2006 Ford Explorer: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Jun 13, 2018 · 214,000 miles · LA

Shift stuck in park and keys stuck in ignition

Filed Jan 5, 2018 · Transmission · 114,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford explorer. While reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle made a loud abnormal noise. Suddenly, the vehicle would not shift into reverse or drive. The vehicle was towed to an independent transmission shop. The mechanic diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and was unable to provide assistance. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 114,000.

Filed Jun 28, 2016 · Engine, Transmission · 16,200 miles · AL

Check engine lite and orange wrench lite which shuts car down no excelration pedal power steering gone and no brake control on freeway coming home. Trans. Will not shift and jumps when wrench lite is on very dangerous this has been going on since april took back to dealer sent to mechanic replaced 2 parts on excelleration module. Still not right.

Filed Apr 5, 2016 · Transmission · 69,400 miles · PA

Complete and total catastrophic failure of transmission while driving 65 MPH on highway. I was traveling in my car with my family when we heard a loud explosive bang from under or car. I shook my wife and scared my children. I knew it definitely was not good and felt an immediate loss of forward momentum at highway speeds, we were traveling in the fast lane at the time and other vehicles were following behind us. They were not happy and hammering their horns at our sudden and unexpected deceleration. Luckily no one rear-ended us or panicked and slammed on their own brakes which could have caused a major collision on a major interstate. I was able to coast over to the emergency lane and come to a safe stop with in a few feet of a yellow emergency call box. We signaled for assistance and help came to me and my family within 10 minutes. (thank you to all by the way) we had the car towed to a local major brand transmission shop where they found the transmission fluid to be burnt and black, metal pieces in the pan and determined the transmission to be a complete loss and have it replaced with a certified rebuilt transmission. 69,000 mile at time of failure. Not acceptable at less than 100,000. This is a safety issue because if this were to happen to an inexperienced driver or other drivers around these vehicle when it happens at highway speeds, a serious possibly life threatening or fatal accident could result from this type of mechanical failure. This is not a slipping transmission or a car that wont shift gears or an issue similar to those type of complaints. This is a total and complete failure of a major vehicle component under normal operating circumstances. I don't have pictures, as I am remote from the vehicle until I pick it up when service is finished but I will be able to provide towing receipts and repair bills from servicing transmission shop.

Filed Mar 15, 2016 · Electrical, Transmission · 141,000 miles · TN

My 2006 explorer has recently started shifting hard and sometimes will not shift into gear right away. When I pull up to a stop light or become stationary it will try to die and sometimes will. And will also not go into gear unless I give it a lot of gas and then it takes a minute to pick up complete speed. I have already had to replace multiple things on this vehicle and am seeing that others have been having the same trouble. Ford do the right thing and recall this vehicle. Also my interior lights have gone out and is not the fuse or bulbs.

Filed Oct 4, 2014 · Transmission · 60,000 miles · MI

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.

Filed Jul 5, 2014 · Acceleration, Transmission · 45,986 miles · CA

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.

Filed Jun 18, 2014 · Engine, Transmission · 100,000 miles · NJ

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...

Filed Jun 3, 2014 · Transmission · 119,000 miles · NY

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.

Filed Jan 20, 2014 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · PR

I started my car and, when I put in reverse, transmission wont shift. Put on drive, didn't shift, neither on neutral. When shifted to 3rd, transmission shifted. Put back in reverse and worked/

Filed Sep 19, 2013 · Engine, Transmission · 97,468 miles · AL

Both of these things have been happening over the last 2-3 years but I can not remember exact dates. First my car has been running hot continuously over this period of time which causes me to have to put coolant in at least once every month. I took it to the dealership and they told me this was common with the explorers but there has not been a recall so I would have to pay out of pocket. They first told me it was the line to the radiator that was leaking so I had it replaced, then next time it was the thermostat and housing that they said was the problem. So I had this replaced. Now today 9/19/2013 I had to replace the radiator. It doesn't matter what I seem to fix this problem continues to occur. Secondly my car jerks into gear when I try to put in gear. They are telling me now I need a transmission but I see this is a recurring problems with many explorers owners and it doesn't fix the problem either. I don't know what else to do because my car is jerking which causes me to almost hit people or doesn't go into gear fast enough which causes them to almost hit me. Please help!!! These problems first started to occur around 40000 miles. My problem is radiator and transmission.

Filed Jul 5, 2013 · Transmission · 88,250 miles · MD

On this date, the explorer, while trying to back into driveway, would not go into reverse and was weak when trying to back, as if it did not go all the way into gear. Also gear shift was hard and would hesitate when accelerating and slowing down it would jerk into gear. Something really needs to be done cause I have not even had the vehicle one week and the dealership said everything looked fine. Well I had them change the transmission fluid as part of the deal and these are the problems that are occurring after that. Taking it back to be corrected. Really like vehicle so hope it is fixable.