I've got a 2013 Expedition EL Limited 4x4 with just over 86000 miles on it. Last night while driving home, it suddenly downshifted from normal 45mph driving into 1st gear, squealing the rear tires. Nothing was abnormal, just tooling along, and the car without warning suddenly downshifted to first.

Just after the downshift I lifted my foot from the gas pedal an it acted like it could not find a gear, went up, then back to first, squealing the tires again, and back to normal gear for about 30 mph. I had not touched the gas pedal again.

Then it seemed normal, so I stepped on the gas pedal again, and the car acted like it could not accelerate. When I pushed on the gas harder (the car was still going about 30) it up shifted to first, and stayed there for a mile...

We never got any kind of engine warning, no display on the HUD readout, nothing out of the ordinary.

We stopped the car, turned off the engine, and tried to start the car again. All seemed well until just over 20 mph, the car shuddered, up shifted back to first again squealing the tires, and bucking as it randomly shifted gears, and we lost the speedometer... No warning lights. No dings, no info panel change.

Luckily we were only a few miles from home, and there wasn't any traffic!

I found the recall on 2011-12s this morning after a quick google, some articles of F150s doing this here on Ford Enthusiasts, and other related reports on other Ford models. Ford Recalls 202K Pickups, SUVs, Cars to Fix Transmissions - NBC News

I called my Dealership, they checked my VIN for recalls, nothing. They want $105 to do a "diagnostic" and then will be able to give me an estimate.

I can't drive my car like this, there are no lights or warnings, and this morning when I start the car I have speedo again - intermittently, but the shifting is still dangerously random.

I need some sound advice, which my dealership was definitely not interested in giving... Anyone out there know of a fix, or do I have to eat a wasted 105 charge just to have the dealer tell me it's something that was recalled on the year earlier model, but not mine?

 

Sounds like the transmission's moulded lead frame.

Same issue as the vehicles listed in the article, though I'm not sure yours isn't coming up under the recall.

If you are looking for a starting point , that's where I'd begin.

 

So, after doing some "diagnosis", the dealership wants to replace the output speed sensor, and the valve body on the transmission. Apparently they have a TSB on it that has several steps, the first of which is to replace the OSS. Then it goes to the VB, then the PCM. They told me it had to do with code P0722.

After spending a few days I remembered a few problems from a while back, and others that have been ongoing that may or may not be related to the issue.

I use my EXP to tow my popup camper to occasional outings (never farther than 200 miles). My camper weighs at max 4500 lbs loaded. Anyway, when we first got the car, at 62000 miles -88200 now - we noticed that any time we disconnected the trailer after shutting off the car, the information window would remain blank after restarting the vehicle. We figured out that if we started the car, plugged in the trailer again that the information window would come back. So, we HAD to disconnect the trailer from the car with it running or it would error out the information screen. This would not throw a visible light in the dash. In fact nothing ever has.

More recently, this summer, when we were traveling to the lake with the trailer on, the car beeped, and the information screen said no trailer connected, like it does when you start the car without a trailer. Since that time, we cannot get the car to recognize that there is a trailer plugged in at all. No trailer brakes. The option to increase or decrease gain, or even running the plunger on the TBC makes no difference. When you run the plunger at the TBC, you can hear magnet buzz at the trailer wheels, But there is no discernable braking with the press of the plunger. I have tried 5 trailers, no success on any of them. One trailer was brand new, never even been off the lot.
The lights work all the way around, but no brakes.

The issue with the information screen going blank and unresponsive points me to PCM, but I am just an untrained eye.

Anyone got any helpful information?