NHTSA Complaint #10217410 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

2002 EDDIE BAUER EXPLORER TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION TYPE 5R55W STARTED TO SLIP AND THE VEHICLE HAS 110,000 MI. NEXT MY O/D DASH LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH AND THEN THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT WENT ON. DEALER STATED IT WAS JUST A BAD SOLENOID REPLACEMENT COST OF $1,000 OR WORSE? SECOND OPINION STATED THAT THERE IS A BURIED CODE IN THE DIAGNOSTIC ABOUT THE OVERDRIVE WASN'T WORKING AND THE TEST DRIVE BY MECH. NOTED THAT 5TH GEAR WASN'T WORKING. THE INDEPENDENT MECH. STATED THAT HE WAS SORRY WHEN HE FOUND OUT IT WAS AN EXPLORER BECAUSE HE HAS A LOT OF THIS WORK. THE TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHAULED TO THE SUM OF $2,710. SAFETY CONCERN? WELL YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE TRYING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY WHILE YOUR TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING OR WORSE. TO ME THIS IS AS BIG AS A SAFETY ITEM AS THEIR BACK GLASS LIFT GATE THEY RECALLED. OR THEIR ROLL OVER ISSUE FOR THAT MATTER. SO I MAY BE ONE PERSON BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO TYPE IN THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ARE INCREDIBLE. OK SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. SO GO TO THEIR TSB AND THIS IS LITTERED WITH TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THIS IS CLEARLY A FAULTY TRANSMISSION FROM THE START BUT APPARENTLY CONSUMER COMPLAINTS HAVE NOT BEEN ENOUGH FOR FORD TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE. I WOULD ASK THAT THE NHTSA DO WHAT IS IN THEIR POWER TO REQUEST FORD TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE AND REIMBURSE US FOR FIXING AN OBVIOUS AND DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW. *TR