NHTSA Complaint #10853496 — 2006 FORD EXPLORER

COMPLETE AND TOTAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY. I WAS TRAVELING IN MY CAR WITH MY FAMILY WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSIVE BANG FROM UNDER OR CAR. I SHOOK MY WIFE AND SCARED MY CHILDREN. I KNEW IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT GOOD AND FELT AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF FORWARD MOMENTUM AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE FAST LANE AT THE TIME AND OTHER VEHICLES WERE FOLLOWING BEHIND US. THEY WERE NOT HAPPY AND HAMMERING THEIR HORNS AT OUR SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED DECELERATION. LUCKILY NO ONE REAR-ENDED US OR PANICKED AND SLAMMED ON THEIR OWN BRAKES WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR COLLISION ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND COME TO A SAFE STOP WITH IN A FEW FEET OF A YELLOW EMERGENCY CALL BOX. WE SIGNALED FOR ASSISTANCE AND HELP CAME TO ME AND MY FAMILY WITHIN 10 MINUTES. (THANK YOU TO ALL BY THE WAY) WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MAJOR BRAND TRANSMISSION SHOP WHERE THEY FOUND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO BE BURNT AND BLACK, METAL PIECES IN THE PAN AND DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION TO BE A COMPLETE LOSS AND HAVE IT REPLACED WITH A CERTIFIED REBUILT TRANSMISSION. 69,000 MILE AT TIME OF FAILURE. NOT ACCEPTABLE AT LESS THAN 100,000. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN TO AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER OR OTHER DRIVERS AROUND THESE VEHICLE WHEN IT HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A SERIOUS POSSIBLY LIFE THREATENING OR FATAL ACCIDENT COULD RESULT FROM THIS TYPE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE. THIS IS NOT A SLIPPING TRANSMISSION OR A CAR THAT WONT SHIFT GEARS OR AN ISSUE SIMILAR TO THOSE TYPE OF COMPLAINTS. THIS IS A TOTAL AND COMPLETE FAILURE OF A MAJOR VEHICLE COMPONENT UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CIRCUMSTANCES. I DON'T HAVE PICTURES, AS I AM REMOTE FROM THE VEHICLE UNTIL I PICK IT UP WHEN SERVICE IS FINISHED BUT I WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TOWING RECEIPTS AND REPAIR BILLS FROM SERVICING TRANSMISSION SHOP. *TR