2006 Ford Explorer

2006 FORD EXPLORER, PURCHASE NEW. RADIATOR REPLACED AS DEFECTIVE JAN 2008. RADIATOR REPLACE AS DEFECTIVE NOVEMBER 2008, JAN 2009 RADIATOR DEFECTIVE AGAIN. FORD REFUSE TO FIX DUE TO OUT OF WARRANTY. GENE EVENS FORD IN UNION CITY GEORGIA SERVICE MANAGER WAYNE SAID HE HAS A LOT OF FORD EXPLORERS WITH SAME PROBLEM HE SAID "IT SEEMS THAT A CHEMICAL IN THE ENGINE IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE RADIATOR TO MALFUNCTION". THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BUT FORD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

ON JAN 6 2009, I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF ANTIFREEZE ON THE GROUND UNDERNEATH MY 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE EXPLORER IS EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.0L V6 ENGINE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AS IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY SAID THAT THE RADIATOR HAD CRACKED. I HAD IT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, AND AFTERWARDS I DID SOME SEARCHING THROUGH THE WARRANTY HISTORY THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME WHEN I HAD BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE RADIATOR HAD BEEN REPLACED ON FEB 18 2008 ALSO. THIS MEANS THAT TWO NEW RADIATORS HAVE GONE INTO THIS VEHICLE IN THE LAST YEAR. I SPOKE TO THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS THE FIRST THEY HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, WITH NO PLANS FOR A RECALL IN THE FUTURE. THIS SEEMED STRANGE TO ME AS I KNOW OF AT LEAST 10 OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD RADIATORS REPLACED, SOMETIMES THREE TIMES, IN THEIR 2006 EXPLORERS. I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES TO HAVE THE RADIATORS REPLACED WITH A BETTER DESIGNED PART. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE REPAIR HAD THE VEHICLE NOT BEEN UNDER WARRANTY. I APPRECIATE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO. *TR

ENGINE WAS RACING, TOOK IT TO DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS PROGRAMMABLE TRANSMISSION,COST $100 TO DIAGNOSE AND RESET PROGRAM. OK FOR A WHILE, STARTED RACING AGAIN. TOOK BACK TO DEALER, SAID IT IS LEAKY RADIATOR, IT WAS BONE DRY AND IT WAS THE ENGINE FAN RACING NOT THE MOTOR. JUST PAST WARRANTY, NEVER RECEIVED EXTENDED WARRANT INFORMATION UNTIL JUST LAST WEEK,AFTER THE FACT. TAKING IT TO A DIFFERENT REPAIR GUY, ENGINE COULD HAVE OVERHEATED AND LOCKED UP! *TR

ROARING SOUND, RUSHING WATER, LEAKING UNDER DRIVERS SIDE. DEALER SAID RADIATOR DEFECTIVE, SEAM SPLIT, CANNOT REPAIR. 2006 EXPLORER, 48,000 MILES. SERVICE REP SCOLDED ME FOR NOT GETTING EXTENDED WARRANTY; RADIATOR WARRANTY IS 3 YR/36K MI. ALSO SAID TRANSMISSION NEEDS FLUSHING. TOLD HIM TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN FLUSHED 3 MONTHS AGO. HE TOLD ME I COULD TALK WITH FORD, BUT "GIVEN THEIR CURRENT SITUATION," THEY WERE NOT GOING TO BE COOPERATIVE. I PLAN TO CALL FORD. A 2.5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE A FAILED RADIATOR/TRANSMISSION. *TR

2006 FORD EXPLORER EB RADIATOR LEAK @ 35,600 MILES. I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM DUE TO PUDDLE ON THE GROUND AND DURING INSPECTION I FOUND THE RADIATOR OVERFLOW TANK EMPTY. THE I TOOK IT TO FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THE RADIATOR CORE WAS CRACKED. VEHICLE NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND DEALER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY AFTER WARRANTY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIR. AFTER CHECKING WITH A COUPLE AUTO PARTS STORES, I WAS TOLD THE 06 EXPLORER HAS A DEFECT WITH THE RADIATOR THAT CAUSES IT TO CRACK. NAPA FOR ONE, WOULD ONLY OFFER ME A THREE MONTH WARRANTY ON A NEW RADIATOR DUE TO THE DEFECT IN THE RADIATOR DESIGN FOR THAT VEHICLE. I CALLED FORD AND THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE EITHER AND WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE RADIATOR DESIGN ON THE 2006 FORD EXPLORER. QUOTE FROM FORD DEALER TO REPLACE RADIATOR WAS $690.00. *TR

I NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE RADIATOR AT AROUND 37,800 MILES. DEALER INITIALLY SAID IT WAS A LOOSE HOSE AND "REPAIRED" FOR $75 (9/30/08). LEAK CONTINUED. RETURNED TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RADIATOR WAS CRACKED (10/12/08). I HAVE DONE SEARCHES ON THE INTERNET AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 FORD EXPLORER. FORD SHOULD PUT A RECALL ON THE RADIATOR SO THAT IF THE RADIATOR EXPERIENCES PROBLEMS, THE REPAIRS ARE COVERED. DEALER QUOTED $630 TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR. CONTACTED FORD AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INDICATED THEY WOULD ARRANGE A "DISCOUNT" FOR THE REPAIRS AT MY LOCAL DEALER. THIS PLACES THE BURDEN ON THE DEALER, WHO IS INDEPENDENT OF FORD. FORD SHOULD FURNISH THIS PART TO THE DEALER FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THEM FOR THE LABOR IN ORDER TO TAKE THE BURDEN OF A FAULTY PART OFF OF THEIR DEALERS AND THE CONSUMER. A RADIATOR SHOULD NOT CRACK WITH 37,800 MILES ON THE VEHICLE (1,800 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY!). THIS IS WHEN I "NOTICED" THE PROBLEM. IT WAS PROBABLY HAPPENING PRIOR TO THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2006 FORD EXPLORER USED IN DEC. OF 2006 ABOUT A YEAR LATER I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS TOOK IT IN AND NEEDED A NEW WATER PUMP IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IN JUNE OF 2008 THE GEAR SHIFT WOULD STICK WHEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF PARK ALSO THE ENGINE WOULD RACE AND NOT SHIFT GEARS IT WAS ALSO MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. TOOK IT IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TO HAVE ALL PROBLEMS LOOKED AT THEY SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS AND IT WAS A GLITCH IN THE COMPUTER "ITS JUST NOT RESETTING ITSELF" THEY SAID IT WAS FIXED ON NOV.08 AGAIN WENT IN FOR OIL CHANGE THEY SAID COOLANT WAS LOW AND TOP IT OFF DIDN'T SEE ANY LEAKS IN HOSES OR RADIATOR. AND 9 DAYS LATER MY ENGINE BLOW NOW I GOT TO PAY 5,500. TO GET IT FIXED BECAUSE THE WARRANTY IS NOW EXPIRED. I WAS TOLD THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING INTO MY OIL TANK AND EXHAUST WHICH WHEN OIL CHANGES WERE DONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DETECTED. *TR