1998 FORD EXPLORER Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

1998 FORD EXPLORER TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND TRANS STARTED SLIPPING BADLY ALL AT ONCE. CAN NOT DRIVE NOW. I DON'T YET KNOW HOW MUCH A NEW TRANS WILL COST, BUT VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND SERVICED REGULARLY. I BELIEVE THIS TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ALONG IN OUR 1998 FORD EXPLORER AND THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND THEN IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR. IT OCCURS EVERYTIME WE DRIVE THE CAR NOW. WE TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER, THEY SAID IT WAS A TORQUE CONVERTER AND THAT IT WAS 2000 DOLLARS. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER IT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THIRD GEAR. FORD DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED FOR 4000 DOLLARS. WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FROM 98-04 EXPLORERS, AS THEY SHARE THE SAME TRANSMISSION. LINK: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/EXPLORER/2002/TRANSMISSION/TRANSMISSION_FAILURE.SHTML FEEL FREE TO CALL ME ANYTIME. *TR

REVERSE SOMETIMES IT WORKS SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. *TR

FAULTY TRANSMISSION IN 1998 FORD EXPLORER. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT FROM FORD DEALERSHIP, APPROXIMATELY 4 YRS. OLD WHEN PURCHASED. TRANS. NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY AFTER FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP OR APPROX. 65,000 MILES. WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE AT ALL SHORTLY AFTERWARD. HARD AND LATE SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD, AND TRANSMISSION WILL FREQUENTLY TOTALLY DISENGAGE WHILE DRIVING AT 55 TO 60 MPH, ENGINE WILL REV., BUT CAR WILL START SLOWING DOWN. ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BLOW UP WHILE WAITING FOR TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT. HAD TRANSMISSION REBUILT BY PRIVATE MECHANIC AND PROBLEM IS STILL THE SAME. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR AND CLUNKS. TRANSMISSION DISENGAGING OUT OF DRIVE GEAR; WILL NOT STAY IN GEAR WHEN MOVING IN THE FORWARD (DRIVE) DIRECTION. ALMOST WAS IN WRECK DUE TO TRANSMISSION/DRIVE FAILURE. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE IN TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALTY SERVICE STATION TO HAVE LOOKED AT. FAULTY SOLENOID AND STUCK MECHANISM DUE TO FAILURE. TOTAL COST OF REPAIR $1700.00. *TR

FORD EXPLORER TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ~ HAVEN'T HAD MY VEHICLE IN ABOUT A MONTH DUE TO CONTINUINING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION

CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO MOVE BECAUSE THE REVERSE GEAR FAILED. *AK *SC *JB

THE TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS. *NLM

VEHICLE LOST POWER TO WHEELS, GRINDING GEAR NOISE IN ALL GEARS - PARK SELECTION WOULD NOT HOLD. *AK

THERE IS A MILD TO MODERATE VIBRATION THAT CAN BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL, FLOOR BOARD, AND CENTER CONSOLE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (MOST OBVIOUS AT APPROXIMATELY 65 - 70 MPH). IT SEEMS WORSE WHEN APPLYING SLIGHT THROTTLE, AND SEEMS TO SUBSIDE WHEN YOU LET COMPLETELY OFF THE THROTTLE.*AK

VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE, ROLLED OFF OF HIGHWAY REQUIRED TOWING. VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

TSB 99-14-02, REPAIR COST $799.40, REPAIR INCLUDES ADDING A JUMPER WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MANUFACTURING FLAW AND THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE LISTED AS A RECALL. THE COST FOR REAPIR SHOULD BE REFUNDED BY MANUFACTURER. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

AFTER COMING OFF A HIGHWAY STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, TRIED TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND RED LIGHT CAME ON DASHBOARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHERE THEY SAID THAT TRANSMISSION HAD BROKEN DOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER WAS TOWING CAUGHT FIRE, IT APPEARED THAT THE DRIVETRAIN/TRANSMISSION POSSIBLY OVERHEATED ON THE TOWED VEHICLE DAMAGING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT (ALL WHEEL DRIVE - OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). NLM

THE TRANSMISSION STOP WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH. FOWARD OR REVERSE GEARS WILL NOT ENGAGE. TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY I SWITCH TO 4W LOW. THE DEALER SAID THE TRANSMISSION GEAR BROKE AND THE 4W GEAR CHAMBER WERE DAMAGED. DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PART NEEDED IT WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL 2001. DEALER USED A SUBSITUTE PART..

THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT UPSHIFT AND I WOULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR'S ACCELAERATION POWER UNTIL IT WOULD SLIDE INTO GEAR. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS GOT OUT ON ME TWICE WHILE DRIVING. ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ZEROS OUT EXCEPT FOR THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER. THIS PROBLEM HAS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED.

TRANSMISSION MAKES NOISE. YH

TRANSMISSION MAKES NOISE. YH

PUT TRUCK IN REVERSE - TRUCK STUCK IN REVERSE - HAD TO BE TOWED TO FORD DEALER - WAITING FOR RESPONSE FROM DEALER - THEY SAID NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE. *AK

TRANSMISSION IS LEAKING. YH

ON-GOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION; WHENEVER SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGHWAY SPEED,TRANSMISSION WOULD REMAIN IN 3RD GEAR AND CAUSE ENGINE TO STALL OUT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS ACCELERATOR WOULD BECOME HARD. TRANSMISSION WOULD JUMP FROM NEUTRAL INTO DRIVE. THEN A LOUD NOISE, LIKE A BANG, WOULD BE HEARD. TRANSMISSION WOULD REENGAGE ITSELF INTO DRIVE. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. TOOK TO DEALER TO HAVE TRANSMISSION OVERHAULED. *AK

THE VALVE BODY IN TRANSMISION FAILED, CAUSING NOISE. YH

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN AND OUT OF GEAR. YH

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING UPON ACCELERATION GREATER THAN 40 MPH. *YC

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

TRANSMISSION.

VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING PROPERY DAMAGE TO THE INSIDE WALL OF OWNER'S GARAGE WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY. *YC

AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, OR AFTER RELEASING THE FOOT BRAKE, AND THEN ACCELERATING BRISKLY, THE ENTIRE DRIVE TRAIN GOES INTO NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE SPEEDS UP, BUT NO VEHICLE MOVEMENT. YOU MUST STOP, OR COAST UNTIL THE DRIVE LINE VIOLENTLY "CLUNKS" BACK INTO GEAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, TWICE NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IT HAS JUST BEEN REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER, SO THEY HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO RESPOND.

STALLS WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE. NEAR COLLISION IN PARKING LOT. *AK

GEAR SHIFT FAILED, COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF PARK. *YC

TRANSMISSION FAILED. *YC

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES PEDAL GETS STUCK,CAUSING THE BRAKES TO HESITATE. WHEN PUTTING THE GEAR IN PARK THE VEHICLE HESITATES. CONSUMER DOESN'T KNOW WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS GOING TO MOVE, AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AND REPLACED, NEW TRANSMISSION FAILED SEVERAL TIMES CAUSING LEAK PRIOR TO REPLACING.

TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO BROKEN SUPPORT, HOWEVER VIBRATIONS IN DRIVETRAIN PRIOR TO FAILURE.

TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOOSE REVERSE GEAR.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE PROPERLY IN EITHER FORWARD OR REVERSE GEAR.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE; TRANSMISSION IS SLOW TO ENGAGE AND THEN WILL JERK ONCE IT DOES.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY FAILS WHILE IN REVERSE.

DRIVE TRAIN VIBRATION THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE.