NHTSA Complaint #10078728 — 2003 FORD EXPLORER

TOOK MY SUV INTO MR. TIRE TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES. LEFT MR. TIRE & MY O/D LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH @ 35 MPH. TOOK SUV BACK TO MR. TIRE TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. I WASNT SURE IF THEY MIGHT HAVE CAUSE IT OR NOT. THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC ON IT & FOUND A CODE P0741 TCC. THEY TOLD ME IT COULD BE JUST A SELENOID OR THE CONVERTER. EITHER WAY, ITS NOT LOCKING UP TO DO A 1:1 CONVERSION FOR OVERDRIVE TO SAVE ON GAS & PREVENT OVERHEATING OF THE TRANSMISION. THEY TOLD ME TO GO IMMEDIATELY TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. I WENT TO PURVIS FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT & THEY DID THEIR OWN DIAGNOSIS. PURVIS FORD FOUND THAT THE CONVERTER IS BAD & COMING APART. THEY ALSO SAID IT WAS OVERHEATING & THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION FOR MY VEHICAL FOR THAT YEAR WAS A BAD TRANSMISSION. ALSO THEY'VE HAD CUSTOMERS W/ THIS EXACT PROBLEM W/ AS LITTLE AS 100 MILES & SOME W/ AS MUCH AS 100,000 MILES. FOR A 120K MILE "MAINTENANCE FREE" TRANSMISSION (W/ EXCEPTION OF CHANGING OUT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID) THIS SURE SEEMS TO BE AN EXPENSIVE TRANSMISSION. WHAT IS MORE INTERESTING IS THAT FORD WONT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION W/ THE ORIGINAL TYPE OF TRANSMISSION. INSTEAD THEY WANTED TO PUT A DIFFERENT ONE IN THAT HAS AN EXTERNAL COOLER & FILTER. TOTALLING $3300 NOT INCLUDING TAX. IT WAS ALSO TOLD TO ME BY PURVIS FORD'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT FORD HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ON THESE VEHICALS. 2 OTHER PEOPLE ALONE WAS IN THEIR SHOP FOR REBUILDS ON THEIR 2003 FORD EXPLORER TRANSMISSIONS. WHY DOESNT FORD VOLUNTARILY RECALL ON THIS & REPLACE THEM W/ THIS "NEW" TYPE OF TRANSMISSION AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. RIGHT NOW I AM NOT HAPPY W/ FORD & I WILL NOT KEEP MY SUV NOR WILL I BUY ANOTHER ONE. THIS IS THE THIRD PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH THIS SUV THAT HAS COSTED ME BIG $$$$. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE BUYING A FORD SUV. AT THIS TIME I HAVE NOT HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED DUE TO HIGH COST. THE SUV IS CURRENTLY IN MY DRIVEWAY NOT BEING DRIVEN TO AVOID FURHTER DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. *AK