2006 Ford Explorer Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHILE DRIVING WE TURNED ON THE AC AND WE HERD A BIG POP. THEN THE PASSENGERS LEG GOT WARM. THEN WE FELT AROUND IT KEPT GETTING HOTTER. IT FOLLOWED THE DASH THEN SMOKE ROLLED OFF UNDER THE DASH. I THREW IT IN PARK WE JUMPED OUT THE FLAMES CONSUMED THE VEHICLE. WE WERE ON A ROAD.
THE ISSUE BEING, DIGITAL ODOMETER FAILURE,AND FORD UNABLE TO PROVIDE REPLACEMENT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COMPONENT. NOW WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE POLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AS I AM UNABLE TO MONITOR MY ENGINE PERFORMANCE, HAVE NO IDEA WHEN TO CHANGE OIL, CONTRIBUTING TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE, AND UNABLE TO HAVE MY VEHICLE INSPECTED, RENDERING MY VEHICLE INOPERABLE
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE STALLED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING 50 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THERE WAS NO FAILURE. NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000 AND THE CURRENTLY MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
FORD 2006 EDDIE BAUER EXPLORER. DRIVING VEHICLE AND AT A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT THE ABS LIGHT TURNED ON WITH ROUGH LEFT TO RIGHT SHIFTING OF THE VEHICLE AS IF IT WAS BEING SHAKEN IN AN EARTHQUAKE. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR IT WOULD NOT GO. NUMEROUS LOUD CLICKING WAS HEARD AND THE SHAKING CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MOVE SLOW AND I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF FOR ABOUT 7 MINUTES. I RESTARTED VEHICLE AND ABS LIGHT, CLICKING ANG VIOLENT LEFT TO RIGHT SHAKING CONTINUED. THE FORD DEALERSHIP WAS A BLOCK AWAY AND I PROCEEDED TO DEALERSHIP AT ABOUT15-20 MILES PER HOUR. AS I PROCEEDED THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON FOLLOWED BY THE RSC LIGHT. IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS I WAS IN TRAFFIC. THE DEALERSHIP REPORTED THAT IT WAS AN ABS TONE RING THAT CAUSED THE MALFUNCTION AND THAT FOR SOME REASON THE CLUSTER AND COMPASS HAD MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE OTHER LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE. THE TOTAL COST IS$1300.00 FOR REPAIR AND THIS WAS OVER TWO WEEKS AGO STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED VEHICLE. I HIGHLY SUSPECT THAT THE RELATED CLUSTER MALFUNCTION IS RELATED TO SUPPOSED TOE RING MALFUNCTION AS DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN VERY IFFY ABOUT THE REPAIR AND HAVE AVOIDED MY PHONE CALLS REQUESTING UPDATE. VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 46000 MILES AND IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, BUT DEALER STATES ALL MALFUNCTIONS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
I OWN A 2006 FORD EXPLORER, IN 2009, THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT 3X WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN MASSACHUSETTS. MY MECHANIC AFTER REVIEWING THE VEHICLE DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD 2 CORRODED SENSORS WITHIN THE WIRING HARNESS OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER REPAIRING THE SENSORS WITHIN THE HARNESS, MY MECHANIC STATED THAT THE HARNESS SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THE STALLING OR OTHER SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD HAPPEN IN THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT I SHOULD PURSUE FORD TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS OF THE DEFECTIVE HARNESS. I TOOK MY COMPLAINT TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND MY VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THEIR SERVICE TECHNICIANS AND THE HARNESS WAS REVIEWED BY THEIR AREA MANAGER OF NORTHEAST DEALERSHIPS. FORD REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE HARNESS BUT WOULD OFFER LITTLE RE-IMBURSEMENT TO ME AS THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I WAS REQUESTING THAT FORD REPLACE THE FAULTY HARNESS FREE OF COST TO ME AS IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. FORD DISAGREED AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY ADDITIONAL RESOLUTION. IN THE LAST YEAR- I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE AS I CANNOT AFFORD REPLACEMENT DUE TO EMPLOYMENT LAYOFFS- THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED REPEATEDLY; ON HIGHWAYS, SUBURBAN AND URBAN ROADWAYS, ALL PUTTING MYSELF AND FAMILY IN HARM'S WAY. I RECENTLY CONTACTED FORD AGAIN WANTING A WIRING HARNESS REPLACEMENT- FORD'S ANSWER WAS THE SAME AS IT WAS IN 2009, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE HARNESS UNLESS I PAY FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD SHOULD CORRECT. I AM NOW BECOMING FEARFUL THAT IF NOT CORRECTED SOON, THAT IT WILL CAUSE HARM TO MYSELF AND FAMILY. *TR
2006 FORD EXPLORER WITH 42,000 MI HAS JUST STARTED TO DIE. DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT QUITS RUNNING IN TRAFFIC ,NO BRAKE LIGHTS , SO TRAFFIC BEHIND DOES NOT EXPECT YOU TO STOP. *TR
2006 FORD EXPLORER DIES WHILE DRIVING. LOOSES ALL POWER, SIMPLY GOES DEAD ELECTRICALLY AND MECHANICALLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD TO FIGHT MANUAL STEERING AND BRAKING TO PULL OVER. TURNED KEY OFF AND BACK ON AND IT RESTARTED LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. *TR
I HAVE A 2006 FORD EXPLORER XLT WHICH NOW HAS 21 THOUSAND MILES LAST YEAR I HAD THE DASH CLUSTER REPLACE BECAUSE THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START. THEN THE SHIFT LEVER WOULDN'T MOVE OUT OF PARK. (STILL HAPPENING) NOT THE ABS. TRACTION AND WRENCH LIGHTS HAVE COME ON. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. *TR
FORD SPECIAL MESSAGE #15773 MY 2006 EXPLORER HAS TWICE TRIED TO START ITSELF, RUNNING THE BATTERY DOWN SO LOW THAT A VEHICLE CHARGE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT. FORD DEALER STATED THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM, UNTIL I SHOWED THEM THE SPECIAL MESSAGE NO. THEY STILL ARE NOT WILLING TO FIX THE VEHICLE AS NOTED IN THE MESSAGE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS HE ATTEMPTED TO START HIS VEHICLE WITH THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK, HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL; HOWEVER, HE WAS ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A SHORTAGE IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THEY COULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR $700. THE CONTACT IS AWARE THAT HIS EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT INCLUDE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PART. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 01/15/10. *LJ UPDATED 01/19/10.*JB
MY 2006 FORD EXPLORER WILL JUST SHUT OFF WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING 55-60 MPH. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN USUALLY AFTER IT RAINS. MY ALARM GOES OFF PERIODICALLY WHEN NOBODY IS AROUND IT. FORD CANNOT SEEM TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR
ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING, UNABLE TO RESTART WITHOUT DEALER. ANTI LOCK BRAKE INDICATOR COMES ON ALONG WITH ENGINE LIGHT, SKID CONTROL LIGHT, DOORS UNLOCK AND LOCK WHILE DRIVING. BRAKES LOCK UP AND SPIN THE CAR OUT OF CONTROL WHEN DRIVING; POWER STEERING BECOMES MANUAL AT TIMES ALONG WITH THE POWER BRAKES NOT HAVING POWER AS WELL. TWO DEALERS HAVE HAD 4 DIFFERENT ADVISORS LOOK AT MY VEHICLE AND THEY SIMPLY STATE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. TRANSMISSION JERKED AND STAYED IN 4TH GEAR REVVING MOTOR VERY HIGH WHILE DRIVING. RECENTLY AC IS INTERMITTENTLY WORKING AND JUST LAST SUNDAY AGAIN WAS UNABLE TO START CAR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED FOUR TIMES TO THE FORD DEALERS FOR REPAIR ON THE SAME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERS REPAIR SHOP MORE THAN ELEVEN TIMES FOR THE SAME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. MY SERVICE WRITER WARNED ME THE LAST TIME I PICKED IT UP "PARKER, DO NOT DRIVE YOU CAR AS IT IS DANGEROUS AND A HAZARD TO EVERYONE ON THE ROAD." THE DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING AS FAR AS TAKING IT BACK AND PUTTING ME INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THESE PROBLEMS WERE EVIDENT THROUGH THE OASIS REPORT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THE WAS A WARNING THAT THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE WORKED ON BEFORE IT WAS SOLD. IT WAS NOT! THE DEALER OR FORD MOTOR COMPLAINT 800 NUMBER STATES IT IS MY VEHICLE AND TO DEAL WITH IT. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE CONTINUALLY OCCURRED THREATENING THE SAFETY OF ME AND MY FAMILY AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN MARCH 2007 AS A "CPO" VEHICLE BUT HAVE REALIZED NOW THAT MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO THE DEALERS ONCE IT IS SOLD. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? ALL THESE MATTERS HAVE OCCURRED FROM MAR 2007 THROUGH PRESENT. *TR
2006 FORD EXPLORER WITH TRAC AND WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER STATES THEY HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THE MECHANIC STATED IT WAS FIXED AND THEN THE FAILURE WOULD BEGIN AGAIN. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE LIGHTS WERE ON, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE, THE BRAKES WOULD PULSE AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. *JB
Trend Over Time
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Quick Summary
The 2006 Ford Explorer has 13 Electrical System complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.