How many miles on original 3rd Gen Tranny?

[mikey4563]

mine went at exactly 100k

 

[Dr_Z]

My Factory Transmission on our 2004 Explorer XLS went bad at 4.5 years and 74,000 miles. We had it rebuilt for parts and labor $3,000. (I presume I was taken but I do live in a high cost area and not too good at haggling.) It came with a two year warranty. This winter it started acting up again, 4 years, 50,000 more miles (not the worst return, but I think having to replace transmissions doesn't make sense.) I had it diagnosed this morning. Same deal rebuild part $2,200 (new tranny from Ford $2,600) plus $700 in labor. Its now a third car for us and I'm not paying for this.

What is the market for 2004 Explorer XLS with 124K miles, needing a new transmission? On Cars.com working models sell between $5,000 and $7,000. So to me that sounds like $3,000 obo and if I get more than $2,000 then I'm out even.

That's about what we were charged. My 2002 went out at about 75k also. Blinking OD light. No shifting symptoms, but not good mileage. Service place said it needed to be rebuilt (including some sort of bore kit) and the price was $2900 w/ 2 year warranty. After three years, OD light started blinking again. They adjusted it, changed fluid and guaranteed for another year. There's 99k on it now. Fingers crossed.

This is my first car with an automatic transmission. This must be the weak point of Explorers. My hard driven Chevy Corvette has 400k on the original 1970 manual transmission, my BMW has 250k on its manual transmission. I may never get another auto. Wife likes it though...

 

[high_speed]

Well I guess I'll join the club...

My 2004 XLT 4x4 rolled over on 102k miles when I test drove it. I bought it. Thirteen days later...at approximately 102,600 miles, something snapped on my way home. Turns out, the servo bore was broken, the torque converter was a mess, fluid was no longer circulating in it, the wiring harness on it was melted, and a lot of the gears inside were almost rounded off. I managed to still drive it to the shop for a full rebuild. Cost me not quite $1900.

Oh...and when the tranny was dropped, we found out that it had already been replaced at some point before. Not much more is known as to if the damn thing was ever serviced correctly...

 

[Dr_Z]

Part of the problem with these trannys is that Ford does not specify (at lease in 2002) any maintenance. There is nothing in the manuals that I could find, and the service director at the dealership echoed the same. Most car mechanics recommend regular fluid change intervals, but I couldn't find any from Ford. There is no easy way to check fluid level or change filters, etc.

A second point that my transmission rebuild shop pointed out - the cases on these transmissions are built out of "soft" aluminum which is lightweight, but wears faster than other metals. Thus the bore problem. Part of my rebuild included hardened bore inserts made of brass or steel or some other harder metal so the shafts wouldn't fail again.

From what I can tell, the theory of most purchasers (and the accountants at Ford) is that they build the vehicles to last only to the warranty period. In 2002 the transmission was warranted 5 years or 50k miles. Most people don't keep their cars this long, so there are very few complaints from the original owners. Too bad people are so ready to throw away perfectly good vehicles just to get the latest and greatest...

 

[kevin512]

I have 173K on my '02 XLT that still has the original transmission. The transmission has never been serviced, not even a fluid change (not that I recommend that).

If I accelerate hard (over 3,500 RPM) the shifting gets a bit rough, but otherwise seems to be fine. The brakes/tires should be good until about 225K, my hope is that the rest of the truck lasts that long.

I have seen all the horror stories on this forum, but I have nothing but good things to say about this vehicle which has been very reliable for me.

 

[rlb81]

156k on my 2002. Not sure about prior service but I don't think anything has been done to the trans (including fluid changes). I get occasional odd shifts (slow 1-2 when it's cold, really soft and sloppy 1-2 under heavy throttle) along with some clunking into reverse or drive.

I need to check/change the fluid and see what that does, but I'm waiting for warmer weather since I need to drop the pan (stripped out the little drain plug, gotta pull/replace the big one....)

 

[DAT05EXPLODER]

156k on my 2002. Not sure about prior service but I don't think anything has been done to the trans (including fluid changes). I get occasional odd shifts (slow 1-2 when it's cold, really soft and sloppy 1-2 under heavy throttle) along with some clunking into reverse or drive.

I need to check/change the fluid and see what that does, but I'm waiting for warmer weather since I need to drop the pan (stripped out the little drain plug, gotta pull/replace the big one....)

drain plug is a terrible design. i replaced mine in november, after driving through winter and salt roads up here it's already needing to be replaced.

 

[03WIExplorerLtd]

135k orginal transmission. 1 fluid change at about 131k. Sometimes when I want it to downshift, it has a delay, then a "jolt" or hiccup as it finally downshifts. Mustang had the same issue (after a rebuild), but it was horrifying to drive until the solenoid was replaced. Drives fine now. Probably need a new solenoid on this car.....

 

[azdevildog0311]

Help..it's that time.

Had a fluid exchange at 100k. I felt the Xpress Lube left it low becuase it wasn't shifting down to first at many red lights, unless I reved it a little. I took it back two weeks later and they checked the level, and said it was good. I figured the tranny might just be on its last leg. After a couple months of driving it like that and babying it, I decided to do the driveway check and add Lucas. Guess what.. I added a whole bottle of Lucas, and over a qt of fluid until I got the "run out." It shifted normal again. Oh my.
Started the whine a short time later, so I had filter and fluid service at 130k. It shifted like a dream after that.
This Saturday, on the freeway, clipping along on my 24 mile drive to work, looked at the gauges and saw the OD light blinking. Crap! Now it's hard shifting into 3rd. Hitting the shop first thing in the a.m to get the bad news.

155,000 miles. 4x4 5r55E

Any pointers of getting this done right; should I have a full rebuild or just solenoids at this mileage; what repair "retro kit" should I have put in if rebuilt. Anything I can make sure my trans shop does to get it right. These trannys have a lot to go over to get them rehab'ed to last.

 

[Artbaileyjr]

2002 EB: 169,000 mi. 3rd gear runaway issue @ 150,x.. and against all he sales jobs for a rebuild, a service and some adaptive computer training, and all is perfect. (No sludge in the pan @ 150,x..)

Art

 

[cross6]

2004 Mountaineer 4.0. 168K miles on factory fluid and still going strong.

 

[faco]

162,000 miles, no towing, a lot of interstate miles. I dropped pan and changed filter and fluid, which looked good, at around 150,000 and so far no problems. Daily driver.

 

[kevin512]

Currently at 201,x.. miles ('02 XLT V6) and the transmission still has never been serviced. Shifting is getting a bit rough under hard acceleration, but nothing too serious. This has been a very reliable vehicle for the last 12+ years.

I live in the rust belt (Minnesota) and the first signs of rust are starting to show up this year by the trailer hitch and bottom of the rear doors.

 

[Rubberhead]

I win!! Yes, that's right... 245,666 lmao
And the truck still acts great and has an immaculate interior and only minor timing chain tensioner clank

'03 XLT V8 with tow package; 248,564 on the original transmission flushed every 60kish. Got the timing chain clack too.

 

[Dave8338]

254,000 and still shifting like the day it was new.

Will provide a pic, if needed...

 

[roush9799]

Seems to me that the neglected ones last longer than the regularly maintained ones.

 

[Dave8338]

Not so sure about that. Mine gets flushed and new filter every 60K miles. :scratch:

 

[cross6]

187K on my mine with no issues. I bought the truck with ~90K on it.

I pulled the ford OASIS report and it says around 30K it had the solenoid/servos replaced and had the additive TSB performed + Fluid change.

I've put almost 100K on it without opening the trans or even doing fluid.

So I guess the early additive + solenoid/servo fix was done by the original owner before damage could happen to the case.

 

[Joe in NY]

Seems to me that the neglected ones last longer than the regularly maintained ones.

Really? After reading all 4 pages, general gist is that if you neglect, it dies. you take care of it like your supposed too, it lives.

I wonder if the people who neglect came from a former GM vehicle... You can easily neglect the 4l60e and it will live, but service it, and it will always shift firm and last even longer (easily 200K+)...

 

[roush9799]

Really? After reading all 4 pages, general gist is that if you neglect, it dies. you take care of it like your supposed too, it lives.

I wonder if the people who neglect came from a former GM vehicle... You can easily neglect the 4l60e and it will live, but service it, and it will always shift firm and last even longer (easily 200K+)...

111,000 had her since 04 with 36,000 haven't touched the tranny yet. Still shifts smooth as butter. I baby her though. No extreme towing or burning rubber etc. If motor or tranny does go pm me I won't fix it and will lots of mint parts.

133k--never touched--still shifts smoothly--knock on wood

05 XLT, 126K on untouched transmission. Changing the fluid and filter as soon as I have the down time.

2004 Mountaineer 4.0. 168K miles on factory fluid and still going strong.

I have 173K on my '02 XLT that still has the original transmission. The transmission has never been serviced, not even a fluid change (not that I recommend that).

If I accelerate hard (over 3,500 RPM) the shifting gets a bit rough, but otherwise seems to be fine. The brakes/tires should be good until about 225K, my hope is that the rest of the truck lasts that long.

I have seen all the horror stories on this forum, but I have nothing but good things to say about this vehicle which has been very reliable for me.

106K on the original transmission and never changed the transmission fluid.Only thing i have to do now is replace the front differential gasket.

Currently at 201,x.. miles ('02 XLT V6) and the transmission still has never been serviced. Shifting is getting a bit rough under hard acceleration, but nothing too serious. This has been a very reliable vehicle for the last 12+ years.

I live in the rust belt (Minnesota) and the first signs of rust are starting to show up this year by the trailer hitch and bottom of the rear doors.