Problems with 2006 Ford Explorer ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

November 2009 at 50,000 miles had radiator and water pump replaced under warranty by dealer. march 2010 a recall on the transmission pcm card was installed. had to notify dealer three times that the transmission was not functioning well, dealer rebuilt transmission. july 2010, 67000 miles the thermostat housing separated and allowed coolant to leak out with no temperature warning resulting in a blown engine. replaced engine and we are now getting intermittent throttle fault lights along with engine speed input circuit malfunction code p0320. *tr

Third radiator replacement in a year. first one went out at about 45,000 miles. the others have only last a couple months. was under extended warrenty for replacements and now it is not. after seeing the numerous complaints on forums about this issue it is about time ford takes this issue and does something to fix it. and fix it right! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving 45 mph, the temperature gauge displayed a reading informing her that the engine was over heating. the contact also stated that water was leaking from the engine. an independent mechanic examined the vehicle and stated that the radiator needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure recurred approximately eight months later. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000.

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

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

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

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer xlt. the contact was driving 60 mph when the engine stalled. the contact noticed a leak coming from the radiator. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they confirmed that there was a hole in the radiator .the manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 71,000 and the current mileage was 82,000.

Model year - 2006 make - ford model - explorer v6 component* - cracked radiator. *tr

2006 ford explorer-bad radiator leak. started leaking with only 28,000 miles on it. called dealership and they stated it would cost $ 1100.00 to fix. they also tried selling me an extended warranty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that while traveling approximately 40 mph, there was a loud noise in the front end as the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact had already taken the vehicle to an authorized dealer who replaced the radiator twice but the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who diagnosed that the radiator and engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure multiple times and provided no remedy. the approximate failure mileage was 44,000. the vin was not available.

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

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

Radiator began leaking and slowly became worse. finally had to replace to avoid total failure. told by dealer it was due to seam failure. *tr

2006 ford explorer xls v6 radiator started leaking after 36,000 miles. *tr

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.

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

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

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.

The western berks regional police has a 2006 ford explorer which is having to replace the automobile radiator for the 5th time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. while the contact was attempting to enter his vehicle he noticed a puddle of coolant under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the radiator would need to be replaced. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 60,000.

2006 ford explorer with 62,000 miles i noticed that the radiator is leaking called ford dealer for parts and the price of the radiator is $500.00 all so found out that a number of other people are experiencing the same concern and that there is a shortage of radiators available. *tr

2006 ford explorer---eddie bauer edition, 4.0l v6 with 42,000 miles on it. radiator "split at the seams" causing it to leak. taken to ford dealership....no recall, no tsb on this problem...no offers from ford to help with the repair cost---estimated by them to be $1000. *tr

I have a 2006 ford explore and at 45,000 the radiator needs to be replaced. i have had nothing but trouble with this truck from the day i got this truck. i have spent over $2,000. *tr

Radiator has failed at 51,000 mile. from google searches and results at http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2006/cooling_system/radiator_leak.shtml this appears to be a very common problem. ford will not cover the cost of the repair. *tr

I believe the ford explorer 2006 radiators need to be recalled! first of all, let me just say that on carcomplaints.com there are 47 complaints about radiator leaks and having to replace radiators. i believe this to be a safety issue because if it overheats...it could leave someone stranded on side the highway, or even explode or catch on fire! please look at carcomlaints.com and review the complaints about ford 2006 explorer radiators! many people have gotten this same radiator replaced more than once! ok, now to me...i bought a 2006 ford explorer in january of 2006. in march of 2008, i was told that my radiator needed to be replaced. i couldn't understand why a vehicle with 40,000 miles on it, which get scheduled maintenance checks regularly with a mechanic could have such a problem. well, needless to say...i got it repaired out of pocket because my 36,000 mile warranty had expired. it was very costly. well,i continued to get my vehicle maintenance as scheduled. well, just a couple of days ago or less than 23 months(less than 2 years) later, i experience the same problem. another radiator leak! i hardly even go any where! the new radiator was yet again another ford radiator! i could have been left on side the road or had some sort of explosion! i believe there are defects in these radiators and i believe that ford motor company is issuing out faulty equipment. i believe that we, the consumer, or suffering the consequences due to their need to stay afloat. afterall, they too needed a bailout and what agreat way to save money if radiators or builtto last only a short time,and people go to keep paying for new ones! please check on this. i believe a recall is needed!!!!!!!! p.s. while writing this letter, just received a phone call that a technical alert has been put out on 2006 ford explorer radiators, and because of the complaint ...the model is not being made anymore! please check into this! *tr

First the check engine light came on and the thermostat was replaced within a week the radiator was leaking. this caused the vehicle to overheat again. the dealership said they were replacing several radiators on this vehicle due to a weak spot in the radiator. ford refuses to acknowledge an issue without you confirming it first. getting stranded on the highway with children is not pleasant, when you have your vehicle serviced regularly. *tr

At 45,000 my radiator failed and ford needed to replace it. i do not take the car off road, and keep all required maintenance. this is very early for a failure, and a very common problem for this vehicle. *tr

Radiator started leaking for no reason in 2006 ford explorer have been told by repair shop and other owners that this is a common thing the repair shop said that because this is a design flaw to expect it to happen again in a year i do not have 600. dollars to put out every year on a vehicle that is not paid for should i let it go back. *tr

Our police department has a 2006 ford explorer that is going to have its 3rd radiator put in the vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the radiator caused the vehicle to over heat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired; however, the radiator was not in stock. the ford manufacturer was called and stated that there was no warranty or recall. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 82,300.

Noticed a 6 inch puddle under my 2006 eddie bauer. had it tested and the tubes at the bottom were leaking. bought a replacement radiator for 220.00. *tr

In late december 2009 i noticed liquid pooling on my driveway from my 2006 ford explorer so i took it to my local ford dealership. i was told the radiator was cracked and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. i had an after-market radiator installed due to the ridiculous price of the radiator from ford. on february 19, 2010, i again noticed fluid pooling on my driveway and immediately took the explorer back to the ford dealership. i was told the o-ring leading into the radiator had "failed" and it was leaking transmission fluid. the dealership said yet another radiator would have to be installed if they could not order the o-rings individually. i was again told the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the o-ring was replaced on february 24, 2010 and i was spared the extra expense of another radiator. the vehicle has 55,000 miles and all regular maintenance is performed on time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking transmission fluid and radiator coolant. and as a result, the radiator failed. a private mechanic made three attempts to repair the failure by replacing the radiator but to no avail. the dealer did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. the current mileage was 78,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

We purchased our 2006 explorer used with 61,000 in summer 2009. the dealership did a complete inspection and replaced everything we found as defective or as a recalled item. the coolant system wasn't one of these issues. drove vehicle all summer and into the fall without issue. by late fall of 2009 vehicle had anti-freeze leak, just after the first frost in ne. local auto service providor replaced radiator twice in one month with napa parts without remedy and then eventually they had to replace with an authorized ford radiator to get it not to fail. also replaced the water pump, all hoses, pullies, and fluid to make sure there were no other issues. still leaked but minor and finally was corrected in spring of 2010. by late fall 2010, again after the first frost the vehicle was leaking anti-freeze again. took it to ford dealership this time where they went through the entire cooling system and replaced the thermostat and upper intake housing they said was leaking. they also flushed the entire system again and added what they deemed was the correct antifreeze for the vehicle assuring that this would stop the problem. vehicle still leaked and we had to periodically tighten the hose clamps but by spring of 2011 the leak again stopped. just brought vehicle back to ford dealership fall 2011, again after the first frost. was told the now 2 year old ford radiator was failing at the joints between aluminum and plastic. this was the same failure as originally noted in fall of 2009. there appears to be an ongoing problem with 2006 explorer radiators with over 50k miles. along with environmental issues, this condition affects the transmission and the safety of the occupants if the engin runs out of coolant. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the radiator and water pump were replaced because the vehicle was over heating but the repair did not correct the failure. the contact consulted with his personal mechanic and was advised that the head gasket would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.

2006 ford explorer xlt w/4.0 l had a coolant leak and needed a new radiator. mileage was 40,005. radiator was replaced on 11/16/2009. two years later (1/1/12) the radiator is again leaking and needs to be replaced. current mileage is 54,435. *tr

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.

2006 ford explorer 4.0 liter. radiator started leaking at 42,000 miles and just short of 4 years old. leaking from the lower tank seal. must be replaced, can't be repaired. ford will not take care of this known defect. this failure isn't due to corrosion, it is an engineering defect. many explorer owners complain about this known defect and can only get help if they are fortunate to still be within the 36k mile 3 year warranty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the radiator failed. the radiator was replaced two years prior to the most recent failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that they could replace the radiator. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 39,000 and the current mileage was 63,000.

Ford explorer 2006- radiator leaks . problem starts at around 40k. there are numerous postings on the internet with the same problem. ford refuses in most cases to replace radiator. replacement cost are approx. $450.00. *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.

Separation of radiator ... between plastic top and bottom tanks with aluminum radiator grill. this was the first replacement with cost $460 radiator, $308 labor estimated by ford. environmental issue and safety issue with engine failure/transmission failure possible. problem can occur anywhere/anytime; i.e., within traffic situation on multilane interstate rush hour. (43000 miles on odometer, first time.) *js

I have a 2006 ford explorer xlt with the 4.0 v6. i have the famous radiator problem that it seems 90% of 2006 owners have. ford has issued a tsb, but no recall. i know people who have been through radiators every 5,000 miles. mine didn't fail until about 75000 miles, but it still failed, spewing antifreeze all over the driveway, and causing a lot of hours of labor for me. the part was about $300, but i spent over 6 hours installing it, so i didn't have to pay the dealer $1,000 to do so. this is definitely a safety issue, especially if you are on the road when it fails. so many people have hadthis problem, and it should be a recall by now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. when attempting to make a turn, or decelerate, the engine would stall. the vehicle was taken to the dealer over five to six times for identical failures. the dealer replaced the fuel filter and the power train module . none of the repairs have remedied the failure. the ford manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 25,800. updated 1/25/10 *cn updated01/26/10.*jb

Radiator failure at 46,000 miles. mechanic said no reason why failure occurred, just started leaking radiator fluid. drove through rocky mountains, failure may cause engine failure due to overheating. *tr poor materials and workmanship.

I am currently having a problem with the vehicle the radiator is leaking, and i have to check the water level in the vehicle every two days to make sure that i do not completely run the vehicle hot and take the chances not having a vehicle by messing the motor up. this problem started just before i made my first payment on the 2006 ford explorer (may 25th) the vehicle began to making a loud noise like a fan continuously running whenever i would come to a complete stop and start moving again. then one day the air conditioner just stop blowing cold air and the temperature gage started to rise to hot my husband checked the radiator and found that the vehicle needed water bad. we have noticed water under the truck but we thought that it from the air conditioner the water under the truck is due to the fact that the radiator has a leak. we have had to replace the battery on the car as well this cost $79.00 this had me late for work as i did not find out the battery was dead until i was on my way to work one morning. i have check to see just how much this is going to cost me to have the radiator replaced and it is in the ball park of $400 -600. *tr

I have a radiator failure on my 2006 ford explorer, 4.0 l v6. this is now the second radiator i have had to replace in less than a year. i have done alot of research online and have come across hundreds of blogs and forums with people with the same problem. ford will not acknowledge there is a problem. if so many of us are having the same problem there should be a recall. people are having to pay alot of money over and over for something that is a manufacturer defect. *tr