Noises During Shifting problems of the 2005 Ford Taurus

First, I want to say that this vehicle is well mantained and serviced on a regular basis. It was a pleasent summer day but had more of a autumn feeling wether. I was driving on the interstate in east tennessee, I had just merge onto the interstate and had been driving for maybe 10 minutes. I slowed down for traffic to about 40 mph as I crest a hill. When I stepped back onto the gas (going down hill now), I felt the car shift into 4 gear. I then felt, and heard a pop similiar to a blowout, but in reality it was the car sliding out of gear. I had only managed to reach about 50mph when the car stop accelearating, (I put on my hazards) I was trying to coast to a safe place, but the constrution projects made no place to pull off. Within 5 seconds, a car traveling behind me was bumped by a tractor trailor and was knocked into me. My Ford mechanic says the transmission is shot and the catalytic converter went out (was that the popping noise? I wonder. ) $3500 to fix this problem. I have google 05 transmission problems and have found numerous over 500 problems that have to do with. I don't know whether Ford was trying to save a few dollars, or if they were trying to save fuel mileage, but this transmission is a serious problem. I will not buy another Ford if this problem doesn't get resolve by Ford recalling these transmissions. Last laugh, insurance compainies will repair any car to the quality it was just before the wreck (no better, no worse. ). Since my transmission went out before the car wreck, they can replace it, ergo. . . The insurance covers the body work, but will not cover the transmission. My question to Ford is does someone have to die before you fix your errors. My father worked at Ford for 22 years; he would be. . . . Really disappointed to see what Ford pass for quality.