CarComplaints.com Notes: Whenever a new product is introduced, there's bound to be some problems. And man oh man, does the 2006 Commander have some problems.

It's the plight of the 1st-generation adopter: you get the newest and shiniest in exchange for a handful of issues that get ironed out in future versions. But what happens when that handful of issues becomes a bucketload? The 2006 Commander has quality control issues like the door handles breaking off and the sunroof leaking. But what's truly worrisome is the electrical problems like the vehicle shutting down unexpectedly, gauges going crazy or the cruise control having a mind of its own.

Bottom line: if you want a Jeep Commander, you're better off looking at a later model year.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
86,227 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Jeep Commander drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2006 Jeep Commander Owner Comments (Page 9 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #54

Feb 182013

Commander

  • 87,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was in vehicle getting into car, care was on already, and the gear jumped from park to reverse since I still had door open I fell from care while vehicle continued in reverse from garage till it crashed into fire hydrant, recall was just received a month ago in regards......( a transfer case electrical failure may result in an unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position, in this case it was in park and jumped to reverse causing the accident and injury to me as I fell out of the car.

- Salinas, CA, USA

problem #53

Aug 192008

Commander

  • 55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that he heard a grinding noise from under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the power of the engine was too powerful for the transmission and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred three more times. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.

- Tooele, UT, USA

problem #52

Jul 032013

Commander

  • 69,000 miles
I received a recall notice about a week prior to this incident for NH23. It stated there were no parts to repair it and to put the emergency brake on while the vehicle is in park in the meantime which I did. On July 3rd- I took my daughter to the bmv to take her road test in my Jeep. The officer and my child stated that the car was malfunctioning and not safe to test in. We had no problem on the way there. I went out to see what could be wrong and the vehicle was surging loudly and "jumping" in place. It would not switch gears either so it could not be driven. I had it towed to my mechanic and was told my transmission was gone. I called the recall number and spoke to [xxx] who told me that a software glitch would've prevented this problem from being diagnosed and to have it towed to ganley Chrysler in bedford, oh. I learned on 7/9 when mike a service tech there called me requesting $936 to open the transmission. "it's a broken part in the transmission." I asked him if it was related to the tca. He said, "what's that" let me look it up." He then stated, "no. That's just a piece that is used to program the car. It has nothing to do with it." I called Chrysler back and spoke with [xxx]. I gave her the background info and she called mike. She told me "it has nothing to do with the recall." The dealership did not know to diagnose my car once it was dropped of there. After speaking with the representative instead of doing a thorough check they maintained that the problem is that there is a broken part in the transmission and it is not R/T to the transfer case actuator. Even though the tca going bad can cause the transmission to ??go bad?? or break. I firmly believe it could not be appropriately diagnosed D/T a software glitch and that the tca needed replacing and the dealer did not have the parts as the recall stated. Why then should I pay for the repairs" information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Twinsburg, OH, USA

problem #51

Jun 092013

Commander

  • 110,600 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that the gear shifted out of drive and into neutral independently, causing the vehicle to stall. The failure was experienced several times. The traction control and the transmission warning lights illuminated after the failure occurred. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. The VIN was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 110,600.

- Muncie , IN, USA

problem #50

Aug 062007

Commander 6-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
Commander started to have dash problems, such as transmission light S would surround all be circled or boxed with a square light so I would not know what was going on in 2007 this went on for years. I would pull over and stop put the Jeep in park or try to put back into drive but it would really be in neutral and then it would jump into drive or 1st or 2nd and could not get back out unless I turned vehicle off then I would be lucky to get the vehicle to go into gear, and when it would go into get it would jump and make a loud noise and scare the pants off of me. Then the vehicle would run like knew for a few weeks with no problems and then same conditions applied, could go for months, or a year and then same conditions happened again. If I took the problem to a Jeep dealer they would say it would have to be having problem in order for them to diagnose. The Chrysler would not pay for my recalled Commander 2006, even though I had already had a Jeep dealership in bloomington mn., fix the condition on 12/21/12. I also had the same problem 0N 8/8/2012 in cloquet mn.., and at stillwater motors 06/30/07, all Jeep dealerships Chrysler call center said, once the recall came out Chrysler said I am out of luck. My Jeep Commander was jumping into gear any gear and is the same problem they are reporting. Please help me access my recall so I can recover my funds. Chrysler, has on 3 calls said my 2006 Commander is not on their list.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

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problem #49

Jan 012012

Commander 6-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
While driving, Jeep Commander will randomly jump to neutral and when press gas will rev up only. Have to either manually shift the gear to neutral then back to drive or pullover turn off Jeep and star back up. The physical shifter does not move to neutral position just the actual gear. Does at random times and speeds and when it does the Jeep will not accelerate which can cause accidents especially on highways.

- Oak Ridge, NC, USA

problem #48

May 192011

Commander 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1st problem was my interior lights flashing on and off. I could not get it to do it while at the dealers. 2008 I thought my transmission was going bad. The dealer said that my transmission had a leak and charged me to replace some part. Then it happened again. Then they said I needed to service the transmission. I am surprised that dealer never mention any problems with the Jeep Commander ( I thought it was just my car) as I have called several times about the car shifting into neutral, and wondering if it was a transmission problem. The problem comes and goes. I just paid my car off, and now when I ride on the express way and go past 60 the enitre car shakes bad. If I hit a bump I can hear something like a crack noise. Sometimes when I make a sharp turn I hear a click click noise. At this I didn't trust the dealer and was thinking that maybe it was my axil. Took it to pet boys and they could find anything wrong with it. They said I needed new tires, so I bought 4. the problem still continued. I am so upset as I am a single mom and just finished paying my car off. I also have had to replace the alternator, radiator, water pump, thermometer, which I though was normal as the car is 2006. Now past 2 days I can smell a funny smelly, white fog comes out of my vents, and the passenger side floor is wet. I googled the problem and it says that it is the "heater core". the tire light is alway on with no flat. The engine light comes on frequently and says check gas cap. So far I have bought 3 gas caps. I can't believe that I struggled to pay this car off and now having all of these problems. I am not sure which problems are normal wear and tear and which ones are a manufacturer problems, but this is a night mare. I am so mad that I ever bought my Jeep Commander. Jeep should be ashamed of themselves.

- Philadelphia , PA, USA

problem #47

Jul 152011

Commander

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while stopped, she attempted a right turn but the vehicle would not accelerate. Additionally, the instrument panel warning lights illuminated intermittently while the contact was driving at different speeds. The vehicle would also not shift out of neutral. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the technician stated that the ECM would have to be replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 13V175000 (electrical system, power train) but was advised by the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Girard, OH, USA

problem #46

Mar 162013

Commander 8-cyl

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that after parking and exiting the vehicle, it shifted into neutral independently, rolled away, and impacted her. No police report was filed and the driver sustained a blood clot after the impact. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 110,000.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #45

May 012012

Commander

  • 75,000 miles
My Jeep Commander 2006 shifts automatically to neutral while driving, you feel a strong pull and a loud sound coming from the engine, suddenly the car is in neutral and the gas pedal doesn't work even if pressing it. The check engine light turns on for 2 or 3 days. This problem can cause a fatal accident if this happens while driving at a higher speed, I'm scared to drive this car. I took this car to get the transmission fixed twice and I still have the same problem, it is clearly not a transmission problem now that I think about it. Also the dash lights and headlights start flashing while driving, including the ac it shuts off while lights are flashing. I called Chrysler to let them know about this problem and they said my car doesn't have a recall, I don't know what else to do, I've spent more than 5,000 dlls trying to fix something that cannot be fixed, I need help!

- Horizon City, TX, USA

problem #44

Feb 112013

Commander 4WD 8-cyl

  • 99,800 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle is a 2006 Jeep Commander 4X4 limited with the 4.7L engine. Vehicle has suddenly stalled 4 times while driving in the last 6-8 weeks. Vehicle stalled while backing out of parking space, driving 15-20 mph on a city street, while idling at a stop sign, and while accelerating from a stop light. These are the first occurrences in the 4 years we have owned the vehicle.

- Bolingbrook , IL, USA

problem #43

Jan 112013

Commander

  • 85,253 miles
My Jeep stalled as I accellerated on the on ramp of a major interstate. I coasted to the shoulder and tried to restart and would not restart until I shut it completely off and restarted. It ran with the check engine light on and the cruise control inopertable. Idle was rough at low and higher RPM's. after about six restarts throughout the day the check engine light went out but the cruise control is still inopertable. One week later it stalled at idle during cold weather warm up with the same results following as before. The vehicle was purchased used from a dealer less than a week prior to the incident with 84,879 mi. A background check through autocheck was conducted prior to purchase with no major finding reported on this specific vehicle. From investigations through multible websites, this issue is common with this vehicle for several years. I have check the recall reports by VIN # and this vehicle does not fall in the production catagory of manufacture recall but has the exact same symtoms for a recall. This is a major safety concern if the vehicle stalls on a rural highway with no shoulder to safely pullover.

- Wooldridge, MO, USA

problem #42

Mar 152007

Commander

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and the warning lights illuminated intermittently. The vehicle would also stall while driving at lower speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic advised that the O2 sensor would have to be replaced. After the repair the failure continued. The O2 sensor was replaced three times. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 08V203000 (power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm, PCM) that could have been related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

- Stewartsville, NJ, USA

problem #41

Oct 012012

Commander

  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed and had to be engaged with much force. The failure was experienced numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the transmission fluid was replaced however, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: (08V203000 power train: Automatic transmission: Control module (tcm, PCM). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was not available. The current mileage was 104,000.

- Kenosha, WI, USA

problem #40

Jul 072011

Commander

  • 52,000 miles
I was driving along the highway, when the vehicle stalled and all of the lights came on. I pulled to the side of the road and restarted it and drove away. After taking it in I was told it was a problem with crankshaft position sensor and that it needed to be replaced. After replacing the crankshaft position sensor and driving it back up to the mountains, it happened again. Same problem. I replaced the crankshaft position sensor for a second time. 6 months later a similar problem happened but instead of shutting down the car just sputtered and the engine light came on and started blinking. After taking it in the shop said that the 02 sensor needed replacing. I had passenger front O2 sensor replaced last month, and now it is happening again. The shop is now saying that the PCM is bad and that needs to be replaced. When will this end?

- Englewood, CO, USA

problem #39

Apr 082012

Commander 4WD 8-cyl

  • 114,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving in inclement weather at approximately 35-45 mph, an elk crashed into the front end of the vehicle. The driver and passenger side air bags both failed to deploy. The passenger seated in the front seat sustained injuries to the back and head. The contact sustained injuries to the neck and back. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the elk did not impact the vehicle in the area of the air bag sensors therefore, the air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the air bag was defective and that the air bag warning light was illuminated prior to the crashed. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed of the incident.. the vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileage was 114,000. Updated 12/12/12 updated 12/21/2012

- Tulare , CA, USA

problem #38

Apr 192012

Commander

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle began to lunge forward and would not shift gears properly. In addition, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was informed of a recall for the failure under NHTSA campaign id number: 08V203000 (power train:automatic transmission:control module -tcm, PCM). The manufacturer was notified who informed her that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 45,000.

- Crestwood, IL, USA

problem #37

Jul 162012

Commander

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to successfully restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic shop, who ran a diagnostic test and stated that there was a failure of the transmission control system and the emission related power train electronic unit. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 08V203000 (power train: Automatic transmission: Control module (tcm, PCM)). The vehicle was then taken to a dealer for repair. The failure mileage was 86,000.

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #36

Jul 262012

Commander 6-cyl

  • 126,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle would not immediately restart. The vehicle eventually restarted, but the failure continued to recur. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that a control module needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 08V203000 (power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm, PCM)). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 126,000. Updated 01/04/13 the consumer stated the brakes and steering would lock up and the engine would shut off in the middle of driving. Updated 01/08/13

- Clermont, FL, USA

problem #35

Jun 252007

Commander 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 21,128 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 21,128 and the current mileage was 84,000. Updated 08/28/12 updated 09/24/2012

- Pensacola , FL, USA

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