NHTSA Complaint #11693195 — 2020 FORD EXPLORER

On [XXX]., in heavy rush‑hour traffic on [XXX] , my vehicle (~75,417 mi) suddenly lost motive power w/o warning at ~55 mph. It became immobile in a live lane, creating a roadblock and rear‑end crash risk. Drivers swerved/honked. Accelerator had no effect; limited/no power‑steering assist; I coasted to an in‑lane stop (no safe shoulder) and activated hazards. Cluster displayed “SHIFT SYS FAULT—Service Required” and wrench icon. Attempts to restart failed; the vehicle remained disabled ~30min until a tow arrived; police responded. After tow, on a slight incline, the vehicle rolled backward when started and the parking brake was released, though the cluster showed Park—clear rollaway concern. Recovery/diagnosis: Towed first to AutoTech Clinic (advised replacement trans). Then to Bill Brown Ford (Livonia, MI): fractured planetary gear and broken park pawl; recommended full transmission replacement (~$8,500). Repair history (pre‑purchase): I’ve owned the car <6 mos (now ~75k). A Ford dealer later informed me the vehicle previously had major work at Taylor Ford of MI: trans‑cooler plumbing cracks between cooler and trans lines at ~34k, and major internal trans repair at ~46k (“burnt clutch A; full reassembly”). None of this appeared on CARFAX or was disclosed by the selling dealer. Costs/downtime: ~$700 towing/diagnostics to date; trans replacement quoted ~$8,500. Mfr/dealer response: Reported to Ford on 10/13/2025, case [XXX]. Initial response: no assistance; pending. The Ford 10R60 has multiple TSBs for trans issues, but neither the dealer nor CSR cited any, and no assistance has been offered. Maintenance/mods: Vehicle stock; maintained per mfr schedule. Safety concern: Sudden loss of propulsion in traffic + inability to move to safety, combined with a Park indication that allows rollback, present significant crash/rollaway hazards. Please investigate and, if warranted, require a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)