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Issues with Ford Explorer AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION by Years

The Ford Explorer had plenty of problems with various aspects of AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION as 1666 complaints were lodged, most of which revolve around COLUMN SHIFT. Models of 2002, 2004, 2003 appear to be the most susceptible to problems with AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

Browse Ford Explorer AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION problems by years

2010 2 2009 1 2008 3 2007 19 2006 116 2005 42 2004 329 2003 157 2002 957 2001 23 2000 93 1999 78

Do Ford Explorer models have AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION problems?

Below you may see the AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION components and the number of complaints they received.

COLUMN SHIFT 69 GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) 27 TORQUE CONVERTER 27 CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) 27 PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH 13 COOLING UNIT AND LINES 6 FLOOR SHIFT 1

Worst Ford Explorer Problems

COLUMN SHIFT
1999 Ford Explorer December 18, 2000 Victims: 2

This explorer is equipped with awd system. during the incident the vehicle spun out on ice but the 4wd did not engage, so the front wheels had no truc...

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2006 Ford Explorer January 30, 2006 Victims: 2

Upon releasing the emergency brake the car rolled down the hill and over my legs. *jb

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2004 Ford Explorer April 20, 2006 Victims: 2 Mileage: 30000 miles

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 50 mph there was a loud noise heard coming from under the vehicle. the vehicle then lurched forward and came t...

Recently reported AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION problems on Ford Explorer

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2007 Ford Explorer

This vehicle has less than 60,000 miles on it and the transmission is out. there is no reason for this. it is jerking into gear hard. we took it and had it put on a diagnostic test and it is not electrical which means it is internal. *tr

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2002 Ford Explorer

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly hesitate and the speed would decelerate. the contact indicated that the check transmission sensor light and over drive light had iluminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect but no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 150,000.

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2002 Ford Explorer

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 40-45 mph, the transmission failed without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2006 Ford Explorer

Every time taking off from a stop. vehicle would go 3 mph for 15 seconds, would then jolt and lung forward fast. this happened all the way to work for 27 miles. when i contacted ford regarding this issue, they said they had no previous complaints. this is definitely a safety issue. the vehicle almost hit the car in front of me several times. later the vehicle would not go into reverse. i was stranded in the parking lot until the vehicle in front of me had moved. *tr the dealer overhauled the transmission and replaced the servos in the valve.

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2004 Ford Explorer

On the body the tailgate panel keeps cracking this makes my truck look bad compared to the money i put into it. my engine or transmission acts as if something is wrong it is not shifting gear right. on the electrical tire pressure light keeps coming on and it also keeps leaking water from somewhere. ford needs to go out of business for selling these pieces of junk. it makes no sense. *tt

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2002 Ford Explorer

This is an update to complaint no. 10459987. after looking at the car records, we discovered that during a service of my transmission, ford factory required the dealership to cut the metal transmission line and installed a rubber line with a filter. if they did not install the filter, then the warranty would have been void. after installing, no one ever inspected or replaced the line or filter. it was simply forgotten. 75,000 miles later the rubber line was resting on the exhaust, which burned a hole and caused transmission fluid to leak and spray onto the catalytic converter and caught fire. we were lucky in that we saw the smoke early and no one was injured. i am concerned there are more cars out there with this retro-fit filter on the transmission that no one is inspecting or maintaining because it is not on an official maintenance schedule. *tt

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2004 Ford Explorer

2004 ford explorer. consumer writes in regards to transmission problem *tgw the consumer stated there was a delay in the transmission when he attempted to put the gear in reverse. there was also a hard shift when the vehicle was warm and on several occasions, it would slam into gear. *jb

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2002 Ford Explorer

Transmission failure - stupid design doesn't allow you to check fluid level, leak at transfer case seal seems to have caused loss of fluid and cannot be added without some special pump to fill transmission back up because it's a sealed unit. designed so only ford dealers can do service and then it just goes out and you're driving 65 mph down the mountain and unable to control speed. ford needs to recall these piece of crap transmissions yet won't even acknowledge there's a problem although every dealer & tranny mechanic knows of the issues. *js

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2004 Ford Explorer

Shortly after i first purchased the vehicle after about 2-3 years ago. i noticed it would jerk & was hard to shift gears. it would sometimes be in gear & not gas. after i took it to a shop to have it looked at it was a wire or cable loose to the trans. everything seemed ok for awhile thereafter but then it started again. just recently as i was on the expressway the transmission overheated light sensor came on & then the check transmission sensor followed. i researched and found that 1 out of every 10 customers with a ford explorer between 2000-2004 have transmissions issues. also i called to ford customer service and was advised that there is no recall even with several complaints and that no goodwill or financial services could be offered to assist me with the repairing of my vehicle, even after i stressed my complete dissatisfaction with the outcome. *kb

The AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2004 Ford Explorer

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the transmission failed without warning. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the transmission overheated, the fifth gear failed and the housing rod was fractured. the dealer also stated that the failure was common in the particular year, make and model vehicle. the failure and the current mileage was 153,435. updated 04/19/12*lj updated 04/30/12