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:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
88,000 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.
All the lights on my dash panel went on & I lost power of the vehicle driving down the road. It came back on then off & on. This has happened several times. My catalytic converter has broken into a few pieces. The dealership said this happens often to these vehicles & believes there is a recall on them. I have had my vehicle 4 1/2 yrs & this is the 2nd time it needs to be replaced. My struts have gone a few times on my 2006 Jeep Commander. The rear seatbelt in the middle & driver rear don't latch & when they do its really tight on my daughter. Lastly multiple issues with the rear doors both passenger & driver sides. The handles don't work all the time. They have both been fixed 3 different occasions. They open when they feel like it. The child lock is not on.
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the front passenger side tire ball joint failed. The contact stated that after the ball joint fractured, the steering wheel seized as well as braking was difficult due to a brake fluid leak. The contact veered off into oncoming traffic and was only able to stop the vehicle after the axle fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer or dealer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
2006 Jeep Commander with 93000. I have had serviced multiple times over brakes and suspension. Brakes will just grind when trying to stop at times. Brakes have been replaced and problem still occurs. Every mechanic has said everything looks good. Had bigotires do 3 inspections on brakes and suspension and everything checked out! suspension- I have had services 3 times. All new parts have been put on front drivers side yet problem still persist. Popping noise and squeaking when turning and hitting speed bumps or pot holes and very noisy when backing up. Lighting has also started to go off and on! I believe something is wrong with the lighting. Sometimes when I turn them on they do not come on and once I turned them off and they did not turn off and made battery go dead but once jumps they were back to normal except my back tail light which I have tried having replaced multiple times does not work anymore and front passenger side head light has some major issues! also it is very hard to see when it rains even with brand new wipers there just wasn't much thought put into the Commanders! too many blind spots and also door handles on the inside easily break off!
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. While driving at 70 mph, there was an abnormal noise and the vehicle began to decelerate without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear axle was hanging out of the rear end. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the front end of the vehicle started to shake violently as the engine stalled. The contact received a notification for recall NHTSA campaign number: 14V438000 (electrical system). However, the part needed was not available for repair. The contact mentioned that the manufacturer had exceeded the reasonable amount of time for repair. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000.
- Stockton , CA, USA
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Engine idles when stopped and sometimes the Jeep lunges forward. Lights on dash come on intermittently. Tires keep needing replaced even when getting the Jeep continually balanced and rotated. They wear down on the outer rim of front tires only. Have to keep getting new batteries because vehicle keeps dying. I have had more problems with this vehicle since I bought it new in 2006 than I have had with a car in a lifetime. Interior power stations don't work, passenger window will not close or open at times. Some times the horn will just start going off. I keep receiving recall notices almost yearly. Jeep needs to recall this vehicle. It has been a lemon from the second I brought it home.
My wife reported a strange thumping sound from under the car. She said it began after dropping children at school and going over a speed bump at the school. Something she does every day. Upon inspection I found the driver side emergency brake cable was interfering with the rear universal joint on the driveshaft. The cable was kinked and being cut by the rotation of the driveshaft. There was also abrasion of the gas tank splash guard. I have no doubt if this happened at highway speed the cable would be cut in half and possibly wrap around the driveshaft causing the driver side emergency brake to apply and lock-up the wheel resulting in a rollover. The gas tank could also have been punctured if the cable was pulled by the driveshaft. Somehow the normal action of the vehicles suspension was able to place this cable in contact with the driveshaft. The rotation of the universal joint caught the cable pulling it into the rotating shaft. I consider this a class 1 defect that should be corrected with a model recall. Normally the emergency brake cable is routed off to the side and not directly over the differential. What were they thinking? Chrysler needs to devise a supplemental attaching point that will ensure the cables are not able to contact the driveshaft even under extreme off road driving. I have a full set of photos available upon request. I have ordered a new cable but the part number is on back order. This indicates there is a problem when the part cannot be stocked due to high demand. This cable should last the life of the vehicle without question. NHTSA is there for the public. It exists on public taxes. It is not there to shield corporate mistakes and short cuts. I feel that NHTSA is not operating within the public trust if it allows defects to be ignored.
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.
Driver was making a right hand turn out of a parking lot onto a street. 10-15 feet into the turn, the vehicle became stationary and wouldn't move forward. Stopped vehicle and put it into park. Went outside vehicle and checked underneath and rear of vehicle. No obstruction found. Reentered vehicle and placed transmission into drive. Vehicle would not move forward. Put transmission into reverse and vehicle would not go backward. Placed vehicle into park and exited vehicle. Upon further inspection, the right front tire/wheel had come off of the vehicle and the right front of the vehicle was resting on top of the wheel tire. Vehicle had to be towed to manufacturer's dealership. Dealership determined the upper control arm had failed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- New Durham, NH, USA