2006 Ford Explorer

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

AROUND THE BEGINNING OF OCT I NOTICED ANTIFREEZE LEAKING. ON NOV7 2006 I HAD TO HAVE THE RADIATOR REPLACED. MY EXPLORER HAD 47,227 MILES ON IT BUT THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED BEFORE THE MILEAGE GOT TO 47,000. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. WE HAVE 2 OTHER EXPLORERS WITH ABOUT 120,000 AND A 130,000 MILES AND NEVER HAVE A BIT OF TROUBLE. THE YEARS ON THOSE ARE 1998 AND 1999. MINE IS A 2006. I AM GLAD THIS WAS CAUGHT EARLY. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER RADIATORS LEAKING ON EXPLORERS OF THE SAME YEAR. IT COST ME ALMOST $400 TO HAVE IT REPLACED. I FEEL THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT MOVING. THE VEHICLE PLUNGED INTO THE WATER AT THE BEACH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE WATER AND THE POLICE HAD IT TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE INSURANCE COMPANY RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED HER THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE SALT IN THE WATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. THE CONTACT WANTS TO KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 16,000. UPDATED 11-19-08 *BF THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. UPDATED 11/20/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH 10,000 MILES. WHEN THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP, THERE IS A KICK IN THE TRANSMISSION AS IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REAR ENDED. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR REPAIR. THEY REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER FOR THE TIMING IN THE TRANSMISSION; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE DEALER BLAMED THE CONTACT'S DRIVING AS THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WORSENS IN COLD WEATHER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.