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:
21 / 8
Injuries / Deaths:
10 / 0
Average Mileage:
57,991 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.
I have just purchased this used 2006 Jeep Commander 1 week ago. The vehicle is in great condition, no previous accidents, no engine lights/error codes. On the 2nd day of owning the Jeep I experienced my first stall, and since then 4 more stalls. There is no engine lights, error codes, etc. The vehicle seems to be 100% okay, however the vehicle has just shut off 4 times losing brakes, steering, lights, etc - whether I am moving or at a stop. At first I thought "I must have bought a lemon" but I have been reading through several forums and blogs that there are 100's if not 1,000's of people who are experiencing the same issue with their 5.7L hemi Commander, and some of the blogs date back to 2006 when these vehicles were brand new with less than a thousand miles on them. One person actually suffered an accident due to this electrical issue - losing control of steering and brakes. Because their is no engine codes or lights dealerships are not assessing the issue at all or are just throwing parts at it hoping it is fixed and charging the customer a boat load of money. Several people have identified that the issue potentially resides in the PCM and the ignition coils, some say that the coils put of an em interference that is disrupting the PCM. Regardless - Chrysler needs to get this fixed so no one else gets hurt, or killed.
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.
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).
I was driving and the car engine light came on and then the car started to lose accelerating at 60 mph and I had to pull to the side of the ride and re start the car and I was on the freeway going to work which is very dangerous can someone please help this is the car that I use everyday to go to work and I only had just car for almost 2 years and when I purchase a car I expect that it will last for me while I'm making the payments and I have 3 more years to pay on the car I don't know what to do about the issue. I have let the dealership only work on my car since I purchase the vehicle. Chrysler performs all my oils changes tune up and everything that I need to have down and its not fair that the truck was discontinue I feel like the company knows that the truck is having the problems and nobody wants to do anything about it.
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who replaced the starter. The failure recurred and the vehicle was not repaired again. The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 65,000. The current mileage was 115,000.
- Philadelphia, PA, USA
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On the evening of 5/04/2013 while driving on the highway at a rate of between 65 & 70 mph my headlights along with my entire dashboard and instrument panel begin flickering and eventually went out! I pulled over turned the engine off and restarted it the headlight came on immediately, however the instrument panel flickered for a bit then eventually illuminated. Went into autozone (@#$%) got a reading, was told it was a minor issue and to get it checked out. A couple days go by really not driving it much a little nervous, however when starting the vehicle none of the instrument panel is working, thy tachometer needle, the speedometer nothing, however the engine was running and it would shift in and out of gear, but it would jerk and stall and whenever I tried to make a left or right turn the brakes would grind and screech! "yites" thank god, we have another vehicle! anyway I called a local Chrysler dealership and was told that I would have to be charged a diagnostic fee of $130 for each component tested"?" really! anyway it gets better I called Chrysler-Jeep manufacturer and they told me that although my car was doing exactly what millions of other recalled Commanders made in the same year 2006 were doing, my "VIN" number wasn't on the recall list, gooooo figure! so yeah, although my Jeep shifts in and out of gear on the highway, cluster board and headlights flicker off and it stalls like it going to shut off! no cigar! I guess I'll bring to where I purchased it from and use my "max care warranty" god give me the strength!
A/C blower motor and resistor keeps failing. Original failure on 9/4/2008, replaced blower motor and resistor, mileage 57771. Failure # 2, 5/18/2009, same failure, blower motor replaced, mileage 64773. Failure # 3, 6/1/2012, mileage 115274, blower motor and resistor replaced, also paid for "new baffle screen" per Jeep, a design flaw and debris coming in and getting lodged in ac motor fan blades, would correct problem from happening again. I paid for 1/2 of the parts as I was out of warranty, but was given a "goodwill repair" credit on labor from dealer and $100 refund from cd for parts on this repair, mileage 115274. Failure # 4, 11/19/2012, same failure, blower motor, except this time, blower motor smoked, electrical burn and smoke inside vehicle, I had to evacuate my vehicle on side of freeway, mind you I am disabled with service dog. Dealer covered repair with their own parts and repair warranty. Failure # 5, 4/30/2013, mileage 131318, .....current status, waiting repair....because it is failing intermittently, only low air setting, and not others, lithia dealer requesting I wait until complete failure, which I find unsafe. I have called Jeep and told them that if this happens again, I will file a lawsuit, this is a "unsafe" problem for it's consumers. It has yet to completely fail, but previous problems tell me it's only a matter of time.
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.
I was driving and had to stop behind another driver who was making a left hand turn. I was on a slight incline. When they turned I began to accelerate. This is when I encountered my problem. I had to push the accelerator to the floor. It was as if the car shifted into neutral. Thinking this was strange I looked on my dashboard to make sure the car was still in drive. What I found when I looked was that all the gears were highlighted. At this point the car still wouldn't go over 20-25mph. (I was on a 45mph road on a very busy Monday.) I gently moved my gear shift and that put my gear back into drive. A few seconds later I look at my dashboard and all the gears were briefly highlighted and then it went back to just the drive gear highlighted. I took it in to an authorized Jeep dealer the next day and was told that I needed a new shifter module/bezel. I believe this is a safety hazard and something the Chrysler company should of known about and put a recall out on this vehicle. I called Chrysler and was only told that there are recalls out on Jeep Commanders for it slipping into neutral but that my vehicle was not part of said recall. Although the gear on my car shifted into neutral when I had it in drive. The recall also states that vehicles manufactured between certain dates should be considered for the recall. My car falls into those dates. I had to pay $829 for a part and $209.98 for labor and $14.70 for shop supplies. This brought my total to $1,127.44. I do not understand how a part could cost me this much" am I the only owner with this problem" I got the problem fixed and the vehicle runs fine now. I am wanting Chrysler to admit that this is a defect on their part and reimburse me for the total sum stated above.
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.
I was driving down the highway at 55mph. And out of nowhere the car RPM's dropped to 0 and the car died. As I pumped on the gas I looked in the rearview to make sure I was not going to get hit. After that I turned the car off in the middle of the highway and put on my hazards. It then turned on and after will go to 2 RPM's and then start to jerk back and forth. I have taken it to the dealership 3 times so far and as of now the 3rd time and 3rd with a rental it finally happened to the mechanic at the dealership. And he has no clue his words. So in a two week frame time I have only had my Jeep 4 days why because they cant even figure out the problem. I have reported it to Chrysler dealership and checked for a recall and they said there is no recall as of yet. I worry because this could cause a accident and typically I have my wife and two children in the Jeep with me. If U go to carcomplaints.com and look up. This model U will see there are up to 60 more incidents. But the dealership/Chrysler has yet to do anything. Hopefully it does not seriously harm the owner of the Jeep or a person who hits them.
Traveling at highway speed the blower motor cut off and the lights on that come on when you first turn the key on came on. When that cycle was over the cruise control came on and the vehicle rapidly accelerated. Had to turn the key off to kill the cruise control. This problem with the key hasn't happened while traveling down the road before only while sitting in park. When we purchased the vehicle they replaced the key saying it was the key causing the problem. The problem continued after the key was replaced.
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.
Was going to get gas turned on the engine would not turn over lights would not work. Tried to jump the the truck and it still would not start. It looks like it might be an electrical issue.
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.
My 2006 Commander stopped accelerating in fact it felt like I was driving against a wind blowing headon faster then I was driving, then the Jeep started jumping like a hick-up then my tail lights stopped working and lower dash lights went out and my warning lights in dash came on, the vehicle stalls out at idle or at start of acceleration not very good took to dealer was told I need a new front control module and new cooling fan, nwe speed relay costing $1063 im not to sure about it and they tell me that it has no recall ??
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the wiring in the starter would have to be replaced. Additionally, the exterior lighting intermittently failed and the front driver side window intermittently failed while being opened or closed. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, all the warning lights illuminated. The headlights also failed intermittently. The failure recurred numerous times over the course of a year. The vehicle was taken to dealer where the contact was informed that the battery would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the failure could not be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 72,000.
While driving down the road, the entire cluster of instrument warning lights begins to flash intermittently, creating a distraction and safety hazard while driving. In addition, the fuel gauge drops to "E", the speedometer drops to zero and then goes up and down and all gauges go up and down erratically. Also, the heated seats turn off as does the fan for the heater/ac unit. Verified with local mechanic that this is not related to the ignition switch and is most likely an ECM and/or PCM issue. Replaced battery but problem still exists. Engine malfunction indicator light comes on for several cycles, computer reboots itself and then the trouble starts again shortly after. This appears to be an ongoing issue with the 06 Commander but my VIN was not included in the ECM/PCM recall (08V203000) because I have the 6-cylinder rather than the 8 cylinder engine. This is a safety hazard while driving and I just feel fortunate that as of yet, my car is not stalling like so many others. However, I feel my issue is related to this same recall and want to have it on file.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- San Antonio , TX, USA