NHTSA Complaint #10220970 — 2005 FORD TAURUS

I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF MY TAURUS LESS THAN ONE MONTH AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED AND THE TRANS FLUSHED AT A DEALERSHIP AS PART OF MY LEASE-END PURCHASE OPTION (I LEASED THE CAR FOR 3 YEARS PRIOR TO PURCHASING IT). THE CAR WAS PAST THE WARRANTY AT 64,500 MILES AND I DID NOT PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. AFTER RUNNING THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TEST, I WAS TOLD THAT SOMETHING HAD FAILED IN THE TRANSMISSION BUT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHAT FAILED. THEY OFFERED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BY BREAKING DOWN THE TRANS AT A MINIMUM OF 10 HOURS LABOR AT $88.00 AN HOUR. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR SOME ASSISTANCE AND WAS DENIED BECAUSE THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY CAR EVER BEING REPAIRED AT ANY DEALERSHIP DURING THE LIFE OF MY LEASE. I HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE'S OPERATION PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION BEING FLUSHED, SO THERE WAS NO REASON TO TAKE IT IN FOR REPAIRS. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3000 TO 5000 MILES AND ALL FLUIDS CHECKED ON A REGULAR BASIS (NOT AT THE DEALERSHIP). I TOOK MY CAR TO A LICENSED TRANSMISSION SHOP AND HAD THE TRANS REBUILT FOR $1,200.00 THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THE FAILED PART WAS A BOOST VALVE IN THE VALVE BODY. THEY REBUILT THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND INSTALLED A NEW OVERHAUL KIT AND THE BOOST VALVE. EIGHT DAYS AFTER PICKING UP MY CAR, I HAD TO RETURN TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP BECAUSE THE CAR WAS HARD TO START, THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON CONTINUOUSLY AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT THESE PROBLEMS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TRANS BUT WAS THE MLPS (MANUAL LEVER POSITION SENSOR) WHICH I HAD THEM REPLACE AT A COST OF $75.00. I WAS TOLD BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT THIS SENSOR HAD GONE BAD AND CAUSED MY INITIAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THIS WAS A SMALL, PLASTIC PART THAT THE DEALERSHIP MISSED SOMEHOW DURING THEIR SO-CALLED INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE. *TR