NHTSA Complaint #762925 — 1998 FORD TAURUS

TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING SMOOTHLY, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, FORD DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT WAS LOW TRANSMISSION PRESSURE ERROR CODE. THEY REMOVED THE TRANSMISSION, FOUND IT HAD FAILED AND REPLACED IT. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED MOST, NOT ALL, OF THE COST, BUT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT SHELL OUT AFTER ONLY 49,000 MILES ON A WELL-MAINTAINED CAR. I DON'T THINK THE FORD ENGINEERS HAVE A GOOD MATCHUP OF COMPUTER AND TRANSMISSION HERE, IT SEEMS TO SEARCH FOR GEARS TOO OFTEN AND HESITATE DURING DOWNSHIFTS. I ESPECIALLY HATE THE WAY THE COMPUTER KICKS UP THE IDLE TO SIMULATE A FREE-WHEEL SPRAG THAT BETTER AUTOMATICS USE. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO COAST UP TO DANGEROUS SPEEDS ON LONG DOWNHILL STRETCHES - I HAVE HAD THE CRUISE SET UNDER 60, BUT THE CAR HIT 80 WITHOUT ANY HELP FROM ME - THIS IS ON HILLS THAT NO OTHER CAR I DRIVE GAIN MORE THAN 5 MILES-AN-HOUR. *AK