Transmission Fluid Leaking problems of the 2013 Ford Edge

I bought a used 2013 Ford Edge: sport trim, 3. 7l awd with 84,000 miles on June 8th. Inspection was fine. I drove it home 1400 miles the next 2 days, and never drove it hard at all. It rained the whole way. Driving felt a bit odd at times, though I attributed that to my unfamiliarity with the new vehicle. Upon arriving home I had the oil changed and was informed that there was a major transmission leak. Upon my re-inspection, it was dripping at every stop, sometimes leaving 2-5" diameter puddles. I took it to the Ford dealership where they diagnosed that transmission was fine, but the power transfer unit was leaking and the entire unit needed replacement. Cost of repair, $1800. Upon researching, the unit which claims to have a "lifetime fluid" of gear-oil has a serious design flaw in which the unit is not properly cooled, and the "lifetime fluid" breaks down due to heat, causing the unit to fail. This serious design flaw could have caused my trip through the rain to have resulted in a catastrophic failure that would have endangered my safety, the vehicle's performance in the rain, and the lives of others. This is not an isolated incident. I am now stuck unable to drive the vehicle because I can't afford the $1800 repair, and driving the vehicle in this condition is dangerous. This part needs to be recalled ASAP, and Ford needs to take responsibility for this defective part before someone gets killed.

I found spots of fluid on my garage floor and in my driveway that was leaking from my car. Ford dealer informed me this fluid is leaking from transmission ptu.

2013 Edge with 53,000 miles - 3-4 months out of the power train warranty. Experienced intermittent noises when vehicle is cold (I. E. Grinding noise, engine running irregular, and faint humming at engine/transmission). This only happened approximately 3-4 times total with many days in between while the vehicle is moving. Very slight at first and progressed and became little more pronounced. When I would stop, the engine was calm and still. I would wonder if it was even still running. It took the dealership over a week to diagnose because it was intermittent and the mechanic had to continue to drive it before it happened again. Finally, formally diagnosed 5/22/19 as a failed ptu. No fluid leaks and all seals intact. Very little price break on labor and/or parts. The dealership refers you to corporate Ford for any part and/or warranty complaints. Since there was no core charge, I did request that the failed part be returned after replacement. Without intervention to force Ford to acknowledge that there is problem, this part will continue to be produced and installed on vehicles. Lastly, with the foreknowledge mentioned above about this vehicles' ptu issues. I would certainly hesitate to buy any Ford Edge or flex because of this substandard part that should be recalled for consumer safety reasons. Keep in mind that the fix is only to put this same poorly designed replacement part back on the vehicle - only to wait for it to possibly fail again.

Performing a routine service notice rear transmission seal leaking. Under pin very wet with fluid.