2006 Ford Explorer

2006 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER V6-4.0L NOTICED ANTIFREEZE LEAK AT 62,000 MILES TOOK TO MY MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE RADIATOR WAS BAD LEAKING AT SEAMS. TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THAT YEAR. REPLACEMENT FOR NEW RADIATOR IS $750 . HE TOLD ME TO CALL FORD AND SEE IF THEY HAD A SILENT RECALL ON THESE AS THERE IS A TSB OUT FOR THIS, THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. CHECKING DIFFERENT INTERNET SITES THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AS HE STATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, A RED SERVICE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE RADIATOR FAILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 44,000. UPDATED 07/22/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE AND THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 07/26/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SHIFTING GEARS PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RADIATOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE; THE RADIATOR WAS REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THE RADIATOR COULD BE WARRANTIED AS THERE WAS A SIMILAR FAILURE IN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO CALLED A LOCAL AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP BUT THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,071. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPPROXIMATELY 44,200.

OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS WITH MY EXPLORER I HAVE HAD IT DIE ON ME 4 TIMES AND HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. 4 TIMES THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS SOME SORT OF COMPONENT IN THE THROTTLE BODY THAT IS CAUSING IT TO DIE. IT HAS DIED TWICE ON ME ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DOING 65 MPH. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ON THURSDAY APRIL 15TH. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND YET AGAIN THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR IN THERE AND FOR THE 4TH TIME THE REPLACED A COMPONENT OF THIS INSTEAD OF THE WHOLE THING. THEY CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL FIX IT WHICH IS VERY DISCONCERTING TO ME. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I DO NOT GO ABOVE 45 MPH BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT IT TO DIE ON MY ON THE HIGHWAY AGAIN. THAT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE HAS TO GO THRU WHAT I (AND BASED ON THE ONLINE COMMENTS MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE GONE THRU). FORD HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 EXPLORERS AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIATOR LEAKED AND FAILED. THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED TWICE BEFORE AND THE DEALER WAS REPLACING IT FOR THE THIRD TIME AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

ONCE THE VEHICLE REACHES 35,000 TO 40,000 MILES, RADIATOR FAILURE IS COMMON. RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED ON MY 2006 FORD EXPLORER V6 AT 39,000 MILES. APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEMS IS KNOWN TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY, AS THEY'VE CREATED A TSB FOR IT STATING TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR WITH A NEW DESIGN AND TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE ON THE VEHICLE. RADIATORS SHOULD NOT FAIL THIS SOON ON NEW CARS. *TR

A FRIEND WITH 2006 FORD EXPLORER HAD THEIR ENGINE SEIZE ($5000) ON THE HIGHWAY DURING A FAMILY TRIP OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY DUE TO A DEFECTIVE RADIATOR AND NO ENGINE TEMPERATURE SENSOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000. I BEGAN CHECKING MY 2006 FORD EXPLORER BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO TAKE A SPRING BREAK FAMILY TRIP AND NOTICED LOW ANITFREEZE ON MY TRUCK OVERFLOW TANK AND LEAKAGE ON THE LOWER DRIVER SIDE OF THE RADIATOR. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL CAR MECHANIC AND HE SAID HE CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP PARTS DEPARTMENT AND THEY WANTED $800 FOR A NEW RADIATOR. MY MECHANIC FIXED THE TRUCK BUT HIS PARTS CONTACT SAID THE RADIATOR IS ON A NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER BECAUSE OF THE ALL THE DEFECTIVE RADIATORS IN 2006-2007 FORD EXPLORER TYPE VEHICLES. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY REPAIR ABOUT 4 OR 5 A YEAR AND IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY OR RECALL. AFTER THE REPAIR I FOUND OUT THERE IS A TSB RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MANUFACTURE IN ORDER TO GET A LIFETIME WARRANTY. THE FORD DEALERSHIP CAN ONLY DO THIS AND FOR $95 THE TSB WILL CORRECT THE TEMPERATURE COMPUTER SETTINGS SO THE COOLING FAN WILL TURN ON SOONER. THE HIGHER TEMPERATURES MAY BE THE REASON THIS RADIATOR IS FAILING BECAUSE THEY SHOULD LAST 10 PLUS YEARS OF THE LIFE OF A VEHICLE BEFORE NEEDING REPLACEMENT. THE GASKET SEAL BETWEEN PLASTIC AND ALUMINUM ON THE UPPER DRIVER SIDE IS THE CAUSING THE PROBLEM, SO IT'S OBVIOUS THERE IS A COMBINATION OF IMPROPER TEMPERATURE SETTINGS AND DEFECTIVE PART. THIS PART SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR A DEFECTIVE ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE DIRECT OR INDIRECT DEATHS AND/OR INJURIES. IT COST ME $530 INSTALLED AT A LOCAL RADIATOR REPAIR SHOP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000. *TR

2006 FORD EXPLORER - RADIATOR FAILURE - VEHICLE HAS 70,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THE RADIATOR HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS REFUSED TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE REGARDING THE REPAIR OF THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IN APRIL 2009 THEY ISSUED A TSB REGARDING RADIATOR LEAKS OCCURRING IN CERTAIN 2006 EXPLORERS MADE BEFORE 8/8/2006. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IT IS NOT A "LEAK" IN THE RADIATOR BUT A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE PART. THEY ARE CURRENTLY ON THEIR FOURTH DESIGN OF RADIATORS FOR THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE. MY QUESTION IS THIS, WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS REGISTERED REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, WHY HASN'T NHTSA LAUNCHED AN INVESITGATION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND WHY HASN'T THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY STEPPED UP AND ACKNOWLEGED THERE IS A PROBLEM AND DONE SOMETHING TO ASSIST THE OWNERS OF ALL VEHICLES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO THE PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THE RECALL LIST AND FMC BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM. THEY EITHER COME UP WITH A DEFINITE SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM OR BUY BACK ALL THE VEHICLES AND SEE THAT EVERYONE IS COMPENSATED FOR ALL OF THE REPAIRS THEY HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR AND THAT THEY ARE FREED FROM ANY LOANS ON THE PROBLEM VEHICLES. IT MAKES SENSE TO ME IF FMC IDENTIFIED THERE COULD BE ISSUES EFFECTING VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BEFORE A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME, THEN IT CLEARLY HAS RECOGNIZED THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THEY SHOULD STAND BY ITS PRODUCT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. MY GUESS IS, THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A CERTAIN IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING IT OR IF THE TSB AND FOURTH REDESIGN OF THE RADIATOR WILL REALLY CORRECT THE PROBLEM.