Power train defect
2006 Ford Explorer transmission complaints
Page 3 of 11: complaints 41 to 70 of 296, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I was driving when powertrain mif light came on.
I was leaving a side street, merging into traffic and as I was changing lanes and accelerating into busy traffic the vehicle just sat there with the engine revving up. The transmission wouldn't engage and then it slammed into gear so hard that it felt like I was rear ended and there was a loud bang. In my opinion, this is a definite risk to our personal safety because if you turn across traffic, change lanes, merge or attempt to avoid obstacles; you have no idea when the transmission will fail making it impossible to safely operate this vehicle. It is a major safety issue - please hold ford accountable before someone gets killed. Thank you.
Vehicle is hard to engage in gear. When putting in reverse, it jolts really hard like I was rear ended. Takes a while to engage into drive.
We bought a 2006 ford explorer xlt from a dealer in schenectady ny in 2006.loved the SUV for the family. Three weeks later we took it back for transmission issues.the transmission would not engage to reverse sometimes without a delay then a jump.and shifted hard on acceleration. We were told that everything was fine during an inspection. Now here we set with an explorer with no reverse and needing a 2000.00 dollar repair, which we believe could of been a pre exiting issue. If you look up this model you will see we are not the only ones with this issue.
Went out to driveway to start it heard a loud noise like a backfire then gurgling transmission fluid running out all over driveway. .m..no previous warnings nothing but a clunking noise sometimes when shifting which dealer told me was nothing to worry about. .....vehicle has had all scheduled maintenance... I am beyond angry ......just paid this off..... Turns out ford knew about the issue with these transmissions ......there should have been a recall. .......I have driven guards for seventeen years ..... . Never again. ... No more ford's.........I tried to buy american........at what cost to me.......I'm looking for a toyota.........you want my business...... Give me a decent product .......the cadillac eldorado I had nineteen years ago did the same thing at 67,000 miles........I do not drive hard.........or jackrabbit or do fast starts.......tired of paying for trying to buy american. .....now I know why everyone else buys toyota's.
I have a major problem with my 2006 explorer. It lunges, jolts, doesn't engage and sometimes the transmission slams into gear so had that it feels like I just got rear ended with a big bang! Ford does not take accountability that this is a real problem with the 06' explorer despite hundreds upon hundreds of complaints regarding it as a safety issue. It is a major safety issue! I was almost hit by oncoming traffic when I tried to cross an intersection an the transmission wouldn't engage. At various times my vehicle wouldn't engage when I was stopped at an intersection or when it did engage it would jerk. Another time I slowed at a yield and when I pressed the gas the vehicle wouldn't move but when I took my foot off the gas it accelerated very quickly with jerking motion.
While shifting into gear, explorer slams and makes a bang sound. Truck lunges or jerks and while driving truck jerks into gears when changing.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
The transmission would not engage into the next gear. Then the engine maintenance light came on. Pressed the gas again it would not go forward. Pulled off to the side to park it and put it back in d - drive it still would not go forward. Engine light still on. Turned off the vehicle. 10 minutes later turn on the vehicle and put in d-drive and it engaged but was unable to shift into next gear. Able to make to parking lot and get help. I do agree why did ford make hard for consumer to add their own transmission fluid if it runs low. No dip stick for it as well to check if it is low.
Trucks doesn't engage in gear sometimes, I have problems backing up doesn't engage properly. I almost got in accident with my two babies where in the vehicle.
I was driving and the car overdrive light started blinking and then I went to drive and it started to and cut off when it jolted like someone hit me and my passenger from the rear but it was the gear or transmission or the overdrive not engaging, not sure. I sat there for about 5 minutes in neutral and then put the car in drive and it moved forward. After I parked the car it repeated the above action.
We have a 2006, six cylinder explorer. At only approximately 77,000 miles, we have had to replace the radiator (a $2,000 expense), and now the transmission is totally shot and needs to be either "rebuilt" or replaced. Yet another necessary repair for an automobile that has had all its routine maintenance performed, garage kept and gently driven as a family commuter. At nine model years old, we averaging 8,000 miles a year! These sort of system failures are a genuine safety concern and should be investigated for a more widespread problematic occurrences.
Transmission clunks when it is put into gear. I seen many complaints on the internet for this condition. Ford accepts no responsibility for this condition but with all of the same complaints I think it should be fords problem to fix.
In the last 2 years I have continued to have problems with this vehicle which has cost me a lot of time and money. Similarly to the majority of the complaints listed the vehicle jolts and hesitates while in motion. I have been to repair shop more times than I can count.... And not even the technicians at ford seem to know what to do as I continue to have the same issue. On my last visit to the shop ( a week ago) I was told that there was a problem with the computer which works like "the brain of the truck" but they couldn't figure it out so then I was encouraged " to look at "something new(er)". I questioned why I should be doing that when the vehicle has one 93k miles on it.... And why would I buy another ford vehicle when they couldn't fix or figure out what was going on with the one I have!!!!???? Based on the number of complaints directly about this same issue ,I am confident that there is a larger problem of which ford is aware and refuses to address. I am afraid every time I drive as I do not know or have much confidence that it will operate as intended. After calling ford's customer relations center, I was told that my only option was to take it to the for repair shop even if they did not know and has made it clear that then cannot identify of fix the problem.
Purchase this vehicle in 2011 once it was home within 3 months began having problems, I also purchase the ford extended warranty and took it back to the dealership. They explained they could not find an issue with the transmission. It jolts, lunges, and sometimes the transmission doesn't engage. I feel extremely unsafe trying to pull out at an intersection because the car starts to jolt and I have to slam on the gas in order for the car to go.it is horrible and I feel very unsafe driving; especially with my children in the car. Even if I am driving on the interstate I have to put the car into overdrive to stop the majority of the jolting, and that does not even guarantee it will stop. It has been a battle with the dealership. Had it independently checked by aamco and the transmission replaced, but the issue still occurs. Not sure what can be done. This vehicle needs to be recalled.
The vehicle was hesitating and would not engage into gear when accelerating during a turn causing the rpms to rev . This caused several cars to swerve to avoid an accident. After taking it to the shop as it was a known problem with 2006 ford explorer that it was a failed transmission. Cost to fix is $2,508.
I was accelerating onto the freeway when the transmission started lurching several times. It continued to do this until I got home. I took it to a local mechanic and he could not make it do the same thing. It did not do it again for several weeks until I was pulling a trailer. At that time, it would not shift into a lower gear. I stopped and shifted it into park. I then shift it into drive and started driving but it would not shift out of first gear. I again stopped and turned the ignition off and waited several minutes. When I started the engine and began moving, it would shift into the higher gears but not into overdrive. The lurching continued to this day.
Cel light came on, code read 02 sensor which was replaced and cel light off now. Transmission jerking hard into reverse and drive and hangs up between gears, suddenly lunging forward. In stop and start or downtown traffic, with lights every block, it will sometimes lunge forward as I slow down to stop, idles rough, and then has died. It has twice sputtered and tried to stall trying to cross busy intersection. This vehicle is not safe!!!! And should not have to replace transmission at ridiculous cost that apparently does not fix problem as indicated by all ford forums.
Sometimes the transmission slams into gear so had that it feels like I just got rear ended with a big bang. The date above was the first time and ever since it keeps happening more often.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. The contact stated that immediately after shifting gears, the vehicle would lunge forward. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician stated the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 100,000.
I bought my first ford explorer almost 8 years ago. I had absolutely no problems with this vehicle and felt very safe driving my newborn son. I had a second son and decided to buy a new ford explorer because it was such a dependable car. Now I am regretting that decision. I bought a 2006 ford explorer at round 60,000 miles. It now has 70,000 and I have already had to get another transmission and it still has not fixed the problem. It jolts, lunges, and sometimes the transmission doesn't engage. I feel extremely unsafe trying to pull out at an intersection because the car starts to jolt and I have to slam on the gas in order for the car to go.it is horrible and I feel very unsafe driving; especially with my children in the car. Even if I am driving on the interstate I have to put the car into overdrive to stop the majority of the jolting, and that does not even guarantee it will stop. My husband is in the military and gone a great deal. He should not have to worry about the safety of his children or wife when he is deployed overseas or when he is training away from home. He is currently away from home for training, getting ready for deployment. He is calling every chance he gets to make sure the car has not broken down or we have not been in and accident due to this very horrible vehicle. If I had enough money I would buy another vehicle and tell everyone not to ever buy a ford again. I think I am more upset with the fact that my husband is possible being sent overseas in october, and he cannot even go to war with the knowledge his family is safe. I really wish someone would understand that this is a huge problem and major safety problem. Please help all of the families with this defect.
This my second ford explorer, transmission problems with both. My current explorer a 2006 will not engage in reverse; I cannot back-up. I purchased an extended ford warranty as a precaution, for this very problem with the 1st explorer I purchased. I was told at the dealership, (where I have purchased 5 ford vehicles in the last 12 years) I was getting a 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. I have seen thousands of complaints about this design flaw, and ford has declined to recall because they say there are no safety issues. The transmission fluid is sealed, you can't even check it. I am 686 miles over the 100,000 mile warranty and ford won't do the right thing. Goodbye ford!! I'm pretty sure the only satisfaction will be from spreading my story along with the thousands of others.
It would not shift in reverse till I turned it off and restart it took the reverse. After the incident the explorer keep on giving me problems every time I'll shift it into reverse. I have to actually punch the gas so it could get the reverse gear. It has been many times that I had to quickly step on the brakes to avoid hitting on coming traffic as well as parked cars, after having to punch on the gas so I could go in reverse. I have been told that it could be the transmission.
While in drive the transmission feels like it is slipping. After driving a short time n the vehicle is warmed up it begins jerking pretty badly. You cannot check the transmission fluid or anything due to there being no dipstick or place to add any fluid in the vehicle. The owners manual states it must b done by a licensed professional. When I took it to a "professional" he researched the complaint informing me there wasn't anything he could do with it. His research found 11 pages of other ford explorer owners complaints with the same problem. He also found out that there may be a recall somewhere in the near future for this problem. I have no idea where to go being that my mechanic cannot help me.
I was driving up small hill-dry conditions and the car shut down. On coming vehicle swerved and avoided collision. This has happened many times after the traction control sensor comes on. The car also jumps out when shifting gears and sometimes it is very hard to shift. Transmission problem! Safety recall imperative!
I've had multiple problems with this car. First the car shifts hard approx between 10 MPH and 20 MPH, the car lunges, stalls, then shifts hard into gear. When it first happened, I took the car to a certified mechanic and they did a complete transmission flush... The car ran smooth for about 10 days, then it started leaking transmission fluid which resulted in my radiator being ruined. Replaced the radiator and a plug in the transmission. ($1,800) the car then ran fine up this past sunday. The car as me and my wife were driving home from a 400 mile trip with the AC running, the wrench light came on and the car started lunging and shifting hard again. I exited off the highway and the check engine light came on... The car started shifting hard between 2nd and 3rd gear and making a loud clunk noise. Took it to the mechanic and he did another transmission flush on monday june 16, 2014... Two days later and the car still lunges, stalls, and shifts hard. I called ford and they said because the car is out of warranty, there's nothing they could do. I even asked them because there are so many complaints about the 2006 transmission, they still couldn't help me. The second problem is the car even though in park, it tends to roll down the driveway into the street in the middle of the night/ early morning... This happened a couple of times... Told ford about the problem, and because the car is out of warranty there's nothing they could do... The last problem is every once and a while the car doesn't shift into reverse... Told ford about the problem and once again, because the car is out of warranty there's nothing they could do...
I was driving down the highway when suddenly the vehicle lunged forward. I thought someone hit me. It did this two more times before I could exit the highway. Then it started being very slow to shift into gear or would not shift at all with out shutting off the vehicle for 3 to 5 mins at a time. Then it would only drive a few blocks before again refusing to shift into gear.
My 2006 ford explorer was parked in the driveway. At 4:30 in the morning it rolled backwards out of my driveway and crashed into a fence across the street. The vehicle had been in park and the doors were locked. My neighbors heard the crash, looked out their window and ran outside. A chain link fence and very small concrete wall stopped the vehicle. Luckily there was no one outside or any other cars. There is significant body damage to my explorer and the left rear wheel is pushed out. How does a vehicle roll across the street while in park? Even if the vehicle is out of warranty, shouldn't this be something ford would be responsible for?
Starting date is approximate and mileage. When driving vehicle you could feel a jerk in the transmission when it was shifting. And on several occasions, it felt like you had been hit in the rear by another vehicle. We felt it was becoming a safety issue and not safe to drive the vehicle. We took it to a transmission center and they replaced a sleeve and solenoid block april 8, 2014. No problems since. Have been reading other people have and similar problems.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2006 Ford Explorer?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history