NHTSA Complaint #10547184 — 2008 FORD EDGE

ON THE FREEWAY IT FELT LIKE THE CAR HIT A HARD BUMP EXITING THE FREEWAY THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY ACCELERATION. THE ENGINE WOULD REV WAY UP BUT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE FORWARD MOVEMENT. IT SEEMED AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING INTO THE LOWER GEARS. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO GET THROUGH THE QUICKLY APPROACHING TRAFFIC, WITHOUT GETTING HIT OR SOMEONE ELSE GETTING HIT AS THE CARS WEAVED AROUND ME. AT A STOP, I SHIFTED INTO LOW WITH NO CHANGE. I TURNED THE OVER DRIVE ON AND OFF WITH NO CHANGE. I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THERE WAS QUITE A BIG BANG AND THE WHOLE CAR SHOOK (THIS WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT I FELT ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I THOUGHT I HIT A BUMP). SHIFTING BACK INTO DRIVE, IT WAS THE SAME, LOTS OF RPM AND VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT FORWARD, AS IF I WAS STARTING IN FOURTH GEAR. TURNING OFF THE ENGINE I LOOKED FOR ANY SIGNS OF FLUID LEAKING OR OTHER INDICATIONS OF DAMAGE. NOTHING WAS EVIDENT. AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND SHIFTING IT INTO DRIVE, IT WORKED JUST FINE. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF POSTINGS AND EVEN A FEW YOU-TUBE VIDEOS OF THE ACTUAL PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED. FORD EVEN HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN 103100 DATED 4/24/13. POSTINGS REPORT TRANSMISSION REBUILDS (AT OVER $4,000.00) AND THE PROBLEM STILL RECURRED. SUCCESSFUL REPAIRS SEEM TO CENTER AROUND A FIRMWARE, COMPUTER UPGRADE AND REPLACEMENT OF TURBINE SENSORS AND SOLENOIDS. WITH ONLY 70,000 MILES ON THIS CAR I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP KNEW ALL ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND SAID IT WOULD TAKE THREE DAYS TO REPAIR AT JUST UNDER $1,000.00. HE ALSO SAID THAT THEY STOCK THE PARTS FOR THIS REPAIR (A STRANGE COMMENT). ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT MOST REPAIRS TOOK WEEKS BECAUSE NONE OF THE DEALERS STOCKED THE PARTS. NOW IT SEEMS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS SO PREVALENT THAT MANY IF NOT ALL THE DEALERS ARE NOW STOCKING THESE PARTS. *TR