NHTSA Complaint #11043409 — 2005 FORD 500

VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTS VERY HARD WHEN BRAKING OR WHEN TRYING TO PASS SOMEONE AND YOU GIVE IT GAS AND IT DOWNSHIFTS TO ACCELERATE IT'S LIKE THE VEHICLE GOES INTO NEUTRAL. I WAS DOING 70MPH WITH SOMEONE ON MY REAR END ON I-77N AND WHEN I TRIED TO SPEED UP TO GET OUT OF HIS WAY CAR SHIFTED REALLY HARD TO WHERE I THOUGHT SOMETHING BROKE AND STARTED TO SLOW DOWN QUICKLY. SINCE I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR SHOT UP TO 7000 RPM. SO I HIT THE BREAK TO SHUT OFF CRUISE CONTROL ALL THE WHILE THIS DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS ABOUT TO GET INTO MY REAR END I QUICKLY MOVED INTO THE RIGHT LANE THEN OVER TO THE BIRM. AT ABOUT 35MPH THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AGAIN AND I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE CAR HOME. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY RECOMMENDED A VALVE BODY REPLACEMENT @$3000. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF BLOGS ON THIS TOPIC AND HUNDREDS OF FORD 500 OWNERS SAYS THE REBUILD REPAIR DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AND THEY'RE JUST OUT $3K OR EVEN MORE AND FORD REFUSES TO RECALL THEM AND FIX THE CARS