NHTSA Complaint #10438108 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

I OWN A 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLS. I HAVE BEEN HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FOR A WHILE AND FORD DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS COMMON WITH THE 2002 EXPLORER. I AM NOW AT 100K MILES AND MY TRANSMISSION IS IN NEED OF BEING REBUILT BECAUSE FORD MANUFACTURED A TRANSMISSION THAT WAS TWO SMALL FOR THE 2ND AND 5TH GEARS TO SHIFT IN WHICH CREATED FRICTION AND WEAR ON THE TRANSMISSION. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WHO STILL OWES MONEY ON THIS VEHICLE AND I CANNOT AFFORD 2000 TO "REBUILD" THIS TRANSMISSION FOR IT TO FAIL ON ME AGAIN LIKE ALL THE REST. I CONTACTED FORD AND OF COURSE THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T HELP ME. MY FATHER BEING A MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I CANNOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THE MOTOR WAS ABOUT TO BLOW DUE TO THE HIGH RPMS THIS TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN PUTTING OUT FOR A WHILE. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I FOUND THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/EXPLORER/2002/TRANSMISSION/TRANSMISSION_FAILURE.SHTML WHERE OVER 350 PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH MY THREE YEAR OLD IN THE CAR WHERE ANYTHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED. THESE VEHICLES ARE NORMAL BOUGHT FOR FAMILY VEHICLES AND I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST SINCE IT IS PUTTING MANY FAMILIES IN DANGER. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING I NEED TO DO TO GET A RECALL ACTIVE ON THIS TRANSMISSION. THANK YOU. *TR