Vehicles › Ford › Ford Explorer
2006 Ford Explorer
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2006 Ford Explorer, concerning visibility, and 616 consumer complaints received since 2005.
The component named most often is power train: 385.1 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 96.1 per 1,000 across all 2006 model-year vehicles and against 146.1 per 1,000 for the Ford Explorer line as a whole.
That is about the same as the average of 526.7 complaints per model year across the 45 Ford Explorer model years on this register; 12 complaints reported a crash and 7 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2010 (99); the most recent in the file is dated 29 Nov 2018.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY (manufacturer campaign 05S40).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2006 Ford Explorer (black) against all 2006 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2006 | Explorer line | All 2006 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 385.1 | 146.1 | 96.1 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 220.6 | 61.5 | 51.5 |
| Engine | 69.2 | 35.3 | 57.3 |
| Electrical System | 49.6 | 48.9 | 109.5 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 35.2 | 56.8 | 45.5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 30 | 54.4 | 28 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 295 | 385.1 | 146.1 | 96.1 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 169 | 220.6 | 61.5 | 51.5 |
| Engine | 53 | 69.2 | 35.3 | 57.3 |
| Electrical System | 38 | 49.6 | 48.9 | 109.5 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27 | 35.2 | 56.8 | 45.5 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 23 | 30 | 54.4 | 28 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 18 | 23.5 | 15.6 | 52 |
| Unknown or Other | 18 | 23.5 | 54.7 | 24.2 |
| Visibility | 15 | 19.6 | 38.9 | 31.1 |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 17 | 6.1 | 27.4 |
| Structure | 11 | 14.4 | 83.7 | 48.5 |
| Equipment | 11 | 14.4 | 13.2 | 9.2 |
| Seats | 10 | 13.1 | 18.6 | 13.8 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 10 | 13.1 | 4.5 | 12 |
| Steering | 9 | 11.7 | 60.8 | 95.4 |
| Air Bags | 8 | 10.4 | 26.1 | 108.7 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 8 | 10.4 | 14.8 | 35.1 |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 6.5 | 16.8 | 12 |
| Suspension | 5 | 6.5 | 52 | 37.4 |
| Wheels | 5 | 6.5 | 14.5 | 9.2 |
| Tires | 4 | 5.2 | 138.9 | 15.1 |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 1.3 |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 2.6 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1.3 | 10.9 | 44.1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 5.1 |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.9 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 1 | 1.3 | 3 | 7.5 |
616 unique complaints, 766 component mentions; 12 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
No NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation action in the current file names this model year.
Other Ford Explorer model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 NHTSA | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1984 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1985 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1986 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1987 NHTSA | 0 | 3 | — |
| 1988 NHTSA | 0 | 4 | — |
| 1989 NHTSA | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1990 NHTSA | 0 | 12 | — |
| 1991 | 8 | 608 | 1,915,500 |
| 1992 | 4 | 633 | 1,267,784 |
| 1993 | 6 | 936 | 2,574,157 |
| 1994 | 4 | 1,206 | 2,024,373 |
| 1995 | 5 | 842 | 5,837,982 |
| 1996 | 6 | 1,447 | 5,543,470 |
| 1997 | 7 | 1,729 | 6,792,376 |
| 1998 | 9 | 1,955 | 9,567,644 |
| 1999 | 9 | 1,340 | 12,178,996 |
| 2000 | 9 | 936 | 10,560,697 |
| 2001 | 6 | 373 | 10,104,564 |
| 2002 | 4 | 3,266 | 5,511,406 |
| 2003 | 2 | 1,124 | 959,406 |
| 2004 | 0 | 1,285 | — |
| 2005 | 0 | 487 | — |
| 2006 | 1 | 616 | 199,942 |
| 2007 | 1 | 200 | 11 |
| 2008 | 1 | 133 | 1,497 |
| 2009 | 0 | 30 | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 97 | 33,256 |
| 2011 | 6 | 657 | 3,609,175 |
| 2012 | 5 | 410 | 3,607,517 |
| 2013 | 11 | 984 | 5,100,891 |
| 2014 | 6 | 660 | 4,260,351 |
| 2015 | 8 | 635 | 5,716,171 |
| 2016 | 14 | 717 | 5,832,874 |
| 2017 | 13 | 316 | 6,354,133 |
| 2018 | 7 | 52 | 3,905,452 |
| 2019 | 6 | 1 | 3,848,705 |
| 2020 | 33 | 0 | 6,198,017 |
| 2021 | 26 | 0 | 5,838,416 |
| 2022 | 24 | 0 | 4,646,746 |
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 3,599,589 |
| 2024 | 10 | 0 | 1,814,933 |
| 2025 | 20 | 0 | 1,434,649 |
| 2026 | 14 | 0 | 571,142 |
| 2027 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 76,748 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Explorer model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2006 Ford Explorer have?
1 NHTSA recall campaign name this model year; the most recent, 05V520000, was reported to NHTSA on 9 Nov 2005 and concerns visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor. Across all model years the Ford Explorer line has 142 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2006 Ford Explorer?
No NHTSA investigation in the current file names this model year.
What component do owners of the 2006 Ford Explorer complain about most?
Power Train: 295 of 766 component mentions (385.1 per 1,000). Next is engine and engine cooling with 169. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.