2004 Ford Explorer Transmission

[Flasher]

Does anybody else know anything about the press release that Ford had a couple weeks ago about putting in the wrong transmission fluid into 750,000 of their Explorers and other cars?

If not, here is 2 new clippings I've found on the internet about it, but ford is not owning up to it nor is the dealership saying they know anything about it.

thanks,

Flasher

News Clips:

This news broadcast from WCCO.

Ford Issues Notice about New Rangers (It also states Explorers too)

Nov 20, 2004 1:17 pm US/Central

(WCCO) On Friday, the Ford Motor Company said there may be something wrong with the transmission on many of its new vehicles.

Ford is planning to send out a 750,000 drivers alerting them to the problem.

The letters will go to people who bought a 2004 Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Ford Ranger Truck or Lincoln LS.

Our sister station in New York broke this story on Thursday, focusing on the Ford Explorer. Friday, Ford says the problems extend to other models too.

The Ford Explorer is the best selling vehicle in the world. About a 500,000 2004's were sold in just 12 months, but a new problem is plaguing some of the popular SUV's.

Travis Walker of J&S Ford said some customers complained of hearing an abnormal clunk when moving into reverse. According to walker, they began receiving complaints around June.

Ford service managers have been swamped fixing the transmissions of 2004 Ford Explorers, with some dealers seeing dozens each week.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has even started tracking the problem on its website, with drivers complaining: "I have tried 4 times to get them to fix this", "bangs into reverse", "lag of up to 5 seconds...which may put me in danger", "it would surge forward", "brake to floor...to keep the vehicle from hurting anyone", "jerks back harshly".

Dealers did get a message from Ford in June warning them of delayed reverse problems, and have been replacing this transmission part, the solenoid.

Today, Ford says they've found it isn't working properly with the transmission fluid that was installed during manufacture.

Phil Lienert of Edmunds.com, said that “We do know that no serious accidents or fatalities have resulted from this”.

If you’re having a transmission problem with your 2004 Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Ranger, or Lincoln L-S, call your dealership.

Ford will pick up the cost of the fix, but you may have to be patient. The solenoid part is already on back-order.

(WCCO)

And finally this news release from Yahoo.com

Ford: Problems With Explorer, Mountaineer

Mon Nov 22, 7:25 PM ET Business - AP

DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Co. is preparing to notify up to 740,000 owners of Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer sport utility vehicles about a possible transmission problem, a company spokeswoman said Monday.

The problem affects vehicles from the 2004 model year, spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said.

Kinley said customers with the faulty transmission will notice a delayed or noisy engagement when they shift from park to reverse. The affected vehicles have the wrong transmission fluid, Kinley said.

Ford will pay for repairs, although most of the vehicles still are under warranty. Ford will send a letter to owners once it has a service plan in place, Kinley said.

Kinley said the program isn't considered a recall because the transmission problem doesn't affect the safety of the vehicles.

Twenty people have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (news - web sites) about the problem but reported no injuries, according to federal records.

[RUBEN]

We found the problem with the additional parking lamps Mounted in the front bumper of the 2004 Ford Freestar

The vehicle has 2 legal amber colored park lamps on the front of the unit that operate at the Normal C.P Candela
2.207 each total for 2 lamps 4.414

These are really nice,

Than there is a double up of the Park lamp standard, Because of two more white lamps mounted in the from bumper.

These came from the factory with the wrong bulbs for park lamp operations Bulb # G.E 912 at 12 C.P.

The proper bulbs for this operation are Bulb # 916 at 2 C.P.

The safety standard for park lamp operations is built into the Bulb designed for the applications,

The amber colored park lamps operate with the high and low beam lamp operations to depict the side of the vehicle in the event of headlamp burnout. And prevent the vehicle from being mistaken for a motorcycle

WE are installing the proper bulbs on the next oil change ( cost of the bulbs aprox $ 3.00 for two in a bubble pack)

You can find the technical Bulb information In the following G.E manuals Miniature and sealed beam applications catalogue # GE
20699, and G.E lighting and selection guide # PC28870 most auto retailers have the manuals

There are several other Ford and Mercury units with the Wrong Bulbs installed they can be found in the above manuals

This wrong bulb installation is related to product sales and is an insult to the eyes of the oncoming motorists And prevents the driver from shutting off added parking lamps that are lit at all highway speeds

for vehicle and highway safety improvements on the Canadian and American highway systems

WE need a major recall of the units using the Wrong bulbs for the Parking lamp operations

See the complaint from square one on the link below

http://www.rafeonline.com/showthread...&threadid=3035


Cheer BJ

[whitespot]

Does anybody else know anything about the press release that Ford had a couple weeks ago about putting in the wrong transmission fluid into 750,000 of their Explorers and other cars?

If not, here is 2 new clippings I've found on the internet about it, but ford is not owning up to it nor is the dealership saying they know anything about it.

thanks,

Flasher

News Clips:

This news broadcast from WCCO.

Ford Issues Notice about New Rangers (It also states Explorers too)

Nov 20, 2004 1:17 pm US/Central

(WCCO) On Friday, the Ford Motor Company said there may be something wrong with the transmission on many of its new vehicles.

Ford is planning to send out a 750,000 drivers alerting them to the problem.

The letters will go to people who bought a 2004 Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Ford Ranger Truck or Lincoln LS.

Our sister station in New York broke this story on Thursday, focusing on the Ford Explorer. Friday, Ford says the problems extend to other models too.

The Ford Explorer is the best selling vehicle in the world. About a 500,000 2004's were sold in just 12 months, but a new problem is plaguing some of the popular SUV's.

Travis Walker of J&S Ford said some customers complained of hearing an abnormal clunk when moving into reverse. According to walker, they began receiving complaints around June.

Ford service managers have been swamped fixing the transmissions of 2004 Ford Explorers, with some dealers seeing dozens each week.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has even started tracking the problem on its website, with drivers complaining: "I have tried 4 times to get them to fix this", "bangs into reverse", "lag of up to 5 seconds...which may put me in danger", "it would surge forward", "brake to floor...to keep the vehicle from hurting anyone", "jerks back harshly".

Dealers did get a message from Ford in June warning them of delayed reverse problems, and have been replacing this transmission part, the solenoid.

Today, Ford says they've found it isn't working properly with the transmission fluid that was installed during manufacture.

Phil Lienert of Edmunds.com, said that ?We do know that no serious accidents or fatalities have resulted from this?.

If you?re having a transmission problem with your 2004 Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer, Ranger, or Lincoln L-S, call your dealership.

Ford will pick up the cost of the fix, but you may have to be patient. The solenoid part is already on back-order.

(WCCO)

And finally this news release from Yahoo.com

Ford: Problems With Explorer, Mountaineer

Mon Nov 22, 7:25 PM ET Business - AP

DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Co. is preparing to notify up to 740,000 owners of Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer sport utility vehicles about a possible transmission problem, a company spokeswoman said Monday.

The problem affects vehicles from the 2004 model year, spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said.

Kinley said customers with the faulty transmission will notice a delayed or noisy engagement when they shift from park to reverse. The affected vehicles have the wrong transmission fluid, Kinley said.

Ford will pay for repairs, although most of the vehicles still are under warranty. Ford will send a letter to owners once it has a service plan in place, Kinley said.

Kinley said the program isn't considered a recall because the transmission problem doesn't affect the safety of the vehicles.

Twenty people have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (news - web sites) about the problem but reported no injuries, according to federal records.

I just got a 04 explorer and i an having this same problum. and i know one other person that has the same problum. the dealer says they know nothing about this issue this is the only information i can find. i think there's poor communication within the ford motor company. I have an appointment on monday. and will respond with the outcome

[mahcsm]

I just got a 04 explorer and i an having this same problum. and i know one other person that has the same problum. the dealer says they know nothing about this issue this is the only information i can find. i think there's poor communication within the ford motor company. I have an appointment on monday. and will respond with the outcome

Did you find out anything? I have had this same problem. One dealer repalced the selonoid, and another dealer replaced the fluid. I still have the same problem, though intermittently, the dealer can not seem to locate the problem.

[mahcsm]

Did you find out anything? I have had this same problem. One dealer repalced the selonoid, and another dealer replaced the fluid. I still have the same problem, though intermittently, the dealer can not seem to locate the problem.

I finally found a dealer that seems to know what they are talking about. He said that the key to the whole problem is the transmission fluid additive that the Explorer 2004 transmissions need. My problem was that the first dealership replaced the Solenoid, which is the right thing to do, but the additive needs to be in place first, else the new Solenoid just gets ruined again. So, since the additive is already in my trans (i.e. added after the replacement of the Solenoid by another dealer), the dealer will just put on a new Solenoid again and we should be good.

[04x22]

i just bought an 2004 ford explorer with only 70,000 miles on it! which is kinda high but its in perfect shape! the only thing is my tranny, its so weird when i floor it when moving it does not down shift! it takes up to 5 seconds sometimes before down shifting! and when it does it revs up really high and then jerks forward very hard! what causes this problem and what do i need to do to fix it!? please let me know?

[04exploder]

I bought 1 new and started having the problems at around 25-30k.. had the additive put in and all was well.. The odometer rolled past 65k the other day and sure enough... 3rd gear seems to have lost its will to function.. has anybody heard anything new on this?? I just sent Ford an Email and im waiting with giddy anticipation as to when they'll send me a new Tranny free of charge.. LOL

<----starts holding breath..


^saves gas^

[04exploder]

oddly enough the tranny wasnt the problem..
T'was the Throttle Body..



Good thing my Truck is Built Ford Tough.. LOL

[ijoey1017i]

Trade it in........for something not american

I had similar problem with my explorer and guess what I traded it and got an Audi convertable and haven't had one probably that was 2 years ago

[04exploder]

oddly enough the tranny wasnt the problem..
T'was the Throttle Body..



Good thing my Truck is Built Ford Tough.. LOL

UPDATE...

LOL.. went in at 74,923 [ 75k warranty ] made them physically look at the
solenoid.. and they said.. yep.. its bad.. and changed it....

the ol' exploder has been shifting like a dream ever since.....

too bad my warranty is dead now....
RIP oh valuable FORD warranty... if we could have only spent a
little more time together..

[chrishil]

The problem with Ford Explorer Transmission is already fix. You can use the new car model properly today. Better replace some parts that have problems.

[Zatcha]

I've heard about this problem before in news. I just wonder if all the 04 explorer are now fixed. I'm planning to buy one so this would be important to me.