Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
15–16 mpgcombined; city 13–14, highway 18–19; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$20,300–$21,660U.S. average; Ohio $18,140–$19,350 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2006 Explorer. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 635 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Explorer. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
301
5
2
4
Engine and engine cooling
165
0
2
1
Engine
58
0
1
0
Electrical system
39
0
2
0
Vehicle speed control
28
2
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
23
2
0
1
Unknown or other
22
1
1
0
Fuel system, gasoline
18
0
0
0
Visibility
15
1
0
2
Service brakes
14
0
0
0
Equipment
11
0
0
0
Seats
11
0
0
1
18 more parts
Structure
11
2
0
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
10
0
0
0
Steering
9
1
0
1
Air bags
8
1
0
1
Fuel/propulsion system
8
0
0
0
Seat belts
6
0
0
2
Wheels
6
1
0
0
Suspension
5
0
0
0
Tires
4
0
0
0
Interior lighting
2
0
0
0
Parking brake
2
1
0
2
Service brakes, electric
2
0
0
0
Child seat
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, other
1
0
0
0
Lane departure
1
0
0
0
Traction control system
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2006 Explorer over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 40 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2006 Explorer, the latest on Sep 7, 2023. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: engine and engine cooling (8), power train (8), electrical system (5), hydraulic (5), service brakes (5).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2006 Explorer.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Explorer Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 16
Explorer Rear-Wheel Drive
4.6 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 19 / 15
Explorer 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 19 / 15
Explorer 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.6 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
13 / 18 / 15
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data