NHTSA Complaint #10326933 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SINCE DECEMBER 2004 WHEN MY DAUGHTER LEFT IT FOR ME WHEN SHE MOVED. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 11,000 MILES. SHE HAD NOTICED A HARD SHIFT, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING INTO REVERSE AND A ROUGH IDLE AND VIBRATION, BUT HAD NOT HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. EXCEPT FOR WHEN I HAVE BEEN OUT OF TOWN, I HAVE SERVICED THAT CAR AT A FORD DEALERSHIP RELIGIOUSLY. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS BUT NOTHING WAS EVER FOUND. I WAS NOT EVEN TOLD ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS I HAVE READ ABOUT ON YOUR WEBSITE WHICH SEEM TO INDICATE THAT FORD WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS AND CAUSES. FINALLY, AT JUST UNDER 36,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW, 47,000 MILES LATER, THIS NEW TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING AND THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT TO SEE WHERE IT'S LEAKING FROM. I READ HERE ABOUT THAT PROBLEM, TOO. TO ME, IT IS CLEAR THAT FORD IS USING MICKEY MOUSE TRANSMISSIONS WHICH, OF COURSE, POSE A SAFETY HAZARD DEPENDING ON WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW THE FAILURE MANIFESTS ITSELF, AND IS ALSO AN AFFRONT TO THE CONSUMER WHO IS BEING DEFRAUDED BY BEING SOLD A FAR MORE INFERIOR VEHICLE THAN THE ONE FOR WHICH THEY BARGAINED. SO, HOW'S YOUR INVESTIGATION GOING? *TR