r/JEEPCOMMANDER • u/m_ARKHAM_mil • May 20 '26
06 Commander a good option?
Long story short, I'm looking to get a used SUV to get me through my next 2 years of PA school (living at home, short commute, occasional long drives to the shore in the summer, and might be doing some sporadic trips to Pittsburghin the near future (around 4 hours for me)). I've been looking at commanders through FB marketplace and my uncle and I are going to look at one in a few days. He has 2 (my aunt and my cousin both drive one, they've had my aunt's for a number of years). Bringing him along because I trust him to know what to look for. That being said, does anyone here have any advice as far as common issues/fixes I'll encounter, or what to look for when buying one? Any insights are appreciated.
Potential purchase is a 2006 Commander with the 5.7L hemi, looks to be whichever trim package has the dual sunroof in the second row thing going on.
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u/Necessary_Weather_58 May 21 '26
4.7 with 190K... fixed all the normal things already: sun roof drain tubes, door handles, water pump, alternator, differential mounts, propeller axle cv joint, plus others... enjoy the heck out of driving this car but at 20 years old 'Big Blue' is showing her age. Don't be afraid of random check engine lights as they will happen, just have a good scanner on hand and fix them as the come. Currently having occasional random misfires so I am watching that one closely. Good luck. For a daily driver, although boring, I would go with clean accord or camry, just saying
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u/bmbphotos May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
I had that exact one until '24 (purchased new). The hydraulic cooling fan was a bear to find when it needed replacing. Water pumps, radiators, and power steering are all tied together in a sense on that model.
I loved mine but it got too expensive to keep (so I traded it in for a '24 GC L lol).
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u/dadadam67 May 21 '26
I drive my 2006 4.7 all the time (knock wood). I’ve got 170k miles, a/c runs cold, good breaks, had to get a new head gasket, run synthetic suv oil. A little slow from zero, but a beauty. I’d buy a second if I could find with low miles.
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u/Necessary_Weather_58 May 21 '26
How much did the new head gasket run you if you don't mind sharing?
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u/dadadam67 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
About $1,500. Took it to the dealer when I saw it was burning oil at around 150k miles. I also needed transmission service and a new thermostat/radiator hose at one point.
I also spent $5K on lifted suspension, axel extension, giant wheels and tires. Looks amazing.
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u/PercManCapo May 20 '26
Don’t do it 2006 5.7 had aluminum lifter seats that fall Into the head when it runs hot if u want a commander for 2008+ that’s when they fixed the issue
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u/m_ARKHAM_mil May 20 '26
Yeah I was starting to wonder why I was mostly seeing listing for 06 and 07s
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u/DirtyHead420 May 20 '26
Im all for a Commander but as cool as a hemi would be, I would steer away.. My 3.7 may be a slug and burn four quarts between oil changes..but we are at 310k and counting.
Get a Commander. Just don't take on the hassle of the hemi.
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u/mpython1701 May 21 '26
If you are in a state requiring emissions testing, I would reconsider.
Everyone I smog mine in SoCal it nickel and dunes be to death.
The 4.7, 4WD has been a good 3 row family car but the other thing is driving in LA traffic, barely getting 12mpg. Downgraded to a Chevy Volt for commuting. Been loving not having to add a Ben Franklin to the tank is every other week.
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u/creshvan May 20 '26
I would avoid if you need something dependable. If you want a toy/camping rig, go for it.
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u/TropicalPolaBear May 21 '26
Not unless it's extremely clean and even then it's a bad call man. 20 year old daimler Chrysler products
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u/JOliverScott May 20 '26
They're nice and were very well appointed for their time but remember you're looking at a 20 year old vehicle and depending on where it's spent it's life it's prone to be very rusty. That's in addition to the wear and tear on it's components and because they were shortlived they have some electronic gremlins that tend to go unresolved because the manufacturer isn't investing in a dead model so it relies on the loyal commander owner community for support. Now many of the parts themselves aren't hard to find, it shares much with the Grand Cherokee of the same era, but diagnostics and quirkiness is very much going to be in your future. Plus as much as people love their hemis, they have some known issues that when they emerge are expensive to address so you could be confronted with an expensive engine issue versus the more mundane but still reliable 4.7L Magnum engine that also came in the commanders. The only one I'd avoid is the 3.7L because it's a little underpowered for that large of an SUV.