Radiator Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on various occasions while the vehicle was parked, there was a fluid leak underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it remained awaiting parts for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 134,000.

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 5 mph and parking the vehicle, she heard a loud noise coming from the engine fan and the temperature gauge was rising. The contact stated that while her brother was inspecting the vehicle, he noticed a leak underneath the vehicle, and the radiator fluid was low. The contact called two local dealers: fort mill Ford (801 gold hill rd, fort mill, SC 29708: (803) 948-8202) and rock hill Ford (1884 canterbury glen ln, rock hill, SC 29730: (803) 573-4302) and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,650.

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to inspect the vehicle and became aware that all the coolant had leaked out of the radiator. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

Radiator fluid exploded all over engine and floor massive leak . Searched it up on internet and seems this is a common problem with this vehicle . I started vehicle and fluid started going everywhere . I drove maybe 10 feet and shut the car off immediately .

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The water pump in my 2014 Ford Explorer 3. 5l v6 engine began leaking coolant. The water pump had to be replaced at 79,000 miles. I became aware of this problem after getting an oil change. The coolant reservoir had to be filled and I was informed of a possible coolant leak. Two weeks after getting the coolant filled, my radiator fan began running fast and loud. I brought it into the shop and was told I had a leaking water pump. There was only one inch left of coolant in the reservoir after just being filled up. I was then told it would take 14-16 hours of labor to replace the water pump which itself costs less than $150. I was referred by the shop to the dealership because the work needed was extensive and because it involved a Ford part. The dealership refused to pay for the repairs and referred me to Ford. The dealership confirmed the water pump leak. Basically, the engine had to be taken apart to replace the water pump, because the pump is made part of the engine itself. I believe the Ford engine and the water pump is defective. The gaskets or bearings in the water pump fail and there are weep holes in the water pump which allow coolant to leak into the engine and mix with the engine oil. My vehicle was out of the manufacturer's warranty. I spent $1,839. 82 to fix a single water pump! there should be an investigation into this manufacturing and design defect due to the burden it places on the public. There are also safety issues caused by this due to vehicles being so affected by the coolant leaks the engines shut down completely while in use. I understand this has happened to many, many other Ford 3. 5l v6 engines. I have the my vehicle repair records if you would like to review them.

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Was driving on hwy and my vehicle just shit down as I was turning off the main road, lost all control of steering. When I raised the hood I saw my radiator smoking and all of a sudden it popped. Had to have it towed in to the shop and was told that the radiator had exploded and the engine seized up! how could this happen? I never even had it to over heat or the light never even alerted me. Just blew up and left me stranded. I was told after the fact that there is a recall on the radiator!.

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The radiator started going out on me. I had to fix it twice. The breakes I keep having the continued fixing them every 4 months. Recently October 25, 2019 it started smelling like burnt rubber came thru the air vents. Things with the electricity oe a shortage. With the tires they put wrong tire size. They told me to sign and go because they didn't have my actual tire size. Its always on the smalls streets and on freeway or. Highway it smells like burnt rubber. The owner didn't notify me or bother to tell me it was on recall already.

My 2011 Ford Explorer only has 104k miles. In October of 2018 the car repeatedly shut off while driving home from work with no indication that anything was wrong. The next day it happened again, when I got it to finally turn back on the check engine light came on. I took it in to be checked and was told the antifreeze has spilled into the engine and we would need to replace the entire engine! I bought this car brand new and have had numerous problems including the steering lock recall as well as needing the radiator replacement in the first 3 months of my purchase. Also, no indication prior to those incidents either! I currently have this car sitting in my driveway and no answers from Ford. The cost to fix is over 6k! I noticed a recall being issued for this problem, however my model car is not included! this should include all Ford vehicles.

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My wife was involved in an accident on icy roads on December 5. She was driving our 2017 Ford Explorer which we had purchased on may 31, 2017. She was stopped at a red light on a country highway and headed north. The light turned green and she had just gotten through the intersection when a vehicle that was heading south, lost control and hit her head-on. The attached picture shows the amount of damage sustained on the front end of the vehicle. Beyond this damage, the impact was strong enough that a motor mount mounting pin was sheared clean off the motor as was the cover on the timing belt. The rebar in front of the radiator was snapped completely in half. All this damage. . . And the and airbags did not deploy. There was sufficient damage that this $50,000+ vehicle was considered a total loss. I've contacted the Ford dealership in sioux falls, sd where we bought the vehicle. As soon as I mentioned airbags, they said they would not address or comment on any additional questions I raised about the vehicle safety features. I've contacted Ford motor company direct. Same story. As soon as the subject of airbags was locked firmly in the mind of the lady I was talking with, she proceeded with about ten minutes of questions. After spending probably 20 minutes on the phone with this lady, all I got was, "you now have a case number in our system. " when I asked about getting any followup correspondence, I was told, "all future correspondence will be between the insurance company and Ford motor company. " and, I've heard nothing since. Because my wife was not at fault in this accident, we are dealing with the other driver's insurance company (farm bureau) and getting treated like we were the perpetrators instead of the victims.

Got 2006 eddie bauer w/98,000, 1 previous owner (mother) all servicing via the same Ford dealer (gene butman), except for a few oil changes from uncle ed's. Late Nov 2016 took it in due to the heat was fluctuating, was told it needed the thermostat and housing replaced (even though it had the radiator replaced a few years earlier), also had brakes & rotors done, the 100,000 mile checkup said all was good. A week later the exhaust flute, etc broke lose, got that repaired & $2,000 later, Friday 2/03/17 wrench light came on, then engine light, vehicle seemed to lunge forward, delay, doesn't engage. . Accelerate, feels like the transmission is hanging and then slams into gear. A thud feeling was also reported by my mother several times in previous years to the dealer, they could not find anything wrong, so she had then document it. Today I am told a transmission is needed, which is a unexpected huge & saddening surprise - in 2012 and 2013 there had already been transmission work on the vehicle. Checked and see all reports about this particular model has occurred on this one, cooling system/radiator/thermostat and housing issues, exhaust issues and now transmission issues -- there are thousands of reports for this exact model and other Explorer and Ford vehicles, all known issues, many explanations why it occurred with this model and that Ford is aware of them and has provided no recalls for any of these serious defective matters, none - especially when each are very dangerous matters. Today I am told, that a new transmission will $5,400, 3 year warranty and a used transmission: $3,600 12 mos or 12,000 miles. Both options are very very expensive. What can NHTSA do, will a recall ever occur? it seems Ford needs to step in and help with these repairs. . Read more...

I was driving on a major highway home from work with normal traffic. My speed was approx 60-64 or so. While in left lane traveling east --without warning , my engine completely shut off. It was so hard to steer my car -- I needed to wedge my foot near window /driver door to gain leverage -and with both hands steer the car ( while decelerating down t o15 mph) to the shoulder on the right side. All drivers passing me - witnessed I was in dire trouble. I was able to get to shoulder and prayed . My rep at queens Ford was very helpful and I ve thanked him numerous times in his attempts to help me . Back to story: I opened the hood , no smoke -- maybe radiator- so I waited 10 minutes . The engine started , I got back on highway-- and it shut off for a 2nd time. At that time -- I was totally afraid to drive this car any further. My queens rep suggested going to syosset Ford which was closer and I did so. It took me what felt like days to get up enough nerve to drive this vehicle any further. I believe my case has many safety issues and I even stated to Ford take car back and replenish me for loss of income / rental fees paid during the 7 day ordeal. Problem was : throttle body part. I wasn't the only person who had come in with this problem . Ford is very cognizant about such . I asked them this vehicle back ( has 5910 miles ) on it and put me into another Lincoln product which is similar. Nor have the additional means to rent another car. I will never purchase another vehicle from Ford ever. If you can assist me to alert others - fantastic. Oh , additionally, I owned a 2003 Lincoln navigator which constantly had issues - and they ( Ford /Lincoln ) took that vehicle in under nys lemon law -and provided me a new 2004 navigator for no cost at all. Due to that effort from Ford/Lincoln . Ive bought 4 more Ford since then . I showed my loyalty to them , where is Ford's .

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The contact owns a 2007 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the temperature gauge level increased abnormally and a green fluid was leaking from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the thermostat was leaking, which caused the radiator to become defective. The remedy failed to repair the failure and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The technician stated that an update had to be performed on the radiator. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 69,140.

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I bought a 2006 Explorer in 2010 and in 5 years I have had a sensor that's goes inside the transmission replaced, then transmission rebuilted, and the radiator replaced twice. Now that it's paid off leaking coolant again making it run hot. Now it saying check the charging system and stop on me on the freeway and now won't stay started. Thought I was doing everything right with the maintenance of the truck but it keeps breaking down. Also the wrench thing is on and won't stay started even while pressing the gas pedal to the floor all after I just had another sensor replaced. And besides the radiator leaking again that plastic thing they call a thermostat housing may be cracked. I feel I'm spending more money repairing things on this truck in 5 years that most people spend on a new car. If I had seen all the problems this model year was having would have went a different brand.

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, a abnormal noise coming from the engine and the radiator warning indicator began to illuminate on the instrumental panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealership where it was diagnosed that the thermostat housing failing and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of failure. The failure mileage was 128,000. The VIN number was not availiable. Ng.

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Tl-the contact owns a 2007 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle overheated as high temperature was displayed across the message board. In addition, there was an increase in reading on the temperature gauge. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to another dealer who diagnosed that the radiator, water pump, heater core needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. However, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,000. Oo.

Radiator hose breached, decompressing radiator. Radiator hose was rubbed open by nearby metal compressor line running perpendicular. Hole was 1" by 1/2". Radiator immediately emptied, engine overheated and shuddered. Repair made by Ford dealership only replaced hose and flushed coolant. Ford did not remedy situation where metal compressor line is adjacent and sometimes in contact with radiator hose. I have photo and video proving the ac line rubbed the hose open.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the radiator was leaking fluid. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

I purchased my car used in 2008 with less than 10,000. 00 miles on it. The radiator had to be sealed two years ago due to crack. It is now leaking coolant again, and the thermostat housing unit has to be replaced. After researching online, it appears that this is a common issue with the 2007 Explorer. I'm not sure why a recall has yet to be issued. Over 300 complaints online, and no recall. Something needs to be done.

Upon driving during the month of may and June, I would notice a burning smell from the engine and the dashboard would demonstrate elevated engine temp, each time I would checked under the hood and I noticed that my coolant reservior would be empty. After several weeks of this, I took it in to firestone and I had to get the radiator housing, thermostat and hoses replace because of a bad leak. Now as of September, I started noticing that smell again and noticed my coolant reservior was either low or empty again, I had to refilled it several times since the June 2014 repair, now after another vehicle check by firestone is was noted that I need to have my radiator replace because I have a leak from the radiator now. I currently have about 87000 miles on my vehicle, this too soon to be replacing a radiator. For several months now also whenever I shift from park to drive or reverse to drive, it is hard to to move the gear shift, when the gear shift is finally moved it the trick gives a pull force and then my transmission sounds like it is in overdrive or on 3, it takes up to 25 minutes for the transmission to click or shift over.

The radiator in the 2006 Ford Explorer leaks, and a recall is mandatory. I bought this vehicle in 2007, used, and I am now faced with replacing the radiator for the 4th time in 7 years. It is a known issue that this radiator is faulty and still there is no resolve. Please open an investigation and read all the complaints regarding the radiator for this vehicle.

From July 5th to present my 2006 Ford Explorer truck was toed to the dealership 3 times. Each time it was for the same problem overheating. This has been a constant problem with this car since it was purchased in December 2005. The radiator has been replace twice, the transmission once, the throttle , etc. I have been told that now after the radiator was a replaced and the throttle, etc. At a cost of $2300. 00. The car now needs a new engine and /or gaskets that need replacing. I cannot understand why a car with normal mileage, which was only involved in one minor fender bender. Can need so much major work.

With only 86,000 miles our Ford Explorers transmission has failed once again. When we had 23,000 miles on our vehicle we noticed the transmission was shifting rather hard and took it to the dealer and they found nothing wrong. At 58,000 miles the transmission engagement was so rough that we had to get it repaired. Since the warranty is only up to 36,000 we decided our best bet is to not take it to the dealer. We had the valve body repaired and it ran fine up until now. 86,000 miles and this vehicle is once again at a repair shop having the transmission fully rebuilt. In the time I have owned this vehicle I have paid over $7,000 to keep it running with regular maintenance, tires, radiator repair, brakes and now the third transmission.

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. . .

My Ford Explorer has had so many ridiculous problems. This one is extremely inconvenient. The car has trouble shifting gears, it spins from 1st to 2nd gear and then I have to let go of the accelerator for it to shift again, it skips 3rd gear altogether and jerks into fourth after pressing and depressing the accelerator a series of times. Once it's in 4th gear, it doesn't go past 50 mph. My mechanic says his monitor detected a faulty solender and the entire pack has to be replaced, but that may not be the only problem. If that doesn't do the trick (even though it needs to be replaced regardless) he will have to open the transmission and possibly rebuild or replace some of the parts. I have encountered hundreds of other 2002 Ford Explorer owners with the same problem. Aside from this, I have a list of other dangerous issues that this car has had and that has endangered my family's and my life numerous times: - gear shift breaking off the steering column as I shifted from reverse to drive in the middle of a busy intersection. - ignition cylinder/switch breaking - possible spontaneous explosion recall related to the cruise control - rear latch breaking and inability to use the rear latch. - electrical system failure - doors not closing properly & draining the battery - faulty alarm system - faulty temperature gauge and radiator - Ford not allowing customers to buy just the parts needed for replacement and repair and forcing their customers to purchase entire packages only in order to get the necessary parts at extremely high prices. Ford should be incriminated for selling these vehicles knowing full well that they are flooded with life threatening issues to their customers.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when driving approximately 50 mph the temperature gauge started to rise. A few miles down the highway he saw a large cloud of smoke coming from his engine. The contact was able to merged to the side of the road and have the vehicle towed. After diagnosis from the dealer they advised him that the radiator fractured and started to leak onto the engine. As a result, the engine and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was approximately 83,000.

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 65 mph, a chime sounded inside of the vehicle and the radiator warning indicator began to illuminate on the instrument panel. The contact maneuvered to the side of the road and noticed the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact dispensed water into the reservoir which leaked onto the ground continuously. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who stated the thermostat had failed which caused the coolant to drain from the radiator. The technician also informed the contact that the engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000. Kmj.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. After attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact heard a whining noise coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the engine computer was flashed, but the failure continued. While driving, an egg like odor was present inside the vehicle. The contact was informed by the dealer that the odor was due to a failed overflow jar for the radiator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 813.

When accelerating the vehicle quickly with the air conditioner on (does not matter if it's on fresh air intake or recirculating), there is a definite odor of gasoline exhaust in the cabin of the vehicle. The problem can be duplicated at any speed, from a dead stop or accelerating during a passing maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealership and two technical bulletins were addressed (one for a vibration sound coming from under the hood which was repaired and the other for the exhaust odor in the cabin). Upon completion of the factory warrantied technical bulletins, the odor remained. Upon further review of the documentation, the wrong odor was addressed (radiator fluid, not gasoline exhaust). The odor is present regardless of burning 87 octane or e-85 fuel.

The radiator leaks on almost all 2006 models from the factory. Ford acknowledges the issue was from overtightening, yet does not issue a recall.

I have a 2006 Ford Explorer XLT and this will be third transmission to go into the vehicle. In addition, I have replaced the radiator three times and an engine block seal. These are very costly fixes for a car that is only a couple of years old. I have reached out to Ford customer service and they are not helpful or sympathetic at all and claim that they are not aware of any transmission problems. Meanwhile, when you search the web it is an issue across the board. I feel their customer service is horrible and so are their cars. I would never recommend a Ford to anyone, not even my worst enemy. I could have bought two cars for the money I am putting into this vehicle.

First incident occurred in early April 2012: my car was emitting a foul smell and overheating. Upon inspection, it was discovered that my radiator was leaking. I turned my vehicle into Ford and it was replaced. Second incident occurred early-mid oct 2012: my car was jerking and the check engine light came on. It was taken to have the codes checked and it was indicated that I had 2-3 random "miss-fires" to my spark plugs. As this is normally an easy at-home fix, we were able to replace all the spark plugs. The issue with this incident was that in the process of removing the spark plugs, all but one broke in half. This is such a common problem that Ford has designed and sells a specific tool to remove broken spark plugs. Once the tool was purchased, I was able to fix the problem and my car no longer jerked and the check engine light went off. Third incident occurred late Nov 2012: vehicle started jolting and jerking excessively and check engine light came on. Feels like transmission is not engaging gears properly. After much research, I found that this is a common and major safety issue regarding this vehicle. A safety recall needs to be done imminently. Another issue, started in the end of 2011: when going from park to reverse or drive, stick shift will stick and I will have wiggle and pull hard to make it move.

Separation of radiator . . . Between plastic top and bottom tanks with aluminum radiator grill. This is the 2nd replacement with cost $520 radiator, $300 labor estimated by Ford. Environmental issue and safety issue with engine failure/transmission failure possible. Problem can occur anywhere/anytime; I. E. , within traffic situation on multilane interstate rush hour.

Thermostat/radiator failed causing entire engine failure. There has been several other complaints like this about the Explorer. My children and I were in the vehicle when it malfunctioned without any warning a big cloud of smoke and the vehicle shut off in the middle of heavy traffic this could have caused a very serious accident. This issue with the radiator needs to be addressed.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the plastic in the radiator cracked and was leaking. The failure caused the vehicle to overheat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileages were 68,000.

The contact owns a 2007 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle would stall when shifted into reverse. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure was located at the radiator, which was replaced. The contact stated that the failure recurred and the vehicle began to lose power abnormally while driving 55 mph. A warning light was illuminated after the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to to the dealer and the inspected. The dealer advised that the engine intake had several components that were found melted abnormally. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 56,000.