Transmission Shudder Problems of Ford Explorer

Problem first appeared on June 3, 2016 with about 10,000 miles. I was driving on interstate 95 past philadelphia airport about 9:30 am at about 60 mph. The vehicle had been driven from a cold start for about 20 minutes. It was raining moderately. The backup camera suddenly appeared on the screen in the center console and the transmission shuddered slightly. I also noticed that the dashboard drive indicator, which normally is lit red when in drive, was white, as were all the other indicators (r, n, etc). I jiggled the shifter without pressing the shifter button but that did not fix the problem. The transmission appeared to be still in drive since the car still had power and was not slowing down. It lasted for about 15 seconds and then the display returned to normal and the d indicator returned to its normal red mode. About 30 seconds later the problem returned and stayed for 10 to 15 seconds and then again reverted back to normal. This behavior repeated one or two more times in the next couple of minutes. After this series of events the car seemed to be normal for the rest of my 1. 5 hour trip and has been fine until Aug 13, 2016 when the same behavior happened again. This could be a serious safety problem if it gets worse if for nothing else than it is certainly a distraction and may result in transmission damage and loss of control. I did talk to the service manager at my Ford dealer (sheridan Ford, rt 2 kirkwood highway, wilmington DE) on July 21, 2016 when I was getting an oil change and I described the first incident. He did not seem very concerned. He said that they had never heard of that happening but did not have me write anything down. I told him that if it happened again, I would contact Ford and the dealer. The problem has occurred 12 more times. I have told the dealer about it every time. I have further text documentation.

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Transmission grinds/slips going from 2 to 3 gear.

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I was driving my 02 Explorer on the thruway for 2 an 1/2 hours and when I got to my destination the transmission bucked and shuddered and revved up while I was trying to stop at a stop light I almost hit the person in front of me because of the transmission failing when I looked at my instrument panel on the dash the overdrive light was flashing so after I got home I checked the internet and would you know there are thousands of people that are experiencing the same problem. . . Ford should have a recall for this transmission because what happened to me might happen to someone else with deadly results. . . I talked to my transmission specialist and he said it needs a new transmission the truck doesn't even have 150,000 on it so I contacted Ford and they can't help me because there is no recall for this truck. . . Ford needs to fix their manufacture error here because what they are doing is fraud they claim that their transmissions are good but like with a lot of the complaints I have read their trannys died before 100,000 miles so for them to sell defected suvs is fraudulent in its self because not only do we the customers have to pay all this money for the vehicle but we also have to put a new transmission in them before 100,000 miles at the cost of 3500 to 4000 dollars. . .

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2002 Ford Explorer, 274k miles. Transmission began making grinding noise; had it rebuilt by a reputable transmission shop. Shortly thereafter, if braking hard, the engine just stops and all power is lost. This has happened several times, yet it starts right back up when I turn the ignition key. Mechanic cannot get any codes to show up. Six months later, overdrive off light flickers or flashes fairly regularly, shifting between gears is rough and it won't stay in overdrive. Once reaching overdrive, it becomes 'mushy' and slips back and forth, losing speed while rpms bounce between 1,500 and 3,000. Transmission shop has checked it again, says it is an electrical issue and that I need to take it to the dealer. Dealer claims that there is only one recall out on this car and it is for the speed (cruise) control and that this would not have any effect on the transmission. 4x4 high light flashes whenever the transmission should be going into overdrive, but that eventually stops. I've had to resort to driving with overdrive turned off, which is the only way I can get the transmission to operate smoothly without all of the lights. This causes me to have to run the car at higher rpms and decreased fuel efficiency. I have an appointment at the dealership tomorrow for the recall and I'm hoping that maybe there is someone there who is honest enough to help. Went to another transmission shop who informed me that this is a very well-known problem, that they rebuild these tranmissions regularly and that Ford hasn't acknowledged any form of responsibility or even a repair solution for this.

I'm an owner of a 2002 Ford Explorer XLT. Recently while driving on the interstate highway, I noticed the o/d light was flashing/blinking and my transmission was vibrating while shifting gears. I immediately acted quickly by gradually pulling over to come to a stop. As I later tried to accelerate the vehicle, it would not go past 10 mph, the transmission was stuck in 1st gear. Thank god my kids were not in the truck at the time. This faulty transmission needs to be acknowledge by Ford motor company. Please do not look at this as another complaint, this could potentially become a liability issue if not addressed. The same as with any other safety issue its investigated thoroughly, I'm praying this is looked at as serious safety concern on the highways.

While driving down the road the od light started flashing and the transmission started to grind , slip, then just stopped working without any warning.

Automatic transmission hard shuddering between 50-70 mph with o/d off light blinking. Exactly the same as the more than 2000 other complaints on this same vehicle. Took it to Ford dealer who charged me $250 to tell me that they could only reproduce the problem once, but when it happened it was heavy. Despite that they said nothing was wrong because they could not reproduce the problem again. I drove it 2 more months until the shuttering was very bad and also got the check engine light with codes p0775 and p0735. Now they want to replace my transmission for $4100. This defect leads to a very dangerous situation as it happens at high speeds and causes the driver to believe they may have hit something and possibly swerve off the road.

I have a 2006 Ford Explorer, v8 6 speed. It has been to the dealer three times for a fix on the transmission. When downshifting between 2nd and 1st, the vehicle lurches forward or there is a very large shift in momentum that pushes the car forward while stopping or occasionally after stopped. This actually pushed my car forward into an icy intersection. Ford is aware of the issue, but has failed to come up with a fix. My vehicle is not the only one with the problem, and this only compounds transmission issues and vibration I had on my last two (2003 and 2004) Explorers. I love this particular vehicle, but will likely not purchase another Explorer. . . . Too many vibrations and transmission problems.

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Less than 2 yrs after purchase of a new 2003 Ford Explorer eddie bower 4x4 v8 from a dealer, the transmission started grinding and slipping. Dealer service records documented my concerns and their inability/unwillingness to diagnose the problem due to the lack of a "service warning" light. Subsequent visits with the same issue brought similar results from the dealer. Warranty expired less than one year before I finally got a warning light and the news from my dealer was that it meant I needed a new transmission for just under $6500. With absolutely no help from any level of Ford customer service, I had the transmission replaced for just over $3000 - obviously not by Ford.

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Purchased a 2003 Ford Explorer 4x4 January 2004, around 10k miles noticed a shudder/slipping in transmission under hard excelleration. I brought vehicle to pulliam Ford in cola. Sc to have transmission and whining rear end repaired. When I called the service writer, he informed me that the technician said that they could not duplicate the transmission vibration, and that the whine was no louder than other Explorers, even though they did acknowlege that the Explorer did have a rear end problem. I am not satisfied and would like to get my 32k worth out of this vehicle, not a excuse for a poor product and poor service.

When driving at any speed 4-wheel drive changed from high to low without warning. The transmission made grinding noises when in reverse and slips when pulling off.