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CarComplaints.com Notes: The previous generation of Explorer was so awful that the redesign in 2006 was greeted with much optimism. That didn't last long.

The transmission continues to be the Explorer's worst reliability problem. Owners report shifting hard & lunging, typically starting as low as 40k miles with a $1,600 average repair bill. On top of that, the radiator is prone to failure around 60k miles. Repairs for the radiator run $500 to $1,000 & many owners report they've had to replace the radiator multiple times for leaks, indicating a possible design defect in the OEM replacement parts.

Ford did make some significant changes to improve handling and safety. Electronic stability control was added in addition to side impact air bags, but beyond that this is a vehicle that should be avoided at all costs.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
78,201 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Ford Explorer engine problems

engine problem

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2006 Ford Explorer Owner Comments (Page 3 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #17

Sep 092011

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

During a left turn across three lanes of traffic our Explorer would not accelerate. It lurched to start and would not go above 10-15 mph, nearly stalling. We were able to drive the car home but could not get it to go above 20 mph. At speeds 10 - 20 mph it jerked violently. This was a common occurrence at speeds 45 - 60. Moderately accelerating between 45 - 60 mph has caused hard jerks for years with this car prior to it being off warranty. We've taken it to ted britt Ford several times and each time they said there was nothing wrong. We also noted they only put it on the ticket once, the other times telling us they took it off since they didn't have the issue and wouldn't charge us for it. The time mentioned in this incident the dealer offered to split the cost with us due to our previous issues and their inability to fix it. They also did not fix the issue as we still cannot accelerate at speeds 45 - 60 without hard jerking from the engine or transmission. We no longer use this car on the highway because it is dangerous trying to switch lanes or merge on to a highway when the car violently shakes at highway speeds. It would not accelerate and often left us running out of merge lane space without the ability to get into traffic. I have read several such problems with this car and I am surprised nothing has been done about it. We have spent thousands having this car looked at and in failed attempts to fix it.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

problem #16

Mar 182013

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
With only 86,000 miles our Ford Explorer transmission has failed once again. When we had 23,000 miles on our vehicle we noticed the transmission was shifting rather hard and took it to the dealer and they found nothing wrong. At 58,000 miles the transmission engagement was so rough that we had to get it repaired. Since the warranty is only up to 36,000 we decided our best bet is to not take it to the dealer. We had the valve body repaired and it ran fine up until now. 86,000 miles and this vehicle is once again at a repair shop having the transmission fully rebuilt. In the time I have owned this vehicle I have paid over $7,000 to keep it running with regular maintenance, tires, radiator repair, brakes and now the third transmission.

- Hollister, CA, USA

problem #15

Jan 142013

Explorer

  • 87,000 miles
Just like many others who have reported the same issue with their 2006 Ford Explorer, when backing out of the driveway, I put the vehicle in reverse. There was a jerk as the transmission seemed to finally engage. I thought the trans broke at the time? this has happened more then once. I have also experienced the same issue as others with the delayed shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. My Explorer has just 88K miles on it.

- Sparks, NV, USA

problem #14

May 032012

Explorer

  • 72,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle was driving at a speed of 40-45 mph and stalled. This again happened on May 25, 2012 while leaving on our vacation. We parked the vehicle and rented one to drive the remaining distance. When taken to a mechanic it was found the throttle body was bad. We have replaced it and in the month of November the vehicle began doing it again. As you drive it will just completely shut off. As the mechanic told us there is no electricity going to the engine and you can coast to the shoulder and restart the vehicle. This will be the 2nd time correcting this problem if this is the true issue. It was read there is a recall on Ford vehicles for that year make but not for the Explorer model. I have contacted Ford and they also stated there is no recall. With the age and low mileage of the vehicle there is no reason this should be happening.

- Franklin, LA, USA

problem #13

Mar 212009

Explorer

  • 38,000 miles
While driving to Florida from Missouri, to take my kids to disneyworld, with a car that was well kept and relatively new, on the highway a few miles after pensacola, the vehicle overheated and stalled, so we had to stop on the side of the highway at night. Steam was coming out from a crack on the top of the radiator. I had to call for a towtruck and lost a couple of days of our vacation until the closest mechanic we found was able to replace the radiator with a new one from Ford. I got stuck with a $1000 bill since the car was out of warranty. But that was none of my worries. The issue was that the car broke down in the middle of nowhere on a highway at night with a lot of speeding 18wheelers. At 70000 miles the incident happened again. The vehicle overheated and stalled on a short 30 mile Excursion to branson Missouri. The hilly highway leading to branson Missouri is not the best place to break down. Opened the hood only to see the radiator steaming again. The car was towed again and fixed at a $1200 bill. The vehicle is a lemon and Ford should be forced to buy it back or at least fix the problem permanently. It can break down anywhere anytime, and because the way it breaks down and stalls because of the overheating it can cause a really bad accident if you are unlucky enough.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #12

Oct 012012

Explorer

  • 87,000 miles
Range shifter needs to be replaced, truck is jerking with acceleration and changing going between 1st to 5th gear jolting the vehicle. Very big safety issue as I have almost been rear-ended multiple times. Ford says no recall on transmission issues. Mine is a 6R60 transmission in the 2006 eddie bauer Explorer which has the range shifter located inside transmission. Will cost $2300 to fix!

- Crestwood, KY, USA

problem #11

Aug 082007

Explorer

  • 32,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph when an abnormal noise emitted from the engine compartment. The contact maneuvered to a safe location and noticed an excessive amount of radiator fluid leaking onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer three times for the defect and the radiator was replaced each time. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000. The VIN was not available.

- West Hills , CA, USA

problem #10

Jan 202011

Explorer

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was abnormally leaking fluid. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The dealer advised the contact that the radiator plastic failed and caused the radiator crimp to leak. The contact stated that the failure also occurred in 2010 and the radiator was replaced at that time. The dealer advised that the radiator would need to be replaced again. The manufacture was contact and advised that there were no recalls for the radiator. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 74,000 and the current mileage was 114,000.

- Washington, MI, USA

problem #9

Nov 242012

Explorer

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when driving approximately 50 mph the temperature gauge started to rise. A few miles down the highway he saw a large cloud of smoke coming from his engine. The contact was able to merged to the side of the road and have the vehicle towed. After diagnosis from the dealer they advised him that the radiator fractured and started to leak onto the engine. As a result, the engine and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was approximately 83,000.

- Las Vegas , NV, USA

problem #8

Apr 112012

Explorer 8-cyl

  • miles
First incident occurred in early April 2012: My car was emitting a foul smell and overheating. Upon inspection, it was discovered that my radiator was leaking. I turned my vehicle into Ford and it was replaced. Second incident occurred early-mid Oct 2012: My car was jerking and the check engine light came on. It was taken to have the codes checked and it was indicated that I had 2-3 random "miss-fires" to my spark plugs. As this is normally an easy at-home fix, we were able to replace all the spark plugs. The issue with this incident was that in the process of removing the spark plugs, all but one broke in half. This is such a common problem that Ford has designed and sells a specific tool to remove broken spark plugs. Once the tool was purchased, I was able to fix the problem and my car no longer jerked and the check engine light went off. Third incident occurred late Nov 2012: Vehicle started jolting and jerking excessively and check engine light came on. Feels like transmission is not engaging gears properly. After much research, I found that this is a common and major safety issue regarding this vehicle. A safety recall needs to be done imminently. Another issue, started in the end of 2011: When going from park to reverse or drive, stick shift will stick and I will have wiggle and pull hard to make it move.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #7

Sep 122011

Explorer

  • 65,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When I moved from park to drive the transmission jolted and slammed into gear... today while driving the truck went from 40 to about 10 mph and will not go above this speed.

- Easton, PA, USA

problem #6

Oct 132010

Explorer

  • 73,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled and all the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact pulled the vehicle over and restarted it and it functioned properly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 73,000.

- Waterford, CT, USA

problem #5

Sep 132012

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 80,700 miles
While trying to stop my vehicle suddenly accelerated and I had to put it in neutral to come to a stop. I pulled into a parking lot and shut the engine off and then started it up again and my engine revved at around 4000 RPM. The only way I could drive the vehicle home was to keep constant heavy pressure on the brakes. It always wanted to accelerate.

- Tewksbury, MA, USA

problem #4

Aug 152012

Explorer

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated. The contact was able to accelerate into traffic however within moments, fire emitted from under the hood. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire and advised that the fire originated from the right side of the engine bay area. The fire had spread to the windshield and dashboard as well. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who did not advise the contact on the cause of the engine failure that could have led to the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileage was 50,000.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #3

Jul 122012

Explorer

  • 554,000 miles
Engine lost power and began vibrating. Engine driven to dealership and engine light came on. Dealership states "seized" spark plug but because part is defective wants to replace all eight plugs. Unable to quote cost as plugs are known to break off during removal. Plug replacement recommended orginally to be 100000 now dropped to 60,000. Service writer stated "you must have had someone messing with your spark plugs". told him no one has serviced my car but his dealership. Special tool designed by Ford to remove these plugs. Cost cannot be quoted ($946 for one plug changeout plus full service fuel service prior to removal to "loosen" up carbon buildup which they say causes the problem with plug breakage) but cost runs into thousands of dollars and shavings from reboring the plugs for replacement of different design plug can cause engine to be damaged. Car purchased new in 2006. Only driver. Only dealer serviced. This is a terrible problem.

- Columbia , SC, USA

problem #2

Jun 052012

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
I noticed a yellow fluid leaking from the thermostat housing. I took it to a mechanic and he said that the antifreeze was leaking from somewhere in the manifold, probably the thermostat housing. We replaced the thermostat housing and brand new O-rings and added silicone sealant around the affected areas. We are still seeing the leaking. I have seen this complaint numerous times and it is time that Ford take responsibility for the plastic parts that are connected to the engine. Ford must use metal parts to replace these for me because plastic warps in the heat of Florida. The affected parts are the thermostat housing and it's connection to the engine. I have a 2006 Ford Explorer eddie bauer 4.0 with 55K mileage. Good maintenance always, oil changed regularly, fluids checked and maintained regularly. Ford must fix this!

- St.Petersburg , FL, USA

problem #1

Jan 012009

Explorer

  • 27,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the reading from the temperature gauge increased when the radiator failed. The radiator leaked coolant due to defective plastic. The radiator was replaced three times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired a fourth. The failure mileage was 27,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

- Bear , DE, USA

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