NHTSA Complaint #749818 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

WHEN TRYING TO PASS, OR EVEN WHEN ACCELERATING, THE TRANSMISSION WILL COMPLETELY DISENGAGE! THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. THIS HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH IN TWO CASES WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICHLE. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT'S AS IF YOU INTENTIONALLY PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. THERE IS NO SLIPPAGE, JUST COMPLETE DISENGAGEMENT. I HAVE EVEN HAD IT COMPLETELY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE OPERATING IN CRUISE CONTROL ON THE INTERSTATE. BELIEVE ME IT'S REALLY SCARY WHEN YOUR ENGINGE COMPLETELY TACHS OUT AT THIS SPEED. IT'S A WONDER THE ENGINE DIDN'T BLOW BEFORE I TAPPED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REBUILT TWICE AND REPAIRED ONCE. COSTS TO ME SO FAR IN REPAIRING THIS TRANSMISSION HAVE BEEN $3000 AND COUNTING FOR THE LAST TIME. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE AT A FORD DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT. AGAIN, THE TRANSMISSION IS DOING THE SAME THING AFTER 13,000 MILES. WHAT'S BAD IS THAT FORD TECHNICIANS, NOR THEIR TECHNICAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT, CAN CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEIR DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT SHOWS NO PROBLEM. I HAVE TO TAKE IT ON THE ROAD TO SHOW THE MECHANIC HOW IT'S OPERATING WHICH TAKES A PRETTY GOOD TEST DRIVE. AGAIN THEIR ONLY SUGGESTION IS ANOTHER COMPLETE REBUILD SINCE THEY ARE CLUELESS. UNFORTUNATLEY, THIS TIME, IT IS ONE THOUSNAND MILES OVER THEIR WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN MY OPINION. IF I'M HAVEING THIS TROUBLE, THEN SURELY OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, AND IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CALL OR CONTACT ME. I HAVE ALL MY RECORDS.*AK