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CONSIDERING BUYING A COMMANDER, have questions? Start here!

363K views 1K replies 349 participants last post by  Madkeen365 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Welcome to Jeep Commander.com, If you are considering the purchase of a Jeep Commander and have questions this is the thread for you. Read through here and you may find that someone has already asked your question and the answer you are looking for is here.

If you have a question that you would like our members to answer regarding a fair price or options or any other questions, post it here and we will get an answer for you.
 
#1,079 ·
Just became an owner of a Commander

It really is a great car. Very happy owner since a few hours of this 2006 4.7l 65-year anniversary edition.

After driving this one around a while my wife said:
- Next we'll buy a new one like this.
- Sorry honey - they're not made anymore...
- What?!?
 
#1,080 ·
Looking to buy a Commander

Hey all, I am new to the forum. I currently drive a 96 cherokee which has been more than awesome. I come from a jeep family so we have had plenty of models. Never had a commander though, so I have been reading up on what a lot of you have been saying and I am definitely sold on upgrading to around a 2007 commander. I would like to get the hemi but all I can really find in my area with the hemi have about 110,000 miles. Do you folks think its worth it? I am looking for reliability in this and I am kinda skeptical about that many miles. Thanks!
 
#1,081 ·
3 Commanders to choose from

I'm new as well and am looking at the following 3 vehicles. I've always wanted a Commander and it looks like my wife may finally let me pull the trigger. Anyway, I'm leaning to the 2008 due to the warranty. Any of you Jeep Commander Owners input would be much appreciated.

2008 Jeep Commander Overland edition
$17,500
88k miles
Brand new Bridgestone All-Terrain tires
V8 5.7L HEMI Engine, 2WD
Fully Loaded
Navigation, Leather/Suede Combination seats, DVD player, Sunroof+Rear Sunroofs, Boston Premium Sound system, Navigation, Backup Camera, Bluetooth connection
32,000 miles left on transferable warranty on Powertrain

2010 Jeep Commander Sport RWD
Mileage: 79,399
Engine: 5.L V8 OHV 16V
Drive Train: 2WD
Trim: Sport RWD
Interior: Leather
Navigation

2008 Jeep Commander Limited 2WD
$13,990
Engine: 4.7L V8 SOHC 16V
Interior: Leather
Color: Silver
Drive Train: 2WD
Mileage: 102,574
Navigation
 
#1,082 ·
I just bought my daughters 2007 Commander QDII 4.7 I believe it's a sport with most of the limited options,Sunroof,leather ,Boston Acoustic, fog lights. no limited tag, Turned metal interior trim, not wood. This thing's got plenty of pep, more than my old 03 5.9 4x4 Durango. The jeep has a build date of July 07. I wonder if it has the 300 Hp 4.7 of the 08s. Are there any quick to spot differences?
 
#1,096 · (Edited)
#1,086 ·
Hi everyone, Commander newbie here. I'm in the market for an SUV and there are a few in the neighbourhood. Going to take a look at a couple tomorrow, and I was hoping you guys could give me some idea of what kind of things I should be looking for.

The models I'll be taking a look at are 2006 Commanders with the 4.7L V8, QDII 4x4.

Any tips/info would be greatly appreciated!
 
#1,089 ·
What engine to choose?

Looking to replace my current TV which is a 1998 ML320 with a 150k on it and still runs well but is getting long in the tooth a 17 years old.
Heres what I tow with it, a 24 ft travel trailer weight around 5500 lbs. depending on what I have it it, I weight it each spring loaded with what we will travel with for most of the camping season. We live on a plateau and have to drive either up or down grades from 6 to 12 percent to get anywhere and when we are coming home I or I should say my wife who drives more than I do has to shift to 2nd gear and the engine revs up to 5500 for a short time but as we only take around six trips a year I don't think it does any harm, other than that when we get to flat or rolling roads there is no problem. I like the hemi but have had some gearheads I know say some there are some problems with it, some are just dumb like it uses a lot of gas if I was worried about that I would stay home, I use non ethanol in my ML and it costs now $3.29 a gallon now and I could use reg in the jeep so money wise it is a wash as far as I am concerned. A lot of other thing that don't bother me but I was told that the hemi has two plugs per cylinder but then again plugs last 100k miles now. the only thing that did concern me was I got a couple of reports that the exhaust header leaks are common at the maniford and it costs $1500 to repair. Is this common or unique? I will get any car I buy checked by my mechanic but it cold be good now and develope a leak later, as any car I get will have a lot of miles on it which does not bother me, anything under 100k is OK with me. Do you think the 4.7 would do me or should I get a 5.7 hemi?
 
#1,090 ·
Personally I would go with the 5.7L. We have a 4.7L HO in our Grand Cherokee WJ and it struggles to tow a 5000lb boat. It does fine on the road once up to speed and stops fine, but struggles to get going, and we live in Florida, no hills or grades, pretty flat. I admit, we have not towed with our newly acquired 5.7L Hemi Commander, but I know what doesn't work. Or struggles to work. Not sure about where you live, but there was only 3 HEMI 4x4s available in all of Florida when I was looking(2 silver and 1 white and my wife hates silver), at least with less than 100k anyway. We chose the lowest mile one and kept badgering the dealer til we got a deal we were happy with. We worked the deal for a month. Just glad nobody else bought it while we were negotiating. Good luck in your search!!



Looking to replace my current TV which is a 1998 ML320 with a 150k on it and still runs well but is getting long in the tooth a 17 years old.
Heres what I tow with it, a 24 ft travel trailer weight around 5500 lbs. depending on what I have it it, I weight it each spring loaded with what we will travel with for most of the camping season. We live on a plateau and have to drive either up or down grades from 6 to 12 percent to get anywhere and when we are coming home I or I should say my wife who drives more than I do has to shift to 2nd gear and the engine revs up to 5500 for a short time but as we only take around six trips a year I don't think it does any harm, other than that when we get to flat or rolling roads there is no problem. I like the hemi but have had some gearheads I know say some there are some problems with it, some are just dumb like it uses a lot of gas if I was worried about that I would stay home, I use non ethanol in my ML and it costs now $3.29 a gallon now and I could use reg in the jeep so money wise it is a wash as far as I am concerned. A lot of other thing that don't bother me but I was told that the hemi has two plugs per cylinder but then again plugs last 100k miles now. the only thing that did concern me was I got a couple of reports that the exhaust header leaks are common at the maniford and it costs $1500 to repair. Is this common or unique? I will get any car I buy checked by my mechanic but it cold be good now and develope a leak later, as any car I get will have a lot of miles on it which does not bother me, anything under 100k is OK with me. Do you think the 4.7 would do me or should I get a 5.7 hemi?
 
#1,091 ·
Thanks for the reply moneypit, I think the 5.7 would be the best for me but I just have to find one where I live which is the WNC Mountains which has the highest prices for 4x4's, better prices are in SC and GA but when you check them out the come from up north states like WI, MA, Ill, NJ and NY and I will not buy one that lived most of its life up there. I have lots of time so I will just wait it out till something turns up local that I can take to my mechanic to check out.
 
#1,093 · (Edited)
Well, this is my first post here. Looking to add a Commander to our stable of Jeeps. We need an SUV with a 3rd row, and my darling wife wants nothing to do with a minivan. We are a Jeep family, the XK will be Jeep #5 ('86 MJ, '92 YJ/CJ, '93 XJ, and my wife's '04 WJ). We are looking at an '09 Overland with everything with 76k miles for $17,600 at a Lexus dealership. What do I need to look over when we go there tomorrow? Doing the usual things, Carfax, checking maintenance records, checking out the door handles, looking for signs of leaks, ect. Nah, I haven't bought a used Jeep before! Thanks for any and all help.

Jerry
 
#1,094 ·
I will confess that I failed at using the search engine to answer my question so I will just have to post it.

I'm at the stealership looking at a 05 WK 5.7 QDii TR w/ skidplate package. When making tight turns on pavement (like into or out of a parking space) I feel what I think is drivetrain binding or at least vibrations. It is not to the same degree as when 4wd is engaged on my XJ but still very noticable. Is this normal for a XK/WK? I know that awd systems sometimes feel this way but my old awd subaru never felt this way.
Thanks for any light you can shed on the subject. Stealership says its normal but I'd like to hear it from actual jeep drivers.
 
#1,095 ·
Commander in UK ?

Hi, my first post here but I have been active on other Jeep forums because for the last 15 years I have owned a lifted (DiY) 1994 XJ with 270,000 miles on it, and it is getting tired. I am thinking of an XK as the nearest more modern ride. Lurking here, looks like there are quite a few similarities, like the brakes and the vibration problems (!)

I am in the UK where XKs are rare, and are almost all 3.0 litre CDR V6 Limiteds. My question is really to any other UK guys : how easy is it to get spares here? Do the main stealers carry spares? Or do we have to got through the independent importers? I realise the engine itself is a Mercedes (and very reliable I'm told), so spares there should be easy. But stuff like trim, transmission and exhausts can be a problem.
 
#1,098 ·
06, 07, 08, 09 or 2010?

Hi All,

I currently am looking for a Jeep Commander, with 7 pass seating, 8 cyl., cloth.
In my area I notice there are a ton of 06 & 07 Commanders available but
years 08 thru 2010 are pretty scarce.
Are there any inheritant problems with the 06 & 07's that I should be aware off?
Trans, engine ect? Would really appreciate any help on this.
 
#1,099 ·
Well I have an 06 and I have not had any major problems I did had to add some transmission fluid once when it would hesistate to engage after comming to a stop but that fixed the issue I guess the fluid was low and it has been 2 years with no issues, the other common problem is having to replace the water pump not that complicated the seal goes bad and the radiator fluid starts leaking and this fixed the issue, also I had to replace one of the wheel speed sensors. Other than that it has been great so I couldn't be happier.
 
#1,101 · (Edited)
My 2010 Commander w/ 3.7L V6 and QTI has been very reliable and a good vehicle for me.

My problems:
At 30k miles I got a Evaporative Emissions Code that lit the CEL. Replace the gas cap with a cheap aftermarket that didn't solve it, and spent a few months annoyed and trouble shooting trying to find the problem (it's a nuance light, especially for the minor leak code, which means the vehicle is making a tiny bit extra pollution and likely NOT even any extra pollution). Turned out, the cheap gas cap was bad out of the box, so bad on the gas cap manufacturer.

I had the evaporator leak at 50k miles, slowly and lived with it for a while till it got bad enough it had to be replaced. I put off the replacement and should have disabled the AC by disconnecting the compressor, but I didn't and accidentally activated AC mode which, since there was a leak, the AC had lost enough oil it burned up the compressor. So bad on Chrysler/Jeep for the an AC evaporator that failed too early, bad on me for putting off the repair and NOT disabling the AC to make the malfunction worse. I used a cheap aftermarket TX valve in the rear evaporator that makes noise now when running the AC on low, again that is on me and the aftermarket AC manufacturer.

At 132k miles, I had a TPMS sensor go bad. The Dealership and many Tire Shops will charge you $200-$100 to change one of these. I got a good quality aftermarket Denso replacement sensor pre-programmed to the my year/make/model of vehicle, so no special tools necessary and it only cost $35. I'm retired military and used the auto hobby shop at my local base to dismount/remount and balance the tire myself for a $4 shop fee. The TPMS light went out after 1.3 miles of driving with the new sensor (you have to drive a couple of miles before the TPMS registers new sensors).

Since I have hit 100k miles, I have suffered misfires before the normal change interval for the spark plugs. I change the plugs and that gets it running like new, but that is something to be aware of, unless its just a fluke the last 30k miles for my Commander alone, I have to change plugs a little more often than is usual. This is for the 3.7L V6 and may be different for the V8's, as well, it may be a fluke just for my vehicle for the last 30k miles. Besides spark plugs for this vehicle are cheap and can be changed in an hour, it a lot longer for the Hemi.

__________________________________________________________

Some things I've gleened from the boards:

The HEMI uses a Hydraulic Radiator Fan driven by the power steering pump. Likely this is why the Commander specifies a special hybrid power steering/hydraulic fluid only available from the dealer. A replacement fan is extremely expensive, like $650-$750, and NOT an easy job to replace. There have been some posts about them wearing out. If you're looking at the hemi, check out that fan, check the power steering fluid, the OEM fluid is clear, it may darken to look grey or black. But NOT amber or red, many aftermarket fluids are red and if you find red fluid in a Hemi's or any Commanders power steering fluid reservoir, then the previous owner likely added or replaced fluid with any old power steering fluid which is NOT durable enough to protect the Commanders fan/steering and thus the condition of the power steering and especially the extraordinarily expensive Hydraulic fan is suspect.
 
#1,105 ·
Hesitant to buy another Commander

I bought a 2006 base 4.7 V8 3 years ago. A few weeks after purchase ( 10K ) I was driving in a 40mph zone and suddenly heard a clunk and felt a jerk. The car stalled and I merged to the right lane, put it in neutral and restarted it. It got me home ( 20 miles ) without another event. Took it to a mechanic and paid $900 for a new drive shaft. Things went pretty well for the next year or so and I spent alot of money on mods - mostly exterior and an aftermarket radio/amp/12"s. About 9 months ago it was idling rough and throwing a cyl #7 misfire code. Long story short, two different mechanics ran 3 different inductions, throttle body tests, and front wheel hub assemblies for good measure. Finally 3 cylinders were not seating, so I'm pretty sure you know what came next. It was $5000 just for the engine work! But, I'd already put so much money into it and had it just the way I liked it, so I told myself I'd be driving that Jeep til I was 100 years old.

This past Christmas day a guy ran a red light and t-boned us, flipping the car over. Total loss. There's a 2007 3.7 V6 nearby that
I can drive home for $6000. Is it worth the risk?
 
#1,106 · (Edited)
I bought a 2006 base 4.7 V8 3 years ago. A few weeks after purchase ( 10K ) I was driving in a 40mph zone and suddenly heard a clunk and felt a jerk. The car stalled and I merged to the right lane, put it in neutral and restarted it. It got me home ( 20 miles ) without another event. Took it to a mechanic and paid $900 for a new drive shaft. Things went pretty well for the next year or so and I spent alot of money on mods - mostly exterior and an aftermarket radio/amp/12"s. About 9 months ago it was idling rough and throwing a cyl #7 misfire code. Long story short, two different mechanics ran 3 different inductions, throttle body tests, and front wheel hub assemblies for good measure. Finally 3 cylinders were not seating, so I'm pretty sure you know what came next. It was $5000 just for the engine work! But, I'd already put so much money into it and had it just the way I liked it, so I told myself I'd be driving that Jeep til I was 100 years old.

This past Christmas day a guy ran a red light and t-boned us, flipping the car over. Total loss. There's a 2007 3.7 V6 nearby that
I can drive home for $6000. Is it worth the risk?
@TwoJeepsinKS;

First off, I'm sorry to hear about your loss; I had a similar incident happen to me in my 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK) Rocky Mountain Edition with the 3.7L V-6 and I wouldn't wish that on anybody; My WK was immaculate; and I was T-boned by a 2002 Ford Econoline Van by some schmuck who ran a red light - by the time I realized he wasn't stopping, it was too late and he T-Boned me square in the front Passenger's side door - I had broken glass land all over me from the passengers side front window which shattered from the impact - and just like you it was a total loss, which is how I found my way into Big Blue.

I'll tell you from my experience with that Grand Cherokee, which had a 3.7L V-6; I would not buy an XK with that power-train;

There is just not enough torque/power delivered from that set-up for an SUV as large and heavy as an XK, of course, that's just my opinion. I'm sure there are guys here that have one that think they are just fine.

After driving this '08 4.7L with the mods I've done to it, for 4 + years now, I'd never consider going back to a 3.7L V-6 under any circumstances.
 
#1,107 · (Edited)
Thanks Big Blue. That's kind of where I am at too. I'm seriously heartbroken over a danged CAR. I was heavily invested. So it goes. Love your Commander by the way! It looks great and I bet it's quite a ride as well! Oh, btw.....is there a year/pkg of the Cherokee that can compare with the comfort of the Commander interior? I must have looked at 100 cars last week. I can't find anything that interests me bc all of these cars feel like cartoon wind ups.
 
#1,108 · (Edited)
Thanks Big Blue. That's kind of where I am at too. I'm seriously heartbroken over a danged CAR. I was heavily invested. So it goes. Love your Commander by the way! It looks great and I bet it's quite a ride as well! Oh, btw.....is there a year/pkg of the Cherokee that can compare with the comfort of the Commander interior? I must have looked at 100 cars last week. I can't find anything that interests me bc all of these cars feel like cartoon wind ups.
Thanks for the kind words. I felt the same way when my WK was totaled;

At the time, no matter how much I looked (which included up & down the entire U.S. east coast) I couldn't find another WK with the features I wanted (a V-8 and QT-II or QD-II) that was in my price range, which is why I finally (very reluctantly I might add) started looking at Commanders.

It turned out to be the best decision I ever made - and I found Big Blue right in my own back yard.

To answer your question - All of the comparable model years of Grand Cherokee Laredos, Sport & limited trim packages 2006 - 2010 have very similar interiors to the Commander - just slightly less roomy in the back without the 3rd row seat and that little bit of extra length. The drivers/passengers front seat area, dash layout & instrumentation is virtually identical from what I recall.

The only thing that may be an issue, is like I said earlier, the Grand Cherokees tend to be more pricey because they are popular & still in production, albeit in a much different form now.
 
#1,115 ·
Hello, I've newbie to Jeep world. However, i have a great opportunity to get a low mileage <70k miles commander with 5.7 HEMI engine. My plan is to get a lift, AT tire, front/rear bumper+winch and taking it overland-ofroad. It will mostly to get to hard to do obstacle such as WhiteRim Trail, Black bear pass and maybe Hell's Revenge.

I'm not mechanical person, but can be taught and done some bolting or hammering. My questions are

1. What are the available parts for this car since it has stopped production on 2010?
2. Does it share any part with other Jeep model? Which one or year?
3. What are normal maintenance/cost for parts?
4. I have watch Josh Duncan overland build which will be similar to my style of travel. Are there any electrical issue with the QDrive II? how easy to maintain it?


Much appreciated to all the answer or pointer to information.
 
#1,117 ·
Hello, I've newbie to Jeep world. However, i have a great opportunity to get a low mileage <70k miles commander with 5.7 HEMI engine. My plan is to get a lift, AT tire, front/rear bumper+winch and taking it overland-ofroad. It will mostly to get to hard to do obstacle such as WhiteRim Trail, Black bear pass and maybe Hell's Revenge.

I'm not mechanical person, but can be taught and done some bolting or hammering. My questions are

1. What are the available parts for this car since it has stopped production on 2010?
2. Does it share any part with other Jeep model? Which one or year?
3. What are normal maintenance/cost for parts?
4. I have watch Josh Duncan overland build which will be similar to my style of travel. Are there any electrical issue with the QDrive II? how easy to maintain it?


Much appreciated to all the answer or pointer to information.
@daklakfoto;

Welcome to the forum; congrats on your new XK!

There are still plenty of parts available to upgrade your XK; The only place you might run into issues is if you have any interior parts you want to place; Some of the interior trim pieces are getting hard to come by in good shape, in certain colors. Here are some links if you want to order any parts for repairs or upgrades to your XK;

Chrysler/Jeep Factory Parts: https://www.factorychryslerparts.com/

North American Parts: https://northamericanparts.rpmware.c...unt/login.aspx

JeepinByAl: JBAoffroad.com

JustforJeeps.com - https://www.justforjeeps.com/

Rough County lift kits - Suspension Lift Kits, Body Lifts, Leveling Kit, 4x4, Jeep, Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Off-road Truck | Rough Country Suspension Systems®

AFE: Advanced FLOW Engineering | Engineered Adrenaline

CARiD.com - https://www.carid.com/?gclid=CjwKEAj...NrrxoCEBbw_wcB

Bilstein shocks & struts - Home

WAM Custom Bumpers - https://wambumpers.com/

4WheelParts.com - Truck Parts & Jeep Parts - Lift Kits, Winches, Tonneau Covers, Tires, Wheels, Bumpers, Performance ? 4 Wheel Parts

RockAuto - https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...catalog%2Fjeep

Also, please read the new member required reading below if you haven't done so already; lots of good information in here;

REQUIRED READING!!! New Member Introduction post & other important new member info.
 
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