NHTSA Complaint #11574779 — 2018 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was experiencing hard shifts and the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was related to the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, where it was diagnosed that an unknown transmission part had failed, but the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, where the transmission fluid was flushed, and the failure ceased. The contact stated that the check engine warning light later illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the transmission specialist, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission fluid was abnormally dark. The transmission specialist replaced the valve control assembly, the solenoid valve blocks, the clutch drum 3-4-5. Additionally, the transmission fluid was flushed, and the transmission was reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for repairs to reimbursed. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.