Problems with 2006 Ford Explorer ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer . he noticed a small puddle of water under the engine. he assumed that the air conditioner was dripping water. as the failure became progressively worse he speculated that the radiator failed. the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. no repairs were made. the failure and current mileages were under 53,000. updated 2/17/10 *cn updated 02/22/10.*jb

Had to replace leaking radiator. was covered under extended warranty. *tr

Trac control, abs, check engines lights on. rattle on left rear axle, abs ring loose form axle, need to replace ring and axle. *tr

2006 explorer radiator leak. *tr

Issue with the radiator. replaced the radiator 7 months ago and now replacing it again. *tr

Vehicle just cut off one day while driving, lost power, wrench light came on. cut the vehicle off and start it up and off you go. this problem occurs over the next year, about 2 to 3 times a month. have taken the vehicle to the dealer, they said there was nothing they could do because the engine light was not on. finally after several more months of the same problem happening the engine light comes on and stays on. take it back to the dealer and give some more money to them, just for them to come to the conclusion that the throttle body needs to be replaced, and that i have a small leak in the radiator. i do not have the money to get the repairs done. i'm already making payments every month for a vehicle that won't work right. i take care of my vehicle and get all the services done on time. currently i have close to 80,000 miles on my explorer. i have been reading that plenty of other people have experienced both the throttle body and radiator going bad, i have read that it is a known problem for the radiator and throttle body to go bad. ford you need to recall this, and own up to this issue. long story short this will be the last ford i purchase, and i'm thinking about getting rid of this one as quick as possible. *tr

Had a radiator failure the first year. had a second radiator failure 36,000 miles later in the same spot on the same style radiator. looking at the complaints on one of the ford chat boards it looks like there are hundreds of us with the same problem from 2006. dealer admitted they knew of the problem but that replacement was not yet covered by ford and the radiators were currently on back order due to heavy demand. *tr

2006 ford explorer eddie bauer - had leaking from the radiator -- took to a mechanic, he stated that there was a crack in the seam of the radiator and we would need to replace it at our cost of $650.00 because ford has not recalled the equipment but is more than aware there is an issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. since october of 2008, the vehicle stalls at any speed and the accelerator becomes difficult to depress. while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle automatically stalls when attempting to brake. when attempting to accelerate after the failure, the vehicle just shuts off. the vehicle has been taken to the repair shop four times regarding the brake failure and stalling, but the cause of the failure has yet to be determined. the contact stated that this is a safety issue and she would like the failure investigated. the current and failure mileages were 74,000. updated 10/21/09 *bf updated 10/21/09*jb

I have a 2006 ford eddie bauer explorer with 47k miles on it. i just had to have my second radiator put in. my first went around 20k miles and luckily was under warranty. today, i had to spend over $600 to replace this. based on the number of complaints i see and what has happened in my situation, there is clearly a problem with these radiators. even my mechanic was aware of the issue prior to looking at my car. ford needs to address this asap! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the radiator was leaking abnormally. the radiator was replaced yet the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that she would need to replace the radiator a second time. the manufacturer was not aware of the failure and advised that they would have someone contact her within four business days. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 63,133 and the current mileage was 91,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. for several months, the contact noticed coolant leaking from the vehicle. he added more coolant, but noticed that it continued to leak. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the radiator failed. the dealer replaced the radiator at the cost of $1,100. the manufacturer advised the contact to call nhtsa. the failure mileage was 37,000 and current mileage was 42,000.

As vehicle was being driven, engine died. no lights on dash to indicate problem. no smoke from engine at that time. vehicle pulled over, hood opened, lots of smoke poured out. had towed to closest dealership. both head gaskets blown, heads warped, one piston broke. needs entirely new engine - estimated cost $6000. bought vehicle used with limited powertrain warranty. per ford a clamp on a hose to the thermostat missing caused breakdown and not covered by warranty. did research, there was a tsb about clamps to radiator hoses (should include thermostat) for replacement due to faulty coating which could cause engine failure. had my vehicle history researched and does not appear that mine were ever replaced. neither ford nor the dealership where purchased are doing anything to fix problem. also do not understand how powertrain warranty can cover the thermostat but not the hoses and clamps that are part of it. also believe that since no lights on dash to indicate problem that could also have prevented this from happening if the vehicle had been inspected properly prior to sale to me by dealership. *tr

My wife noticed a large amount of liquid under the front of our 2006 ford explorer. we took the vehicle to town and country ford. they diagnosed the problem as a leaking radiator. the radiator was replaced at a cost of $611.69. i questioned survive advisor as to why a radiator would fail with approximately 46k miles. i asked if this is a known issue on this vehicle. he said no. by the way, my comprehensive extended ford warranty expired two months ago. ironic isn't it? i contacted ford motor company customer relations on 2/27/09. i asked to be reimbursed the $611.69 i spent to repair my vehicle. based on that conversation with kevin i didn't get the impression that they were going to do anything to stand behind their product. i was informed that the dealership will be contacted and i should hear from someone within four business days. *tr

I have a 2006 ford explorer that was leaking fluid on the front driver side. we took the vehicle in and were told there was a pin hole crack in the seam of the radiator. we had to replace the radiator. cost $600.00 there is 61,000 on the vehicle. i noticed many other complaints about this issue and brought it up to the repair department. they were not aware of the problem. *tr

The radiator in my 2006 ford explorer - eddie bauer edition failed on 01/17/09 and the vehicle only had 21,800 miles on it. it's quite obvious that ford should be recalling the radiators in the 2006 explorers since it appears that many people are having the same problem. i had my new radiator installed under the manufacturer warranty, but i know others have had to pay out of pocket to have the radiators replaced. *tr

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

I am currently having to put my second all new radiator in my 06 eddie bauer explorer. this is the second in 13 months. i feel that these radiators are defective as i know others have had the exact same problem and ford refuses to acknowledge this problem. *tr

2006 ford explorer, eddie bauer 4wd v6. radiator failed at 45000 miles. leaking from cracks along inside top seam. it is a manufacturing defect caused by poor design. bought the new unit from a local ford dealer and installed it myself. $303.00 for the new radiator. this seems to be a very common problem with the year and model referenced. ford needs to step up and admit there is a problem and assist the owners of these fords. *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

Failure #1--gear shift selector very difficult to move from park; dealer said ford redesigned, but not covered by them. failure #2--leak in seam of radiator (between plastic & aluminum). again, not covered by ford or by extended warranty. *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

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the radiator was defective and leaking fluid. the dealer stated that the radiator needed to be replaced; however, they refuse to acknowledge it as a major issue that is affecting all the ford explorer vehicles. the failure and current mileages were 47,000.

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

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

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

My suv stalls any time the car slows down or it will accelerate on its own up to 60mph so that i have to drive with my foot on the brake. tonight the car stalled in the middle of a major intersection and took 5 minutes before it would restart. when it did restart it accelerated so rapidly another accident almost occurred. i have taken the suv to the dealership three times over three years and the say that it is doing nothing wrong. i have found websites that other consumers are driving in the same hazardous vehicles with no recourse from ford. i am renting a car now because i am terrified to drive mine. *tr

My 2006 ford explorer jerks and jolts extremely hard while coming to a stop. the first time i took it in for the warranty repair they reprogrammed the computer which seemed to help for a few months. today i returned for the same problem only it is three times as bad as before. they told me at first it was the drivers fault. then they came back and said it was normal operation. my neck is very sore from all the jerking and jolting it has received from this car. in fact my neck is burning right now from pain. *tr

I own a 2006 ford explorer which i purchased new from the dealer. in july of 2008 with 38,000 miles on it the radiator had to be replaced because it was leaking. ford would not cover the cost because it was out of warranty. i now have 75,000 miles on the vehicle and the radiator is leaking again and will need to be replaced. i see other complaints in your database about the same issue and if this problem is searched on the internet many complaints can be found. i would like to state that this is a safety and environmental issue that ford should address. from a safety standpoint, if the cooling system fails completely at highway speeds and the motor stalls or freezes up a crash could easily occur from loss of control. environmentally, i wouldn't think the epa wants leaking antifreeze coming from hundreds (thousands?) of vehicles every day? environmentally, antifreeze is highly toxic to dogs and cats, and puddles of it in on garage floors should make ford want to take care of the problem? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the radiator was replaced june of 2008, but the failure was not corrected. the vehicles coolant level was low. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test which determined that the failure was located in the radiator seal and caused the engine coolant to leak. report 1320050701 was filed with the manufacturer and they will not assist with the repairs, because the vehicle warranty expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 62,000 and the current mileage was 105,000. updated 07/20/11*lj updated 08/01/11

Leaking radiator in 2006 ford explorer at 40,000 miles. dealership made my buy a new radiator. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the radiator was leaking abnormally. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the radiator would need to be replaced with an updated radiator and the computer would need reprogramming. the contact had to continuously apply antifreeze or water to the radiator so the vehicle would not over heat. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000. the vin was not available.

My 2006 ford explorer which has 52,000 miles on it has a leaking radiator. from what i have heard this is normal on this year vehicle. this is shameful and ford should man up and fix the problem. *tr

2006 ford explorer xlt #rd radiator going in today. ford knows about problem and still lets customers pay for issue. *tr

I have had a slow leak in my explorer for a week, we changed the over flow tank and then the leak became a more serious one. my dad looked at it and my radiator is leaking about two different places. it is going cost me about $300.00 to get a new or if it can be repaired the price of it. a owner of a shop has informed me that he has had to repair several radiators with the same year and make as mine. if this is such a big problem for everyone why hasn't there been a recall yet. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph and drove over a bump. immediately, the engine warning indicator and temperature gauge illuminated. the engine then began to overheat. the failure would also occur when driving on uneven road surfaces. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer twice for the same failure and the radiator was replaced each time. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 45,551. updated 05/08/12*lj the consumer stated the radiator had to be replaced twice.

I have my third radiator in my 2006 ford explorer with the v6 engine. *tr

I began to notice leakage under my car. it appeared to be antifreeze so i kept a check on it. after two weeks, there was a gush of liquid. i took it to the local ford dealership. the radiator was bad and needed to be replaced. i bought my ford explorer new just 2 years ago. shouldn't a radiator last more than 2 years? it cost me $80 for the diagnosis and $545 to replace it. i have the old radiator. in the upper right corner there is corrosion which indicates that there had been a malfunction over a period of time. *tr

Defective radiators in 2006-2007 ford explorers. hole in radiator from wear from lack of radiator support. also gasket seal between plastic in radiator and aluminum. i can't get a replacement radiator because there are none available-3/17/08. so it's obvious there is a problem. *tr

Radiator leak in 2006 ford explorer. v6 engine. happened at 42,000 miles. happened a second time on 4/11/10. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle would completely shut off. afterwards, the instrument panel and check engine lights flashed one time. the contact allowed the vehicle to coast to a stop and then restarted the vehicle. the contact drove to the dealer and they found no failures. a diagnostic was performed in an attempt to find an error code for the failure. the contact believed that the vehicle was completely unsafe to drive. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 61,000 and failure mileage was 60,700. updated 4/16/08 *cn updated

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

Have had numerous problems starting with a lifter stuck in motor at 296 miles, to transmission failure at 15,700 miles. brakes have squeaked since it was new, overhead console has fallen off twice, satellite radio works when it wants to. door rubbed on running board, now gas mileage has dropped under 10 miles per gallon. 14 trips to dealership so far and still not all is fixed. *tr

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

We have taken our 2006 ford explorer with just over 20,000 miles on it into the shop 3 times due to intermittent lose of power when starting out. the computer software has been reloaded 2 times. the last time i took it in i told the dealer to keep it until it was fixed. after 2 days they said they could find anything wrong but believed there was a problem. ford then asked us to drive a unsafe car to trouble shoot it for them with a flight recorder hooked up to the computer. ford care and the dealer are both not willing to call back and fix the car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving and would completely shut off. there were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. the most recent occurrence took place while driving approximately 30 mph. the vehicle took approximately 3-5 minutes to restart. the vehicle was taken to the dealer six times, but the failure could not be duplicated. a diagnostic was performed and no error codes were found. the current mileage was 26,090 and failure mileage was 18,794.

I have a 2006 explorer with 42000 miles. i purchased the vehicle new off the lot. i have had numerous issues. it began 2 years ago with fluid leaking. i took the vehicle in to ford and i had "cracked hoses." i then called this past summer to make an appointment concerning leaking fluid and my engine fan constantly coming on and off. i was told that was normal in the summer. now a few months later...my radiator is bad and also now out of warranty. had i listened to myself in the summer and forced the issue it would have been under warranty then. there are a lot if issues with 2006 explorer radiator failures which i have come across in the internet. *tr

Radiator failed on 4 separate occassions. ford dealer claims no abnormalities found. no explanation as to why radiator is failing prematurely. *tr

Engine compartment fire. *tr