler and sit inside to watch for leaks. I’ve seen hardtop seal kits on Amazon for $50 if you want to try that too.
@Flynn
I’ll check it out, thanks. I haven’t had the truck for a full year, so I’m leaning toward having the dealer handle it. But that carpet tip is helpful! I’ll take it out to dry in the garage tonight.
I’d take it back to the dealer. Sounds like they’re not really fixing it, but a decent dealer should take care of this. I’ve also seen people on YouTube with similar issues who’ve been able to DIY fix it.
@Devon
Got a dealer appointment set up next month, and I’ll have a loaner this time.
I do think they want to fix it, the service team’s been good so far. Last time, I was out of the country, so my wife had to handle it, and I couldn’t push too hard. This time, I need them to figure it out!
This is common with newer Jeeps, especially on a slope, even a slight one. I had the same issue with my ‘21 Wrangler JLU. What helped for me was adjusting the front doors a bit tighter to put more pressure on the weatherstrip seal. You can find some YouTube videos on how to do it… pretty easy! There’s also a product called Jeep Leak Fix that I haven’t tried, but people say it works well and even cuts down road noise.
