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#BS-2006-FOREXP-33C9

2006 Ford Explorer

Based on reports from 788 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
788
Crashes
18
Fires
8
Recalls
4
TSBs
40
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 788 complaints, 18 crashes, 8 fires, and 4 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.6x the class average. This is the worst model year for this vehicle.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

radiator leak

238 complaints • Severity 7.7/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission lunges hard jolt when shifting

237 complaints • Severity 7.9/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission hesitates

31 complaints • Severity 8.4/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the DrivetrainHIGH

174 owners reported drivetrain issues — failures commonly reported around 60K miles.

!Inspect the Power Train:automatic TransmissionMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

131
0–30K
203
30–60K
188
60–90K
84
90–120K
45
120–150K
29
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (203 reports) • Median: 60K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Drivetrain (174 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Drivetrain174 (22%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission114 (14%)
Engine113 (14%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System75 (10%)
Electrical33 (4%)
Brakes33 (4%)
Speed Control27 (3%)
Other26 (3%)

2006 Ford Explorer: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 22% of all reports filed for the 2006 Ford Explorer, with 174 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 60K-mile mark.

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2006 Ford Explorer, with 114 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to power train:automatic transmission-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2006 Ford Explorer, with 113 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2006 Ford Explorer, with 75 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:cooling system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

1
05
37
06
59
07
48
08
92
09
109
10
86
11
72
12
78
13
67
14
36
15
45
16
21
17
15
18
4
19
6
20
3
21
3
22
2
23
1
24
3
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2006 Ford Explorer. Recent trend: increasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (4 recalls)

05V520000Nov 2005

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, PASSENGER CARS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY HAVE BEEN PRODUCED WITHOUT GREASE BEING APPLIED TO THE OUTPUT SHAFT GEAR.

06E049000Jul 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

07E104000Jan 2008

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF TEMPERED GLASS AND FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 205, "GLAZING MATERIALS."

10E043000Sep 2010

EQUIPMENT

MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE SEAT COVERS ARE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD AND ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SEATS CONTAINING SIDE AIRBAGS. THE HEAVIER SEAT COVER COULD INTERFERE WITH FULL DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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This is the worst model year for the Ford Explorer according to owner complaint data. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2006 Ford Explorer vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

788

Class avg

500

1.6x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 788 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Explorer Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977
View all Ford Explorer years →

2006 Ford Explorer: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2006 Ford Explorer?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2006 Ford Explorer is related to the drivetrain, with 174 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2006 Ford Explorer reliable?
The 2006 Ford Explorer has 788 complaints, 18 crash reports, and 8 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 1.6x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2006 Ford Explorer problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2006 Ford Explorer have any recalls?
Yes, the 2006 Ford Explorer has 4 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Explorer problems start?
Based on 680 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 60,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 788 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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