Automatic Transmission Torque Converter Problems of Ford Explorer - part 2

Tl-the contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle began to jerk intermittently. The failure recurred whenever the contact was driving between 45-65 mph. The vehicle was taken to a specialized transmission center where the torque converter and other related parts were replaced. In addition, the computer system was updated. The malfunction became worse after the repair was performed. The vehicle had not been further repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. Kmj.

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2002 Ford Explorer with 120,000 miles. Transmission began to slip 3rd gear. Stalling in traffic. Ford dealer could not look at it for 2 days so went to independent shop who knew the problem well. Not only had to replace solenoid valves, but also torque converter and rebuild. Had to drill out one port and install stronger linkage part Ford offered since 2006.

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2000 Ford Explorer [xxx] XLT 4 dr 4x4 ohv "x" VIN 4. 0 ohv engine. 2 re-built 5r55e transmissions. Both times po-741 codes torque converter clutch system stuck off. Had to start in low and shift to drive to move thru gears. No reverse unless you gun engine then slowly moves in reverse sometimes. Re-built at 113k and again at 195,000 miles. Sometimes no gear when driving. Have to switch overdrive off to gain traction. Trans finally quit again. Dangerous condition. Ford dealers tell me nothing extraordinary. Have never experienced so much transmission problems with all the suvs and sedans I've owned. I believe a safety re-call is in order. It is no coincidence that retail shops refer to the Ford Explorer as the Ford "exploder".

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2000 Ford Explorer,transmission will slip,lock up in overdrive,place in reverse car lurches forward. The o/d off light flashes engine rpms are very high. There are thousands of people that keep having the same problems with this vehicle. It has 4. 0 engine and the 5r55e automatic transmission. This vehicle is dangerous to my family and to the public you never know what type of reaction will come out of this transmission. The vehicle has 100,000 miles on it. Taken to aamco they quoted $2300. 00 for repairs. My warrant companycomplete automotive repair servives (c. A. R. S)will only pay for a salvage yard transmission. These transmission were only made fro a short time. Any transmission from a salvage yard will have the operating problems. While at aamco a customer brought his 1999 Explorer in his transmission was rebuilt by aamco Feb of this year. It is stuck in overdrive and will not go into reverse. Warranty company sent a used transmission to the aamco shop at 4210 red bluff road pasadena texas,it was installed,transmission would not go into overdrive and set a computer code of torque converter failure along with solenoid failure. Ford motor company has turned loose a very unsafe to the public they must be held accountable and made to repair this type of transmission.

The transmission in our 2002 Ford Explorer eddie bauer started flashing the od light @94,000 miles took it to Ford they said the valve body and torque converter was bad, Ford replaced the items above for 2600 dollars problem went away for 10, 000 miles problem is back torque converter and valve body needsto be replaced again.

I have a 2002 Ford Explorer I was driving down the highway when I noticed the overdrive light flashing. Then the passenger asked me if I could smell transmission fluid and I had said yes. This ended up costing me $2800 and my mechanic told me that the torque converter was failing and sense he had it apart he should go ahead and rebuild it.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving at speeds of 50 mph, the transmission warning light illuminated and there was an unusual noise coming from the wheel bearings. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was advised that the torque was defective and caused the transmission to malfunction. The dealer was contacted and also advised having the transmission replaced. The failure and current mileages were 84,000. Updated 08/27/10.

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I have a 2003 Ford Explorer that I bought brand new, it now has 135,553 miles on it. Have never had problems and it actually drives very well, but the o/d off light started flashing. Took it to the Ford dealer 3 days later, was told the torque converter needed to be replaced at a cost of $1,225. 00. The dealer has told me that the torque converter has been replaced twice, the o/d off light still flashing and after further diagnostics they have now determined the computer needs to be replaced at a cost of an additional $1,325. 00. According to the internet this is a persistent problem that Ford has yet to do anything about. It should be a recall issue.

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I have a 2002 Ford Explorer XLT. It has 118,000 miles. About 2 month ago my o/d light start to flash really fast. I took it to aamco and they say its the torque converter clutch with error code p0741 tcc. They want me to fix this with $1700. This has happen to many people. The o/d off light comes on every time I drive my SUV past 40 mph and it doesnt come back off until I turn the car off and than it goes back again after 40 mph.

Od light flickering. Diagnosed as transmission torque converter problem. Many have reported this problem with Explorer xlts and Ford has done nothing but make $1000 each time. Causes transmission to slip.

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. . Read more...

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I have a 2002 Ford Explorer limited v-8, four wheel drive with 47,100 miles. I started to notice a clattering sound coming from under the truck. I took it to the mechanic and he said it was the torque converter. It cost $1,200 to fix. He told me he sees a lot of problems with this automatic transmission. It seems to me that 47,000 miles is very premature for a problem like this. I see that many others on the internet have had similar problems with this vehicle.

1. O/d light started flashing, car was jerking when slowing and accelerating. 2. Almost every time starting and stopping vehicle jerks. 3. Remove and rebuild the transmission, fm68 torque converter, transmission overhaul kit, overdrive band assembly, inter band assembly, servo bushing kit, bushing kit. As of April 5th 2010 o/d light flashing again and vehicle jerks when slowing and accelerating.

We have had transmission problems from the start with this 2008 Explorer. When slowing to make a turn the transmission gets hung between gears, then the engine revs up, then the transmission will drop into gear with neck snapping result, lunging forward quickly. I'm afraid that this could cause my wife to loose control of the vehicle. Also the locking torque converter disengages constantly at highway speeds, then re-engages, then disengages. I was finally able to get a Ford engineer named derrick to check the vehicle, but he refuses to acknowledge the problem. All he wants to talk about is how smooth the vehicle rides on the highway, just a lot of double talk to divert attention away from the problem. It is a constant problem, verified by david laughlin of Ford motor company, paul sanford of courtesy Ford, and dave adams of courtesy Ford.

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O/d light began blinking, later abs light on. Aamco said tranny was going out. . . Probably torque converter but could be seal. Recommended junk yard tranny. He said that Ford had all kind of trouble with this transmission.

I own a 2002 eddie bauer explore. At 70,000 miles was told after check transmission light came on and gears would not shift that I needed a new transmission. Ford wanted over 4,000. 00 to fix it. Unable to afford that much I took it to a trans repair shop and had a rebuilt trans installed as well as a new torque converter. Was told by the repair shop that they see alot of this. After taking my car apart the reason my trans went is because there was some kind of explosion in the torque converter and the debris went into the trans and caused the damage to the trans. Ford denies any such defect. Also my dual climate control air conditioning hasn't worked in 2 years and Ford wants over 1000. 00 to fix it. I also own a 2007 mustang gt with only 6000 miles on it and now the rear window is leaking when it rains!! Ford should not ask for any bail out money from our government if they are going to continue to build junk. Needless to say my next vehicle will be a foreign car.

March ' rear gate split under window December '07 through Jan ' rear differential rebuilt twice, rear axel hubs and bearings replaced; differential noise still loud June ' torque converter replaced.

I was driving my 2003 Ford Explorer on the highway and suddenly the overdrive light came on and began flashing. I brought it in to get checked and was told it is a transmission problem. Supposedly need to change the torque converter. I am not the first and afraid that I won;t be the last with this problem. This needs to be addressed!.

My transmission has failed due to the torque converter failing catastrophically, sending bits of brass and metal shavings everywhere inside and destroying the assembly. The symptoms of this failure were as follows: shifting hard between 1st and 2nd gear, and the o/d light flashing very rapidly after 10 to 15 minutes of drive time. Upon an extremely simple investigation (google search), I find that this is a suspiciously common problem with these transmissions, even though my own dealer says he's never heard of it before now, which was also a common thread in these complaints I found online. The corrective action suggested by the dealer is the same as everyone else I've found: new transmission. They say it is totally destroyed inside, the pieces of torque converter have ruined virtually every part of the tranny.

At 85k miles, under normal driving use/condition, the transmission and rear differential have failed on my 2002 Explorer. There are Ford tsbs that identify and acknowledge these problems as evident in many of their vehicles, yet refuse to absorb any cost of the $3200 it will take to repair them. The wheel bearings also continually fail at a cost of $500 each, and have been repaired at least 3 times at my own expense. The torque converter and bushings need replaced, and the transmission cooler is worn. My mechanic explained these should not wear as quickly as 85k miles, and from the current state of its condition, recommended a complete transmission rebuild/replace, along with a new rear differential gear set. I have come into contact with hundreds of Ford owners, of new and used vehicles alike, with the exact same problem and am seeking all resources available to initiate a suit against Ford for its evident manufacture defects.

Transmission was fine and then it started having trouble switching from 1st to 2nd gear. Next thing the od light started flashing so I decided to take it to the dealer. By the time I got there the service engine soon light came on. They did a computer check ($90 cost) on it and recommended to install a remanufactured unit for $3829. After some more research, I decided to take it to aamco. They went beyond the computer check and discovered that the 2nd servo piston was broken and the od servo piston also recommended to be replaced along with the torque converter because there have been so many problems with them. In the end, the cost will be $2043.

Transmission and bearing failure. Od light on tranny flashing. Took to dealer for noise and od light. They replaced bearings and associated parts to a cost of 1130. 00 to fix tranny problem they want to replace tranny and torque converter for a cost of 3500. Truck was purchased new and maintained on a regular basis. I've checked Ford recalls and TSB's and they are numerous referring to bearing and tranny failure.

I bought my 2002 Ford Explorer used in 2005 with about 60,000 miles on it. In 6 months the entire car would shake if I went above 50 miles per hour. About a week later, while driving on the highway I felt the car shift extremely hard. I took it to a shop and was told that 3rd gear was already gone and that I was going to soon lose 2nd and so on. I had to spend $2000 on a rebuilt transmission. However, almost 2 1/2 years later this rebuilt transmission is failing again. This time the od light started to blink; I had a garage get the code immediately. It said there was an issue with the torque converter. I had them look at the transmission closer and they found that the transmission fluid was burnt and there were metal shavings in it. The transmission is fried again, and it will cost approximately $3200 to fix it this time. This is definitely a safety concern because these problems often come with no warning. Both incidents I was driving on a highway with my family in the car. Something must be done. This is definitely a defect in the sealed transmissions put in the 2002 Explorers!!!.

Typical Ford Explorer tranmission problem having to do with the torque converter. Od light flashing. Nothing done to envoke this problem and no events leading up to the failure. Just driving on the highway.

I have been driving a 2002 Explorer for about 4 years now. I am currently experiencing a major transmission problem, and just found out last weekend that the rear differential was going out. Now, I don't know much about cars so I rely on others, but when 3 different mechanics repeatedly told me that the rear differential was going out, I think that means something is wrong. I would never have guessed that a transmission would go out after just 5 years, and the rear differential is just icing on the cake. The fact that I have read several other complaints regarding this same issue and yet Ford wants to do nothing about it just totally disgusts me. My family are very loyal to Ford, even have a few relatives that work for them. Ford needs to recognize that this is a major concern and do something about it. Having your tires lock up while you are driving is a very scary thing and honestly I never want to drive that vehicle again.

2002 Ford Explorer - transmission failed at 65,000 miles, it was rebuild and failed again. My rear differential and bearing had to be replaced because it was grinding.

Torque converter failure. Converter "rattles", needs replacement. Prior complaint to dealer about "lurching" and "clunking" were found to be "non-duplicative" during warranty period.

Same 2-3 shift problem. Especially when cold. . . Gas it on the on-ramp, all of a sudden it "pops" out of gear and you're hoping someone doesn't slam into the side of your vehicle. After my last near death experience, I took it to the dealer, they said it was a valve body gasket that was missing? (where did it go?) they said they installed the upgrade kit and put in a new gasket, said it worked better. About 4 months later (when it got cold), it started again. Work & parts are supposed to be under warranty, but the dealer "thinks" it might be something else. My complaint is, 4 months ago I paid $900 for them to fix what is a common problem with their product, the exact same problem is happening again and they are looking for ways to get more money out of me, or worm their way out of fixing what I've already paid them to fix. The technician suggested it might be an internal leak, the torque converter, then suggested I might want to replace the tranny. My response was you had it torn apart last time, you didn't fix the problem, why should I trust you now? I don't subscribe to the theology of "repair through attrition". This is a serious problem that Ford should address or be sued for.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the overdrive light was flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who stated that the transmission should be replaced. They further stated that the failure was caused by the torque converter clutch or the solenoid pack. The current and failure mileages were 88,000.

2002 Ford Explorer / trasnmission failure.

I have a 2003 Ford Explorer with 51,000 miles. On 2/13/2007 o/d light started flashing and service transmission message appeared in message center. Took to an independent service shop and was told it was probably the torque converter. Had it transferred to a transmission shop where they removed the transmission pan and found metal shavings. They said it is the torque converter and I will need a partial or full rebuild, they will not be sure until they remove the transmission. They also mentioned they have seen this in multiple vehicles and have had to replace a large number of Explorer transmissions for similar problems.

2003 Ford Explorer XLT torque converter causes transmission to lurch and slip unexpectedly. Fearful of driving this vehicle because the transmission might lock up. Ford is aware this is a common problem with their 2002 and later models.

Blinking o\d light, transmission will only shift into overdrive under no load, late and hard shift from 1st to 2nd (or accel to about 20 mph then back off to minimize jar to drive line components), and 4-wheel drive will not engage. Safety issues: (1) pulling out in traffic, can't accelerate until shifts into 2nd gear (have to back off in 1st before it shifts) (2) 4-wheel traction lock does not function. From the day I bought this Explorer new, the transmission shifted later and harder than I though appropriate. Then at about 80 to 85k miles the od and 4-wheel drive stopped working and shifts between 1st to 3rd became much worse. The torque converter lock up still seems to be working (can tell when it's running road speed in 3rd gear). After some research using Ford shop manuals, there seems to be direct relationship between 1st to 2nd late/hard shifts and the overdrive problem but I can;t find an official Ford posting or tech bulletin to provide details. Internal pressures control the shifting and there are several valves, orifices, solenoids, etc that can cause improper control pressures. Ford must know of the problem and truthfully, I think the reliability of the tranny in the irs Explorer falls well below the publics expectations and should be even farther below Fords acceptance criteria. Despite the premature failure, I would probably be content if Ford provided their Explorer owners a detailed description of the failure, developed a long term fix, provided Ford owners some reasonable options to install the parts and/or make the modifications needed for a long term fix (to include self repair as an option), and establish a help desk to assist customers with this extremely high transmission failure rate.

2003 Ford Explorer 63,000 miles od light started flashing 2 days ago. Took it to Ford dealership they ran a check on it and the code came po741-torque converter clutch solenoid inter/mechanical failure. I was told they would replace the solenoid pack and that it would be 218. 00 plus labor. Went to pick it up 3 hours later and was told the transmission needs to be replaced. This vehicle was bought new and should not need a transmission replaced!.

I purchased my 02 Ford Explorer 4x4 in oct 2005. This vehicle has a clean title and 71k miles. In June of this year, I was driving home from work and noticed that my overdrive light was flashing and check engine light was on. I noticed at the same time that my Explorer was having difficulty shifting gears. When traffic would come to a stop, it would shift into 3rd, then 1st, then 4th and back to 2nd. Never before had I experienced such a bizarre act with any previous vehicle. My Explorer was in the shop for the next 45 days and come to find out that not even a local authorized Ford dealership could figure out what was going on. Finally the private shop that I took it to fixed it after rebuilding the transmission 2 times. Very disappointing, since in the past I have driven several vehicles past 200k miles and oil changes and tires were required. Once I received the vehicle back after 2 transmission rebuilds, new torque converter and new egr value, the Explorer check engine light came on after only 1 day or normal driving. Ridiculous. Come to find out after doing some research to see if Ford had any recalls on the transmission, I discover that not only does Ford not have any recalls for this problem, but they are aware of the situation and have yet to issue a recall. I came across several websites that had 100's of complaints about the very same thing going on with my vehicle. Apparently, Ford is aware of the faulty 3rd gear shift failure and has refused to issue a recall. My husband found a ceo's number to Ford, left her a message and has not heard back from anyone. Now after $3k in total repairs, we are faced with the decision to try and trade the vehicle and eat our losses. Needless to say, I will not be buying another Ford built vehicle. Please help all of us in finding out why Ford is ignoring this costly and disappointing issue. Please help others out and get Ford to face the fact and issue a recall. Thank you for reading and your time.