NHTSA Complaint #10325904 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

2002 FORD EXPLORER TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATOR. THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN SHIFTING HARD FOR MONTHS BUT IT IS CONSIDERED BY FORD TO BE A "SEALED" UNIT AND IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT THE CUSTOMER MAINTAIN THE FLUID LEVEL, SO THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. IN JAN 2010 THE ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND WE WERE OUT OF CONTROL, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE AND HAD TO TURN OF THE CAR ON THE FREEWAY WITH NO SHOULDER AFTER BRUSHING THE GUARD RAIL AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REAR ENDED. THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING THAT DAY AND IT WAS TOUGH TO REACH 60MPH. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I SHOPPED AROUND FOR DIAGNOSTIC. INDEPENDENT TRANS. GUY SAID IT NEEDS COMPLETE REBUILD, FORD DLR AGREES BUT FOR TWICE THE COST. NEW PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. IT MAKES NO SENSE WHY THIS CAR JUST STARTED TO FAIL ON ME LIKE THIS, I'M THE FIRST OWNER AND NOW ITS JUST DECIDED TO DIE AND FORD HAS BEEN NO HELP WHAT SO EVER. NOW I'M LOOKING AT A REPAIR THAT IS 80% OF THE BLUEBOOK VALUE. EACH MECHANIC I'VE BROUGHT IT TO SAYS THIS PROBLEM IS ENDEMIC TO THIS MODEL/YEAR AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. WHY WOULD THEY PUT IN A TRANS. THAT CANNOT BE REASONABLY SERVICED AND MAINTAINED AND DIES JUST AFTER 100K MI. I HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME BELIEVING THIS WAS NOT PLANNED BY FORD AND I WILL NEVER BUY THEIR PRODUCTS AGAIN! MY CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE TO THE GROCERY STORE LET ALONE THE FREEWAY. THIS IS A CLEAR CASE OF IRRESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURING PRACTICES ON FORDS PART AND WARRANTS A RECALL! *TR