2006 Ford Expedition Problems: Engine (292 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2006 Ford Expedition is Engine (45% of 292 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 292 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2006 Ford Expedition?

131 of 292 filings named Engine (45% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Cruise / speed control (21 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Tires, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2005 has 308 reports on file; this year has 292. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2006 Ford Expedition

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Cruise / speed control. Test cruise control and ask about unintended-acceleration reports on this year.
  4. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 131 complaints · 44.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 19
  • Fires 6
  • Injuries 24
  • Deaths 1
All Ford Expedition years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 131 of 292 owner complaints (44.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 131 complaints, 44.9% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 131 · 44.9% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 21 complaints, 7.2% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 21 · 7.2% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 19 complaints, 6.5% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 2 fire reports 19 · 6.5% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 17 complaints, 5.8% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 17 · 5.8% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 17 complaints, 5.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 17 · 5.8% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 14 complaints, 4.8% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 14 · 4.8% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 11 complaints, 3.8% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 crash reports 11 · 3.8% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 11 complaints, 3.8% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 3 crash reports 11 · 3.8% Wheels (WHEELS): 10 complaints, 3.4% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 1 crash reports 10 · 3.4% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 74 complaints, 25.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 11 crash reports 4 fire reports 74 · 25.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 131 44.9% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 21 7.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 19 6.5% 1 crashes · 2 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 17 5.8% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 17 5.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 14 4.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 11 3.8% 8 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 11 3.8% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 10 3.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 74 25.3% 11 crashes · 4 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2005; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2005. 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2009-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2010-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2010-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2010-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2010-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2011-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2011-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2012-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2012-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2012-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2013-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2014-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2014-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2005 Jan 2024 Recall campaign 05V310000 ◆ Recall campaign 05V310000 Recall campaign 05V520000 ◆ Recall campaign 05V520000 Recall campaign 06E023000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E023000 Recall campaign 06E056000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E056000 Recall campaign 06E064000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E064000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Investigation PE08070 ● Investigation PE08070
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 4
2006-Q2 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 4
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 5
2007-Q2 Owner reports 4
2007-Q3 Owner reports 2
2007-Q4 Owner reports 4
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 4
2008-Q3 Owner reports 4
2008-Q4 Owner reports 7
2009-Q1 Owner reports 5
2009-Q2 Owner reports 3
2009-Q3 Owner reports 6
2009-Q4 Owner reports 7
2010-Q1 Owner reports 9
2010-Q2 Owner reports 11
2010-Q3 Owner reports 10
2010-Q4 Owner reports 3
2011-Q1 Owner reports 11
2011-Q2 Owner reports 13
2011-Q3 Owner reports 7
2011-Q4 Owner reports 12
2012-Q1 Owner reports 9
2012-Q2 Owner reports 5
2012-Q3 Owner reports 12
2012-Q4 Owner reports 7
2013-Q1 Owner reports 9
2013-Q2 Owner reports 9
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 5
2014-Q1 Owner reports 6
2014-Q2 Owner reports 9
2014-Q3 Owner reports 7
2014-Q4 Owner reports 3
2015-Q1 Owner reports 7
2015-Q2 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 5
2015-Q4 Owner reports 10
2016-Q1 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 5
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 5
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 6
2018-Q1 Owner reports 3
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 05V310000
Recall campaign 1 05V520000
Recall campaign 1 06E023000
Recall campaign 1 06E056000
Recall campaign 1 06E064000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Defect investigation 1 PE08070
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Tires, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Lights.

  1. Recall campaign 05V310000

    Tires

    Report date
    Component:
    Tires (TIRES)
    Consequence:
    OVER TIME, THE DAMAGE MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW BELT CORROSION ULTIMATELY LEADING TO A TREAD SEPARATION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT ALL FOUR TIRES (TO ENSURE INSPECTION OF THE LEFT HAND SIDE TIRES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ROTATED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE) FOR TIRE TREAD DAMAGE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE DAMAGED TIRE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 13, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 05V520000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 06E023000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 06E056000

    Safety recall 06E056000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 06E064000

    Safety recall 06E064000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 09E012000

    Safety recall 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 8 of 292 complaints · page 1 of 12
2024-01-08SUSPENSION
NHTSA ODI 11564296
CrashFireInjuryDeath
the service engine light continues to turn on. the timing belt continues to fail and has already been replaced once. the camshaft on both sides have been replaced. the solenoids have also been replaced and the diagnostics codes still pop up (p0022) (p0021) are just some that i can remember. the engine does not have enough power on the driver side and throws the timing belt off which causes the loud rattle coming from the engine. when reaching the speed of 40-45 mph the truck begins to shake. recently in november 2023, when fueling up with gas , the truck began to shake and not respond. when accelerating, the truck takes off very slowly and the gears dont kick in on time. when the gas light comes on , the truck begins to function well. but as soon as i put gas again. it feels like the truck is going to fall apart. the driver door gets stuck when trying to open from the inside. the back door on the left does not open from the outside. the gear handle can be moved up and down while the truck is not turned on. please help!!
2023-08-21Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11539771
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the contact stated that there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and confirmed the failure was a defective charcoal canister for the evac system. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, the part was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
2023-04-21Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11518263
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at a low rate of speed, the vehicle would independently accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. During a recent failure, the contact crashed into a fence as part of the fence had become wedged underneath the vehicle. After placing the vehicle into park and exiting the vehicle, the wheels continued to move. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Despite minor soreness to his neck, no medial attention was required. A police report was not filed. Despite the failure, the contact managed to restart the vehicle and safely to his destination. The fence sustained severe damage as a result of the failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.
2022-10-20Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11490173
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle was driving sluggishly. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the ignition coil, the throttle body sensor (TBS) sensor, and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired at the dealer. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact stated on another occasion the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not drivable. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
2021-12-11SEAT BELTS
NHTSA ODI 11443423
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving yesterday i heard a pop. The 4th coil pack literally blew out from its spot. I have now had 3 coil packs blow out at random causing the holes that the bolt straps the coil pack to the spark plug to strip out. I have a transmission leak that will not stop and I've taken it in multiple times for repairs and it still is leaking. Since getting this vehicle i noticed at the electrical issue where everything including my headlights will shut off and then pop back on while I'm driving. My seat belt will not open so i can buckle and I'm now getting frustrated because I've spent a lot of money on this only to realize has had the same issue with previous owners and they for some reason were too embarrassed to report it but I'm not and I'm sick of dumping money into this damb thing!
2020-01-20Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11300564
CrashFireInjuryDeath
UPON RECEIVING TUNE UP THE SPARK PLUGS BROKE APART.AFTER GETTING THEM OUT CYL#1 WOULD NOT HOLD SPARK PLUG,CAUSED ME TO SPEND MORE MONEY TO GET PROBLEM FIXED.BUT THE SHOPS WILL NOT GUARANTEE THE WORK THAT IS NEEDED.THEY ALL SAID IT WAS A FACTORY ISSUE.THE TRUCK WAS STATIONARY AS WELL.
2019-07-15Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11232007
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER OF A 2006 FORD EXPEDITION. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THERE WAS AN ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE IN THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE SWITCH BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 245,000.
2019-05-15Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11207898
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TRAVELING ON OLD ADOBE RD IN PETALUMA, CA AT APPROX. 25-30 MPH, WENT OVER INCLINE AND SAW TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED. PRESSED HARD ON BRAKE PEDAL AND VEHICLE SLOWED BUT DID NOT STOP. RESULTED IN A 3 CAR ACCIDENT

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2006 Ford Expedition?

Owners named Engine most often — 131 of 292 reports (45%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2006 Ford Expedition?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Tires, Glass / wipers / cameras, and Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2006 Ford Expedition?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources