2006 Ford Explorer Sport Trac reliability: common problems

Owners of the 2006 Ford Explorer Sport Trac filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 5

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 100% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Powertrain: 5 complaints (100% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (20% of all).

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Powertrain	5	0	0
Engine and cooling	1	0	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Vehicle was stationary put the key and the shift lever won't move into any gear and also now I can't remove the key. I was park in front of a shool
Powertrain · 2016-09-15 · NHTSA complaint #10906915
On the bottom of the radiator ther are two transmission oil cooler lines they are both leaking.
Powertrain · 2011-10-30 · NHTSA complaint #10433580
Transmission pressure control failure. Automatic transmission has difficulty switching from 2nd gear to 3rd gear and this causes the motor to accelerate to high rpm in the process. A large jolt can be felt when this occurs as well. Troubleshooting code p0745 is present.
Powertrain · 2010-11-01 · NHTSA complaint #10363460

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20101
20111
20162
20171

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 13,113 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 41% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Explorer Sport Trac has 55 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 5, below average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (40%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2006 Ford Explorer Sport Trac from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2006 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.