"How reliable is the 2006 Ford Explorer?"

"Based on 788 NHTSA complaints, the 2006 Ford Explorer has a median complaint mileage of 60000 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2006 Ford Explorer?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2006 Ford Explorer is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 788 total complaints filed."

2006 Ford Explorer: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 788 complaints

788

Total Complaints

60,000mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

37,000 25th Percentile

60,000 Median Mileage

87,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

174

Automatic Transmission

114

Cooling System

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Electrical System

Vehicle Speed Control

Unknown Or Other

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Radiator Assembly

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"MY FORD EXPLORER XLT 2006 HAD A DELAYED DELIVERY DATE TO ME FOR 2 DAYS DUE TO A "BAD CLUSTER" ON START UP. THE TRUCK WAS REPAIRED AND I PICKED IT UP ON NOVEMBER 1, 2005. THIS VEHICLE IS LEASED. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHICH I HAD REPAIRED ON DECEMBER 8, 2005. ON DECEMBER 9, ..."

"ON 12/10/05, I PURCHASED A NEW 2006 FORD EXPLORER. YESTERDAY, FOR THE FIFTH TIME, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO START. I BROUGHT IT IN TO FORD ON 01/11/06, THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND TOLD ME IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. IT HAPPENED AGAIN LAST NIGHT. *JB"

"UPON RELEASING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THE CAR ROLLED DOWN THE HILL AND OVER MY LEGS. *JB"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 174 complaints

25th: 60,000 mi Median: 80,000 mi 75th: 100,050 mi

Automatic Transmission 114 complaints

25th: 15,000 mi Median: 39,000 mi 75th: 56,150 mi

Cooling System 75 complaints

25th: 37,289 mi Median: 45,000 mi 75th: 54,500 mi

Engine 58 complaints

25th: 61,000 mi Median: 80,700 mi 75th: 98,000 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 55 complaints

25th: 39,000 mi Median: 64,500 mi 75th: 78,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 84 CA: 55 NY: 54 PA: 45 TX: 41 IL: 36 AL: 30 NJ: 29 MI: 29 MD: 28

Who Files Complaints?

10.2%

Original Owners

89.8%

Second+ Owners

Ford Explorer — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1991	764	113,804	Tread/Belt	70
1992	848	125,000	Tread/Belt	54
1993	1151	107,248	Tread/Belt	98
1994	1531	97,541	Tread/Belt	124
1995	1048	125,000	Tread/Belt	107
1996	1818	127,000	Tread/Belt	248
1997	2149	100,000	Tread/Belt	180
1998	2374	100,000	Tread/Belt	219
1999	1737	80,000	Tires	143
2000	1203	77,938	Tires	115
2001	500	90,500	Tires	82
2002	4095	79,000	Automatic Transmission	178
2003	1368	74,000	Automatic Transmission	70
2004	1647	65,000	Automatic Transmission	69
2005	604	70,000	Body	30
2007	271	69,000	Power Train	14
2008	215	78,000	Electrical System	8
2009	49	67,000	Vehicle Speed Control	8
2010	155	48,000	Power Train	13
2011	1481	65,000	Steering	48
2012	1013	62,000	Steering	14
2013	2757	74,000	Steering	61
2014	2011	64,000	Steering	48
2015	2138	54,600	Unknown Or Other	52
2016	2940	45,647	Steering	56
2017	1927	45,000	Structure	53
2018	819	42,000	Structure	23
2019	306	50,000	Structure	2
2020	1544	12,600	Power Train	50
2021	492	38,400	Power Train	21
2022	308	28,000	Power Train	25
2023	126	8,500	Unknown Or Other	11
2024	21	5,080	Unknown Or Other	0
2025	111	2,289	Electrical System	11

Active Recalls (4)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Exterior Lighting

Campaign 06E049000 | 24/05/2006

WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.

Glass, Side/Rear

Campaign 07E104000 | 11/12/2007

IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT(S) MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY SHATTERED GLASS.

SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND REIMBURSE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS FOR CURRENT INVENTORY AND AT A SPECIFIED RATE FOR REPLACING THEIR CUSTOMER

Equipment

Campaign 10E043000 | 03/09/2010

AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.

MARATHON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE SEAT COVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MARATHON AT 1-800-735-2769.

Motor

Campaign 05V520000 | 09/11/2005

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.

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.

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Compare Ford Explorer

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Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28