Automatic Transmission Torque Converter problems of the 2015 Ford Edge

Catastrophic failure of the flexplate while driving at 55 mph. Also destroyed the torque converter and transmission pump.

I was driving during my normal routine, from picking up my baby at daycare to go home when a rattle noise suddenly started. It was not too loud in the beginning, but as I approached the house, the noise started getting louder and louder mostly when idling at stop signs or red lights, for example. The 2015 Ford Edge awd 2. 0 l ecoboost is 4. 5 years old and has 66,000 miles. The day after, I took the car to a Ford dealership and was told that the flex plate was broken and so is pretty much everything that is attached to it including the crankshaft, torque converter, and fluid pump and that I would need to replace the whole engine. Ford provided me a case number, but no further assistance since the vehicle is no longer under warranty. The car is currently at the authorized dealership. I was quoted $7,300 to fix the vehicle. A problem with a flex plate can be very dangerous as I'm understanding that they transmit the power from your engine to the transmission. I could have lost my ability to control the vehicle's power. A bad flex plate could potentially cause a loss of power to the wheels and result in an accident. In addition, the flex plate broke the crank shaft and torque converter, which also prevents the engine to function properly. My vehicle is less than 5 years old and this has happened already with it. I'm fortunate to have not suffered an accident because of this.

Mileage at event: 79,000 on 2/14/20 a rumbling noise from under the hood began when the vehicle was at idle, more pronounced at start-up, and the noise subsided when under power. Took to dealer on 2/20/20 and the mechanic could not diagnose the problem. Noise continued at start-up and when at idle. On 2/25/20 while traveling at 70 mph on the interstate, all propulsive power was lost yet engine could still rev and all power functions remained (steering, breaking, auxiliary power, etc. ). Pulled off the road and turned engine off. Could not re-start vehicle and vehicle was towed to the dealer. Initial inspection showed that the flexplate had split into two pieces. One inner portion remained connected to the crankshaft, the other outer portion connected to the torque converter. (see attached picture of flexplate. ) during the failure, the broken flexplate destroyed the bendix gear on the starter which was also replaced. In addition, the crankshaft seal was replaced which indicates an alignment issue may be the root cause. This is similar to previously reported complaints with NHTSA ids (11218798, 11194165, 111277542, 11204923) and related to Ford service bulletin 19-2236 (dated 06 August 2019) as well as Ford communication ssm 47398 (NHTSA id 10144200). Of the previous complaints, two have had repeat failures, likely indicating an inherent alignment and engineering flaw with the vehicle. Note that the 2015 Ford Edge was the first Ford vehicle to have the 2nd generation 2. 0 l ecoboost gtdi with twin-scroll turbo. I believe that this is just the beginning of flexplate failures as more 2015 - 2018 Ford Edges reach the ~75,000 mile mark. Safety comment: the vehicle was in motion at 70 mph when I heard a loud crack and lost all propulsive power. While I was able to safely glide to a stop, this could have been more dangerous at a high traffic time.