Feds Probe Jeep Commander & Pontiac G6
This year, we have handled numerous lemon law claims with regards to the Jeep Commander (#6 on this year’s Car Complaint Index) and the Pontiac G6. Now comes word from consumeraffairs.com that NHTSA, The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation which could lead to a recall of 136,444 Commanders and 176,968 Pontiacs.
Jeep Commander drivers have been complaining of stalling incidents with simultaneous loss of lighting systems including headlamps. NHTSA has also received 19 complaints of power steering from Pontiac G6 drivers with two incidents resulting in accidents.
If you find that you are experiencing problems with your Jeep Commander or Pontiac G6, it’s very important to keep all of your repair invoices and keep a log when you are experiencing problems. If you bring your car in the shop three or more times, you could be entitled to significant remedy under State or Federal Law. Feel free to contact us or call us at 1-800 LEMON LAW (1-800-536-6652).
February 4th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I live in Dallas, TX and I have owned my Jeep Commander since June of 2007. About a 1 1/2 years after I purchased it and during days of heavy rain, I always have lots of water that collects in the drivers side footwell in my Commander. At first, I thought it might be coming from its sunroof and perhaps had a faulty installation. I can’t see any visible dripping into the footwell – it almost appears as if it is coming from UNDER the carpet!!! About 2 years ofter its purchase, and while I was servicing it at Frank Parra Jeep/Chrysler; I told the service Mgr of the problem, his comment was… “Ah, it’s the sunroof…!” and that it would cost me $250.00 dlls just to check it! This doesn’t include materials nor replacement parts.
Anyone seen something like this before?
Thx!
RM
March 1st, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Yes, I live in Boston Ma. It just rained here for 4 days and a large puddle accumulated on the drivers side floor. The water just keeps coming through the carpet. The dealer says its our problem and won’t cover under warranty. I have searched the internet and it seems that this is a big problem with the commander.
March 17th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
I have a 2006 Jeep Commander Limited with the 5.7 Hemi. The vehicle just went over the 36000 mile mark and is eight months out of warrenty and my transmission needs rebuilt. There was one recall on this vehicle to reflash the trans computer which I had done about a year ago. I took it to a private tranmission shop because it was out of warranty and the shop is local. The cost for this faily extensive overhaul is $3687.18.
Many folks said I sould have taken it to the dealer and faught to make jeep cover the repair but I need the car to get to work and rental car fees add up quickly.
How can I voice my complaint to Jeep Corporate>Crysler and try to get some of the cost reembursed even a 50/50 split would be very helpful.
The trans tech said it was a defective pressure valve that caused all the damage. 36000 miles of light duty and the trans is dead. This is not fair or right!
We tax payers bailed these guys out where is my help!
November 19th, 2010 at 7:23 am
2007 Jeep Commander Starts when it wants too. It always says trans overtemp even after sitting for days. after a few days it will start right up and run for a few days then it doesnt want to start again Very frustrating. Local Jeep dealer says hes had 3 in his shop with this problem and cant fix it What do I do now.
November 19th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Steve: Depending on your warranty, you could be looking at significant remedy under Federal Law. We will contact you shortly.
November 19th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Follow up on my Jeep Commander transmission post. I had my Transmission rebuilt by Certified Transmission in Draper Utah. I ask the owner to write me a letter that I could send to my Congressman and Us Senitor to complain. He did write the letter but he sent it directly to Jeep Chrysler Corp. To my my surprise they sent me a check for half the cost of the rebuild. The transmission should not have gone out when it did but thanks to the efforts of Certified Transmission I did receive some compensation.
November 30th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I am so over the leaking problems that never end with my 2008 Jeep Commander. I have taken it in for repair, but they say the leak is my responsibility for allowing the drain channels to get clogged — yet I don’t have a garage! So they seem to be saying that every Commander owner that parks under a tree will experience this flooding, and too bad. Well that’s not right! I should be able to expect to have a car that does not leak water and make puddles on the floorboards, no matter where I park. There does not seem to be any fix to this, and in the meantime my car stinks or is wet all the time and the resale value goes down, plus I can’t in good conscience sell it without informing a buyer of the leak. My next move I plan to call the Jeep folks and demand some resolution but I don’t expect much. Help!
November 30th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Please give us a call at 1-800-LEMON-LAW to see if we can be of help.
January 19th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
I just took my 2006 jeep commander into the dealerhip today, because after a heavy rain fall a few days ago I had a tremendous amount of water on the driver side floor board. The dealership claims that it was a clogged drain channel. Well I will see about that. I am going to take my water hose and pour water on my vehicle for about an hour to see if that was the problem. If it was the problem and they did indeed fix the problem, the next step for the dealership will be to tell/show me how to unclog the drain channel so that it does not happen again.
March 14th, 2011 at 8:41 pm
I purchased a 2007 Jeep Commander in April 2010. It had only 13K miles. The carfax report stated it was a 36 mo leased vehicle. Since I purchased, it has spent more time in the dealer’s repair department than in my driveway. Do to the age of the Jeep, the warranty expired in August 2010 with only 18K miles. In the year I have owned this car I have had the radio replaced (under warranty); 2 speakers replaced (under warranty) the passenger seat belt replaced (under warranty – and the sensor for the passenger seat still does not work; the starter replaced & the computer module (under warranty); . . . NOW out of warranty, the catalytic converter and computer module was replaced 2 weeks ago – this happened after I lost power in the middle of a traffic light; the ‘park assist sensor’ and computer module is currently begin replaced after causing a shriek sireon to go off when shifting from reverse into drive; the transmission delays shifting and then slams into gear; the air-conditioning temp gauge blows either freezing or warm; I have flooding in the center of both front doors;
March 15th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Jamie: If you were in for one problem three times under warranty, we can help. Please call 1-800 LEMON LAW.
March 15th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
I have not had my car in for the issues I have experienced becasue they just started and I thought I’d do a little research. My reseach showed that I have the same issues as many Commander owners and the dealer I contacted says they have not heard about the flashing interior lights, warning lights, guages & heater shutting off. So if I have been lucky enough not to have incured major repair bills what do I do. I have a vehilce I am terrified to drive becasue it has stalled and I don’t want it to happen to me in traffic.
March 15th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
First and foremost, you have to look at your state. There are certain states, like New Jersey and Ohio, that only give the manufacturer one repair attempt within the lemon law parameters to fix a problem which could cause death or serious bodily injury. Also, you should look at the number of days your car was in the shop. Make sure you have a repair invoices which clearly outlines the problem and what was done to fix it. Once you are educated about your State’s statute, you will have a better idea of what to expect in terms of when you can fight the manufacturer.
April 29th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
I have a 2008 Jeep Commander and just as this winter was ending and it began to rain I too have had this issue with the drivers side flooding and it seems like its coming from under the carpet. This only happens with heavy rain. I also had a loss of power issue which occurred and at times my mygig radio will not function or turn off (I have to disconnect the battery to fix this). I had the radio swapped out twice and when I went in the third time they told me that it was not the radio and that they would not replace it because it was replaced three times. They were supposed to swap out my drivers side seat as well since the leather cracked. That repair did not happen as well, they kept saying it was on back order this lasted several months and then my son was born and I had no time to pursue it anymore. Now the warranty is expired. It was like they pushed me aside until my warranty ran out so they would not have to honor anything. I ended up replacing the battery. But at times I still run into the issue with the radio not turning off and not functioning.
April 29th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
I certainly think you have the right to remedy. You may want to consult with a consumer lawyer.
May 1st, 2011 at 6:40 pm
I’m having problems with steering noise. It is going in the shop for the Third time on 5/2/2011. First time they added a grease kit. The second time they replaced the internal steering shaft. We will see what they do for it tomorrow. Will keep you posted.
May 2nd, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Please fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and we will connect you to someone who can help.
May 18th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
My Commander has shut off while stopped at a traffic light. It has “lunged forward” a number of times while stopped at a traffic light — and yes, my foot has been on brake. I now put the truck in neutral for fear of it hitting the vehicle in front of me or someone cutting between cars walking in front of mine! Also while at a stop, the engine has “reved up” very high in rapid succession-which on occasion has been followed by the lunging forward. From what I can tell, the reving and lunging have occurred on or around rainy days. Dealer says they can’t “recreate” the problem, therefore they can’t diagnose the problem. Good looking truck, but that’s where it stops! Afraid to drive my grandkids in it!
May 19th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Please call us at 1-800-LEMON-LAW to discuss your situation.
May 19th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Wanda, that is the same thing my Jeep was doing and it turned out to be a bad transmission. It has been rebuilt and works much better. The trans folks told me the check valves in the trans fluid lines are faulty and do not keep even pressure on the clutch plates.
June 4th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
I have a 2007 jeep commander which says transmission over temp and wont start. Let it sit for a few days of not wanting to start then just started up again. Had it checked out and cant find anything wrong with it. Two days later it happens again and doesnt want to start. What do I do? Seems like it happens to many others.
June 8th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Intermittent problems are often difficult to diagnose. Ask the dealer for the auto pilot, which enables the drivers to hit a button a record a code once the stalling occurs.
August 11th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
I have a 2007 jeep commander that only starts when it wants to start. The display says transmission over temp. It will start every once in awhile and then wont start again. Brought it to the shop monday until they finally had time to look at it today and said it was 2 wires going to the transmission they cleaned them and sealed them and thought it was fixed. We got it home and after it being started about 5 times the same thing happened again. So we are now out $175.00 and now it is going back in. We have an extended warrenty but it did not cover this because there were no parts being replaced just cleaned. I have heard alot of horror stories about jeeps doing this just wondering how many times of this do I have to put up with before I can do anything else about it.
August 12th, 2011 at 11:15 am
Michelle: Did you have any problems under warranty?
August 22nd, 2011 at 3:49 pm
We just purchased a 2007 Jeep Commandor. After 2 weeks of having the vehicle, it wouldn’t start and a “Transmission Over Temp” code came on in the dash. I didn’t even have the papers yet, and this happened. After doing very little research, I am finding that this is an on-going issue with these vehicles. I will let it sit for 24 hrs and sometimes it will start, yet sometimes it doesn’t. It has left me stranded NUMEROUS times. We called the dealership right after the first time it happened, and they said there was nothing they could do because we bought the car “as is”. RIDICULOUS. No papers and already, a non-working vehicle…
It has been almost 3 months and 6 times being stranded. Recently, it finally stopped starting all together. It sat in the parking lot of my job for 3 days (each day, me hoping it would start to avoid towing). After the 3rd day clearly, I got it towed to a mechanic. They are saying that there is something wrong internally with the starter, and possibly the wire connector to the starter. However, this does not explain the “Transmission Over Temp” code that comes on every time the car doesn’t start. Along with the 4 other codes that came up when they ran test on it. I have very little faith that fixing the starter is going to solve the problem. The mechanic feels the same way and they admitted to being rather confused as well. I have read a lot of reviews saying that the starter is replaced, and not fixing the problem. I have already spent $184, and that was just for it to be towed and diagnosed. It is going to cost $410 for starter/labor, and it’s not going to end there. I have 4 children and I do not feel safe driving a car that I can not get a definite diagnosis on. You would think that something would be dont to fix this on-going problem. Especially, with the amount of people that have the same issues. IT IS NOT A SAFE CAR!!!!!! I have anxiety and fear every day, about driving a car that I should be able to depend on.
August 26th, 2011 at 2:47 pm
I live in Granite City, Illinois. My wife and I purchased a 2007 Jeep Commander and have had the infamous “Tranmission Over Temp” issue occur 4 times since we bought the vehicle and 3 times in the last five months. A friend of mine have had some success playing witht he fuses/modules as there is a single “click” when attempting to start the vehicle. Have had it looked at and tested by two different shops who can find nothing wrong with it in their tests.
After letting the vehicle sit overnight it will sometimes start. The last time it did this with my Wife and children stranded at a shopping mall parking lot after hours, my friend and I went to work on it and try to avoid a tow charge I cannot afford. He pushed down on some of the fuse modules while the key was in the start position in the ignition and the vehicle started.
Dealership I spoke with “swears” it is a starter issue and that “you cannot believe everything you read on the internet” As though an army of us concerned parents and spouses are making these stories up.
I AM FURIOUS! The vehicle was such a welcome addition when we got it, perfect for our family. Now I do not feel they are safe. This issue has yet to crop up WHILE DRIVING, but we can now not trust it to take the children anywhere w/o risk of being stranded.
August 31st, 2011 at 12:01 pm
I actually just had the starter replaced and even though I am not 100% about the fix….so far so good. It definitely feels better. I will keep you posted!!!!! I really trust this mechanic. It seems that it was the solenoid in the starter(not sure on spelling). He knew what he was talking about. This car was such a welcome addition to us, as well…..a 9 yr old girl, twin 8 yr old girls and a 15 month old boy. We were cramming all of them in the back of an Infinity. Not to mention my hubby was having to drive us every where! It really put a lot of stress on our family! I really hope this fixes the problem. I have my doubts, but trying to stay positive. Do you ever find yourself wanting to stop others that have the same vehicle and ask, “do you have problems with your Commander?!”?? We do every time we see one!
October 16th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
bought 2007 commander on sept 8th, still under origian factory warranty until fed 2012. has 26000 miles on it, limited very nice but on sept 13th is stopped starting but will start with remote engine fob but shuts off when key is inserted. towed by roadside to green bay jeep chrys dealer 5 weeks ago still sits there while i pay for it, chrysler cant fix it but they wont replace it what bs…
January 28th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
I have had the same problem with the flooding on the
drivers side. Does anyone know how to unclog the
drains. There should be a recall to fix this problem. It’s
no fun to have a 3 inch puddle on the floor.
Also, I’ve seen problems on the internet of the gas
cap warning. If anyone has a solution to fix this
problem let me know. The dealer that I took the
car in to was almost no help.
February 20th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
William,
We took a 06 Commander in last week with the wet drivers side floorboard problem. We checked the windshield carefully, then drivers door moldings and then blew out the drains for the sun roof.
It still leaked down through the drivers side drain line area of the sun roof.
We finally found the problem by dropping the head liner down and using an inspection mirror with a flash light. We disconnected the drain line and plugged the nipple opening and poured a small ammount of water into the sun roof pan and located a hole in the drain pan just above where the nipple is formed for the drivers side sun roof drain line.
We could not see the actual leak source without the mirror and flashlight, as it was on the interior side seam facing away from the drivers door opening.
Since carefully sealing the drain pan seam just a 1/4 above the drain hose nipple on the interior side, slighly above where the drain hose connects, the problem appears to be solved.
It appears to be a manufacturing defect in the plastic seam in my opinion.
I hope this helps others with similar Jeep Commander water leaks on the drivers side.
John Daughtry
Glass by Daughtry Inc.
Brandon, MS
February 20th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
I have a 2007 Commander and have had several weird issues with the vehicle not starting after the engine was warm. My wife has been stalled at least 8-10 times. After getting it checked out, we were told the fuel system was faulty and it needed a new fuel pump. We got a new pump installed and two weeks later had the same issue. We thought it was a bad pump so we had the mechanic replace it. That was two months ago and the commander was driving well….until today. My wife was on the busiest hwy in San Antonio and while she was goin 65 MPH, the Commander just completely turned off…no power. She was lucky to pull it off the side of the road with no power. She then tried to start it and the gauges showed “trans over temp”. I had it towed back to my house. I am concerned because this seems to be an on-going issue with 2007 Commanders. Why isn’t Jeep stepping up to the plate to recall this or address it. Someone or some family is going to be seriously injured because of this faulty equipment. It seems there is not an “exact” fix to this issue. That would tell me that there is a major problem. Come on Jeep, get on the ball and get the 2007 Commanders back in the shop and address this. You can’t tell me that Jeep does not know about this situation. As a matter of fact, when I called a local dealership today to inquire, he said that the “trans over temp” was a common error and they aren’t sure how to fix it. He said several different items must be checked and they start with the most common. I can say with confidence that if a Jeep executive were driving his family around in this vehicle and had the power completely turn off when driving in 65-75 MPH zone during high traffic, he would feel the same way we do. Then, not to have a definite fix, just is absurd!
February 22nd, 2012 at 5:42 pm
To make a really long story short…..I had the same problem after two weeks of purchasing my ’07 Commander; however, I never experienced it while driving. After joining this blog, it really scared me to read that was happening to people. My mechanic’s we very puzzled by the, “trans over temp” light, as there was nothing wrong with my transmission. After alot of towes, stress, and worry.. they were 99% sure in diagnosing that the “solenoid” was bad in the starter. I had little faith that replacing the starter would fix the problem, BUT they replaced the starter, and (knock on wood) I have had no problems since (6 months later). They still could not explain the, “trans over temp” light. They thought that the vehicle could have been sending off crazy codes, due to the malfunction of the starter.
June 25th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
Hi,
I am leasing a 2006 G6 Pontiac and got it in November of 2009. My husband actually went on the site because we are experiencing problems with the car. It actually feels like the car shifts gears automatically epecially after we get gas. Also the air bag light says disabled sometime when someone is in the passenger seat. I just saw where there is a recall on this vehichle actually prior to me purchasing it. I am concerned especially since we have our grandchildren riding with us most of the time on weekends. I just recently lost my mother and got married this month. We do not have money to get these issues fixed. I was recently contacted by a dealership in PA that said they were contacting everyone by mail that owned or leased a pontiac G6. I told them I did not have any money to get another vehicle. They were persistant. Now I am wondering if that was the reason why they were trying to get me out of the car due to any legal ramifications that could take place. When I called the dealership where I purchased the car from, they were telling me different things to do, but nothing worked. Can you assiste me with this issue?
July 2nd, 2012 at 3:51 pm
Sandra: Sounds like a sales tactic to me.
July 2nd, 2012 at 9:23 pm
I have a 2006 Pontiac G6 and have had it for 6 years now. Even though I’m not having power steering problems as what was stated at the top, I am having air bag and fuel pump issues. My “service air bag” light has come on a few times in the past 6 years. It has supposedly just been a sensor gone bad. Now I find out my air bag is going bad and “should” deploy if I continue to drive it and something happens. That’s very comforting. I found there is a recall for air bags in this model but for G6’s that had cloth seats and then leather was put in after. I have heated leather seats that were factory. Everything I’ve found sounds the same as what I’m experiencing. Is there anything I can do about this problem? Also, my fuel pump is going bad resulting in the car not constantly starting. I have found other people with the same problem with one post by a mechanic stating there was a recall on that as well but I can’t find any actual recall records for it. Can you help me at all with these issues?
August 8th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
My wife and I bought a 2006 Jeep Commander used back in May of 2010. It had 38000 miles on it. Today has 83000 miles. We have had the water leak problem since day one. The dealership wanted to charge to see what the problem was, but I felt that if we JUST bought it, that they should have been willing to at least check it out. After finally being able to find out more on the sunroof leak, I fixed the problem! But now I have more problems, the radio will come on but no sound! This is very disappointing considering that I have a 1998 Grand Jeep Cherokee that has 296749 miles on it, and the only thing that I have had to replace is the output speed sensor, serpentine belt, spark-plugs and wires, and the battery! I had thought very highly of Jeep but I can promise you that Jeep has lost a customer and as many as I can defer!
August 11th, 2012 at 8:56 am
I am another customer that will never buy a jeep. My
radio hasn’t worked for a couple of years. I think the
water leakage has ruined the speakers. Every big
storm, I end up with 3 inches of water on the driver side.
Lately, after I drive after a big storm, some water
pours out to my dashboard from the top of windshield. It
is unbelievable. I have to get a get the water off the top of the dashboard before it causes any more damage.
I don’t know what the percentage of the Jeep commanders leak but the we should be able to take the Commander to a dealership to get the radio fixed and fix the water leakage problem.
August 28th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
We bought a 2008 Jeep Commander in Feb 2011 and thought we found our family dream car. It had been acting quirky lately with the radio and one day it seemed to stall out but I convinced myself it was me not having the car in reverse as I backed up. Last saturday, we were driving home from the beach and ‘check gauges’ was on the digital display. The engine light, battery light, lightning bolt all lit up…as well as temp gauge dropped. I was reading the book as my husband drove to see what it all meant-the car was still driveable. We were headed in the direction of the dealership and got to a traffic light and the car was dead. Steam pouring out…couldn’t turn the key over at all and couldn’t even push it in Neutral. Towed to dealership and it took them a bit to check it out. Diagnosed it needed new starter,thermostat and water pump. Those were repaired quickly…but they called with bad news that once starter was fixed they realized the engine was seized up. Soooo..need a new engine and they are on backorder until next week-been in the shop since Saturday. Hopefully nothing else comes up broken when the engine is replaced! Meanwhile, I have a 10 yo and 2 year old and I am almost 9 months pregnant and I am scared to drive my family around in this car! Is it wishful thinking to hope a new engine will turn this vehicle around to a safe vehicle??? we owe too much to trade or sell it…so we are stuck. The water pump and engine are covered under warranty…but the others were not. Wouldn’t the engine make the starter go…and it should be covered???
September 9th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
We had the trans temp/won’t start problem last winter. The car left my wife stranded in the cold with our 8 month old baby. Not cool. We had it towed to the dealership twice, and they couldn’t figure it out. When we tried to leave after the second time they “fixed” it, it wouldn’t start again. They figured out it was the cable from the relay box to the starter. They replaced it, and we haven’t had a problem since.
October 8th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
I own a 2008 Jeep Commander with 70,000 miles on it and full warranty (that I pay for in my car payment every month), that I bought used in 2011 from our local Jeep/Chrysler Dealership. About 2/3 months ago it was leaking after a hard rain and then it began to smell. The car just generally acted different; idling funny, water dripping from driver door area, etc. I took it into my dealer and explained the problem (they looked at me like I was crazy). They kept it for 2 days and could not diagnose an issue, but charged me $95 for their time. About 6 days ago (3 weeks after initial service trip), the check engine light came on and the radio turned on, but no sound. It rained and the car started smelling again. I scheduled another drop off appointment to have it examined. They had my Commander for 5 days and found a bad O2 Sensor, damaged radio amp and leaky sunroof. My Warranty covered the O2 Sensor and radio, but not sunroof. I just paid $220 (sunroof gasket and labor) to get my car back and on they way home, the check engine light came back on. I called the dealership back and they told me to drive the car 3 separate times for 5 minutes and if the check engine light does not go out then bring it back in and drop it off. I am a single mother who lives paycheck to paycheck, I can’t keep dumping time, energy and money in this car and see little result. I also can not be stranded out on the highway with a broken down car. I’m at the end of my rope.
November 19th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Hey I bought this 06 jeep comander 5.7 liter hemi piece of crap at 32000 it started having problems and haven’t stoped since its now paid off so I own this big paper weight I will never buy a Chrysler product agin fool me once right
January 8th, 2013 at 10:02 am
I bought a 2007 Jeep Commander a year and a half ago. I am having the same leaking problem with it being in the floor of the drivers side after it rains. I live in Florida and it constantly rains. I turn a corner and u can hear all the water just slosh back and forth from the drivers side to the passengers side of the truck. The water pours out of the hand holds on both sides in the front. Yesterday my passenger seat was soaked and water was dripping from the sunroof. Now this morning i get in my truck to take my son to school and the dash is saying my lift gate is open. It is not in anyway open as i stopped several times to make sure it was closed and cleaned out the crevices in the door jam and still kept coming on. All the interior lights are on in the truck when this happens and you cannot shut them off. Makes it very hard to drive in the morning as it is still dark outside. My husband when out last night and said my interior lights are on and the truck is sitting still so i know it isnt jiggling loose. I absolutelty loved this truck when i got it and it has become a nightmare. Which is not right since im still paying on the piece of crap. I cannot trade this truck in eventhough I thought i had gotten a good deal on it but with all the issues im having and the damage the water leaks have done to the front i would not get a fair trade. I do not understand in the least why with all the same issues over and over that I am ready why there was not a recall on these. I will never buy another Jeep period.
January 10th, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Christiana,
Go to edmunds.com and see all the posts. I was amazed
at all the complaints and the people who have the same
problem. My fan in my heater recently stopped working
my radio hasn’t worked for several years. I live in Maryland so I only get water on my floor boards every
couple months when we ge alot of rain. It is annoying
getting 4 inches of water on the driver side. They
say the drains are plugged. There definitely be a recall
but since its not a safety issue, the Feds aren’t interested.
However, I was driving in the rain and I came to a stop
and water came through my windshield a down my dashboard and the whole electrical system shut off. But
I was lucky it came back on when I restarted the car.
Your complaint is exactly how I feel and I hope everyday
we get relief. I a have two more years before I can
get rid of the dump.
April 14th, 2013 at 8:09 pm
My 06 Commander looks like a christmas tree all the lights flash the gauges go crazy. recently on a short 2 hour drive this happened ten times now the check engine light is on, I took it to a local autozone and asked them to let me know what codes are causing the light to stay on. I was informed that it was a computer issue that it is not reading alot of different sensors. I am affraid to let my wife or daughter drive it as it will act up and sometimes shut off. Has anyone else had this type of problem?
April 24th, 2013 at 11:24 pm
what’s the statute of limitations on lemon law claims?
We have a 2008 Jeep Commander, purchased it in November 2008 and it has had very strange and intermittent electrical problems over the years. We actually purchased it in New Jersey, but we live in Virginia. Not sure which states law applies. All the service has been at Chrysler Jeep Dealers, and they’ve never been able to diagnose the problem. Its probably been in 15 times or so in that time. They had us switch out a batter, they replaced modules, they told us there were no problems, they had us replace Key Fobs, they told us we had too many keys on my wife’s key change, etc. Still happens.
April 25th, 2013 at 11:38 am
@Michael: I sent you an e-mail with our fax number. Being that the car was purchased in New Jersey, we still may have time to recover some remedy.
June 9th, 2013 at 4:58 pm
I also have a 2007 Jeep commander that does the same thing Steve says his does. Jeep starts when it want to. It says it’s over heated but it hasn’t ran for a day or so. It just wont start. We’ve tried to jump start it and replaces a lot of parts. Being a mother of 2 kids, I just don’t feel safe driving it because you never know when it just wont start. I can’t just sell it because I have a loan on it and owe to much. I don’t know what to do about this problem. I hope they recall commanders soon, they just don’t seem safe. I’ve had nothing but problems with it!
June 17th, 2013 at 9:05 pm
There are many Jeep Commander owners that are in the same situation. With the recent storms, Jeep has put the drivers in a possible dangerous situation. My Jeep leaks at the top of the windshield in addition to the door drains. The water leaking from the windshield can cause
the engine to stall. It only happened once and fortunately it started after I drifted to a parking place. I have to carry a towel in my car from now on. There are
some that have posted that the drains need to be cleaned but the damage to the electrical systems have
been done to a lot of Jeep owners. I think Jeep is going
to get away with a large quality failure. I will never buy
a Jeep or Chrysler product. The Jeep Commander may not be safe to drive in a hard rain. I hope it does not
cause any accidents in the future.
June 18th, 2013 at 12:51 pm
I’m not sure if this will help but i have a 2007 commander. I absolutely have never been more miserable with a car. I had the issues with the leaking from the windshield, hand holds, and sunroof. Delership didnt care. Upside down on the Jeep so i cant get rid of it. Many other issues as have been listed. My husband and i went on you tube to see how to clean the drainage lines. We did as was instructed. But as we got to the bottom part of the line next to the tire we noticed a small red nipple on the line. Like it was forgotten to be taken off by the manufacturer. We removed it and to this day have not had another issue with the leaking. It has been almost 6 months in Florida weather. Id still love to get rid of the peice of crap but at least it doesnt leak and it doesnt have that god awful smell any longer. Hope this helps.
June 25th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
I bought my Jeep Commander brand new in 2008. And due to the the drain tubes, my electrical system actually burned up caused smoke to come int the cab and then shorted out the system. The dealer said, ” it was my resposibility to clean the tubes ?? I said, Really ? where does it say that on my warranty ?
This has happen to me (3) times… Now I drive a jeep with no Radio because its out of warranty and they refuse to fix it.
I will be calling.
June 26th, 2013 at 11:31 am
I also bought my Jeep in 2008. I am in the exact situation. Your electrical sytem got damaged a little more than mine. I am surprised Jeep has not recognized
the problem. I think it could be a safety issue now in
a hard rain. I get leaks also above my windshield. I have to keep a towel in my car so It won’t short out
my electric. I will never buy a Jeep or a Chrysler product
again. My hope is that someone finally realizes this is a
safety issue before someone does get hurt when their
Jeeps electrical system goes out from the leaks. I haven’t had a radio for several years as well.
July 26th, 2013 at 10:21 pm
Lets see,how many things have gone wrong with my 06 commander. First,the rack and pinion seals were bad.total replacement,the auto stick went bad,radio,heat/ac panel also bad and replaced.2 down loads to computor for antilock problem locking up on us while driving. And now very poor power with engine.im paying this off and getting rid of it.thank god for my ex warranty.
July 26th, 2013 at 10:30 pm
Timothy,#44. You have a problem with your computor and it needs to be purged like 3 times for it to work.i know,mine did the same thing along with the antilocks kicking on.it is on the recall web site and was one of the first problems.the dealer needs to down load a new disc into the computor to reboot it. Good luck
September 16th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
I own a 06 jeep commander I have replaced Ac 3 times now it shuts off while in traffic lights flashing wondering if there is anything I can do now to help remedy situation
September 17th, 2013 at 12:04 pm
@Chris: Sadly, due to the age, it would not qualify. It has to be repetitive repairs under the manufacturers warranty.
September 17th, 2013 at 8:24 pm
bought used 06 commander, have the water leakage, replaced tranny right after i got it, fuel pump replaced , mother board on drivers control pannel replaced, independant window button replaced, blower for heater and air replaced. had the stalling issues, recentely got into jeep started it up went like crazy in reverse and crashed on my property, body damage and damage to 4 wheel drive diff tears in them probably because of the hugh tree branches I had to pull out from under vehicle, than i get a recall and chrysler says it should of rolled back not at a fast speed therefore not their problem . I’m have 3 children left one 24yr old died last year and she told me how it would do the same thing to her backing up or going forward , I jiust read a woman who was killed with my same issue, they havnt heard the last from me!! I may be a woman and small but I WILL have them take the piece of grab back , fix it or next step talk to CEO , ya like that’s going to happen, but an attorney is next!! I hate driving it with my children, how many people need to be seriously injured for them to take action, oh yeah and I must of been in shock cause I was out for 3 days in bed as my teenagers brought ice and i took pix of my scalp and I should of had stiches. I was in bed in pain for 7 days and my scalp pain lasted for months!!!!
September 18th, 2013 at 6:37 am
I own a 2006 jeep commander and it kills all the time I wasdrivingon the interstate at 65mph and all of a sudden installs and looses power.(very scary). It also has killed while driving in town and at stop lights. I was told it was a glitch in the computer chip and I can not afford to have it replaced.i recently had the check engine light come on when it stalled and had the code checked it said it was a failed map sensor or to sensor fault. Took it to a garage and was told it was a vacuum leak. This is getting very frustrating. I feel Jeep should fix this problem and not me . I have 83000 mile on my jeep and this has been going on since 42000 miles on and off.we travel a lot and at this point we have limited our distance as we do not want it to happen on the highway again!!!
September 24th, 2013 at 11:02 pm
If anyone buys a jeep commander,please get the extended warranty.i did and it was worth it. 1500.00 bucks may sounds like alot but my AUL warrenty has payed out about 7000.00 dollars worth of repairs and all i had to pay was the 100.00 dollar deductible for each time. My 5 years is almost up and will be renewing asap.
September 24th, 2013 at 11:11 pm
Also,do not take your jeep to a local shop.they wont have a clue.the computor sysyem is the hi speed can system and needs to be checked at a jeep dealer only.others wont have the scan system to match this computor and cant get codes from your jeep.diane,your problem is more likely the two front computor mods in the front.one for the tranny the other for the gauge cluster,anti lock,backup system. About 2000.00 for the work order. Hope that helps
July 29th, 2014 at 10:12 pm
I purchased the jeep commander 2006 HEMI in 2008 and since then it has been towed at least 10 times due to broke down. I purchased the maxcare warranty and after the 90,000 miles everything started to go out. All electrical will go out periodically while driving (All dash gauges, headlights, heater etc. etc. When it rains i will have large amounts of water collected in both front seat flooring. At 90,000 miles the transmission went. Warranty expired. paid 4,000 to replace. At 110,000 the rear axle had to be rebuilt costing around 3,000. I was at a light and when the light turned green i pressed the gas and the rear end went completely out.
In the past i always took it to the dealer for all major on time tuneups. I had a older jeep Grand cherokee that never broke down.
I will never buy a jeep again. The car has come along way. These type of issues should not happen on newer vehicles. Jeep should buy me a new truck.
August 27th, 2014 at 4:50 pm
I have a 2006 65th ann. Edition jeep commander that I also have similiar issues with. The console shows me “check gas cap” also shows transmission over tempand also leaked very badly out of the hand grips and into the driversside floor board. I unfortunately bought the jeep from a shady car dealer “as is” last year. I’ve done so much research on the jeep commander, that I do know jeep has had so many recalls with the jeep kicking out of neutral into park. As far as the leaking, it is a default jeep will not take responsibility for, they’ve tried to fix it & can’t so they call it “owner maintinence issue” … I fixed the leak myself over 6 mnths ago and it hasn’t leaked since even thru very hard rains… its the drain hoses for the sunroof, they’ve made them too small… I watched a video on utube it shows u step by step what to do to both driver and passenger side.. you have to remove some paneling pull back some carpet and find the hose exit behind your front tires.. there’s a red cap cover the drain tube hoses that keeps the water from draining & it has no where else to go but up the hoses, in the shell and into ur vehicle..since it was bought “as is” I also used clear flexi-sealant around the sunroof on the outside..I can’t open my sunroof until I wanna get all the clear rubber off but worth it to no longer wet moldy floor the wiring is all running along the side of ur floor board the water may eventual cause electrical issues as well if not resolved
August 27th, 2014 at 5:08 pm
I currently have a recall on my 2006 jeep commander on the final drive controller module which may unintentionally cause the transfer case to shift into the neutral position without input from the driver. If u are not a fix it urself personor going to deal with fighting with jeep and mechanic, park ur vehicle on an incline if u have one available. It rained hard the day I bought my jeepand the car dealer had the jeep parked on an up hill incline that’s why I didn’t notice any leaks, I learnt for myself if I parked on a hillwhen it rained the water didn’t all head for the drain tubes but off the back of the jeep but I live it florida its flat and rains a lot so I fixed it another way. No more leaks so far
September 18th, 2014 at 4:49 pm
I put black (my jeep is black ) duct tape all around sunroof and just don’t use it anymore. Unfortuneate, but the only solution so my car doesn’t get wrecked and moldy inside.
June 22nd, 2015 at 10:58 am
I have recently bought a jeep commander 2006 had it for about 3 months ever since I got it I’ve been having the flashing light problem the car randomly shuts off but when I take it to the shop the diagnostic doesn’t read it . I’ve also had to put a lot of repair to the car and every time I fix it something else goes wrong the same day I really don’t know what to do I’ve put so much money in this car since day one.
September 24th, 2015 at 9:34 am
Water on drivers floor board. If you lift carpet up you will see drain line pull it up and tip of drain line is collapse. Snip the collapse end and reinsert.
October 29th, 2015 at 10:28 pm
I have owned and am the first time buyer of this 2006 jeep commander and it has 97k miles on it and for the first time it stalled on my wife right after off ramp of fwy. The code transmission over heat came on and now jeep won’t start ….but also in the last 2 years we have experienced the whole drivers side foot board being wet with heavy rain… my jeep is now sitting in a shop waiting to see what diagnosis is on it . Not liking what I am hearing from other comments and it appears I am not alone with these issues, is there any hope from jeep reps out there???
January 29th, 2016 at 10:11 am
I bought a 2007 jeep commander and it has been a nightmare on wheels. I have bought a starter, New battery ($164.00), alternator ($150), water pump and the “transmission over temp” comes on, it won’t start, the headlights flash on and off when no one is in it, the vehicle has cut off while I was driving almost causing an accident and I have only had the vehicle since June 2015 and still making payments…I have read complaints dating back to 2008…we are in 2016, why are they still selling this model and I just got a recall letter in the mail last week about the ignition switch…this is ridiculous
February 11th, 2016 at 7:54 pm
Have owned this jeep since 2008 and have 119000 miles ..I baby the car ..it has had 3 batteries an ac replaced at dealer …a water pump..at dealer …it flooded since new …i laughed at 1st have had to tape it shut to keep water out ..over the years water has ruined the carpet smelled the car kept my enterior wet for whole winters had to keep feet on bricks so not to get wet…now i have the electric problem with starter not working and no power when driving all lights on ..took to larry miller jeep which has done all work on jeep. they said buy a new one and cant fix it …the moon roof has caused all of these jeeps to corrode the computer systems and has cost us everything..i paid over 30 thousand for this vehicle it looks like new but is unfixable.. mark in arizona
February 11th, 2016 at 8:11 pm
Have owned this jeep since 2008 and have 119000 miles ..I baby the car ..it has had 3 batteries an ac replaced at dealer …a water pump..at dealer …it flooded since new …i laughed at 1st have had to tape it shut to keep water out ..over the years water has ruined the carpet smelled the car kept my enterior wet for whole winters had to keep feet on bricks so not to get wet…now i have the electric problem with starter not working and no power when driving all lights on ..took to larry miller jeep which has done all work on jeep. they said buy a new one and cant fix it …the moon roof has caused all of these jeeps to corrode the computer systems and has cost us everything..i paid over 30 thousand for this vehicle it looks like new but is unfixable.. jeep will now not go over 30mph all dash lites on and needs to be fixed…for i do love this vehicle… mark in arizona
August 12th, 2016 at 10:29 am
Bought my 2007 commander in April of 2013. 2 weeks after I bought it the floor on the driver and passenger sides flooded with rain water. I called the dealer and they informed me that they would not fix any issue because I did not get a warranty with the vehicle. About a year later the car would not start when I would try to leave. The engine wouldn’t turn over, nothing! After letting it sit for a few days it started running again. Now while I’m driving the stereo cuts out and all of my gauges drop to nothing, and the lights on my dash all flash! Along with when I try to enter into the free way the car does not seem to want to accelerate, I have to push the pedal to the floor before it will take off. I am terrified driving the car but I have no other option, I always have my 4 kids with me and that scares me even more. Saddly I do not have a warranty nor do I have the income to take the vehicle to a shop! I regret the day I bought this car!!
October 22nd, 2016 at 4:59 pm
Agh! This is terrible reading! But the simple reason is because I have experienced many of the same issues; how frustrating!! We bought our Commander 4×4 Limited 5.7L Hemi used with 95000 miles last April. A week after I bought it the check engine light came on and I spent $600 on something exhaust related that wasn’t covered by the Mopar extended warranty we purchased. Picked it up from that repair and spent $200 on a battery (same day) because sometime while they had it my battery went dead. Fast forward a year and my AC blower motor went out, they found some rear leak, and my rear window motors were replaced, all under said extended warranty. Go on vacation from TX to GA in July and get “trans over temp” code. Take it to Jeep in GA, trans flush is done at mechs recommendation for $450, told “transmission is beginning stages of going out” and they couldn’t get a tranny in before we came back home. Put some extra lubricant stuff in her and said we wouldn’t see that message for 10-15k miles. That was Friday. We got message again Sunday. Took it back Monday. Said it would be some sensor in some valve or PCM, but again parts a week out and were told she should get us back to TX with no issues. “Trans over temp” light came on randomly on the way home. Made appointment at Jeep dealership back in Texas, but when I took it in they were unable to find that code I referenced. Ended up having to drive the 30 miles to him when it happened before I shut the car off because apparently the comp can reset the codes after so many starts; and I didn’t have to do this once, but twice because of two week out scheduled appointments. I have literally had this vehicle at that dealership for code reads or repairs 8 (or more) times since the beginning of August. We’ve been seeing the trans over temp message for 3 months. They have replaced the solenoid pack, the PCM, and she just got a new torque converter Friday, which didn’t fix it either; all under warranty still thankfully! Star ticket is staying open and service advisor said we’ll see what Chrysler tells them to replace next. Service advisor has said even some of the email responses from the “engineers” don’t even make complete sense and make them sound dumb. Lovely! Glad to see everyone is on the same page in fixing this car. Stuck in her until we pay down some more because our credit union offered 1.65 APR on the loan for the vehicle and has offered many “payment deferences” just because, which I immediately regret because it has only delayed how much longer I have to pay before I can get rid of this car. “If I knew then what I know now” has never meant so much to me. Even with the extended warranty life is miserable in this vehicle. No amount of power, “bells and whistles”, or size can make this worth my time. This has become nothing but a headache that I cannot seem to get a resolve on. It’s rather unfortunate that Lemon Laws do not extended to more states regarding extended and other express written warranties.
May 24th, 2017 at 5:00 pm
April 11, 2017 I drove on Highway 408 in St. Catharines (near N.F. Canada) Suddenly my car jerked and jumped & the steering locked. The car was veering wildly at 80 km across 4 lanes a few times before it crashed into a guard rail. GM US diagnosed the car but refuse to give me the findings.…the U.S. GM adjuster informed me today May 24. 2017 that after their review… there was nothing wrong with my car & that I caused the accident.
btw I have a perfect driving record.
My VIN# was not included on the recall list in 2014 after which 13 people died of this problem . I learned that it’s a recurring problem..
GM would not acknowledge that the steering locked. . GM refuses to give me a copy of their diagnostics report because they say the information is “proprietary”.. I asked the U.S. Adjuster if I produced witnesses would it make any difference…she said NO.
I asked for a Letter from GM stating that my car had nothing wrong & safe to drive….she said NO.
If you don’t get a report its hard to sue…I found online there are many others in the same situation.
I have severe whiplash of my spine, arms, shoulders, neck & head. I have Physio 3 times a week but cannot function normally.. Some nights I am in so much pain I can’t sleep..
Do I have any avenue to dispute this? Is there a class action suit for those not included in the recall?
May 27th, 2017 at 8:05 pm
I’m in a very similar aggrevating situation as Marissa. I purchased my 2006 Jeep 4×4 Limited 5.7L Hemi used with about 70000 miles on it in Nov 2011. By the next Winter, all dash lights would come on but of course each time i took it in for diagnosing, noone could trigger the problem and that went on every Winter for a few years until the vehicle stalled on me on the highway in Chicago Illinois March 2016 with my 2 toddlers in the back seat. I had it towed to a mechanic who stated that it was the PCM which cost about $1000 and a wait of about amont for a part that was on backorder. After receiving th “repaired” vehicle, I drove it for 2 days and the vehicle stalled for a second time. Back to the Chrysler dealer who said the vehicle actually needed a TPM which cost me about another $1k and also was told that after replacing the TPM the replaced PCM failed and i had to wait on ANOTHER backordered PCM. Well neither of these fixed the intial problem because a few days after receiving the Jeep back it stalled again. PCM failed so #3 ordered! when that didn’t work, back to another Chrysler dealer who said that it was control harness that needed to be replaced but the part was discontinued and they could find me a used one for about $800 (plus another $500 labor) but couldn’t guarantee the part. I was all tapped out by then so decided to take it to a 3rd dealer who decided to find where the shorted wires were in the harness and repair just those wires. They assured me that what THEY had done would definitely work. Well after waitkng for about another month for the repair, I picked it up on a Friday and it again stalled on me again with my children in the back of the truck on the highway. When i sent it back to the dealer, I was told that the PCM had again failed and i had to wait for one (#4) to be ordered. They put me in a rental as i waited weeks for the 4th PCM to fail and for them to order and replace it. Though all but the first PCM were under warranty because it had failed within days of initial repair, I’ve lost well over $4000 on repairing this truck and am so deathly afraid of it that i will not drive it if my babies are with me. Consumers are supposed to be able to enjoy what they purchase, not drive white-knuckled on the road everyday worried that you’ll be killed.
June 23rd, 2017 at 1:19 pm
I have 06 Jeep commander limited and I am having most of the issues everyone else here has.The door handle shot,sun roof opened up on its own while it was heavy raining which seized the dash for 2 days would not start.The sun roof leaks so bad even after blowing out the tubes my floors are filled with water every time it rains oh and I had to pull the fuse out so the roof will not open anymore.The dash lights and stalling while on the HWY was fixed knock on would by the dealer putting in a clock switch in the ignition.I still have 3 light that go on and my head lights when the car is off.Now my problem is my battery not even a year old and tested its fine goes completely dead if left for more than 6 hours have check all fuses and with no luck.I dont know what else to do yes the alternator was checked as everything else.There is mysterious drain and we cant find it between that and the water logged car I am afraid of getting more mold than I all ready have.I love my commander it only has 98000. and should last quite along time I dont know what else to do.
June 28th, 2020 at 10:03 am
I bought an 06 Commander from a buy here pay here and absolutely love it but don’t love the problems. All of the recalls have been completed on it but same issues are happening and nobody can figure out why certain things are going on since there intermittent. I refuse to spend thousands for diagnosing and guessing by mechanics or jeep especially since jeep knows what the problems are and how to fix and will not help. My last jeep was 25 yrs old and 300k miles when I had to let it go due to frame rot but at that point engine still ran beautiful and no major issues. For that reason I would have sworn by jeep until now. Has anyone thought about a class action law suit?
January 12th, 2022 at 5:18 am
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