Has anybody else had transmission issues with the 1st Gen vans?

 

I had a customers van have a transmission go bad with about 12k. Fault code was for the torque converter clutch (I assume it's a locking clutch?). We've probably sold about 150 of them, and so far that is the one one I've heard having an issue.

Edit: My apologies.. that was on a full size transit. i haven't had any issues with the little connects with any of my customers.

 

They have problems with the direct clutch drum and servo bore wearing allowing the band to slip. Ford has a repair kit with updated parts to fix it

 

You guys have any problem with the 2015 2.5L transmission?

 

Yeah they have some problems too. Center support leaking, direct clutch seals leaking, valve body and solenoid body getting contaminated from the torque converter, shift flares, the list goes on...

 

70F;


Well now you are making me nervous--that seems like a lot of stuff to be going wrong in a relatively new vehicle. Is there a mileage point to keep an eye on? Is the problem universal or does it seem limited to what may have been a bad day's work in the factory? I would like to know more.

 

Hey Evan:

The 6F35 transmission in the Transit Connect has been used in the Ford Escape since 2009 and is also used in the Fusion. There were some bigger problems in the first year or two, and there was an issue flat-towing the Escapes behind a motorhome (Ford said it was OK but many transmissions did not read the towing manual and died due to lack of lubrication when the pump was not running).

There are hundreds of thousands of those transmissions on the road and they are doing fine. Nothing new about the 2.5 engine or the 6F35.

I know the engineer at Ford in charge of FWD drivetrains back at that time (family relation that was broken by a divorce) and talked with him at length about it. This trans and its big bro the 6F50 were jointly developed by Ford and GM. So there are really a lot of them on the road and they are solidly engineered.

I would not worry, Evan...it's not new tech, and if you care for your van it will most likely be just fine. (I don't like buying first year transmission or engine designs because you may be the guinea pig.)

George

 

Thank you George. I think the 2015 was the second year of the new TC and my thinking was that any big bugs would have been dealt with in the first year. Anyway, I appreciate your assessment.

 

Bugs may take a few years to show up on a new engine or transmission design (real life operating conditions combined with time), but the trans dates back to 2009 and is in common use so it should be very well sorted out by now. It costs Ford money to make warranty repairs so it is definitely in their interest to take care of problems that will create warranty costs for them.

 

Does anyone else not like the shift pattern of the Transit? I have a 2010 Transit XLT and when I need to accelerate, the transmission shifts to what seems to be first gear. All I really need is the next lower gear. It is really aggravating to have the engine rev to 5 K just to get from 53 to 55 MPH. Has Ford issued any service Bulletins on the shift patterns?

 

No bulletins on shift patterns that im aware of. It's prob downshifting into 2nd, maybe try hitting the OD button on the shifter to get it into third.

 

I know they are touchy when it comes to fluid level. I keep a bottle of synthetic trans fluid in my wife's transit and makes sure the level is full regularly.

According to my BIL's son who is a troubleshooter for Fords You call him (as a dealer) when you cannot diagnose an issue and need company assistance, transit transmission failures are mostly attributable to overloading the vehicle and driving it like an idiot during hot weather..

It's not a one ton truck, it's a light duty vehicle with a small motor and transmission.

My wife has many miles on her's as a grocery getter, dog hauler and I've had it to New Mexico, Montana and Idaho on hunting trips with 3 hunters, all our gear (rifles, clothes and coolers full of meat on the return trips, with no issues at all. Putting along at 72 mph and getting almost 32 mpg.

I think problems arise when owners overload and overtax the drivetrain.

My hunt buds refer to the Transit as the 'Moon Unit'....

 

When Im at full stop and press gas to accelerate. It would jerk at 1st gear and 2nd .Im just wondering if this normal? Its at 2,000 miles. I have never driven a dual clutch

 

Sounds like the Focus issue has come home to roost in the Transit. The 'shudder' is common in the Fords, dual clutch automatic and has to do with the ecm.

 

If your transmission is not leaking, no reason to keep a bottle of trans fluid in the thing. I think more failures have been caused by overfilling or adding the wrong fluid than you might believe, which is why Ford and other mfrs have been eliminating the easily accessible fill ports.

G