Automatic Transmission Torque Converter Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced rough idles while his wife was driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where it was confirmed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission skipped gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle displays a lagging when the gears are changed. There were no warning lights. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the torque converter failed. The torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the transmission jerked and the vehicle shuddered. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure still occurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed once again that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.  .

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly shuddered before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to customer satisfaction program: 20n07. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 127,000.

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Ford performed recall 20n07 for the pcm and torque converter issue and now less than 2 years from the repair the vehicle is having the same issue. Ford will not back their work to correct this issue nor allow any assistance to have the issue corrected. This is a safety concern due lack of acceleration, slow pick up speeds and unexpected stalling. They issued this recall as a one time repair but the one time repair only the corrected the problem for a short period of time. Original repair was performed in 2022 and within 14 months was doing the same thing. I took it back to tony serra Ford in sylacauga on 7/11/2024 due to it gradually getting worse and they told me to bring it in to be checked out on 7/15/2024. They told me yesterday that the pcm had a code and they reprogrammed the pcm but the torgue converter is still slipping and surging. Now Ford refuses to cover this under warranty or recall. This is a major safety concern and can cause people to be involved in accidents.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while stopped, the engine was idling rough. The contact stated that while accelerating, the vehicle was slow to respond and then jolted forward. While driving, reversing, or at a stop, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the torque converter. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 94,400.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was an orange wrench warning light was illuminated when the vehicle was shifted into reverse. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was with the torque converter. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the same information was provided. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised to contact nhsta hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

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The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle jerked abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the torque convertor was starting to fail. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

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The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after shifting to the drive position the vehicle would shake and vibrate. The failure continued while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the torque convert and reprogrammed the pcm but approximately one year later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced a second time. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 83,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while at a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle started shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove to the residence. Additionally, the contact stated that her husband had informed her that the vehicle had failed to accelerate as intended while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed, and the dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,600.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 5 mph and coming to a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered increasingly while at a complete stop. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal to drive, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal harder, and the vehicle responded. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while reversing. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter, the body control module (bcm), the solenoid body and transmission fluid and other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford campaign numbers: 20b27 and 20n07. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle experienced a severe shudder and vibration. The vehicle was connected to an odb scanner which produced a code related to a faulty torque converter. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 140,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle started to shake and vibrate. After restarting the vehicle, the failure recurred. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the motor mounts and spark plugs were faulty and needed to be replaced. The spark plugs and motor mounts were replaced but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the torque converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate while driving. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the VIN was not included in customer satisfaction program: 20n07 (transmission extended warranty coverage) and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed a white cloud of smoke coming from the exhaust. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the contact residence then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that oil had leaked through the exhaust. 2 turbos and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was denied a claim and transferred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking, vibrating, and transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the torque arm, engine mount, axle shaft, and catalytic converter were all damaged due to the jerking and vibrations from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who performed service repairs under an unknown customer satisfaction campaign however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 46,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate while the rpm was inoperable. Additionally, the vehicle experienced rough idling and shaking while driving. The contact stated that the dealer previously performed customer satisfaction program: 20b27 (powertrain control module reflash). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and grieco Ford of raynham (1651 new state hwy, raynham, MA 02767) however, the dealers were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was then taken to two independent mechanics, who diagnosed that the failure was related to customer satisfaction program: 20n07 (transmission extended warranty coverage). The mechanics determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered by the TSB. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

I have had the vehicle for about three months and have had more problems from it then anyone can imagine from the wrench light ( transmission) to the torque converter to camshaft codes to converters to sensors , ac condenser went out, brake issues after replacing new pads and rotors , this has been a nightmare . The truck only has 84k miles and I have experienced more issues from it then any vehicle I have ever had . Ford really made junk this time.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Purchased 2017 Ford Explorer new with only 549 miles. 16 months after purchase, at approx. 39,000 miles, torque converter went out and had to be replaced. 16 months later, at approx. 79,000 miles, torque converter went out again and had to be replaced. I believe this to be yet another faulty Ford transmission issue, as I am a daily commuter and keep my vehicles well maintained.

"takata recall"-diagnosis/engine light(wrench coming up on screen)-code po741 transmission torque converter system stuck off. Pcm won't command transmission to shift and when does command transmission will slip. Taken to Ford dealer-sheehy Ford Mercury Lincoln Mercury-10601 midlothian turnpike, richmond, va 804-794-0500-after mechanic was not able to obtain parts 9l2a-12a650-fd & 9l2a-aa. Advised cost to repair will be $5,600 or more. Had to put 20% deposit or $3,400. 00 down before work could begin. As I speak to other Ford owners, advised that they had to make same repair. Wrench light warning appears while driving.

See all problems of the 2010 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Transmission failed badly at 50,982 miles (under warranty still). Brought in for repairs on 1/31/17 and picked up on evening of 2/8. Dealership overhauled transmission replacing front pump/torque converter/center support and seals/gaskets. On 2/9, at 75 mph on interstate with semi-truck behind me, transmission suddenly dropped gears and red-lined to 6500 rpms, before I was able to re-engage it by manually dropping to the m setting and then up to neutral and back to drive. Lost horsepower and if I had not thought to try the above or panicked like a lot of folks would do, I would have been run over by the semi-truck as I was quickly losing speed. Called dealership that night and brought back to them the next morning (2/10/17). They could find nothing wrong, refused to replace the transmission and gave back to me in the same condition on evening of 2/27/17 (though receipt is dated 2/25) advising me to monitor it and contact them if it happens again (provided I am still alive to do so)!! I am now deathly afraid to drive this vehicle for fear it will happen again, and this time I would not be able to get it back in gear before something bad occurs. And a transmission should not go out at 50,000 miles to begin with!!.

My transmission light has been coming on. I was only at 117k miles when it happened. That's to soon for a transmission to be acting up especially since it's anew one according to carfax this is the second transmission for my Explorer. The first one was put in only at 3 years old. It will sometimes jerk into reverse or take a second to go into drive when I switch gears. My overdrive light also flashes which I assume means my overdrive no longer works. The light only comes on after driving over 40 mph. So if I'm on the highway I can't go the speed limit because I don't want this light coming on. I took it to a transmission shop it needs a torque converter and a rebuild. I contacted Ford and they won't do anything about it. They told me to buy a new car. When I go up hills my Explorer also has trouble even though it shouldn't. I also need a new solenoid pack.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Explorer 🔎.

When trying to give gas it esatates, stalls and jerks. When this started we thought it was the fuel. The car was under warranty. We got it to the dealer it had 59000 miles on it and we were 20 days over the warranty. We were told that we might need a torque converter or a new transmission for $2800 or $5400. They would not cover it under warranty. It is still doing it and we worrey that it may cause a series accident.

See all problems of the 2007 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Nissan maxima. The contact stated that upon inspection, there was a visible transmission leak. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they diagnosed the problem. The authorized dealer stated that the parts to replace were the torque converter and transmission. The vehicle is in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000. Dyd.

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The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the transmission became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle was unable to shift out of third gear as the rpms increased excessively and beyond 7000. The vehicle was able to be driven to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the torque converter and the shift sensor cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

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The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The vehicle would sporadically surge and would exhibit an abnormal grinding sound. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was determined that the fly wheel was spinning because the torque converter had failed. The vehicle had not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 129,000.

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The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the gear lever would not shift in and out of gear until after several attempts. In addition, the transmission would slip gears while driving. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The contact was advised to rebuild the transmission and replace the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 89,456.

While driving the car in town traffic, began to notice a stuttering or shuddering in the engine every time I got to around 40-45mph. Once accelerated through that it would go away. This became noticeable about 6 weeks ago, and I watched to see if it went away or got worse. After about three weeks it also started to shudder around 30 mph, especially when going uphill. It also began to jerk substantially when I stopped at a red light, almost like I had been rear ended. I took it in to my regular mechanic and we assumed maybe we had engine misfire and a fouled spark plug, as it had done some shuddering previously last fall. We had replaced all the plugs and coils at that time(74000k) and the problem went away until August. There were never any engine lights or error codes. The mechanic took one test drive and said no way, take it to a transmission place. Took it where it has been the past two weeks. I was quoted 2400-2800. 00 to rebuild, stated that the torque converter had internal pressure issues and would have to be completely torn down to see what it needed. Called four days later to up the estimate, stating this particular model had a mercedes transmission so now we at a minimum of 4000. 00. We had an old Ford Explorer, 1998 v8 awd that had over 165000k on it that never had tranny issues. I am shocked and disappointed that a 2006 with less than 85k that had never pulled or hauled anything other than people would have the transmission go out, just outside of warranty. And when it was taken in initially the problem was 'spark plugs', which were also an issue because they were so rusted in that they required a special tool to extract and still cracked one. Ford has a serious quality control problem.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle has had two rebuilt transmissions. The contact stated that the transmission started slipping again and the torque converter had to be replaced. The failure and the current mileage was 77,000.

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer eddie bauer edition. The contact was driving 30 mph when the over drive light illuminated, and the vehicle became hard to shift. The overdraft failed to work during the course of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a failure testing diagnostic. The diagnosis was the transmission had broken overdraft band and possibly caused damaged to the torque converter. The manufacturer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 34,029 and the current mileage was 64,846. Rds.

My 2003 Ford Explorer had a "thunk" noise from day one. Ford dealership "could not duplicate" the complaint even I took if back multiple times. Had to replace the torque converter at 70k miles and now at 135k miles the whole transmission and another torque converter for rattling again. Od/off blinking light and check transmission notice came on with erratic shifting and loss of 2nd and 5th gears. Replacement of trans eliminated "thunk" and my $4600. Similar complaints without any acknowledgement of faulty materials or engineering by Ford has plagued hundreds if not thousands of Explorer owners. Where is the expected investigation of these problems? why do we have to wait until accidents or injury to have faulty autos recalled? why are spark plugs ejected more of a safety concern than transmissions that leave drivers without proper moving capability on the highway? where is the recall for these units?.

The wrench appeared on my dash , took it to aamco and they diagnosed it as the torque converter was bad. This is a 2006 Explorer with 96,000 miles. I had the torque converter replaced and wrench still on.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle would not shift properly from second to third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they performed a diagnostic test which concluded that the hydraulic pressure build up had caused the torque converter to pop out and advised the contact that they would need to replace or rebuild the transmission. A private mechanic confirmed the failure and rebuilt the transmission. The current and failure mileage was 115,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 03/24/lj.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact was traveling 45 mph when the over drive warning light illuminated and the transmission failed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the torque converter, servo pack and clutch would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 100,000.