NHTSA Complaint #10370598 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

2002 FORD EXPLORER, 274K MILES. TRANSMISSION BEGAN MAKING GRINDING NOISE; HAD IT REBUILT BY A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION SHOP. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IF BRAKING HARD, THE ENGINE JUST STOPS AND ALL POWER IS LOST. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, YET IT STARTS RIGHT BACK UP WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION KEY. MECHANIC CANNOT GET ANY CODES TO SHOW UP. SIX MONTHS LATER, OVERDRIVE OFF LIGHT FLICKERS OR FLASHES FAIRLY REGULARLY, SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS IS ROUGH AND IT WON'T STAY IN OVERDRIVE. ONCE REACHING OVERDRIVE, IT BECOMES 'MUSHY' AND SLIPS BACK AND FORTH, LOSING SPEED WHILE RPMS BOUNCE BETWEEN 1,500 AND 3,000. TRANSMISSION SHOP HAS CHECKED IT AGAIN, SAYS IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND THAT I NEED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. DEALER CLAIMS THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE RECALL OUT ON THIS CAR AND IT IS FOR THE SPEED (CRUISE) CONTROL AND THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE TRANSMISSION. 4X4 HIGH LIGHT FLASHES WHENEVER THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE GOING INTO OVERDRIVE, BUT THAT EVENTUALLY STOPS. I'VE HAD TO RESORT TO DRIVING WITH OVERDRIVE TURNED OFF, WHICH IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET THE TRANSMISSION TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY WITHOUT ALL OF THE LIGHTS. THIS CAUSES ME TO HAVE TO RUN THE CAR AT HIGHER RPMS AND DECREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP TOMORROW FOR THE RECALL AND I'M HOPING THAT MAYBE THERE IS SOMEONE THERE WHO IS HONEST ENOUGH TO HELP. WENT TO ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A VERY WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM, THAT THEY REBUILD THESE TRANMISSIONS REGULARLY AND THAT FORD HASN'T ACKNOWLEDGED ANY FORM OF RESPONSIBILITY OR EVEN A REPAIR SOLUTION FOR THIS.