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Comments
Can anyone explain the transmission maintenance? The only information we have about our transmission is from the original sticker and sales description which says it is a “4-speed automatic OD transmission”. We had it checked at 30,000 and 60,000 miles, but as I read the manual only two specific versions require flushes before 120,000 miles, and I don’t see anywhere that says I have one of those. The receipt for my oil change at the dealership at ~60,000 miles says “Transmission flush recommended,” but the mechanic did not say it was required.
Sorry I have been out of pocket. I started back to school and it is killing me! I think my brain has been on hold for a few years. Anyway, how are things going for you and your quest? What can I do to help? I am having my van towed to a transmission place for repair. I will not give Ford any money! I will have them document everything as you said. If I go ahead and pay for this is there any hope on reimbursement from Ford? I am afraid that they will say that since I didn't have it repaired at a Ford dealership they are not responsible. What is your opinion?
Thanks so much.
Kelly
Ben
:mad:Sorry Ididn't get back to you sooner. As far as not getting reimbursed because you didn't have it repaired at a Ford dealership, I think we are all past that point. Ford seems to be digging in on this issue. They are even refusing to participate in arbitration with me through MD's Consumer Protection Division/Office of the Attorney General. In fact, in their responses, they have out and out lied and misled the agent who is handling my case. My sense is that they know this is only the beginning and they don't want to give any future transmission victims a precedent for reimbursement. Based on posts on this and other websites, the transmission failures seem to be occurring at a rate of about 1 per week. This is what I predicted. As more and more of them reach the magic 44K+ mileage, more and more are failing. The scary thing is that the odds are better and better that somebody is going to get killed. In the meantime, make sure your repair is well documented and that your paperwork indicates a defective/faulty torque converter as mine does. Also, I have been giving a lot of thought as to how we can get the word out as quickly and effectively as possible. I think I have a really great idea that will be relatively inexpensive and easy enough to do without the need for a paid professional. I think as many of us as possible should get together in a mutually agreeable town/location and tape a brief video introducing ourselves, outling the problem, and requesting that anyone with the same problem report it to NHTSA, their local OAG/Consumer Protection Division/media outlet(s), etc.; we can then upload it to Youtube, etc.; and start getting the word out to people to watch it. It is bound to catch on and spread nationwide. Afterall, millions of people log on to see cats surfing and dogs singing! The key is to keep this thing going and keep the momentum going in our favor. Please keep us posted and good luck in school!
Jim
Jim
Jim
Jim
Jim
Jim
Ron MacGregor
Is there really going to be a class action lawsuit? I certainly had better things to do with 3500$ :lemon:
I have written to the Ford contact you listed, and will pursue the arbitration, even if they are not objective. I am trying every avenue, and am documenting such. I see that the Center for Auto Safety has a list of Lawyers and Experts by Specialty. Have you contacted any of them? There are only a few complaints on their website(saw yours, mine isn't showing up yet). This organization used to be very effective, but I'm not sure if they are still as active.
Mary Q.
If your vehicle has over 36K miles, the "DRP", (BBB), will not consider it. At least that is the excuse they gave me. (I find this interesting because they have paid assistance to others who were over the supposed cut off for mileage!) Sound like fraud to you? Does to me. One way or another, please keep us posted on the outcome and please write to Ms Arteaga in "Customer Intervention" and make your opinion known. Ford needs to know that they can't get away from this issue and that they should do the right thing and voluntarily recall these vehicles before someone gets killed. As you have suggested, I have again encouraged everyone to lodge their complaint with the Center for Auto Safety and check off the class action box. I will go back to their website and get the list of attorneys and start making some calls. Give me your thoughts on any suggestions you may have as to what else we can do to get this thing going.
Jim
Had it towed and today found out I need a new transmission to the tune of $3,300.00. The fellow at the automobile shop had three other Ford vehicles in there all needing transmissions. What does that say? Please count me in on any and all info. regarding this. I will sign, write, or do anything to help the cause. This is a tragedy!
No wonder people are buying foreign cars in America.
I always had GM, not many problems with those vehicles I might add. Count me in on a class action suit. I'd at least like to get my $3300.00 back. Never again will I buy a Ford! Thanks for reading!
You were right about the BBB, today I received a letter stating that they would not investigate. I tried calling NHTSA to find out how many complaints or what event has to happen to get them to investigate...as you can imagine, I didn't get any real answers. Do you know if Monterey owners are experiencing and writing about these failures too?
Mary Q.
My van I have been writing about is a 2004 Monterey. I was wondering if anyone with a Nissan Quest was having a problem. All of these vans use the same transmissions.
Jim and I have been trying to get something done for months. We just have to keep at it. I am so afraid someone is going to get hurt or killed and Ford will claim they are not responsible. We have to keep at this.
Kelly
First of all, thank goodness no one got hurt. Ford has dodged the bullet once again. Second, in order to lodge a complaint with NHTSA, you have to go to their website, just google "NHTSA", and take it from there. It is very user friendly and self explanatory. When you file your report, be sure to file it under BOTH the Powertrain-Automatic Transmission and ALSO the Powertrain-Torque Converter component fields. I know this is kind of tedious, but it will ensure that Ford and or NHTSA, (I am not sure there is a dimes worth of difference between them at this point), can't say that they "Didn't connect the dots," and looked at the complaints as seperate issues. These scoundrels are professionals when it comes to dodging responsibility for anything. Third, you should definitely contact the dealership that worked on your transmission before. You might have some recourse with them for that reason. I would be interested to hear what they tell you. Finally, stay tuned to this forum and spread the word. I am working with my local media oulet to try and get a bigger spotlight shone on this issue, hopefully before somebody gets hurt or killed.
Jim
I could not agree with you more. I put up a post a few days ago with the intention of making it easier for everyone to communicate but they took it down because it contained my phone number. It is their website so we have to play by their rules and that is OK with me. Its too bad though because that post addressed many of the points that you brought up. I will attempt to paraphrase that previous post as it is very relevant to all of the posts that have appeared since then. It is my intention to sue Ford, ABSOLUTELY! My individual suit will go forward one way or another. However; I will proceed as far as I can go with the intent and desire to join a class action. It is my understanding that the basic process for a suit to be considered a class action is that a petitioner, or group of petitioners, must ask the court to "certify" a lawsuit as a class action. This, I assume, would require a suitable number of plaintiffs. What that number is, I do not know. I do know that this process is best performed by an attorney. That said, we need to get together as a unified group and convince an attorney that; A. There are enough plaintiffs to qualify as a class action, B. That our cause of action is legitimate, and C. That the suit will be worthwhile financially for them to pursue. Afterall, whoever represents us will have to dedicate many resources and hours to the research. That said, we may very well have to come up with a retainer. Personally, I am absolutely willing to invest in this cause as my family's finances will allow. Obviously, the more of us that come together, if a retainer is called for, the lower our individual contribution will have to be. As of this moment, my suit is complete and waiting to be filed. Sadly, the OAG/Consumer protection route has not been productive because both Ford Motor Company and my dealer, Koons Ford of Annapolis have elected to INTENTIONALLY mislead and provide false information to the mediator who is working on my case. (Yes, I do have proof.) If they are willing to misrepresent facts to the Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, why would we expect them to be honest in dealing with us? As I said in my previous post responding to jhmarq, these are professional scoundrels. In the meantime, we all need to bite the bullet and agree on a time and a place to meet. We need to set an agenda for the meeting to include what will be adressed and what we will need to accomplish in the meeting. Obviously, some of us will be traveling an appreciable distance so the meeting will have to be productive and will probably be an all day event. At a minimum, I think we should put together a "video" introducing ourselves, encapsulating our claim, creating a sense of urgency about the danger that thousands of families continue to unknowingly be in, and encouraging anybody who is in our situation to join our cause. I think this will be an exteremly effective tool if we post it on Youtube. In this day and age, this is proving to be a very effective mechanism for getting a message out. As a bonus, the media will undoubtedly pick up on it once it is out there. In the meantime, we all need to insure that we have posted our complaint with BOTH NHTSA and the CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY. On the Center for Auto safety site, we must all check off the box indicationg that we are willing to be part of a class action. Additionally, we need to keep up the pressure by at least preparing and filing our own individual lawsuits in our local juristiction's version of small claims court. While it is relatively inexpensive to file, Ford MUST respond to it. This way, they will at least understand that this issue is not going to simply evaporate and go away. Also, we need to keep our eyes and ears open for any accidents involving Ford Freestars and Mercury Monterays. If you hear of one, get as much information together as you can and post it here on this site. I will take it from there. If we can link any accident to this defect, this will be very compelling to the media and also to an attorney who would consider our case. At the end of the day, we cannot give up this fight because there are still TENS of THOUSANDS of unsuspecting families driving around in these vans whose very lives are in danger.
Jim
Vicki :lemon:
I saw your post and wanted to reply. I had problems with both of my automatic doors. This was at least something Ford covered under my extended warranty. As for the jerking you describe I didn't have anything that overt. The day before my transmission blew it felt sluggish when I was going at highway speed (between 50-60 mph). It just didn't respond the way it normally did. I remember it felt like it was sort of "kicking". But as I said that was not even 24 hours before it failed completely. I don't know if this helps or not but I just wanted to give you some feedback. Good Luck.
Kelly
I had my van towed to AAMCO today. The manager there was absolutely fantastic. He told me that it is ridiculous that Ford is trying to blame this on not flushing the transmission fluid. He deals with "Easy Care" extended warranty often and is going to go to bat for me. Even if he doesn't get it paid for his price is $1000 cheaper than the Ford dealers! I will keep everyone informed as this progresses.
I noticed that we are getting many new people signing on about their transmission failures. Does Ford not see that it is just a matter of time before someone is hurt or killed because of this?!
I found out that Acura had a transmission failure problem in their 1999-2000 sedans. They REPLACED every single transmission that had a problem as soon as the customers came in and said their car wasn't acting right. Even if the transmission had not failed completely. They were avoiding their customers being put in harms way. How refreshing! Ford could learn so much.
Take care and let's get this going!
Kelly L.
YES!!! I know what you mean by "jerking" because my Ford Freestar 2004 with less than 30,000 miles on it was doing the same thing. Thought it was ice on the road because I live in Michigan but it also happened on dry pavement several months before my tranmission went out. It would happen now and then but not everytime I drove my van. When I spoke to the fellow that put in my new transmission he said that the old transmission had had problems for quite a while because of all the debris in the tranmission case. So YES, YES I believe the jerking is a result of a pending tranmission problem with your vehicle. Imagine, mine has less than 30,000 miles and Ford would not cover a penny of it. This is a crime....we must group togther to get FORD to admit to faulty transmissions before someone does get badly hurt or worse yet killed. Regards, goldenpups
PS - I have a 2004 Monterey with 44k and some knocking noises coming from the transmission, but no failure yet. Based on comments in the forum I know it's only a matter of time.
As a collective group we need to do something!!... Does anyone here recall the Firestone/Ford fiasco involving the Explorer and thousands of fatalities a decade ago???? This transmission issue is a public hazard.
I cannot speak to the issues of the automatic doors or the possible leak however; with regards to the transmission symptoms your are describing, take your van, or, better yet, have it towed to a reputable transmission shop. Based on EVERYONE's experiences with them, I would not trust a Ford service department to be straightforward with you on anything to do with the transmission. It may cost you some money for the transmission shop to pull the transmission and inspect it, but IT COULD LITERALLY SAVE YOUR LIFE. To me, that is money well spent. Try and get all of this done before you hit 36K miles so you are still under warranty. If the transmission shop discovers debris in the pan and/or a torque converter with stripped splines, have it towed to the Ford dealer and demand that they repair it under your 3 Year/36K mile Bumper to Bumper warranty. If you do all of this and the Ford dealer tells you that you are out of luck because you didn't have the 30K transmission fluid flush and fill, please let me know. I will tell you what to look for from there, both on your transmission and in your owners manual. Also, if it is determined that the transmission/torque converter are damaged and/or need to be replaced or repaired, report it to NHTSA via their website. (Google NHTSA. It will be self explanatory from there.) Unfortunately, NHTSA, an agency of the Federal Govermnent, appears to be in the back pocket of Ford and, thusfar has refused to open an investigation into these failures. However; it is still important to report each and every failure so that when the day comes when someone is seriously injured or killed as a result of this defect, the weasles at NHTSA can't say they didn't know about it ahead of time. Maybe then someone will be held accountable and some heads will roll. I hope that day never comes, but based on the feedback on this website alone, it is statistically inevitable. Also, report your failure to the Center for Auto Safety via their website. When you do, don't forget to check the box indicating that you are interested in being part of a class action. Finally, try and peruse as many of the 220 or so posts in this forum as you can so that you can get fully up to speed on the situation. We have to stick together and spread the word on this issue. We cannot let Ford and NHTSA get away with putting our families in harms way.
Jim
Jim
Jim
Thank goodness no one got hurt. Please see post 210 and post 218. Please report this incident to NHTSA and Center for Auto Safety.
Jim
Jim
Jim
Jim Genovese
I got the news from my mechanic that it was the torque converter. Surprise surprise. He also told me that the problem is that Ford put in an engine that is too big for the transmission and it is wearing it out. The torque converter is apparently the weakest link. I have all of this in writing from an independent mechanic. I am now getting ready to go onto the WBAL website and contact Barry Simms. As always Jim, thanks for getting all of this going. My total repair cost is $3100. I really want to get this back from Ford. It makes me sick that they keep getting away with this.
Take care,
Kelly L
I too have written to WBAL, Barry Simms. This is so important to make FOrd responsible. Please everyone write and let's get something going so that no one gets hurt and also so that we can possible get our $$ back. It cost me $3400 for my new trans and I had less than 30,000 mile on my Freestar. This is NOT right that Ford just says sorry, you are out of warranty, I mean come on it has so few miles. Help. Please, everyone write WBAL now! Thanks, Robin
This is exactly the type of information that we need. Excellent work. Please let me know if you hear back from Barry Simms. I really think that, once they hear from enough of us, it will encourage them to get involved with our cause. Everybody else needs to contact him as well. We need to keep the momentum going on this. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open for any others with this issue that may not be aware of this site and spread the word!
Jim
Welcome to our world! Thank goodness neither you nor your baby were injured. My wife and 5 of my 6 children were in our van when our transmission failed in the middle of an intersection. After being yelled at and threatened by some rude drivers who could not understand why this van was just stopped in the middle of the road, my wife and children had to walk home after some kinder souls stopped to help her and push the van off to the side of the road. The whole thing has been a nightmare. We got off to an especially bad start when our Ford dealer, Koons Ford of Annapolis LIED TO US and said they had never heard of this problem. They then blamed us by claiming the transmission failed because we didn't have the 30K mile flush and fill done on our transmission. (Our manual did not indicate that our transmission model required this service. It named another model transmission that we do not have in our van.) We then contacted Ford's "Customer Relationship Center." What a sham this is! They also LIED TO US and claimed they had never heard of this problem before. All you have to do is a quick internet search as you did to see that they are liars too. To add insult to injury, they helped others in the exact same circumstance with financial assistance but refused to help us. When we asked why, they basically told us that we didn't get to know why. I eventually got my Office of the Attorney General's Office involved and they attempted to mediate the situation. Both my dealer, Koons Ford of Annapolis, and Ford even LIED TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND! IN WRITING! AND I CAN PROVE IT! There seems to be no end to the sheer temerity and gall of these jackals. They sold us a van based on claims that it was, "The safest vehicle in its class." This vehicle almost got my family killed. Sadly, there are tens of thousands of other unsuspecting families out there who are in harms way because Ford is run by a bunch of thieving cowards who lack the decency to stand behind their product and take care of their customers. I have directly purchased 9 new Fords in the last 20 years, 7 of them from Koons Ford of Annapolis. (My dealer, Koons Ford of Annapolis, the owner, Joe Koons Jr. actually, challenged me when I told him this fact.) What kind of businessman tells a customer that they didn't buy their product when there is proof of it in writing? I guess it is obvious why Ford can't compete in the marketplace anymore. They have managed to chase away a previously life-long loyal customer. I will never buy another Ford product or any product that Ford is affiliated with such as Volvo. In fact, I am selling both of the Fords that I purchased new in 2005. I will no longer be a rolling billboard giving Ford free advertising. In fact, I make it a point to tell everyone I know about our experience with Ford, especially people who come to me for advice when purchasing a new vehicle. (Because of my years of experience in the car industry and above average knowledge of the industry, alot of people seek my advice.) We are going to replace our Fords with a Toyota Sienna and a Toyota Tundra. We can't wait to make the switch.
There are a couple of things you can do to help us hold Ford accountable. First, report your failure to NHTSA via their website. These are the people that are supposed to be protecting us from defective and dangerous vehicles. So far however; they are also ignoring the problem. When more people report to them however; they have more incentive to get their heads out of the sand, (or out of Ford's back pocket, I'm not sure which), and force a recall of these dangerous vans. Second, you can SUE FORD in small claims court in your local jurisdiction as I am doing. Third, you can contact Barry Simms at WBAL-Channel 11 News vis the WBAL TV, (Baltimore, MD), website and let him know that you are also a victim of Ford and their defective product. He will know what you are talking about because I have been in direct contact with him on the issue. It is my hope that his team will pick up the story. Fourth, you can report your failure to the CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY via their website. When you do, be sure to check off the box that says you wish to be part of a class action lawsuit. Fifth, and most importantly because lives are at stake, if you know anybody who drives one of these things, give them a heads up so they can at least have their vehicle checked out by a qualified mechanic. There have already been at least 2 documented accidents involving this vehicle that were directly caused by this problem. Luckily, no one has been seriously injured yet. It is just a matter of time however; before there is a fatal accident involving these vehicles.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and get involved. I and a few others are committed to this cause and, together we can hold Ford accountable.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Thank you for responding to my posting. I will follow the steps you suggested. I had no luck with Ford as I said before in my posting. A friend of mine used to work for them in New Jersey in the customer complaints area. When I expressed my frustration to her, she explained they classify people who call in. If it is clear you are upset and will most likely not continue to be a Ford customer-they write you off immediately. She said she used to do that job and listening to me she would have automatically classified me this way. Once people are classified like this they essentially get no response whatever from Ford. It sounds like you were probably classified like this as well. I'm glad your family is ok. It is a very scary situation and you are right - eventually there will be a fatality. Anyway-
Thanks again-
Sharon
Jim, in the "never give up" category. In 1997 I replaced the entire engine in my 1995 Neon ($1600). I fought with Chyrsler for a while and eventually gave up. In December 2007 (10 years later), I finally disposed of all my records about that vehicle. In January this year (yes, one month after getting rid of all those records), I received notice that I was going to get a partial settlement from a class action suit on engine repair...all I needed was proof of repair...oh well! I'll never throw out car repair records again.
Mary Q.
Kelly