NHTSA Complaint #10500002 — 2006 FORD EXPLORER

TRANSMISSION DELAYS THEN LUNGES HARD AFTER PLACED INTO REVERSE. IF A DRIVER APPLIES GAS DURING THIS PERIOD, REVERSE WILL ENGAGE UNDER SUFFICIENT POWER AND LUNGE THE VEHICLE 5 TO 10 FEET BEFORE IT CAN BE CONTROLLED. DUE TO THE NUMBER OF OTHER 2006 EXPLORERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, WE FELT A SAFETY COMPLAINT WAS IN ORDER. THIS VEHICLE HAD 40,000 MILES WHEN IT STARTED 3 YEARS AGO. ITS SPORADIC, SOMETIMES NO PROBLEM, SOMETIMES ANNOYING, SOMETIMES IT IS SCARY. AT ITS WORSE, SHIFTING INTO REVERSE IS DELAYED 2 TO 5 SECONDS BEFORE A VERY HARSH ENGAGEMENT. THE SPEED THE LEVER DOES NOT SEEM TO IMPACT THIS CONDITION. IT OCCURS ABOUT 30% OF THE TIME WHEN REGARDLESS IF THE ENGINE IS COLD OR HOT. THIS HARSH ENGAGEMENT WILL SPIN THE WHEELS AND LET OUT A LOUD SQUAWK IF ON PAVEMENT. THIS ENGAGEMENT IS VERY HARD AND FEELS LIKE A MINOR COLLISION. WITH EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE LEARNED TO HOLD THE BRAKES HARD UNTIL IT ENGAGES TO AVOID THE TIRE SPIN AND KEEPING THE VEHICLE FROM JUMPING. LAST WEEK WE GAVE EVERYONE A SCARE WHEN IT DIDN'T ENGAGE UNTIL AFTER WE LET UP ON THE BRAKES; BY THAT TIME A MOTHER AND TWO CHILDREN HAD WALKED BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THE WHEELS SPUN AND THE VEHICLE JUMPED ABOUT A FOOT TOWARDS THEM EVEN WITH SOME PRESSURE STILL ON THE BRAKES. THIS PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS GOING UP THRU THE GEARS WE WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE A HARD SHIFT, AS THOUGH SOMEONE HIT THE VEHICLE WITH SLEDGE HAMMER. OF ALL THE SHIFTS, THIS HAPPENS ABOUT 20% OF THE TIME NOW. COLD OR HOT IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A FACTOR. *TR