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:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
66,714 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.
Transmission over temp warning came across the dashboard and continued after truck was turned off and back on. Coolant and temps levels are normal. Warning has continued to come on past couple days at 60 degree weather with no reasoning as to why. No electrical failures or other problems exist.
I received a recall notification many months ago on my Jeep, but I continue to call my local dealer for a replacement of this part - to which they continue to tell me the part if not available. Can you tell me when this part if going to be available? once a recall is issued, a part to repair the recall should be available.
The interior door handles are broken. You cannot open the doors from the inside. If inside the vehicle you have to roll down the window to open the door. The doors and handles have not been abused, and have only been subjected to normal everyday use.
My vehicle stalls out, without warning. The first time it happened, I was attempting to accelerate from a stopped position. Also, have experience the identical problem while turning and or on a highway.
Apparently there is/was a defect in either the design or production of the door handle assembly in the 2006 Jeep Commanders. The plastic housing which contains the door opening mechanism becomes too brittle and cracks rendering the opening mechanism inoperable. On my Commander all but one door is affected. At the moment, only two out of the four doors work, the front-side passenger and the driver-side rear. If this vehicle was in an accident in which there was a need to exit quickly (fire or water), the lives of my family would be in extreme jeopardy. I posted a video on youtube, and have heard from many other with the same issue. Chrysler Jeep produced approximately 80,000 of these vehicles in 2006. I truly believe there are thousands of there Jeep Commanders on the road with this same issue. In fact the condition is so prevalent; one company is producing an after-market repair kit. Please see my video at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?V=ffq0oki7zjy.
- Orlando, FL, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
There is a major design flaw with the inner door handles on my 2006 Jeep Commander. I know Jeep changed the design in 2008 due to this problem. The housing and hinge are made entirely of plastic and are very brittle. After a few years of use the plastic starts to crack then break away and the inner handle will not function. This poor design in itself should be a $10 fix but unfortunately in order to replace the handle you are forced to replace the entire inner door panel. Why is my family potentially being put in harms way for a part that could be easily improved to prevent failure?
Vehicle stalls. Approximately 2 years ago vehicle was doing the same thing. Replaced the map sensor. Now it is doing it again. Jeep has a recall but it is only the 2006 Commander built in certain plants.
All interior door handles are cracked and 2 of them aren't operable and myself and kids can't get out of the Jeep with getting help from an outside person to open the door.
Purchased 2006 Jeep Commander on 8/20/11 and I do not drive it on a daily. However, after driving for less than an hour on 8/27/11 the dash lit up with the message "transmission over temp", after googling I noticed the transmission message is a common problem in Jeep vehicles, mainly Commanders. I also read that after several "transmission over temp" messages the vehicle will stall, a couple of people reported it doing so in the middle of heavy traffic flow. Also, after stalling the car will not restart until it's left sitting for hours. Some have let their Jeep sit for 4 days before getting it to restart and others for weeks/months. About a month later it rained for the 1st time since I've had the Jeep and I noticed the handrail, located top left above passenger side, was dripping onto the dashboard and the floor was wet as well. Googled the water incident and found hundreds of complaints regarding wet front interior after rain (in Jeep Commanders, various years). Some complained of mold growth and stated there seems to be no solution to the problems; mechanics are stumped at both wet interiors after rain and "transmission over temp" message. Both incidents have made me a bit nervous since I have a 10 year old riding with me majority of the time. I've contacted the Jeep corporation and Jeep asked me to contact NHTSA. Not sure what steps to take at this point.
I have a 06 Jeep Commander that has been completely shutting down while I'm driving. The rpms go up over 3 and 4 and the gears shifts from high to low. And also my engine light comes on and stays on.
The interior door handles on 2006-2007 Jeep Commanders fail when the plastic holding the handle to the door panel breaks, this could lead to not being able to exit the vehicle from the inside in an emergency.
Drivers side interior door handle has broken. I went to exit my 2006 Jeep Commander and the plastic behind the door handle broke away from the door panel and I couldn't open the door. I had to exit the vehicle from the passenger side. I am thankful that it wasn't an emergency situation like a fire! this should be a recall! very dangerous!
I purchased the 2006 Commander in June 2010. The first 6 weeks I had the vehicle I loved it. The first incident I had with the vehicle was the service park assist warning came on and stayed on for two days, then went off on its own prior to getting an appointment to have it checked. The next incident happened when I was idling in traffic at a stoplight. Every indicator light on the dash came on and the vehicle started to stall but did not completely stall out. Since that episode I have had issues with the driver side front window and passenger side rear window not functioning properly (at times won't roll up or down from either control). More recently I have had increasing episodes (two to three times per month) of the dash lighting up, headlights dimming and the vehicle losing power (so far always while parked or shifting from park to drive), as well as the service park assist warning and window issues. After hearing of a coworker with a 2007 Commander having some of the same issues I began searching the internet and have found numerous complaints of the same issues as mine. I am afraid to drive this vehicle with my children inside in the event that it would stall out on the highway and I would not be able to control it. I spoke with the dealer that sold me the vehicle yesterday and they have agreed to look at it free of charge this morning since there is no warranty on it now, but I still am not sure I want to keep this vehicle any longer. Chrysler needs to recall these vehicles and fix this issue. I used to be a die hard Jeep fan...but no longer! I am surprised that I have not found any reports of death or serious injury as a result of these electrical issues with this particular model.
While opening the right rear passenger door of my 2006 Jeep Commander the inside door handle broke, this prevented the passenger from exiting the vehicle. I contacted the Jeep dealer and they informed me that they did not have any issues relating to the door handle. I removed the door panel and made the necessary repairs. Two months later the left rear handle broke and then the right front passenger handle broke. I made repairs to both of those handles as well. Last month the right rear handle has broken again, I have did a temporary repair on the handle. My fears are that if I was to get in some type of accident where the passenger(s) would have to exit the vehicle in a hurry that the handles will fail and the passenger(s) will not be able to exit the vehicle in a timely manner and could result in the passenger(s) being trapped inside the vehicle. There should be some type of safety recall.
2006 Jeep Commander 4.7 liter having issues with engine stalling when stopped and also when starting to apply pressure to gas from stop in the 5-10 mph range. Does not matter if the vehicle has just been started or completely warmed up. Nothing I am doin is causing this too short to hit keys with knee. Have to turn vehicle completely off and start back up. Have had vehicle for about 6 months since June 2010 now and have had the incident happen at least 20 times. Have read on numerous forums of this incident happening and no fix for this found yet please get the ball rolling to get a fix before someone gets killed.
Interior door handles break easily, and come apart. This is a safety concern when trying to leave vehicle in an emergency- car fire, accident, or if vehicle falls into a body of water. In this vehicle, 3 of the 4 interior handles have easily broken from the door panels. They are built weaker than a child's toy car. Updated 01/20/11
After completing a one mile trip without incident, I got back in my 2006 3.7 liter V6 4X4 Jeep Commander and started it up. I then put it into reverse and began to back up when my power-steering failed. I put it back in park and turned off the engine and then restarted the engine. The power-steering was functioning again, so I put it in reverse and began to back up. After about five feet the power-steering failed again, then the anti-lock brake system failed and it was incredibly hard to brake. The ABS light also came on. I then backed into a parking spot and turned off the engine and then restarted it. The power-steering was still failing and the ABS light still lit up. The engine then died after about 30 seconds. I then attempted to restart the vehicle and it wouldn't start and the red alarm light came on. The battery is good.
My brakes pulsate when I pump them coming down hills. The dealership continues to tell me there is nothing wrong with my brakes. It is really bad when I am coming down a mountain and I am scared that they will fail on me. It has happened every time I've traveled to see my daughter in college in the mountains. I've tried going very slow and pumping as to not pick up speed. I am very concerned for my safety.
Jeep Commander will completely turn off at random times when driving, most seem to happen when Jeep is idling or moving slow. Has not happened at time were an accident has happened, but has turned of in middle of intersections several times.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Merrimack , NH, USA