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2006 Ford Explorer

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2006 Ford Explorer do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 609.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

547 reports with mileage · 83 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 296 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 164 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

13 crash reports7 fire reports10 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

164 reports
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40,000 miles · Jul 2, 2010
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

I HAVE A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. AT 40000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I HAD A CRACKED RADIATOR AND HAD MY FIRST RADIATOR REPLACED. I NOW HAVE 67000 MILES AND JUST HAD MY 3RD RADIATOR PUT IN. I AM NOT GOING THROUGH FORD AS THEY WOULDN'T GUARANTEE THEIR WORK ON THE FIRST ONE THEY REPLACED…

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I HAVE A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. AT 40000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I HAD A CRACKED RADIATOR AND HAD MY FIRST RADIATOR REPLACED. I NOW HAVE 67000 MILES AND JUST HAD MY 3RD RADIATOR PUT IN. I AM NOT GOING THROUGH FORD AS THEY WOULDN'T GUARANTEE THEIR WORK ON THE FIRST ONE THEY REPLACED. CLEARLY THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE RADIATORS IN THIS CAR AND IT IS UNFAIR TO ALL OF US WHO PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10341122

53,000 miles · Jun 18, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

2006 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER WITH APPROX. 53K MILES HAS A RADIATOR LEAK AS REPORTED BY THE FORD DEALER. NO WARRANTY OR RECALL. HAVE FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR PRICE TAG. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10339069

40,000 miles · Jun 17, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

FAULTY RADIATOR IN 2006 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER 2WD 4-DOOR. RADIATOR LEAK AT 40K MILES. IT STARTED WITH THE ENGINE REVVING UP AFTER FEW MINUTES OF DRIVE UPON ACCELERATION. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO SAYS LEAKY RADIATOR MAY BE CAUSING ENGINE TO HEAT UP AND THE ABNORMAL TRANSMISSION FUNCTION. I SEE MANY REPORTS ON INTERNET WITH M…

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FAULTY RADIATOR IN 2006 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER 2WD 4-DOOR. RADIATOR LEAK AT 40K MILES. IT STARTED WITH THE ENGINE REVVING UP AFTER FEW MINUTES OF DRIVE UPON ACCELERATION. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO SAYS LEAKY RADIATOR MAY BE CAUSING ENGINE TO HEAT UP AND THE ABNORMAL TRANSMISSION FUNCTION. I SEE MANY REPORTS ON INTERNET WITH MULTIPLE RADIATOR LEAK PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR MODEL AND IN SOME CASES UPTO 5 RADIATOR REPLACEMENTS UNDER 50K. THIS HAS GOT TO BE A RECALL FROM FORD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10336876

37,000 miles · Jun 14, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

2006 FORD EXPLORER XLT #RD RADIATOR GOING IN TODAY. FORD KNOWS ABOUT PROBLEM AND STILL LETS CUSTOMERS PAY FOR ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10336214

49,000 miles · Jun 9, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

1. THE RADIATOR ON MY 2006 FORD EXPLORER 4.0L V6 BEGAN LEAKING AFTER JUST 3 YEARS AND 49K MILES--DESPITE REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNS, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN IT TO THE DEALER. 2. IN TAKING IT TO MY FORD DEALER THEY SAID IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST TO M…

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1. THE RADIATOR ON MY 2006 FORD EXPLORER 4.0L V6 BEGAN LEAKING AFTER JUST 3 YEARS AND 49K MILES--DESPITE REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNS, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND FORTUNATELY WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN IT TO THE DEALER. 2. IN TAKING IT TO MY FORD DEALER THEY SAID IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST TO ME OF $1200 (SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 36K MILES). 3. FORD'S ISSUED A TSB IN APRIL 2009 WITH A DIAGNOSIS FOR THIS ISSUE AND HAVE A REDESIGNED RADIATOR THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING ANY FAILED RADIATORS THAT YEAR WITH. IN CONTACTING FORD MOTOR THEY TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE SINCE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10335536

52,000 miles · Jun 7, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

RADIATOR IS LEAKING FROM A SEAM. MILEAGE IS 52,000. SEEMS VERY EARLY TO BE REPLACING A RADIATOR. DEALER WANTS $1100 TO REPLACE. IT APPEARS THAT RADIATOR FAILURE ON 2006 FORD EXPLORER V6 IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10335054

80,000 miles · Jun 7, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHI…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY RADIATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

NHTSA ODI #10335041

46,000 miles · Jun 1, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

MODEL YEAR - 2006 MAKE - FORD MODEL - EXPLORER V6 COMPONENT* - CRACKED RADIATOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10333996

37,000 miles · May 26, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

2006 FORD EXPLORER XLS V6 RADIATOR STARTED LEAKING AFTER 36,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10332283

28,000 miles · May 15, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

2006 FORD EXPLORER - 62,000 MILES AND I AM ON RADIATOR #5 - MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP - STATING IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND I DID NOT BY EXTENDED WARRANTY 1/2007 PURCHASED VEHICLE - 10/2007 28,000 MILES REPLACED RADIATOR - DEALER COST UNDER WARRANTY 3/2009 45,000 MILES REPLACED RADIATOR A…

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2006 FORD EXPLORER - 62,000 MILES AND I AM ON RADIATOR #5 - MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP - STATING IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND I DID NOT BY EXTENDED WARRANTY 1/2007 PURCHASED VEHICLE - 10/2007 28,000 MILES REPLACED RADIATOR - DEALER COST UNDER WARRANTY 3/2009 45,000 MILES REPLACED RADIATOR AGAIN - MY COST - NOT UNDER WARRANTY 10/2009 54,500 MILES REPLACED RADIATOR AGAIN . DEALER PD INDEPENDANT GARAGE - MARCH RADIATOR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. 5/10- REPLACED RADIATOR AGAIN - RADIATOR UNDER WARRANTY - BUT LABOR WAS MY COST ... *TR

NHTSA ODI #10330532

Official recalls

1

05V520000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor

Nov 9, 2005

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, PASSENGER CARS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITHOUT GREASE BEING APPLIED TO THE OUTPUT SHAFT GEAR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: AFTER A PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS USE ON THE HIGH SPEED SETTING, LACK OF GREASE ON THE OUTPUT SHAFT GEAR MAY CAUSE THE GEAR TO DISTORT OR FRACTURE DURING OPERATION RESULTING IN A LOSS OF WIPER FUNCTION. INOPERATIVE WIPERS UNDER INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD CAUSE A CRASH DUE TO IMPAIRED VISIBILITY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WIPER MOTOR FOR THE PRESENCE OF GREASE AND GREASE THE WIPER MOTOR GEARS IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 22, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673 OR LINCOLN/MERCURY AT 1-800-521-4140.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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