NHTSA Complaint #709365 — 1994 FORD THUNDERBIRD

FIRST COMPLAINED TO DEALER THAT TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARD ON 11/04/1994 @ 10378 MILES: DEALER RESPONDED NO PROBLEM FOUND. NEXT VISIT TO DEALER ON 09/20/1995 COMPLAINT VIBRATION IN DRIVELINE AT UPSHIFTS - DEALER RESPONDED NO PROBLEM FOUND. CONTINUED TO TAKE CARD IN TO DEALER COMPLAINING OF INTERMITTENT PROBLEM - ENGINE REVS (TACHOMETER INCREASES) AND VEHICLE NOT MOVING FORWARD. DEALER SAID CONTINUALLY THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY CAR GOT TO POINT WHERE PROBLEM WAS OCCURRING AT NEARLY EVERY SPEED EVERY DAY. HAD TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT AMERICAN TRANSMISSIONS, ROYAL OAK, MI. PROBLEM STILL NOT SOLVED. AFTER SEVERAL RETURN VISITS, PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE, FORD PART NO. F3LP-7F293-BA, WHICH ESSENTIALLY PUT TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL WHILE IN DRIVE. THIS FAILURE IS WHAT I TRIED TO RESOLVE UNSUCCESSFULLY WITH FORD DEALER FOR APPROX. 5 YEARS. PROBLEM WAS THE SAME EACH TIME, AND WAS FINALLY IDENTIFIED AND REPAIRED BY SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE FORD SERVICE NETWORK. THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE MY CAR WAS "COASTING" UNTIL THE TRANS "CAUGHT".