NHTSA Complaint #10203391 — 2006 FORD EXPLORER

THE TRANSMISSION OF THE 2006 EXPLORER EB THAT I PURCHASED FROM VISTA FORD, HAS HAD ONGOING INTERMITTENT SHIFTING INCONSISTENCIES FROM THE DAY I PURCHASED IT THAT CAUSE THE CARS TRANSMISSION TO FREQUENTLY KICK AND HAVE A STARTLING AND CAR-SHAKING BUMP OR THUNK? WHEN BRAKING JUST BEFORE THE VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP. SOMETIMES WHEN IT DOES NOT OCCUR AT ALL. MOSTLY, IT OCCURS IN VARIOUS DEGREES FROM SUBTLY TO STRONGLY (ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10). SOMETIMES IT OCCURS SO STRONGLY THAT THE ENTIRE CAR NOTICEABLY AND VIOLENTLY SHUDDERS OR LURCHES, AND THE CAR JUMPS FORWARD AS IT STOPS. I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW CLOSE I AM TO THE INTERSECTION OR TO THE BUMPER OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME IN CASE IT DOES THIS, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION OR ACCIDENT. THE CAR HAS ALSO DEVELOPED A SIMILAR SHIFTING INCONSISTENCY UPON ACCELERATION FROM A STANDSTILL AS IT SHIFTS (PRESUMABLY) INTO SECOND GEAR. SOMETIMES IT IS SUCH A SEVERE JOLT THAT MY HEAD SNAPS BACK AND HITS THE HEADREST OF THE SEAT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY ON FOUR OCCASIONS TO CORRECT THIS DEFECTIVE BEHAVIOR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR THE TRANSMISSION WITH TWO SEPARATE FIXES WHICH HAVE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO AFFECT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THESE PROBLEMS OCCUR WITH SUCH FREQUENCY THAT I FEEL UNSAFE IN THE VEHICLE, AND I DON'T FEEL SECURE WHEN DRIVING IT DUE TO THE INCONSISTENT AND ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF THE TRANSMISSION. I THINK THAT THE VEHICLE IS MECHANICALLY UNSOUND, AS A RESULT AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS LIKELY TO FAIL ALTOGETHER AT SOME POINT, OR POSSIBLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *TR