NHTSA Complaint #10348633 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

MAJOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AT 106K MILES ON MY FORD EXPLORER XLT 4.0L. THIS WAS NOT DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE OR UP KEEP! SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL GOING 75 MILES AN HR DOWN THE FREEWAY, SHIFTING OUT OF PLACE, ROUGH, SCARY SHIFTS, SHIMMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION JUMPING ALLOVER THE PLACE IS JUST THE BEGINNING. AFTER 5 TRIPS TO THE MECHANIC, FIRST I DID WIRES, THEN PLUGS, THEN UPDATED COMPUTER, FULL TRANNY FLUSH AND FINALLY HAD TO REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE SOLENOIDS IN THE TRANSMISSION BEING DEFECTIVE AND FAULTY PER A FORD SERVICE MANAGER IN OWATONNA, MN. THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT FORD WAS LOOKING AT MAKING IT A RECALL, BUT IT WASN'T THE TOP OF THEIR PRIORITY LIST AND MAYBE THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY GET TO IT! HE HAS SEEN MANY OF THESE TRUCKS IN THE SHOP WITH THEIR "BUSY" TRANSMISSIONS, AND THE SAME ISSUES! THIS WAS THE ISSUE ALL ALONG..AFTER ALL OF THE SERVICE APPTS, AND MONEY SPENT NOTHING WAS RESOLVED, UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT! $4K LATER JUST FOR THE TRANNY REPAIR! FOR THEIR FAULTY DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION SOLENOIDS! AS IF THE TRUCK DIDN'T ALREADY COST ENOUGH! AND THE TROUBLESHOOTING "BANDAIDS" (WHICH BETWEEN THE TRANNY, DIAGNOSTICS, LABOR ETC TOTAL WELL OVER $5500!!) I CONTACTED FORD AFTER DIRECTED TO DUE SO MY (THEIR) TECHNICIAN AND EMPLOYEE OF 25 YRS. I READ ALL THE POSTS OF DUPLICATE COMPLAINTS (I SEE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER CONSUMERS IN MY SITUATION!), TO INFORM THEM OF THE MONEY I'VE LOST, TIME INCURRED INTO THIS HEADACHE, AND ALL THE DAYS I WENT WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR MY FAMILY THAT I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT WAS THEIR EQUIPMENT! THAT IT WAS THEIR FAULT! CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT THEIR COMPENSATION WAS, IF ANY, GOING TO BE. OR WHAT THEY PLANNED ON DOING ABOUT IT! AND AFTER SEVERAL SERVICE APPT, $5500 LOSS AND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE REP STATED BASICALLY SAID OH WELL! ITS UR PROBLEM NOT OURS!!! LOL! *TR