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.

8.8

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,500
Average Mileage:
83,100 miles
Total Complaints:
21 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (20 reports)
  2. pcm and fcm went bad at once (1 reports)
2006 Jeep Commander engine problems

engine problem

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2006 Jeep Commander Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #21

Oct 262019

Commander V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 99,800 miles

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

I have had this problem happen to me a few times and it is scary. I have been driving on the freeway at about 70 mph and you hear a little ding from the console, engine light comes on and the car completely stalls. Once I pull over, I turn the ignition off and back on, and the car works. Usually it has happened when I am on my way to visit my daughter and I get there at night - and the dealer was closed. When morning came, there is no engine light on, and of course, if no light is on no one can tell me what the problem is. I called the dealer and they said bring it in but they want to charge an arm and a leg to diagnose. I chatted with Jeep and all they say is that they have no safety recalls for my car.

- vickytoya97, Jacksonville, US

problem #20

May 142018

Commander Limited V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,000 miles

I have had this Jeep for many years and have had a multitude of small problems , However this recent situation is extremely dangerous. The Jeep will now stall at various speeds while driving. You immediately lose all power, the lights start flashing and I am unable to quickly restart the engine. This is occurring multiple times a day and three times I have been in the middle of an intersection. The ignition now will only sometimes start. This seems to be a very common problem after 90k and I haven't seen a solution. This seems like something that should be recalled. You can't be on the highway and have your car completely shut down. If anyone has any suggestions, please help.

- Lisa W., Spokane, WA, US

problem #19

Feb 162018

Commander V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

I'm driving then it slows down like losing power, then all my PNRD lights come on. They need to fix this problem before someone gets hurt, if they haven't already..

I have seen some others have the same problem!!

- Carrie P., Dalton, GA, US

problem #18

Aug 142017

Commander UT, 4WD 4.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 120,000 miles

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

I have been having this problem where my car has completely shuts off while i am driving in the middle of the road and Freeway very Dangerous. I have been towed away by triple AAA several times and towed to my Mechanics Shop in Bellflower. He has fixed Engine, water pump valves spark plugs and other maintenance preformed every 3 months to keep my car up to date with maintenance, but still my car has stalled in route to work or home. My daily routine is an hour drive either on 605 FWY or by street Lakewood turns into Rosemead which are very busy streets. I put myself in danger on regular basis when my car stall and shuts engine off completely. The last time this happen was on August 14, 2017 at 7:35 am in the middle of a busy strrt Rosemead and Gallatin near a gas station. I was very afraid some one would crash into me and cause a major accident. I called triple AAA, to be towed from El Monte, to Bellflower, which was 17 miles away and had to pay $50, since triple AAA only covers me the first 7 miles. I was late to work, and had a large expense to pay after mechanic fix my car a cost of $5100.00, $1200 for incident on August 14, 2017 and $3900 from other repairs in 2014. I am very upset this car shuts off in middle of FWY or Road causing a major accident to happen and I need help please as soon as possible.

- Jeannette C., Paramount, US

problem #17

Jun 112007

Commander V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 30,000 miles

The dealership had a fix. There are so many moving parts to this vehicle, and so many computerized parts, that when one thing is fixed it seems to impact other things in the vehicle.

- Terra M., McKinney, TX, US

problem #16

Feb 122015

Commander Limited 4.7L V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,840 miles

I've the last several weeks I have observed my instrument panel flicker and head lights dim and brighten on their own. Within the past week while negotiating a left hand turn at approximate 15 mph, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the intersection. Upon coming to a complete stop, I placed the vehicle in park and started the engine back up. The check engine light remains on even though it recently had a engine tune-up. After reading multiple complaints from online sources it would appear that this is a common problem on the 06 Commander, that has an active recall, but Chrysler parts are unavailable at this time for dealerships to repair.

- Jason M., Colorado Springs, CO, US

problem #15

Jul 212013

Commander Limited 4.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,000 miles

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

I had this car for a few years and loved it. Until one day I was driving down the highway at 65 mph and the car stalled and I almost was in an accident because the power steering went out and I had no idea what was going on. A semi almost rear ended me and other cars were honking. I finally got the car to the side of the road and sat there stunned.

I then got out and checked under the hood to see if there was any obvious problem and checked oil and other fluids. I then decided to try to start the car and drive to my mechanic to see what was the problem. The car then drove fine and the mechanic ran tests and came back with nothing. The Jeep then ran okay for a while until I was driving down a back road about 50 mph and the same stalling happened and once again I did the same thing. I decided not to drive the Jeep anymore because I was scared for my children and my safety.

I received a recall notice from Jeep for the front control module to be fixed and had that fixed and the car ran fine for two weeks and then once again stalled for no obvious reason. Also, while at the dealership for the recall they told me nothing else was wrong with the Jeep. The Jeep has been sitting for months as I have been calling Jeep, filing complaints and trying to figure out what to do.I am beyond frustrated and sad because the Jeep only has 80,000 miles on it and it is really not safe to drive.

Jeep issued a recall for the PCM to be fixed because of stalling and causing accidents for the Jeep Commander 2006 model made up until January 2006 but mine is not covered cause it was made in March 2006??? So, my vehicle misses it by two months?? They told me there is nothing they can do and go to the dealer again!! So, I have another appointment to see what they think this time.

As of now I am driving a 1991 Honda accord that runs better than this Jeep, pretty sad. Please Jeep step up and make us proud of buying a Jeep!!

If anyone else is having these problems please write to Jeep and go to Safecar.gov (National Highway and Safety Administration) and file a complaint against Jeep to get a recall started. Thanks to everyone for listening to my rant!! Safe driving

Update from May 24, 2016: Well they sent out a recall for the FCM again and to fix the ignition switch. Since I had both fixed the car has actually driven worse. Now at about 40 MPH there is a slight jerk and sometimes it stalls but usually when I first start out or sitting at a stop sign. I called the dealership where I had the work done and they said they could figure it out for a 90 check. I just took the Jeep there for the recall. What is wrong with this picture?? Alot!!! I have been dealing with this for the past four years and it is very frustrating.... never knowing when your car is going to stall out. This is ridiculous and Chrysler needs to do something about this problem. Again, I went in to get two recalls fixed and now the car is running bad still. Is anyone out there having these problems? Thanks and hope everyone is safe.

- Julie H., New Carlisle, OH, US

problem #14

Aug 072014

Commander V81j8hh48n26c212658

  • Automatic transmission
  • 111,945 miles

Car cuts off. Starts with dashboard lighting up and flashing. Then it stops. You never know when it will happen. Car cuts off. I put it in P and restart. Happened a lot before. Sometimes just a few lights will flash, sometimes they stay on a little while, then next time all dash lights flash, then off. Garage says they have to be on so the computer can check it. The car doesn't shut off each time. You just never know. Going down a 4/6 lane hwy and lights, then car stops. So very dangerous. Suppose to have been computer problem. I see they have a recall, but when called Jeep dealer say it's not my car. If lights aren't on when I am close to garage they won't touch car, so I am always at danger.

- vrogersinfla, Loxahatchee, FL, US

problem #13

Oct 202014

Commander

  • Manual transmission
  • 94,600 miles

2006 Jeep Commander hesitates while driving, stalls when stopping, lights on dash go on and off, horn beeps and won't turn off until relay is taken out, engine light on most of the time ... Battery replaced 3x's, solenoid/starter replaced twice, new water pump, new hoses, new spark plugs, full tune-up ... Extremely dangerous to drive.

Problem started in September 2013. Have had it to the Jeep dealership 4 times and two independent repair shops. Over $3000 in total repairs and now the dealership is telling me the control module needs replaced ($1300). I have also been told it could be something in the starter ($???) or the wiring harness ($1600).

Too many issues to list. Problem continues ... no resolution.

Update from Nov 26, 2014: Jeep in under Recall P41 that was out as of Sept 3, 2014 however, the parts for the vehicle have not been manufactured. They are not available. My car lost power today going onto the freeway from an on ramp. Fortunately, the Jeep regained power. After much research, it seems this may be directly related to the recall which cannot be fixed because Chrysler has not made the parts available, or it may be a bad Control Module.

- hartnv, Las Vegas, NV, US

problem #12

Jun 242014

Commander 5.7L Hemi

  • Automatic transmission
  • 122,308 miles

Car stalls while driving. This nearly caused me to get rear ended. The car has to be put into neutral and restarted... an issue in heavy traffic.

- Anna B., Toms River, NJ, US

problem #11

Aug 092013

Commander LTD 5.7

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,500 miles

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

Chrysler can care less, this Jeep would just die in the highway or intrastate with anyone of us driving, we could have been killed. After about 20 min it would run again, the tech had hell finding problem and the fee to repair was outrageous. The 2006 Jeep Commander with a 4.7 with certin vin numbers was recalled for this but not my 5.7, WHAT THE HELL !!

- David L., Lake Charles, LA, US

problem #10

Nov 082013

Commander Enfine Leake

  • Automatic transmission
  • 89,000 miles

I DID NOT FIX THE JEEP.

THE JEEP COSTS TO MUCH TO BE FIX

- midwest motors, Indianapolis, IN, US

problem #9

May 162011

Commander Limited 5.7L V8 Hemi

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

abs light stayed on/ blinked all lightson/then shuts down

My abs light would come on and stay on for a while, then all dash board lights would come on and go off and on the jeep. Then everything would just shut down and this happened on the interstate, country roads, highways and moving at different speeds on flat land, going up or down hills and mountains. I took my jeep to two different dealerships and they drove it and said it was fine and they didn't have a problem. Then the Athens Tennessee dealership kept it for 3 days and drove it and had no problems. That next morning, I drove it and the vehicle shut down on me several times, as I call and talked to them. I wanted them to hear the sounds. I threaten that if there were an accident that I was going to let everyone see their report of nothing. They requested that I returned the jeep back that afternoon. The owner, general manager/ mechanic etc. took a ride and guess what the jeep shut down on them as they were in traffic. Too bad they were going slow and ready to stop at a traffic light. It would have been so sad for them to experience the lost of power, brakes and a complete shut down like I had on many occassions especially going down mountain terrain and interstate heavy rush hour traffic! They fixed the electrical harness because it was still under warranty after several conversations but they still charged me $1000.00 for etc. I have the bill and it was a terrible experience dealing with them. I paid them that day and I told them even though I didn't buy the jeep from them I felt the bill was not right and I would never purchase anything from them. I am sure they billed the company what was repaired and just made extra on me. Now read on for recalls that I have never heard about and the new problems I have with the jeep.

- margocox, Niota, TN, US

problem #8

Jun 162012

Commander Sport Utility 4.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,500 miles

Waiting at a red light on a major intersection. I began to accelerate to make a left turn, the 2006 Jeep Commander drove about 4 feet and suddenly with no warning it stalled and shut down (off). The 2006 Jeep Commander does not turn on any warning lights, it did allow for quick start up. It is a very dangerous issue because it has happen 4 different occassions, with no solution and at various speed. This truck is an accident waiting to happen.

- cnwduran, Kissimmee, FL, US

problem #7

Sep 012011

Commander 5.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 124,210 miles

as I'm driving down road my car turns off all dash lights come on in red no headlights no nothing it clicks on and off from 2-6 times it is very dangerous no cxodes come up with diagnostic because car will start back up. talked to two mechanics cant diagnose problem mam bring back when car breaks down completely. not drivable thats not an answer in my opinion when i travel great distances periodically plus grand children are with me. could be one of three modules possibly they cost 400-2000 what ther heck am i suppose to do husband in construction travels i have no one4 to help me if i get stuck or much funds i would like to know what to do which module. many complaints with same issue on these and grand Cherokee. HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!

- Kathy K., Placerville, CA, US

problem #6

Mar 012007

Commander Limited 4.7L V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 151,617 miles

The problem has been the lack of accountability from Chrysler/jeep Corp. This vehicle is a lemon and has not been resolved. A corp rep was assigned to my case and a blethra of many long repairs. The vehicle, kills, shakes from front end, leaks water on inside, rear seat belts not functional,engine exhaust leaks.

- kscherer, Mandeville, LA, US

problem #5

Aug 092010

Commander 4.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 99,000 miles

The car ended up in 3rd all by itself. I'm being told that there is an issue with the PCM...this was a recall issue. I'm beginning to think JEEP simply did some "reprogramming" as opposed to some actual replacing! I'm an on a mission to try and find out what's really going on! If you own a Jeep and have had this problem SINCE having your vehicle serviced as a result of the 2008 recall...please post or call the JEEP customer service line at 800-853-1403!!

- kimberlyny, Wheatfield, NY, US

problem #4

Apr 022009

Commander Hemi Limited 4X4 5.7L V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 36,300 miles

This is my list of complaints for my 2006 Jeep Commander: I have water leaking through the door when it rains, the skid plate screw is always coming loose and makes a loud banging noise, the passenger windows will not roll up all the way when the control is pressed....it will go halfway up then back down, the engine stalls, it starts hard, the red air bag light will stay on for 30 secs to 5 min while driving.

I will have a computer (black box.. etc...) installed under my seat (From Jeep-Chrysler with a $700 deposit) that will monitor the Jeep to try to pin point what is causing the stall.

The Jeep is still a very nice SUV. I have owned a 2005 Land Rover LR3 HSE and a 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE...both are lemons.

- pcha, Long Beach, CA, US

problem #3

Sep 042007

(reported on)

Commander 3.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100 miles

The car shuts down without warning. This has been happening from the second week of ownership. They can neither fix or induce the problem. Georgia "Lemon Law" says I will have to pay for the mileage I've used if I Jeep takes the car back. I'm now at 30,000 miles and can't afford to pay for that much mileage. I feel like I'm in a death trap because when cars around you are going 80MPH and your car has lost power all you can really do is pray that you and your family don't get killed.

- Cameron W., Stone Mountain, GA, US

problem #2

Mar 082007

(reported on)

Commander Limited V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 12,000 miles

I am scared for my families safety. The car cuts off while stopping, while stopped and while accelerating from a stop. Any ideas, please let me know.

- Rob P., Oak Island, NC, US

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