Jeep Commander Maintenance and Repair

commandert

I too get the wet foot treatment, the drivers side door accumulates water inside the door frame when it rains, you open the door and its wet foot time. I also am "blessed" with the stalling mentioned above, the damn thing just quits slowing down or in stop and go traffic. Thus far all I get from the dealer is a dumb look and an i dunno....

azagent

What model is this affecting? Is it the 4.7 or the 5.7? Thanks..

azagent

For those of you experiencing engine stalling on your 2006 what is your Commanders configuration? 4x4 or 4x2? 3.7, 4.7, 5.7? I’m in the market to buy one of the 2006 because of the great deals but I’m a little leery. I must have called five “BIG” Jeep dealers here in Arizona and only one service manager that I spoke with said that he has seen the problem once. I directed the ones that haven’t to the NHTSA web site to see those that have complained. Thanks for your input.

HJ

ingridluv

I have a 4.7 and now it seems as if it wants to stall while driving. I am taking it to the dealer on Wednesday :confuse:

a_commander

I've read all the messages and want to scream. I have a 2006 Commander and I hate my car. I've brought my vehicle in the shop 4 times now and they still can't fix the problem. They even sent a tech from back east twice to try and fix this whistling noise. They replaced the windshield, sealed the windshield, sealed the the shield by the dash and so on. Nothing seems to work!! The noise is seems to be coming from the drivers side by the steering column. Does anyone have any other suggestion?

csanchez1

There are two other possibilities:
1). If you have a sun roof, the water drain tubes may be clogged and can cause a whistling sound at about 55 MPH and up. I've seen a service bullitin on this issue.
2). If you have the luggage rack, check to see if there is debris wedged between the rack and the roof panel. Sometimes leaves and other objects can get wedged and cause noise.

My problem was solved with just a resealing of the windshield molding. I'd also see what another dealer could do.

Good luck

camo1

Have you looked at the explorer comments on edmonds? I'll take the repeated issues, (1. Whistling windshield-can be fixed with caulking or new strip. 2.Engine stall-sounds mostly like operator is hitting key. 3.Wet feet-check upper drives side handle and reseal windshield. 4.Trailer brake connector-read what you buy when you get the trailer package...) over the 535 listed issues the Ford Explorer has. For a first year vehicle working out the "querks" is normal. This site is very informative and I'm greatful for it. I want to thank everyone for their suggestions. I'm going to my first Jeep owners meeting to meet and greet the service department at my dealer http://thompsonchrysler.fivestardealers.com/ I'm sure as issues come up they will help. They have been great so far. I'm going to my garage right now and check to see if my roof rack is properly installed and to check for the grooved windshield. I'll keep you posted.
P.S. I have a key chain that disconnects my ignition key from the rest of my mess that was a free gift from my dealer. Perhaps that is why my Commander never cuts off while driving. Best of luck to all.

dwyandt

My Commander that is stalling is the 4.7

2jeepfamily

Stalling caused by bumping the key- which is actually not the case- should still never happen. Other issues, while annoying are not really safety issues, but if you are one of the unfortunate 4.7L Jeep Commander owners experiencing this problem, this is a very MAJOR safety concern that NOBODY's service department has found a definitive problem or solution for yet. To clue you in on what happens when this stall occurs, you not only lose power to accelerate, you lose power steering and power brakes. Anyone out there game for stopping a 5000+lb vehicle when it stalls going down a hill or on a turn with no power steering or brakes? Oh, by the way, there is no indication when the stalling occurs either- no lights on the dash, radio still playing, etc.....

japotts

Just need some feedback on some issues with my Commander before I get into the service department.

If you have any info or advice let me know.

1. front drivers door is leaking around the seal on the bottom. water is pooling and leaking under the plastic molding into the carpet.

2. light whistling noise while on the interstate. Sounds like it is coming from the dash.

3. transmission is dropping on the down shift. Almost like it is skipping 3rd gear going straight down to 2nd.

thanks

neumie2000

The leak has been addressed in this forum, and recently, my dealership called me in to have the seals replaced. I had never had a problem, but apparently the manufacturer issued some sort of TSB to have the seals replaced in all Commanders manufactured during a specific period. Your dealership should be aware of this, and it should be an easy fix.

The whistling noise has also been a common problem (also addressed in this forum) and apparently is caused by a channel that runs along the top of the windshield. Again, common problem, should be an easy fix.

I have not experienced any problems with the transmission, and I had a difficult time understanding what your problem is. Could you describe it in more detail? Is the Jeep really downshifting hard as you come to a stop?

duffd1

Whistling noise that I have had was due to a fresh air intake on the a/c that opens at higher speeds (over 70). There is a service dept posting from Jeep concerning this problem. They have helped my noise, but as of yet have not yet eliminated it. The whistling noise will be more on the passenger side of the car

misheil

Was this problem ever fixed??

camo1

Well, I had a wonderful visit at my local Jeep dealer and brought up all of the concerns everyone is talking about. He immediately scheduled me in for a fix of the whistling with their window specialist who is aware of the situation. He has had no reports of the car cutting off while driving, but I was able to simulate it by hitting the key to the right killing the ignition. Fortunately, my Jeep doesn't leak so my feet and floor mats are dry. He did do a quick fix for me on the spot after the dealer ship completed their "open house-service seminar" for new Jeep/Chrysler owners and after we chowed down the free food and drinks. I recently installed window tint to the driver and passenger window. The aftermarket/professional installer came highly recommended by a friend so I gave him a try. The tint was awesome, however caused the inside rubber weather strip folded in and made it difficult to open the window. The service manager Jim had never heard of that one and insisted that he see it. I took him and a group of other jeep owners out to my Commander and I showed him the problem. He smiled, stuck his finger in the grove and pulled the rubber weather strip in its propper position (hairy side touching the glass) and fixed the problem.
Anyway, so far so good on my Jeep. I'll keep you posted if anything comes up.
P.S. I have a 2006 Commander Limited with the Hemi. Originally they said I could not get the mud flaps installed on my limited since it has the Hemi. Good ol' Jim-bo fixed that problem too by simply modifying the mounting bracket. I guess I lucked out with a 5 star Jeep dealership that realy cares about my issues. I wish everyone luck. :shades:

dwyandt

Following is the latest from my dealer's service manager on the Commander's stalling problem:

"Jeep is working on a simple cure although from my understanding it has to be approved by the epa because it is emissions related this can take 60 days. "

Anyone else heard this?

jthomp

it says 14-18 I just bought mine. However at 200 miles I am only getting 6-11. I think everyone should go to the state attorney general web site and report this along with Chrysler and who ever else we can think of. I like the vehicle but I feel sooo misled in this matter, I would have chosen something else. I traded in a 300C SRT8 and its gas mileage was 19- 20 mpg all the time. Its Hemi was a 6.1 with 425 horse power, it should have been worse than this vehicle for sure. Somethimng needs to be done here. If I wanted a Hummers gas mileage I would have bought one. I am in on a clss action suit, but how do you start one. My SRT8 was getting its avg mpg at about 75 miles into driving it.

2jeepfamily

My dealership also has mentioned this being the issue. Check out forums on jeepcommander.com and jeepforum.com. There is a great post on the jeepforum.com site from a QC manager at a chrysler jeep dealership that refers to the problem: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=253493&page=4
Here is a piece of the post

OK, ANOTHER SITUATION WITH A STALLING ISSUE. DUE TO THE FACT OF EPA STANDARDS, DCX HAS LOWERED THE TARGET IDLE TO 500 RPM'S WITH MOST OR ALL ACCESSORIES OFF. WITH ALL ACCESSORIES ON THE TARGET RPM,S SHOULD BE 620. SO WHAT HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS IN PARKING LOT SITUATIONS THE TARGET IDLE IS AROUND 500, WITH STEERING THE VEHICLE WITH LITTLE OR NO THROTTLE THE IDLE DROPS BELOW 500 RPM'S AND YOU GET A ERRATIC IDLE. AND BOOM IT STALLS.

ACCORDING TO AN ENGINEER AROUND HERE, THE MAIN REASON FOR THE LOWER RPM'S IS EPA STANDARDS............ THE LOWER THE RPM'S THE BETTER THE FUEL ECON IS..
THIS IS TO HELP FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING IN TRAFFIC IN THE CITIES, WITH MOST ACCESS OFF THE RPM'S WILL REMAIN AROUND 500 AND THE VEHICLE WILL GET BETTER FUEL ACON.

Hopefully, this will help some of you. I am currently the owner of a 4.7L XK Limited that as stalled 5 times. My dealer originally replaced the MAP sensor after the first 2 stalls. Then, it stalled again 2 times on the same day- once on my way to take it back into the dealership. They kept it for 2 weeks (700 miles)trying to reproduce the stall- they couldn't. The service manager and service department has been great- Northwest Jeep of Beaverton in Oregon. They left a data recording device attached to the car and guess what- after another 1000 miles, it happened again- this time I was able to capture the stall with the recording device. The dealership has the vehicle back again and has forwarded the results to DCX in Detroit. For the record, my dealership service manager has stated the DCX has attempted to get this to pass the CARB (california emissions board) 3 times and has been rejected- 60 days has been more like 6-12 months from what I have heard and no good news on this if it really is the issue yet.

traindriver

I leased a Commander Limited today. Is the little green light to the right of the on/off button for the auto-dimming rearview mirror supposed to constantly flash on and off? Seems like it should be dark for off and solid green when on. Commander owners, what does yours do? Is this normal or does this indicate a problem? The owners manual on page 80 did not really get into enough detail to determine anything. IIRC, the light flashes constantly and does not respond to the on/off button at all. Thanks.

mdonigan1

Have owned this car for 6 days I have put less than 200 miles on it, I bought it used with 11k miles on it. I noticed 2 days ago it seems to be running a little louder. Today at lunch time, I started the car and none of the gauges in the dash worked, no speedometer, no gas gauge, no RPM gauge, no temperature gauge, no mileage showing or computer settings, only the gear settings were showing. Also, all the interior dome lights stayed on. I waited to see if they would go off and they would not. I turned the vehicle off and started it again. This time all gauges worked but the engine light was now on. Needless to say I called the dealer, and they said it was safe to drive and scheduled an appointment for it for the next day. The engine light is still on. Also, the passenger airbag “off” light has come on stayed on for about 5-10 seconds on 2 different occasions so far, after the car had been running/driving for 10-15 minutes. Why is this??? Has any of this happened to anyone?

connier

Hi I just ran into the same problem with a brake controller. The rv place cost me 200 bucks to tell me jeep never installed a wiring harness. Jeep tells me there is no part so they cant install anything and too bad. Where is your dealer may be they can tell my service guy where to hook up the controller. i am frustrated and have an airstream sitting for months waiting to resolve this situation. Please help
Thanks
Connie

lf8691

I have a 06 commander bought 10/05 and have 11K miles and just started to have problems, first engine light came on and fuel gauge went haywire took it to the dealer could not find anything wrong, they told me to bring it back if continued, just 4 days later engine light came back on and fuel gauge went haywire again! still can't find problem!! any luck with yours?

mdonigan1

Yes, they had to replace the PCM module which they explained is the computer that runs everything. That is what the code was when they hooked it up to their diagnostic computer. They had the car for a few days and gave me a loaner to use while it was there. As an FYI, if they have to do this to yours, in case they don't tell you this- make sure you give them all the keys - they have to reprogram them all or you will have issues - like we did- it will start but quit right away and if you do it more than 5 times....it won't start again at all!

Good luck!

dmnovak

I have also had the wind noise and stalling issues. After the 3rd time in for the wind noise they are now telling me that it performs to specs. Since it is a box style windshield that we can expect some noise. As far as the stalling issue, I am fortuante enough to be friends with the owners of the dealership; so when I got the call from service to pick up my car becuase they couldn't duplicate it, I made a phone call. I was told to leave my car until they could fix it. I just got a call and am told that there has been 4 software updates since I purchased my car and that is contributing to the stalling problem per DX. I don't know if it is fixed or not, I'll just have to wait and see if does it again, but I thought you would like to see the info since I didn't see anyone having any luck. It has something to do with the part number when they hook the car up to the star scan. Good Luck.

wdowdle

I purchased a new Commander and was shocked the second night I was out and someone turned on the passenger side courtesy light (map light) and wonder...is there a particular reason that it lights up the drivers head? Hasn't this issue been tackled by all manufacturers? It is absolute stupidity on the part of the the GERMAN/AMERICAN engineering teams to miss this....they must only work during the day. I suggest buying a Kia Sephia or a Yugo those engineers must have worked at night.

obob

RE: Whistling Noise. Do you happen to have a 3.7 Commander?

If so there is a TSB regarding a whistling noise that is not winsheild related. It has to do with the engine air intake

amcdermott24

This happened last week while I was driving all of a sudden every warning light on the dash lite up and went off again a few seconds later. Then two days later it happened again, but not only did all the warning lights come on the MPH gauge dropped all the way down to 0 MPH. I assume this is a computer issue and have it in the dealership as we speak, but has anyone else experienced this problem? What was done to correct the problem?

lion61

We've got a Commander 4X2, 3.7L V6 with 5115 miles. It started to leak transmission fluid. The dealer has advised that repair will require a new O ring (part #68001278AA). Dealer advises us that this O ring is on back order until January 29, 2007. We require quicker repair. If your dealer has this part in stock, please advise dealer name and location.

egm1

I have had my commander a few months and my whole family loves it. We have had only a few problems. My son is very tall and he has hit the key with his knee several times and turned the car off. At first we weren't sure what happened and it scared both of us to death since we were right in the middle of traffic and an intersection. This is a very dangerous condition. There is no warning of any kind when you hit the key off, it feels as though the car just dies. I wish there was a solution for this because it is very easy to hit the key without even realizing it. The 4WD light came on and our service department informed us of a TSB#21-014-06a and quickly resolved that issue. We too have the seat memory problem and we have been told there is a TSB for it as well and will be getting it fixed soon. Otherwise things have gone pretty well and we love our Jeep. I will be reading to keep posted.

neumie2000

Interesting issues. If you look back through the postings, I have also turned my Commander off by bumping the key. It only happened when I was sitting closer to the steering wheel than usual because my father in law was sitting behind me. Not sure what about the Commander's setup allows this to happen. About the 4WD issue, did the message "Service 4WD System" come on or was it a separate light? The service 4WD system message comes on every so often, and I would be curious to know if this is the same issue you experienced and what fix the dealership performed. We love our Jeep as well, overall, a great design.

zsowle

HAD MY BLACK 4.7 COMMANDER FOR 6 MONTHS AND HAS 5700 MILES ON IT NOW. I LOVED IT WHEN I FIRST GOT IT BUT NOW THE HEADLINER,RAIDO TRIM,AND HATCH MAKES NOISE GOING DOWN THE ROAD.ITS BEEN BACK A FEW TIMES ALREADY FOR OTHER PROBLEMS. I THINK THE TRANS IS MESSED UP TO. FROM TIME TO TIME IT BUCKS AND BANGS IN OVERDRIVE. I JUST HATE TO GO BACK AND PLAY THE GAMES AT THE DEALER.

kjeep

Im glad I found this forum. I have a 06 Commander v-8 which I love!!! But I have had problems with people flashing me at night that my brights are on. I've had it back to purchasing dealer twice. The first time one of the lights was really out of wack and they fixed it, then I noticed that the lights were uneven, I took it back and they adjusted them again they said as far down as they can go, but Im still getting flashed alot. 4 times last night! I found on your forum post #17 about how to fix it and Im going to try it on my own, I will let you know. But overall Im thrilled wit hthe vehicle. I had owned two Jeep Cherokees prior to the Commander.

schittycommndr

Yep. Soaked every time. But a small issue compared to the numerous problems we've had since we bought our '06 base model one month ago. :lemon:

Oh, it's for sale, if anyone is interested. Extended warranty to 70,000 miles. :shades:

rodneygal

I was wondering how this issue turned out for you. I am experiencing the exact same problem. I have had it in twice to be fixed but no luck so far. They say they cannot replicate the condition so they cannot fix it.

mdonigan1

Rodneygal- are you referring to the interior lights and no dash problem? If so, it happened to me again after they replaced the computer so they replaced the entire fuse box and another part under the hood that it connected to. Have not had that problem again since, however Ive since had additional much bigger problems with it. It stranded us kids and all on a freezing winter morning, just decided at a stop sign it didn't want to go anymore, no warning lights, no sounds nothing. Press gas pedal and it acted like it was in neutral. after a joyous call with chrysler roadside and waiting for the flatbed, the dealership had no idea what the problem was with the car. They gave us a loaner, and in the end replaced the torque inverter and a plethera of other parts in what was a just hit it all method of trying to determine the problem. Overall, I'm still very dissatisifed with the car, I will never trust it. The latest idiot light, (has anyone gotten it yet) the (!) on the left of the dash, yeah that would be the tire pressure indicator. Found that looking through the OM on a 2 degree morning.... This car is a huge disappointment to me. My 5th jeep, likely my last.

jewels12

I had the same problem and the dealer is still trying to fix it. Have you had better luck, and if so what did they do (replace)?

jenh1

Everyone needs to call the National Highway Safety people...this is the ONLY WAY (short of Jeep doing it) to get the vehicle RECALLED. There phone number is 1-888-327-4236 - or you can google them.

jenh1

WE ALL HAVE TO CALL THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY PEOPLE...THIS IS THE WAY TO GET THE VEHICLE RECALLED. YOU CAN GOOGLE THEM AND READ ABOUT ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS AND RECALLS (FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE THIRD ROW SEATBELT.) YOU CAN ALSO SEE WHAT KIND OF ISSUES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THEIR PHONE NUMBER IS 1-888-327-4236 OR YOU CAN GOOGLE THEM...

pfoster389

Have experienced this... thought I had a flat tire as I went in reverse out of the driveway... has happened 2 times.. intermittent. Any ideas?

zsowle

Well I tried to have the dealer fix the rattle in dash and head liner and after 4 days they said it was fixed but after getting it back it is still there. They did fix airbag light. I still dont understand why this thing went down hill after 4000 miles on it. I love my jeep but why cant it just last awhile the dealer game sucks.Realy thinking of getting a honda when my lease is up.

zsowle

It may be the esp messing up. Sometime my will do that when I turn a corner and give it gas. The thing is if there are no codes in the computer there is nothing the dealer can do.

horst1

Hi,
If you have purchased the Trailer Tow Package, I strongly believe that you will find an electrical wire harness (16" long) with a plug on one end and wires sticking out on the other end to be connected to your brake controller. Look for an mounted connector on the left hand side under your steering column. If you cannot find the connector, I would suggest you get your money back for the trailer tow package you have paid on the first place.Somebody made an error on your order. I hope this helps. Good luck.
Horst

horst1

Hi,
Before you spend another dime on your brake controller installation, I would suggest you go to an Airstream RV dealer and have it fixed. They do this kind of work. If you do not have a factory trailer towing package in your Jeep installed, the after installation is a little more time consuming but it can be done with no problems. I hope this helps.
Horst

kwyllie1

The fellow who installed my brake controller found the brake wire taped to the back of the fuse panel. He called the controller company, Tekonsha, and asked them where the wire was located in the Commander and they knew. Of course, none of the Jeep dealers I contacted knew.

thusrtonp

According to this evening's story, Tom LaSorda, CEO of Chrysler, said Chrysler is looking to cut three to six models out of its 32 nameplates. Analysts and suppliers say the new Chrysler Aspen and Jeep Commander SUVs are two of the products that will be eliminated in the future, due to poor sales. Mr. LaSorda said Chrysler does not need several vehicles that are similar in size, capability and price. He added that having a vehicle in every segment does not necessarily mean more sales.

randy_chris

I have had my jeep commander to the local dealer twice, and to an out of town dealer thinking that they weren't doing their job ...And still have yet to fix the problem, so needless to say we will be on visit four here shortly. It shutters and shakes like it is missing unless I manually downshift. The out of town dealer said that the who ever changed the oil last did not use the correct oil which I know is a crock as the shop manager is a friend of the family. I am really confused on what our options are as far as lemon laws in washington state...

jklightner

Ditto problem, 3 pages of error codes. Problem traced to loose connector on ignition switch

jklightner

I had this happen to me, also all the indicators would flash on and off. Problem was connector on ignition switch not seated all the way. Took Larson Jeep in Tacoma 2 days to figure out.

gavin73

I have this same brake vibration issue on downhill mountain roads. Did you ever get a resolution? Please share!

Thanks

chaley

On the Commander... Has anyone experienced the following:

1) A small "chirping" noise associated with the air conditioner. It seems to come from the back passenger side. I've heard this from day one with this vehicle. It goes away when I turn the AC off.

2) A brief "sputtering" at times. It only happens every now and then... but generally when I am lightly accelerating and turning out of a driveway / parking lot and into traffic. The vehicle hesitates and sputters as I punch the accelerator and then it "catches-up" and works fine once I get moving.

:confuse:

tbrink

Hello All,

I bought my new JEEP COMMANDER in JUN 06 and it has been in the shop 8 times and out of service for 47 days. The car would buck while driving at all speeds unexpectedly... I had problems with the dash, car locks, bucking and check engine light, hard downshifting and I still have problems. I filed for the lemon law a few weeks ago asking for a full refund of all my monies so I can buy a dependable car.. Chrysler wants to charge me a usage fee $5700.. Isn't that great what serivce... They don't care that I've lost more than $5700 in sales and time because I had to bring in my car 8 times (remember I would have to bring it in and pick it up which means I've been to the service department 16 times) and we all know how SLOOOOOOOWWWWWW the service department is checking in your car, then you have to transfer all your things to a rental (I'm in medical sales and carry alot of supplies in my car), then you have to wait to get the rental etc.... But I've missed so many appts with top referring doctors and hospitals and was unable to service my accounts with supplies they needed to help chronically ill patients. My reputation was damaged because I was a NO SHOW... BECAUSE MY CAR WAS BROKEN DOWN AGAIN... not to mention the fact that I almost killed my self trying to get my bucking car off I-95 in rush hour traffic or when I pulled out of the parking lot and could not move cause my car was having another bucking fit...

PLEASE DO NOT BUY A JEEP COMMANDER, if you have one be very careful.. The bucking and at times stalling is unexpected and it's very hard to control while driving. KEEP all your service documents and say your prayers... (I do and I'm not that holy) ;-)
Good Luck and please read below for detailed service info:

Here is a brief overview of problems I've had......

July 03/06 - 07/06 ( Days in shop= 4 days)
1) Whistling noise coming from the front dash window
2) Front passenger door light indicator shows the door is open when it is not, causing inside lights to stay on and chime to be continous.

July 19/06 - 31/06( Days in shop= 13days) CAR HAS TO BE TOWED INTO SHOP
1) Car bucks erratically while driving then check engine light comes and I was unable to control the car due to the hard continuous bucking had to get the car towed to get repaired.
2) Front passenger door light indicator comes on again when door is not open.
(2nd repair)
3) Whistling noise from the front dash is back. (2nd repair)

October 16/06 - 18/06 ( Days in shop= 2 days)
1) Car bucking erratically while driving, then the check engine light comes on. (2nd repair)
2) Whistling noise coming from the front sash window. (3rd repair)

November 04/06-09/06 (Days in shop= 6days)
1) Car bucking erratically while driving, then check engine light comes on. (3rd repair).

December 06/06 – 12/06 (Days in shop = 7days)
1) Hard down shift between 20 & 25 causing the car to feel as it has been bumped forward from behind.
2) Passenger door lock latch loose, causing doors not to lock

December 13/06-15/06 (Days in shop= 3 days)
1) Hard down shift comes back between 20 & 25 causing the car to feel as it has been bumped forward from behind.

Feburary 23/06 – 27/06 (Days in shop = 5 days)
1) Car bucking erratically while driving, then check engine light comes on.
(4th repair).
2) ESP/BAS light is on.
3) Anti-Skid light is on.
4) Front Passenger window shutters when going up. The window barley goes up.
( 5th problem with the front right passenger door)

Feburary 28th – Presently in the shop again.
1) Car bucking erratically while driving, then check engine light comes on.
(5th repair).

Times car was brought in for repairs= 8 times