NHTSA Complaint #10229271 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

WE OWN A 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT WITH A V6 ENGINE. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 149,000 MILES BUT HAS BEEN WELL-MAINTAINED. ON 5/24/08 WE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF OUR TRANSMISSION WHEN DRIVING IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE. THE O/D LIGHT WOULD BLINK AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE THIS FOUND THAT FIRST GEAR WAS AVAILABLE IF WE WOULD ONLY GO FOR ABOUT 100 YARDS AT BEST. WE ENDED UP HAVING IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS A TOTAL FAILURE AND REQUIRED A FULL REBUILD. HE ALSO FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED TO SPEC AND THERE WERE NO SERVICE-RELATED ISSUES. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHEN WE WERE ON I-5 OR GOING UP A STEEP HILL (OF WHICH THERE ARE MANY IN SEATTLE) THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. AS IT WAS, A FAMILY OF 5 WAS LEFT STRANDED ON A LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND BY A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. *TR