7.9
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $2,040
- Average Mileage:
- 73,350 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 392 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (199 reports)
- rebuild transmission (59 reports)
- replace shift solenoid (58 reports)
- replace transmission (58 reports)
- replace shift solenoid and bands (9 reports)
- had transmission rebuilt $2012 (3 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Ford dealer.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
BACK TO WHERE IT WAS 6 MONTHS AGO SLIPPING NOT GOING INTO EITHER FORWARD OR REVERSE WITHOUT A BANG AND JUMP AND VERY SLOW READ SLIPPING SHIFTING.
- ED A., Covina, CA, US
SAID THAT THIS WOULD CURE THE SHIFTING ISSUE BUT THE LAST FIX ONLY WORKED FOR A FEW MONTHS.
- ED A., Covina, CA, US
BACK TO SLIPPING WHEN SHIFTING. VERY INTERMITTENT. NOT SURE IF I WANT TO SPEND THE MONEY TO REPLACE ANOTHER SOLENOID, WILL DO A SERVICE AND ADD THE MODIFIER AND SEE WHERE IT GOES. FIRST AND LAST FORD. LOVE THE CAR HATE THE TRANSMISSION COSTS.
- ED A., Covina, CA, US
haven't taken to the dealer yet but pretty worried what they are going to tell me...seems pretty early to be having transmission problems at just 90,000 miles
- tinaluvsdogs, Oak Ridge, TN, US
The car started shifting this way a while back. Seems like it is getting worse the closer I get to pay off date.
- Victor D., Carlisle, PA, US
I am disappointed that Ford doesn't better stand behind the product they sell. I purchased my car brand new and it has only 56,000 on it, I was not expecting to have to fork out money to have the transmission repaired! Ford has to begin to understand that when they do not stand behind their vehichles and satisfy their customers that repeat customer will not exist for them.
- nurseteresa1, Vista, CA, US
Since the car was purchased in 2004-new- it has had the shifting hard problem, or not catching up when accelerated after a stop. I did take back to the dealership and was told it was just a slight solenoid (sp) and was repaired...no it wasn't I have complained since I have had this car-No thanks to TOWNSEND FORD,TUSCALOOSA AL..I have almost been hit several times because it wouldn't go after being stopped...or wouldn't go after turning onto a road, most annoying. When it does catch up it hits HARD!
- Kim M., Northport, AL, US
This is my 3rd transmission. lucky for me I bought the 2nd transmission from auto zone and they replaced the transmission. It took 2 months. The second transmission lasted 15000 miles. the first transmission went out with no warning at 75000 miles. I had the fluid changed a month before this happened.
- Judi S., York, SC, US
First I want to say to all of you who read this - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE check out your states Lemon Laws and fill out papers and form, you never know if you can have help or not. ALSO - I am not sure if many of you that bought used are aware of this - But MANY of the 2004 Fords left the factory with the wrong transmission fluid in them which is why most of us have these issues, even after they were recalled to flush and replace.
Okay on to my horror story NOTE This is only just the transmission story and since there is a history I will tell the whole story rather than keep re-entering I will be updating all the other stuff in the other categories. Yep I have a lemon and I don't drive much - I currently have 52k on my 6 year old car - and I don't trust it - I just upgraded my AAA to plus so that it has a 100 mile tow radius incase I break down and it can go back to my dealer so I don't have to do this process over somewhere else.
Bought my car in October 2004 with 14 miles on it - 1st issue was a recall to replace transmission fluid was at 4200 miles - Car never ran right after that. I constantly felt the hard shifting, felt like I was getting rear ended when transmission was down shifting.
2nd issue was at 5780 miles - I had the hard shifting and hard reverse where it felt like the tranny was going to fall out with a clunk underneath the car - They replaced the solenoid bands and off I went (FYI It didn't shift hard again for awhile but the tranny still had hard into reverse)
3rd issue - was 6800 miles it had delayed engagement and the bands were replaced again and some other stuff - off hand my service docs are at my office.
4th issue 10200 miles - felt like I was getting rear ended coming to a stop - Ford was "Unable to Duplicate Issue".
5th issue was 20100 miles - car would not keep running died when accelerating (not sure if this was tranny but it miraculously went away) Ford also "unable" to duplicate
6th issue was 44000 miles - November 2009 - Gears slipping in 1st and 2nd - transmission rebuilt luckily I had extended warranty - My heater blend door was also replaced at this time for 1200 dollars (warranty)
7th issue 51108 miles - August 31, 2010 - September 11, 2010 - OD Off light started flashing so I nursed it into the dealershit (not a misprint) planet gear shift was broken in half and some other jargon I could not understand - ANOTHER REBUILD????? Are you kidding me - you would think they would replace my tranny at this point after its had like 7k put into it from day one. But I swear this car has a virus and everything in it is infected from the start with their bad tranny fluid.- Anyhow - I can promise you that this tranny will not last me 6 months - I already have weird shifting and I haven't even drove it 500 miles since I picked it up 3 weeks ago. Ford was responsible for this since they rebuilt it last year. They also scratched my car while it was there. I have to take it in Monday again so the mechanic can drive it and see if he can feel the weird shifting - it is sporadic again shifting weird and sometimes won't shift until 3500 RPMS and thats nursing it along. It also feels slow and heavy like I have something towing behind it. My car has no Giddy Up. I have extended warranty and Ford is responsible for another 12k miles every time this is repaired within that year.
This whole process is a waiting game. I have filed for lemon law - I am waiting to see if I qualify for any relief.
- grogers, Costa Mesa, CA, US
I decided to join in and write about my experience after reading of so many stories of these cheap, faulty transmissions that Ford does Not stand by. I am not looking at a possible repair of over 3500! I bought this brand new in 2004 and even purchased the extended warranty for another 1800, and now just 10,000 miles out of warranty, my transmission needs replacing. I am so frustrated! Never again. Where do I go to put my info in for joining in on the class action lawsuit...I can't believe no recall!!
- anneca, Concord, CA, US
well i thought i was the only one with this problem, but i see im not. yes i have the same problem as the rest of you do. I wrote to the company and i got a "there is nothing we can do to help you " letter then they have the nerve to send me a customer satisfaction survey... well a few choice words and i sent it back. Now i think we all should start a class action law suit aginst FORD before some one gets hurt or killed with these transmission problems. hell i dont have the money to pay for a repair or a new truck. i owned fords all my life and never had a problem that i could not fix myself, but with this new sealed transmission i dont even want to touch it and have them tell me i did something wrong. so i called a dealer and set up an appoinment to have them do a diagnostics on the transmission and to do a fluid and filter change all for the low cost of $350.00.
- Michael H., Buffalo, NY, US
This is where the craziness begins "Why" don't Ford take care of the customers and vehicle problems better than they do. I've had 2 vehicles from Ford , have had the same problem with the power train . I am a single parent, I need help fixing what I call a dud product again . My complaint is I need help fixing my only vehicle tranportation for work.
- pjterry49ps, Empire, AL, US
Same story as other transmission complaints... rough going in reverse, shifts hard, and clunks when down shifting. Ford, be kind and offer a fix!
- Keith B., Johnsburg, IL, US
The dealer replaced the solenoids and the same problem came back a year later. Now, it also jerks while I'm driving and hesitates then jerks as you accelerate. I wish I could turn it in and have it be the company car for the president of the ford company.
- tushea, Chicago, IL, US
hard to shift and makes loud popping noise when i put on the brakes.....what will fix this
- landersal, Muscle, AL, US
ford built a truck that a owner cannot perform basic care on to force you to pay something as basic as adding fluid.I am totally disgusted with this company and will never ever buy any ford again and will shout on a rooftop how much they suck. This is the reason foreign auto makers have taken over the market!!!
- robertmajor, Capitol Heights, MD, US
This is the 2nd time i had this problem, the1st was right after the warranty expired and i brought the veh. back to the dealer and to my surprise they fixed it, no charge, i've been a good customer, bought quite a few vehicles from this dealer, nice people! That was probably back in 2007. Now at 83000 miles, again the hard shifting in reverse, so i returned it to the dealer and now they wanted $900.00, so i am debating on whether to have them fix it. Too bad, i really like Fords, but i wil call Ford and complain!
- Joe G., Chicago, IL, US
i put 10 years in at the sharonville transmission plant and built the 5r55 model and could not beleive we were building one with out a dipstick, and had a runnig joke that i would never get one that i could not check fluid level, however i took the buy out in fear of layoff and bought a 2 year old explorer for my wife, we love it till this bullshit transmission ,no recall, it can disengage on the highway witch it has. its a pain to me not knowing if or when it works or when i get the call from my wife stranded, kings ford wants 4 grand for a rebuild 2800 for a redone one i told them go to hell, cause i know how to build one for 130 dollars thats what the kit costs i just gotta do the labor in taking it out and doing it
- cossentino, Loveland, OH, US
I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL SOON AFTER I PURCHASED THE TRUCK FOR A SEAL IN TRANSMISSION I HAD THIS REPLACED BUT AROUND 50,000 MILES I STARTED NOTICING THE HESITATION WHEN PUT IN REVERSE NOW IT NEARLY GIVES YOU WHIPLASH AND IT ALSO JERKS AND HESITATES IN ALL GEARS NOW SLOWING DOWN AND ACCELERATING I AM JUST WAITING FOR IT TO BREAK DOWN ANY DAY NOW. MY DAD, BROTHERS, UNCLE, AND COUSIN ALL WORKED FOR FORD. MY DAD RETIRED. SORRY DAD BUT I WILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A FORD VEHICLE
- cchupp, Rockmart, GA, US
Sounds like I've had all the same problems everyone else is having. Hesitating when shifting and then lunging forward when engaging, clunking in reverse, driver's side front and rear window periodically stop working, gas gauge sometimes gets 'stuck', front hubs and bearing needed to replaced. I told the dealer about the clunking in reverse in the first year but was told that was 'normal'. Now at 96500 miles it is out of warranty and am having the trans rebuild for $2,328 as we speak. Hopefully we can get a recall out of this and get our money back.
- polarissno, Redford, MI, US