The Lemon Index2006 Jeep Wrangler.
The 2006 Jeep Wrangler is worse than average by owner complaints: 91 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 163, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about steering, it has 3 recalls, and it gets 14 to 17 mpg combined. The best Jeep Wrangler year is 2015.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 730 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Jeep Wrangler 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 20K to 53K miles on the car (624 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- fuel system, gasoline complaints mostly came at 22K–50K miles
- fuel or ev drive system complaints mostly came at 31K–71K miles
- steering complaints mostly came at 15K–43K miles
Recalls 3
- transmission & drivetrain 2015
In the affected vehicles, the springs within the clutch pedal position switch that prevents the vehicle from starting unless the clutch pedal is pushed down may break.
- transmission & drivetrain 2006
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER LINKAGE ROD MAY BREAK.
- transmission & drivetrain 2005
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 42RLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, THE CUP PLUG THAT RETAINS THE PARK PAWL ANCHOR SHAFT MAY BE IMPROPERLY INSTALLED.
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 31 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1
- Correct shift tower sealer application to prevent restriction of vent
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedClutch linkage failure2006
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 $3800–4600 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Problem with the steering when driving over 45 mph. The front wheel move rapidly left and right causing a lot of vibration on the body, front shimmy. The only way to stop the vibration is reducing the speed of the Jeep.
2006 Jeep Wrangler owner · NHTSA complaint 10183633
More owner reports
When we hit a bump in the road the steering wheel starts to shake violently till we slow down to stop the shaking.
NHTSA complaint 10214527
Defective steering damper replaced 7/24/2008, 8/5/2008 and 10/1/2008. Sever front end wobble after hitting a rough patch of road or a bump with a 2006 Jeep Wrangler.
NHTSA complaint 10245778
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Jeep Wrangler reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.6× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 163; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Jeep Wrangler year by this measure is 2015.
What are the most common 2006 Jeep Wrangler problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are steering (18%), transmission & drivetrain (16%) and fuel system, gasoline (16%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Jeep Wrangler have?
3 safety recalls (latest: transmission & drivetrain). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2006 Jeep Wrangler get?
14 to 17 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Jeep Wrangler problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 20,000 and 53,700 miles. The middle report was at 36,000 miles, from 624 complaints.
Does the 2006 Jeep Wrangler have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 16% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2006 Jeep Wrangler cost in fuel a year?
About $3800 to $4600 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Jeep Wrangler have?
2.4L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl.
What Jeep Wrangler year is better than the 2006?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2015, 2017 and 2011.
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