The Lemon IndexAll cars · Jeep Grand Cherokee
2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee is about average by owner complaints: 115 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 102, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about electrical, it has 6 recalls, and it gets 12 to 17 mpg combined. The best Jeep Grand Cherokee year is 2010.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 1,280 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Jeep Grand Cherokee year. 2006 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 54K to 110K miles on the car (822 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- electrical complaints mostly came at 61K–118K miles
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 55K–118K miles
- engine complaints mostly came at 70K–118K miles
Recalls 6
- electrical 2014
In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee,.
- transmission & drivetrain 2013
A transfer case electrical failure may result in an unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position.
- suspension 2009
ROCK KRAWLER IS RECALLING 44 PERFORMANCE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLE LISTED ABOVE.
Show all 6 recalls
- lights 2009
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- brakes 2007
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE SOFTWARE PROGRAMMED INTO THE ABS ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE MAY ALLOW A MOMENTARY DELAY IN BRAKING WHEN COASTING UP A HILL DURING CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
- airbags 2006
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE INFLATOR CONNECTOR FOR THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY ASSEMBLED.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Jeep told dealers about
Jeep sent dealers 87 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Nag1 (w5a580) transmission - shudder when torque converter clutch engages
- No engine crank - loss of communications with front control module
- UConnect Hands Free Module Fails To Respond Due To Module Lock Up This bulletin involves…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedAir bag non-deployment2014
- ClosedFleet vehicle recall completion audit2010–2015
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★☆☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $3800–6650 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.7L 6-cyl, 4.7L 8-cyl, 5.7L 8-cyl, 6.1L 8-cyl.
In owners' words
2006, Jeep Grand Cherokee, the ignition switch is bad and causes the headlights and interior lights to go on and off.
2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee owner · NHTSA complaint 10281416
More owner reports
Car engine stalls at idle and once at 70 mph while pressing cruise control.
NHTSA complaint 10250544
2006 Grand Cherokee engine shuts down when the driver gently grazes the ignition switch.
NHTSA complaint 10160506
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 102; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Jeep Grand Cherokee year by this measure is 2010.
What are the most common 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are electrical (28%), engine (27%) and transmission & drivetrain (20%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
6 safety recalls (latest: electrical). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee get?
12 to 17 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 54,000 and 110,000 miles. The middle report was at 80,000 miles, from 822 complaints.
Does the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 20% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee cost in fuel a year?
About $3800 to $6650 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
3.7L 6-cyl, 4.7L 8-cyl, 5.7L 8-cyl, 6.1L 8-cyl.
What Jeep Grand Cherokee year is better than the 2006?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2010, 2019 and 2020.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works