NHTSA Complaint #756533 — 1995 FORD EXPLORER

DRIVING FROM SAN DIEGO TO LAX AIRPORT. 1/3 OF WAY THERE, O/D OFF LIGHT STARTS FLASHING, SEE IN MANUAL TO CONTACT DEALERSHIP AND TO HAVE VEHICLE CHECKED. CALL RANCHO FORD IN TEMECULA, CA, THEY SAID VEHICLE FINE TO DRIVE, COME IN FOR APPOINTMENT A FEW DAYS LATER. VEHICLE NOT IN CORRECT GEARS, RPM AWKWARD, TOO HIGH, TOO LOW. THEN 1/2 BACK AND HEAR POP SOUND, LIKE GUNFIRE, AND SEE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE. PAST EXPERIENCE WITH FORD TELLS ME NOT TO TRUST THEM, SO I PULL OVER AND CALL MY MECHANIC. TRANSMISSION BLEW CAP OFF AND COVER UNDERCARRIAGE OF CAR WITH TRANS FLUID. MECHANIC SAID THAT AS LONG AS I DID NOT REV ABOVE 2700, I WOULD BE OKAY. MADE IT ALL THE WAY HOME. HAD TRANSMISSION REBUILT AND REINSTALLED, TWO WEEKS LATER, SAME SYMPTOMS. THIS TIME NEW TRANSMISSION. THEN 4 WEEKS LATER, PROBLEMS OCCUR AGAIN. TAKE TO AAMCO, AND THEY SAY NEEDS NEW TORQUE CONVERTER, TAKE TO REGUALR MECHANIC, SAYS NEEDS NEW TRANSFER CASE, TAKE TO RANCHO FORD, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND TAKE TO LAKE ELSINORE FORD, WHERE THEY RUN DIAGNOSTIC, AND FIND NOTHING IS WRONG.*AK