Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Jeep Commander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Takata recall as I was driving my car on the four lane my car started to have white rubber smelling smoke fill the car and all my dash lights went crazy, my radio kicked off and my speakers and my turn signals quit working. I started to panic and stopped on the side of the rode. I had my kids in the car so I first removed my children then tried to find the problem. At this point my car was completely full of smoke n it like as if it was burning down. My wiring in the cars passenger side rear floor board had caught on fire ! The fire burnt through my floor and my floor mats. I almost choked to death on the smoke and had to take the battery out of the car to kill the power and dump water on the floor.
Tl* 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
Vehicle continued stalling while is driven a low RPM. More the 25 times. Vehicle was bought with 15, 200 miles. Vehicle has now 52, 300. Everytime is taken to service the problem was mention to the dealer technician but they can't find the problem. Nov 20, 2007 I scratched the left rear fender of the vehicle with a tree while backing up. The vehicle lost power vehicle rolled back and stopped. Resting on the side of the tree. Pictures were taken of the damages on the vehicle . Dealers technician states no problem with the vehicle. Second problem backup system. Assists the driver to move the vehicle safely, one sensor failed from the bumper mount. Two months dealer has not repair the vehicle yet. Need to replaced the entire bumper to repaired one sensor.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander 4x2. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger door handles fractured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer (hollywood Chrysler Jeep, ft. Lauderdale, florida, 954-399-598) where it was diagnosed that the door panels needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Later, the rear driver and passenger door handles also fractured. The failures were not repaired. Additionally, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V438000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was approximately 135,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
First annoyance was the inside door handle on the drivers side. It failed to open the door at around 45,000 miles. Then the rear passenger inside door handle just crumbled out of nowhere around 47,000 miles. Then around 50,000 miles the brakes 'felt different' when braking and it felt to hard to press down on the pedal to stop the vehicle. The brake pedal felt hard as a rock then the ABS warning lights came on and after a diagnosis I was told that it had to be replaced. Whenever we went through a puddle of water on a turn the jeeps steering would lock up and just kept moving forward & not turning.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander 4x2. During rainy weather conditions, water leaked inside the vehicle. As a result, the front and rear of the vehicle flooded and the rear interior was molding. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the roof drains and tubes were clogged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
The door handles of my Jeep Commander 2006 have snapped. Thr vehicle was stationary. First it was the rear drivers side door, then before I could schedule to get that one fixed, the rear passenger side door handle snapped. I accepted that it May be coincidence, until one month later, the same thing happened to my divers side door! It can't be coincidence and now I have difficulty getting out of my vehicle. It definitely poses a safety issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that all the interior door handles fractured and detached from the vehicle. As a result, the contact had to use the window to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the door handles need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. The contact stated that all four interior door handles detached from the vehicle causing the handles to separate from the door frame. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the driver side and an unknown rear door handles were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000. Updated 01/12/16; updated 4/20/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Jeep Commander. During inclement weather, water leaked through the driver and passenger side windows. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the tubes on the front windows needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000. The VIN was not provided.
Body complaints in other Commander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2006 Jeep Commander?
NHTSA has 205 complaints about the body & structure of the 2006 Jeep Commander, 12% of the model year's 1,782 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (89 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Jeep Commander body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2006 Jeep Commander, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Jeep Commander body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 12 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.