NHTSA Complaint #11531889 — 2015 FORD EXPEDITION

I was towing a trailer on a freeway when I suddenly got a "wrench" light stating my engine was cutting power due to heat and before I knew what to do there my vehicle was coasting, and so I quickly as I could changed lanes and came to a stop just a foot from the white line on the right. Cars and trucks are whizzing by me at highway speeds and was luckily off the road enough not to get hit. I had three other passengers at the time in my vehicle. what failed: after getting my passengers safely in other vehicles at the next rest stop, the trailer that I was towing was hooked up by another person on the same trip, I had my vehicle brought home on a flatbed. Fast forward to this week when it was finally diagnosed at a transmission shop. I was informed a transmission cooling line had ruptured, sending all the transmission oil out of the case and bringing me to an abrupt end on the freeway. Had I not been able to get over I would have come to a halt on the freeway, putting myself and my passengers as well as others behind me at risk. The transmission shop confirmed the issue. Since we were going at highway speeds when the transmission coolant line ruptures the oil gushes out and i have very little time before the transmission will not work. The only warning was from the engine as the transmission oil got pumped out, I'm assuming the engine revved to compensate, creating more heat, then the warning light which only happened seconds before I had no way to move. I was pretty scared, but I had other passengers in the vehicle, so I had to remain calm. At the time I had no idea what happened. I asked the transmission shop manager if that was a serviceable item (I'm pretty sure it's not) and he confirmed transmission coolant lines should last the life of the vehicle. My vehicle is only 8 years old--that is a catastrophic failure of a non-moving part leading to almost instant transmission failure. I asked if debris could have broken the line--he said no.