Ford ought to use a more thoroughly bug-checked tranny. But they wont. How many trucks see the junk yard before 150K mi? I doubt many people complain when thier pickup doesn't shift like a Maseratii. Ford's been using the same light-duty trannys since.... at least 1988. I had an R2 in my babied '88 F150. Shifted terrible at 112K mi, and made noises. 1st gear wouldn't always engage.

For comparison, the T18-19 and NP435 4-speed granny-low truck trannys shift like a row-boat. Slow and long. From dashboard to seat cushion, I kid you not. But they have few/no problems and last forever, so they're loved.