2006 Ford Expedition Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine dropping into "fail safe" mode and shutting off or losing power while driving, and many link it to the throttle body. A second large group reports cooling-system problems, mainly coolant leaks and overheating, while others describe spark plug breakage and coil failures at moderate to higher mileage. Most of these complaints come in between roughly 40,000 and 130,000 miles, with the cooling complaints tending to appear earlier.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine fail safe mode / sudden stall

   • 150 complaints (50%)
   • median 82,000 mi at 6.1 yrs old (143 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2021

   Complaints describe the engine cutting out without much warning, sometimes with a "fail safe engine mode" message, loss of power steering and the need to coast to the shoulder and restart. Several owners say a dealer diagnosed the throttle body assembly or its sensor and quoted a replacement, while others report the dealer could not reproduce the problem or found no fault codes. Some also describe the vehicle bucking or running roughly before it shut off. Spread across the sample from very low mileage up to about 190,000 miles, most often in the 45,000–115,000 mile range and at highway speeds.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body or throttle position sensor has been replaced, and request any stored fault codes from a scan tool. Test drive at highway speed and see whether the fail safe message appears.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “With no warning, my 2006 Ford Expedition will lose all power while driving. The light on the control panel comes on saying engine fail safe mode. After coasting to the side of the road, I restart the car and all is fine. I have taken it to two mechanics and they say there is nothing wrong with the car. It has happened twice so far.”

   NHTSA complaint #10349685, filed 2010-08, 55,000 miles

   “My truck went into fail safe mode while on the highway. This caused the truck to stop suddenly with no use of gas pedal but the engine was still running. This almost caused an accident. I was able to drift over and shut the engine off and restart it and it ran fine the rest of the day. Now I am afraid to drive it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10259622, filed 2009-02, 46,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Coolant leaks and overheating

   • 64 complaints (21%)
   • median 85,640 mi at 6.8 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2024

   Owners describe coolant loss, overheating and warning messages tied to the cooling system, sometimes with the engine shutting down or running hot on the road. Complaints mention coolant hoses, the radiator and the coolant crossover or intake area, and some report repeated returns to the dealer before the source of the leak was found. A few reference diagnostic codes related to the camshaft position sensor being stored at the same time. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 130,000 miles, with several complaints below 70,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for residue or staining around hoses, the radiator and the intake area, and ask whether any coolant leaks have been repaired.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “August 21 on the way to work (4 mile drive) the truck started to shake and lost power,check engine light came on, we took the truck to the dealer,and they can not figure what is going on,so they said the engine needs to be replaced. The codes are p0022-p0305-p0307-p1184-p2198-p2273 my family just came back from a 3000 trip ,I can only imagine having this happening to us during this time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10240001, filed 2008-08, 48,000 miles

   “The vehicle has done this twice. Driving along, it goes into fail safe mode and stops dead. The manual states this is a coolant issue which was not the case; there was adequate coolant. Doing some research on various internet sites, this seems to be a common problem with 2006 expeditions. I called Ford customer service and was told they were unaware of a problem. I find this difficult to believe given all the sites reporting this same issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #10435469, filed 2011-11, 73,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Spark plugs break or blow out; coils fail

   • 43 complaints (14%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 7.1 yrs old (38 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Complaints describe misfires, rough running and loss of power traced to spark plugs and coil packs, with some owners reporting that a plug seized and broke off in the cylinder head during removal, leaving part behind. Others describe a plug blowing out of the head. Dealers and independent shops reportedly recommended replacing plugs, coils and sometimes an injector, and one complaint notes that spark plug boots were changed as part of the repair. Reported from about 45,000 miles up to roughly 130,000 miles, often at or above 88,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the spark plugs and coil packs have been replaced and whether any plug broke during removal. Listen for a miss at idle and check for a flashing check engine light.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2006 Expedition had a spark plug blowout. I understand this is a frequent problem and is a design defect versus a maintenance issue. I did buy the extended warranty and have been told it is not covered.”

   NHTSA complaint #10261722, filed 2009-03, 60,000 miles

   “Engine was losing power under load (only while accelerating). No check engine light ever came on. At 88,000 miles figured that not only will I replace all 8 spark plugs, but would replace all 8 coil packs as well. Upon removal on the spark plugs, 1 spark plug broke (so far) leaving the bottom piece inside the head. Ford knows about this problem, as it can lead many like myself with an outrageous expense to properly remove the broken spark plug and can in the long run damage the aluminum head too. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10466460, filed 2012-07, 88,000 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel smell and fuel leaks

   • 21 complaints (7%)
   • median 84,600 mi at 6.5 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2024

   Owners report a strong raw fuel smell inside or around the vehicle, sometimes with engine oil that reads overfull and smells of fuel, which some attribute to a leaking injector. Others describe fuel odors traced to the evaporative emissions charcoal canister, and a few report fuel leaks or a fire near the fuel tank. Repairs mentioned include replacing injectors, changing the oil and replacing the canister where the part was available. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 115,000 miles, with a few cases at higher mileage.

   What to check: Smell the engine oil dipstick for fuel and check the oil level, and look and smell around the fuel tank and canister area. Ask whether any injectors or emissions parts have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My customer called to inform me that he was smelling raw fuel inside the vehicle on april 13,2012. I told him it was probably a stuck injector. Being a Ford senior master certified auto repair technician/ase master certified for Ford dealerships for over 14 years I was aware of the injector concerns with these vehicles. I checked the engine oil to find that it was overfilled a quart and smelled of fuel. My diagnosis was correct #2 injector was leaking badly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10456764, filed 2012-04, 84,600 miles

   “I was coming across arizona, interstate 10 in my 2006 Expedition heading home to san diego when my engine failsafe mode indicator came on, the engine warning light was on and shut the engine down. The engine warning light never went off until I took it to a mechanic the following morning. The mechanic stated that I need to have the throttle cleaned out and may need a new sensor for the side of the throttle replaced. I have 59k miles on my vehicle and have the maint. Completed every 4k to 6k and have owned this vehicle from the start. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10405638, filed 2011-06, 59,000 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes to the floor / spongy brakes

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe a brake pedal that feels spongy or sinks to the floor with little warning, and in some cases fluid loss and a burning smell from the front wheels. Owners report dealers replacing the master cylinder or the front calipers, rotors and pads, with some saying the pedal still felt soft afterward. Several note the brakes felt this way for a long time before a failure. Reported from about 27,000 to 60,000 miles in this sample.

   What to check: Check the brake fluid level and look for leaks at the master cylinder and calipers, and press the pedal firmly to see whether it holds pressure or sinks.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I went to move my vehicle from the front of my house to the drive way and it wouldn't stop, I pressed on the brake pedal and heard nothing but air as the brake pedal went straight to the floor. I stepped on the emergency brake to stop the vehicle and when I got out.. There was a huge puddle of brake fluid beneath the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10512575, filed 2013-05, 59,851 miles

   “I have a 2006 Ford Expedition and my wife almost lost control and hit a car when the brakes went to the floor. The vehicle has had spongy brakes since I bought it and had it to the dealer twice. There is a TSB to replace the front caliper/rotor and pads and Ford did this but it still feels spongy and is now leaking fluid. This has been an issue on many expeditions and should have been a recall rather than a TSB. This is an incredibly dangerous situation when the brakes fail. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10341811, filed 2010-07, 46,000 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase inspection that reads stored fault codes and checks the cooling system, brakes and oil for a fuel smell will tell you most of what matters here. Ask for service records on the throttle body, spark plugs and any brake work, since several of these issues recur if left unaddressed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.