NHTSA Complaint #744032 — 2001 FORD RANGER

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN MY JOB IN BUFFALO, NY, AND MY HOME IN LEXINGTON, OH, I SUFFERED A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WAS FORCED TO LIMP INTO A LOCAL FORD TRUCK SALES PLACE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED WARNING AND LEFT ME LIMPING ALONG AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH ON THE I-90 THRUWAY DURING RUSH HOUR WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC TRAVELING 65-70 MPH. BY THE TIME I TRAVELED THE APPROXIMATE 10 MILES, I HAD TOTALLY LOST REVERSE GEAR AND HAD SUBSTANTIAL SLIPPAGE OCCURING IN FORWARD GEARS. MECHANICS INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND DISCOVERED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRING IT TO BE REPLACED. FORD TECH CONSULTANTS REVEALED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY FORD RANGERS, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. APPARENTLY, THE TORQUE ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS INCREASED WITHOUT REDESIGNING THE TRANSMISSION OR SEALS TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE HIGHER TORQUE. THEREFORE, TRANSMISSION SEALS ARE FAILING UNDER USE, LEADING TO SEVERE DAMAGE OF THE TRANSMISSION. FURTHERMORE, FORD HAS NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE --- EVEN THOUGH THE DAMAGE OCCURRED ON 4/11/01, A NEW REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL AT LEAST 4/20/01, AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION. APPARENTLY MY TRUCK WON'T BE ABLE TO BE RETURNED TO ME FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. FORD TECH CONSULTANTS REVEALED THAT THEY ARE THINKING ABOUT A RECALL, BUT HAVEN'T DECIDED YET. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 9,200 MILES ON IT --- I HAVE HAD IT LESS THAN 4 MONTHS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND REQUIRE FORD TO ASSUME ITS RESPONSIBILITIES BY REQUIRING A RECALL, BY REQUIRING TIMELY REPAIRS, AND BY ASSUMING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. I CANNOT PROVIDE THE VIN NUMBER CURRENTLY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE RETRIEVED FROM HUNTER ERIE FORD TRUCK SALES OF ERIE, PA OR MARK FORD OF BELLVILE, OH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.*AK