Third transmission needed in 111k miles

[AzScorpion]

But they WILL recall for a windshield wiper issue.

You know the reason for that. It's easy and it's not a lot of money like the transmission.

Farther in the video at the at the 7:35 mark Nate says "They design these things to fail".

Sponsored

 

[JimG_AZ]

BTW, if I were paying somebody to rebuild my transmission, I would probably just pay to have the valve body replaced too since it is a known issue with this transmission.

 

[AzScorpion]

That was the owner who said he has never seen the valve body fail. The chief mechanic said the value body failure was on fewer transmissions than the trash can or drum issues. It is probably time to send an email to their podcast to have them clarify this. At least with the valve body change, you do not need to drop the transmission. Looks like you just need to remove the pan and the filter and valve body is easily accessible. So, I guess this leads to the question: if they get the transmission functioning correctly without replacing the valve body, is the valve body still bad?

The Yelp reviews are very interesting. Their overall score is probably not bad for a transmission shop. It does sound like the owner and the employees answering the phone may need to change their attitude.

First the owner should know all about the transmission and he claims he's never seen one come in for valve bodies. The mechanic Jon first says there were a few but then at the 13.55 he said "I don't remember it" when Dave says this. Maybe most missed this but you can read it right in the transcript below the video.

So which is it, you have or haven't seen this? Sorry but one (or both) are lying and I'd never trust this shop!

 

[TJC]

Here's my $.02 worth of input.

Upgrade to a firmware that gets rid of the lugging shift pattern that destroys the drive train, and cool the fluid to 150F-160F.

If my transmission fails, I'll have it rebuilt using the upgraded 3rd part parts. If it costs me $10K, so be it. If I get 10 years out of the truck it will have paid for itself.

I'll not be purchasing another new truck or car. I'm going backwards to tech that is reliable and can be repaired at independent shops.

I'm so very happy that I had my old 2005 Ranger rebuilt from the ground up. It was worth every penny of the $10K that I spend doing it. We did it just in case. And it proved to be a good decision.

 

[JimG_AZ]

First the owner should know all about the transmission and he claims he's never seen one come in for valve bodies. The mechanic Jon first says there were a few but then at the 13.55 he said "I don't remember it" when Dave says this. Maybe most missed this but you can read it right in the transcript below the video.

So which is it, you have or haven't seen this? Sorry but one (or both) are lying and I'd never trust this shop!

For the record, I have never used this shop nor do I know these guys. There were two things I liked about what they said. (1) Trying to properly diagnose the problem. What may initially appear to being a transmission related issue, may be caused by something else. (2) That the transmission is totally repairable and you may not need to do a swap or a full rebuild. If I can get out of paying $10k for something that can be repaired for closer to $5k, I’m listening.

Now I would assume if my transmission started acting up, and I took it to a Ford dealer and said I am paying cash, I’ll probably get good service. On the other hand, I am not sure what I will get if it is a warranty repair. In the warranty case, I’ll bet it is multiple repairs (starting with resetting adaptive learning) and sitting on their lot for weeks waiting for them to even look at it. LOL…and while my truck is waiting, I’ll get a call from sales asking if I’m interested in trading up.

 

[Racket]

If my transmission fails, I'll have it rebuilt using the upgraded 3rd part parts. If it costs me $10K, so be it. If I get 10 years out of the truck it will have paid for itself.

I'm there with you - it's about economics. I'm coming to the conclusion that newer and newer vehicles are not improving over previous generations. Look at what many of us on this forum have done - Forscan mods, suspension improvements, little tweaks to individual components and other upgrades (damper? damper!) and common failures of factory components.

If the engine holds up for enough miles and chassis doesn't fail outright I'd even consider rebuilding the motor if needed. Extending the utility of the truck by 10 years is attractive math.

The only concern would be the elaborate electronic components.

 

[AzScorpion]

I'm there with you - it's about economics. I'm coming to the conclusion that newer and newer vehicles are not improving over previous generations. Look at what many of us on this forum have done - Forscan mods, suspension improvements, little tweaks to individual components and other upgrades (damper? damper!) and common failures of factory components.

If the engine holds up for enough miles and chassis doesn't fail outright I'd even consider rebuilding the motor if needed. Extending the utility of the truck by 10 years is attractive math.

The only concern would be the elaborate electronic components.

And at the end of 20 years the only thing left working will be the damper!

 

[Bob902]

 

[AzScorpion]

Sometimes the truth hurts.

 

[got3fords]

Just some FYI, that's all.
" Ford’s broader “10R80” issue hasn’t triggered a single mass recall because recall decisions are tied to specific, clearly identified safety-related defects and populations (what NHTSA/Transport Canada can conclude meets the recall standard). Even when owners complain about harsh/erratic shifting, regulators often require enough evidence that the problem is a consistent defect likely to create an unreasonable risk, not just a condition with disputed causes or outcomes. So Ford may instead address some subsets with targeted recalls/technical updates, while larger “design-fault” arguments get handled through warranty/service actions, investigations, and litigation rather than a blanket recall. "

 

[GreyAreaRanger]

I'm with Dave and not knocking the first shop. With so many of these 10r80's out there, any reputable shop should be able learn and diagnose them properly. But inherent issues could prevent lasting repairs.

I’m sure he wasn’t, just wanting to explain better as it was recently pointed out to me that there is a big difference between a rebuild and a reman replacement. If they actually offered rebuilds for it I would probably have done it but they don’t.

OP, if you could go into details about this 4th gear symptom I'm interested to hear?

2nd question/follow up would be what if any preventative or required repairs/maintenance had you done leading up to the actual failures of the transmissions?

I appreciate your responses in advance and am truly sorry you're going through it.

The first transmission had the fluid and filter changed at 84k miles in May of 2024. About four months later I was getting some slippage in fourth gear that started expanding into other gears. Took it in February of 2025 at 88k miles where the shop recommended a replacement which the extended warranty covered.
Fast forward to May of 2026, it started slipping in fourth again. At 107k miles. Had an appointment to bring it in and the week leading up to it, it went away. Go figure, so I rescheduled it to July 2 and this time when it started up again, it stayed.
So fluid and filter change at 84k miles 05/24. First transmission replacement 02/25 at 88k. Second transmission replacement recommended 07/26 at 111k. In case we are wondering why the massive mileage difference, I finished nursing school and started my first nursing job two weeks before replacing the transmission the first time and have a 60 mile round trip commute

 

[Racket]

I got so paranoid about the transmission I had the filter and fluid changed at the dealership just prior to 50K miles... now I feel it was maybe 20K more than I should have. But I use the Lubeguard Platinum and check my levels with my Mike's Build Shop actually usable transmission dip stick!

There have been very widespread service bulletins over pre-2023 10R80's that covers up to replacing the transmission in a wide range of Fords. Not recalls, but only for owners who have problems.

 

[GreyAreaRanger]

Yea I get it. I bought mine used 07/23 with 77k on it. Now I’m thinking I should have gotten the frontier instead.

 

[GreyAreaRanger]

Got an update today! The extended warranty pulled through and my cost will be a $200 deductible and some one time use bolts at the tune of $70. Still shocked that it needed replacement after 23k miles but it looks like I’ll hold onto it a little bit longer.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

Got an update today! The extended warranty pulled through and my cost will be a $200 deductible and some one time use bolts at the tune of $70. Still shocked that it needed replacement after 23k miles but it looks like I’ll hold onto it a little bit longer.

What are they doing? Rebuild? Replace? New or reman?

Sponsored