2006 Ford Explorer reliability record
NHTSA consumer complaints and recall campaigns for the 2006 Ford Explorer from the dataset labeled 2026. The source file does not provide an exact snapshot date. Use the reported issues to guide further checks; these counts do not establish failure rates or repair costs.
- NHTSA complaints
- 788
- Dataset year: 2026; snapshot day not provided
- Top problem area
- POWER TRAIN
- 174 complaints
- Recalls on record
- 0
- none on record
- Reported harm
- 18 reported crashes · 17 injuries · 8 fires
How this record compares
raw NHTSA counts, not defect ratesCounts are not adjusted for vehicles sold, time in service or reporting frequency. A larger count does not establish a higher chance of failure, and these comparisons do not set the maintenance budget in our calculator.
Complaint rank
#579
of 4,194 vehicle records
Vs Ford median
+451
median 338 across 514 Ford records
Vs 2004-2008
+513
median 275 complaints in 883 records
Top component share
37%
Power Train: 288 complaints
What owners report fails — 2006 Ford Explorer
- POWER TRAIN 174
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 114
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM 75
- ENGINE 58
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 55
Estimate the 5-year cost to own a 2006 Ford Explorer
Build a separate budget with your purchase price, insurance quote, mileage and maintenance estimate. Complaint counts do not enter that calculation. Unknown local taxes and fees stay listed as costs to confirm.
Open TCO calculatorThese are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated defect rates, and not adjusted for how many 2006 Ford Explorer units were produced or sold. High-volume and older vehicles naturally accumulate more complaints. Use this as one research signal, not a verdict on any individual vehicle. Dataset year: 2026; exact snapshot day not supplied. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Ford Explorer reliable?
NHTSA has 788 consumer complaints on record for the 2006 Ford Explorer. The most-reported problem area is power train (174 reports). These are unverified consumer reports filed with the government, not validated failure rates, and are not adjusted for how many 2006 Ford Explorer units were produced — popular vehicles naturally accumulate more reports.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Explorer?
Owners most often report problems with: power train (174), power train:automatic transmission (114), engine and engine cooling:cooling system (75), engine (58). Each figure is the number of complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
How much does it cost to own a 2006 Ford Explorer?
This complaint dataset does not measure repair prices or predict a maintenance budget for the 2006 Ford Explorer. Use your purchase price, insurance quotes, fuel use and a maintenance estimate in the separate five-year cost calculator. It does not convert complaint counts into repair costs, and any unknown taxes remain excluded and clearly listed.