NHTSA Complaint #10538431 — 2006 FORD EXPLORER

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IN TOWN TRAFFIC, BEGAN TO NOTICE A STUTTERING OR SHUDDERING IN THE ENGINE EVERY TIME I GOT TO AROUND 40-45MPH. ONCE ACCELERATED THROUGH THAT IT WOULD GO AWAY. THIS BECAME NOTICEABLE ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO, AND I WATCHED TO SEE IF IT WENT AWAY OR GOT WORSE. AFTER ABOUT THREE WEEKS IT ALSO STARTED TO SHUDDER AROUND 30 MPH, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING UPHILL. IT ALSO BEGAN TO JERK SUBSTANTIALLY WHEN I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, ALMOST LIKE I HAD BEEN REAR ENDED. I TOOK IT IN TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC AND WE ASSUMED MAYBE WE HAD ENGINE MISFIRE AND A FOULED SPARK PLUG, AS IT HAD DONE SOME SHUDDERING PREVIOUSLY LAST FALL. WE HAD REPLACED ALL THE PLUGS AND COILS AT THAT TIME(74000K) AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY UNTIL AUGUST. THERE WERE NEVER ANY ENGINE LIGHTS OR ERROR CODES. THE MECHANIC TOOK ONE TEST DRIVE AND SAID NO WAY, TAKE IT TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE. TOOK IT WHERE IT HAS BEEN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. I WAS QUOTED 2400-2800.00 TO REBUILD, STATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD INTERNAL PRESSURE ISSUES AND WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY TORN DOWN TO SEE WHAT IT NEEDED. CALLED FOUR DAYS LATER TO UP THE ESTIMATE, STATING THIS PARTICULAR MODEL HAD A MERCEDES TRANSMISSION SO NOW WE AT A MINIMUM OF 4000.00. WE HAD AN OLD FORD EXPLORER, 1998 V8 AWD THAT HAD OVER 165000K ON IT THAT NEVER HAD TRANNY ISSUES. I AM SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED THAT A 2006 WITH LESS THAN 85K THAT HAD NEVER PULLED OR HAULED ANYTHING OTHER THAN PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THE TRANSMISSION GO OUT, JUST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. AND WHEN IT WAS TAKEN IN INITIALLY THE PROBLEM WAS 'SPARK PLUGS', WHICH WERE ALSO AN ISSUE BECAUSE THEY WERE SO RUSTED IN THAT THEY REQUIRED A SPECIAL TOOL TO EXTRACT AND STILL CRACKED ONE. FORD HAS A SERIOUS QUALITY CONTROL PROBLEM. *JS