2016 Escape AWD

I'm pretty sure I brought this up once before here but didn't get a lot of responses. I've had it at the dealer twice for this, and a third time is coming next Wednesday. I intend to have a tech get in the car with me so I can show him what they are trying to tell me is normal operation.

When at speed, and I slow to a near stop... 5mph'ish... and then put my foot back on the accelerator, the transmission drops into 1st gear like you would expect, but it slams into the gear and jerks off the whole car

It also does it from a stop - if I start to roll without really pressing the accelerator (think stop and go traffic), so I'm rolling a bit - 5mph'ish - and then I press the pedal to speed up, the trans will do the same thing.

There are a number of scenario's where this can happen... full stop at a stop sign, start rolling forward to get a better view of traffic, see things are clear or there is a car coming but you have space as long as you GO, I get tranny jerk (that sounds dirty)

The first time I had it in, the dealer tech told me to come to a complete stop. At stop signs that might be good advice, but in freeway traffic, that isn't really practical. The second time he told me about how as I'm slowing down I'm not giving the transmission time to go into the correct gear on its own before I start back up on the pedal.

I don't know, I've been driving for 40 years and have had auto transmissions from every decade since the 60's, and I've never had a car that shift like this Escape.

I'm at the end of my warranty and Wednesday will be the last chance I've got to get the dealer to do something about it

Thoughts?

 

Well THAT "advice" is idiotic!

Your other experiences were correct. Something is wrong with THIS one!

You need to escalate it. Get a hold of the Service Manager himself/herself. Don't just drop the car off and leave and try to do it remotely by phone. Stay there! Stick around and pester till you get the Service Manager.

Take the Service Manager for a ride in it to show the bad effects. Then offer to swap positions so he/she can drive it, with you as the passenger (so you can make sure that they are accurately reproducing the driving conditions that surface the problem).

Be nice, but firm. You have some real big bucks riding on the situation.... and they have NONE! Ford picks up the bill for warranty work diagnoses and repair. Manufacturers do not pay as many $$ for warranty work as what a dealership can get from a customer, so some would rather fix it after your warranty runs out.

It is also a possibility that the service tech is an idiot. That is, if it really WAS a service tech, and not just a service writer, that gave you that ridiculous info!

Stay on it! Good Luck!

 

Thanks for the feedback

 

I have a 2016 All wheel drive Escape and it shifts just fine. Yes you do have a problem.

 

Thanks TJ. I've considered taking one out for a test drive just to see if it behaves the same. Its good to hear others say they don't have the problem