Overview & Reviews

Ford treats the Explorer to a number of significant improvements for 2006. Styling has been updated with a bolder grille treatment, a new tailgate and more attractive taillights. Interior furnishings get an upgrade, too, and additional sound insulation results in a supremely quiet cabin, while a stiffened frame and new shocks provide even better ride and handling characteristics than before. Ford tweaked the 4.0-liter V6 to cut smog-forming emissions by 74 percent and a new three-valve 4.6-liter V8 replaces last year's two-valve version. A six-speed automatic transmission is also new, and comes standard with the V8 engine. Trim levels are simplified, and front-seat side airbags, AdvanceTrac stability control and Roll Stability Control are now standard on all Explorers.

• Excellent ride and handling characteristics for a truck-based SUV, strong optional V8, comfortable and quiet interior with user-friendly layout, standard Roll Stability Control.

• Low resale value, lousy fuel economy.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 179.00

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  Great Family Car - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By Helpful Ford Owner - September 7 - 10:11 pm

  Bought this car used with 14,000 miles on it back in 2008. I have the "Advance Trac" version with the 4.0ltr V6, they were the really base model and I dont see many of them around. They also didnt have the gobs of chrome the other models came with, which means mine has aged pretty gracefully and looks a lot like the more recent Expeditions. Its been garaged kept and I have given it regular recommended maintenance. I have managed to put over 90,000 miles on it since I purchased it, aside from a leaky thermostat housing which I replaced myself at 50,000 miles for about $80 total, its been a good truck. First Ill start with the negatives. At very low speeds the transmission feels like there is a guy in there with a sledge hammer shifting gears. The back seat is not really that comfortable for adults, its really sad, I think my 01 2dr Explorer sport had a more comfortable and roomy back seat than my 06 4dr. The motor has a lot of low end torque at low city speeds which is great, but at highway speed the V6 struggles when it comes to passing. I am a pretty easy driver but I can barely coax over 16mpg out of it with a mix of highway and city driving. My car is pretty bare bones and I like it that way, not much to go wrong. AC works great, so does the heat power windows are nice and so is cruise control. Front seat is very comfortable for me and I like the commanding view. Its very torquey on the low end so it does well around town. Ive never towed anything but I bet it would do ok at low speeds, Id hate to take anything heavy on the highway though. For the last 5 years it has been the commuter vehicle for my family, fits two children in the back comfortably and 3 in a pinch. LOTS of room in the trunk for stuff, and believe me I have needed every inch. I dont have the fold flat 3rd row of seats, but I do get some pretty nifty storage compartments under the deck instead. Im very happy with my Explorer, its been pretty dependable. I had an 01 Explorer Sport which had over 170,000 miles on it when I got rid of it (still ran well too) so I hope that this one will last as long.

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  Tranny and thermostat out at 119,000 miles - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By Jess - August 13 - 11:31 pm

  It is a very roomy car. I love the climate control. I have 4 kids. And i pull a trailer with it nearly everyday. I expected my tranny to die young she gets a lot of stress. But overall it has been an amazing car...i have now proudly owned 4 different ford explorers.

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  Over 102,000 miles and still doing well! - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By mhs48128 - April 5 - 11:41 am

  Never towed a thing with it and thats probably why I have no trany or radiator issues. Also, garaged in winter. Yeah, a minor radiator leak and Im watching it! Always had a slightly rough truck "ride". Comfortable front buckets. 2nd seat o.k. but 3rd seat is a "pop-up" rumble seat! Only two complaints: A "glass chin" front grille with no real bumper--not front "crashworthy". Stupid orange dashboard idiot messages. Currently lit: tire pressure sensor and gas cap leak & engine light (for same reason), and no way to turn them off permanently. (Must use reset button.) Both useless "errors" and not major. Otherwise, quite reliable. AC still works. Over 102,000 is a good life span, so far!

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  oh boy - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By Marquis Greene - March 26 - 5:35 pm

  Ive purchase a ford explore and had to change out 3 radiators and 2 thermostats

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  06 Explorer radiator and tranny - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By bllowns - April 9 - 5:37 pm

  I bought my 06 Explorer (my third one) with only 11,000 miles which now has 82,000 miles. So far Ive replaced the radiator twice at a cost of $469.00 a pop. At 65,000 miles the transmission started slamming into reverse. When I put it in reverse now, if it dose not go in gear immediatly, I will shift it into neutral and back into reverse and hope it will gently go into reverse as it should. This helps but I shouldnt have to do this! Now its hitting hard when it downshifts while stopping. Ive owned many Fords over the years and so far Ive had to replace seven or eight transmissions. No more transmissions or Fords for me! My son has a 98 Tacoma with 210,000 miles. So long Ford!

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  06 Explorer problems - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By corgimom1 - October 5 - 6:24 am

  I purchased my Explorer used from CarMax over 2 years ago. The clear coat is peeling around the front head lights. The parking brake handle (plastic) broke and the cost to fix is $400.00. Lucky for me, I have an extended warranty from CarMax. The drivers leather seat is cracking. The passenger seat has ripped on the seam. The rear seat holders are split on both ends. Due to ethanol in gas, miles per gallon are poor.

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  The Achilles Heel of the 2006 explorer (Radiator & Transmission) - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By sr_engineer42 - January 3 - 3:50 pm

  I purchased my 2006 explorer in 2007 with 19k miles... It looks sharp and performs very well in traffic and on the interstate. Has a sport car feel imo.. however, the radiator started to leak,, then stopped for some time (seems to leak more in the colder months, not at all in the summer months) this happed at about 100k miles. I have also replace both front (wheel hubs), and the CD player. you can purchase an aftermarket radiator on-line for about $125.. much cheaper than the ford one for about 500.. The other design flaw is the Transmission.. I noticed that now 3rd gear was very shaky.. in the shift... hense the tranny is going .. .. at that point I traded the Ford for a GMC.

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  4 radiators - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By cobra10181 - November 30 - 6:08 pm

  OK, I feel your pain. The problem with the 06-07 V6 Eddie Bauer edition is the lower brackets that the radiator sits in. They are 1/4 "to far forward, this puts the radiator in a bind. After thermal expansion and contraction the the welds in the core give up. This causes a ever so slight leak in the core. Hard to find at first , but eventually becomes much larger. You lose enough coolant to cause a over heating problem which is hard to detect because the coolant level is dropping ever so slightly. The temperature of the engine is rising at the same rate, along with the transmission, remember the trans is cooled through the same radiator. hot motor, hot trans lube breaks down.

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  Love this tank - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By spidermann59 - November 21 - 2:00 am

  Loved it the moment I saw it. I love driving it anywhere, anytime. The v8 is the way to go with the towing package, you can haul anything. Bought the Eddie Bauer with the all the goodies and I drive it with the sun roof open and the stereo blasting with 292 hp available she is the bomb. When my wife lets me drive it.

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  Not radiator, check your head gasket - 2006 Ford Explorer
  By Tanner - October 29 - 2:00 am

  I went through 5 radiators before I figured out I had a blown head gasket. Now, my block is warped which happens to all 06-07 4.0s when they overheat.