NHTSA Complaint #10029279 — 1998 FORD RANGER

OUR 1998 FORD RANGER XLT WITH THE 4.0L V-6 AND THE 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH SHIFTING. ON OCCASION THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHEN BEING SHIFTED INTO PARK AND WOULD ON OCCASION ATTEMPT TO SURGE FORWARD WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WHILE IN DRIVE. THE PROBLEMS RECENTLY BECAME WORSE AFTER ONLY 44K MILES AND BEGAN TO IMPACT THE DRIVING PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SHIFTING OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHILE IN DRIVE WOULD SOMETIMES HESITATE AND HAD BECOME UNPREDICTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AAMCO DEALER AND UPON INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION FOUND THAT THE CENTER SUPPORT HAD STRIPPED AND THAT THE BROKEN TEETH WERE BEING CIRCULATED THROUGHOUT THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE BROKEN PIECES CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE OTHER GEARS IT WOULD CAUSE THEM TO HANG AND CREATE A PRESSURE LOSS. THE SERVICE REPAIR TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THIS FAILURE WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE PART BEING IMPROPERLY CAST DURING MANUFACTURING. THE FAILURE OF THIS PART AND THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE CIRCULATION OF THE BROKEN TEETH IN THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRED A PARTIAL REBUILD OF THE TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION TYPE: 5R55E PRODUCTION DATE: 02-98. *AK