NHTSA Complaint #10060258 — 2001 FORD ESCAPE

AT 50,000, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SHUDDER. I FOUND OUT WHY ON ESCAPE-CENTRAL, AND THEN PROCEEDED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE MACHINE TO PERFORM THE FLUSHING, AND TO TRY SOMEWHERE ELSE. WASTED DAY ONE. I WENT TO ANOTHER FORD DEALERSHIP, AND WASTED A MORNING THERE BEFORE THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ONE EITHER, AND THAT I SHOULD TRY A LINCOLN MERCURY DEALER. I FINALLY GOT FED UP AND CONTACTED THE LOCAL MAZDA DEALER, WHO HAD THE MACHINE AND WAS MORE THAN WILL TO TAKE MY $150.00. HE DID NOT PERFORM THE OASIS CHANGE THOUGH. ALL WAS GOOD, AND THE ESCAPE RAN GREAT. AT 58000, THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDER REAPPEARS. I TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER ONE, WHO INFORMS ME THEY CANT SEE ANY PROBLEM. ONE WEEK LATER, I BRING IT BACK IN SAYING THAT IT IS MOST CERTAINLY THERE. I GET TO TAKE OUT THE TRANSMISSION EXPERT FOR A TEST DRIVE, AND RECREATE THE PROBLEM. HE SAYS YUP, THATS THE TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM. ALL THE CARS WE MAKE WITH THAT TRANSMISSION HAVE THAT PROBLEM AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER. AS HE EXPLAINED IT BASICALLY WATER IS ATTRACTED TO THE PLATE IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER, AND ANY MOISTURE IN THE SYSTEM CAUSES IT TO SHUDDER. I ASK THE LOGICAL QUESTION OF WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT IT. HIS RESPONSE IS THAT HE WOULD RATHER CUT OFF HIS TWO ARMS THAN REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. 12 HOURS OF LABOR ON TOP OF THE ~$300 PART. HE SUGGESTS I GET IT FLUSHED AGAIN AND SEE IF THAT HELPS. BACK TO MAZDA&. I HAVE THE FLUSH DONE AT MAZDA LAST WEEK AND THEY ASK ABOUT THE TSB OASIS UPDATE. I SAID THAT IT WASNT DONE, AND THEY PERFORM THE UPDATE AND FLUSH THE ESCAPE. MY ESCAPE NOW RUNS WORSE THAN IT DID BEFORE, AND THE SHUDDER HAPPENS WHEN BOTH LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE TORQUE CONVERTER. IT ACTUALLY SHAKES THE CHANGE IN MY CUPHOLDERS.*AK