st381183
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In March 13, 2023 I took my 2018 Expedition XLT Max to the dealership for transmission filter and fluid change at 45633 miles. Early I know but I don't have confidence in lifetime fluids and I want to keep this truck in my life for many years. I noticed 4 drops of tranny fluid on the garage floor in May over the course of a few days and took it back in to the same dealership to inspect on 6/3/26 at 47815 miles. I advise them I will be traveling through Arizona in June and the drips have me concerned. The dealership takes the Expy for a day and they assure me everything is ok and the drips of tranny fluid was residue from initial service, they clean it up, and they write on the follow up invoice, "....VERIFIED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL IS CORRECT." (They obviously didn't because an overfilled transmission would have shot out fluid if they had actually ran the Expy to operating temps and removed the dipstick.)
Fast forward to June 26, 2023, three weeks later, 2pm-ish, the hottest day of the year in Arizona at 110 degrees plus, driving home on I-10 from Phoenix, 8 miles west of Benson, average speed 75-83mph, climbing a hill....the whole family feels transmission slip, tranny temp spikes at 253 degrees on gauge and I pull over to see my tranny hemorraging fluid. Trip back home is over and I'm stuck on the side of the road for the next 8 hours. Progressive roadside assistance can't find a tow but say they can schedule me for 9am the next day, geez thanks. I call 4 tow companies myself and they all refuse to come get us. I end up calling my nephew a 150 miles away in Phoenix and he scrounges a flatbed trailer to haul my Expedition back to Phoenix at midnight. Come the next day and take my Expy to Phoenix dealership. The Phoenix dealership put an actual tranny tech on the job and confirms on the invoice that the tranny was, "WAY OVERFILLED," which is something, as a lot was pouring out on the side of the road.
The Phoenix dealership says the vent on the tranny did its job and prevented damage to the tranny by venting out overheated, overfilled fluid. They run diagnostics, confirm no codes, tech says tranny doesn't smell burnt out and fluid is clean. They cannot recommend replacement. They also inform me my battery needs to be replaced, good to know. To the original dealers credit they acknowledge their fault in this over the phone and promise to make things right. I rent a car and got my family home and now have to make a return trip in a new rental car provided for by the original dealership, a day out of my life.
On the drive home I'm hypervigilant with gauges. Tranny stays between 208 - 219 degrees. Shifts seem to be ok. Now the engine temps go crazy changing from 210 to 217 in seconds, falling from 226 to 205, in a seconds. Engine temp gauge dipped to 198 degrees for a few seconds, super weird. I don't know if that is a symptom of a new issue, or the battery degrading, or what.... I get it home and check coolant and it was ok but added some to max level.
I am very frustrated that I took this to a dealership and paid dealership prices to have this work done incorrectly, given how critical fluid levels are and to ensure I have some sort of warranty peace of mine. So now I am going to demand the original dealership reimburse me for my expenses, I get my nephew to write up a tow invoice (he's a very good diesel mechanic and does a lot of side jobs) and I'm planning on demanding reimbursement for him to come get me and tow me home as well as bring his suburban to transport my family. Here is what I am asking for:
Tow which included 150 mile deadhead to my location, load oversized vehicle, 150 mile return tow to Phoenix, and another vehicle to get my family home: $855 which is $2.55/mile, after 5pm
First Rental Car: $115 (Not even asking for fuel reimbursement)
Wife's lost wages for a day due to having to call in last minute: $392
17 year-old son's lost wages for a day due to having to call in last minute: $60 (He was super embarassed as it was his second week on the job)
Return to Phoenix trip fuel: $54.07 (Not asking for fuel to bring the Expy home)
Refund of initial tranny service: $672.28
Tranny service in Pheonix: $412.97 (Paid by dealership already)
So in all I'm asking for $2154.97 I know the dealership is going to balk over the tow charges and lost wages but I plan on sticking to my guns. They were given two opportunities to do the job correctly, which is what I pay for when I take my vehicle to the dealership. Obviously the original tech and the tech that inspected the "leaks" when I took it in failed at checking fluid levels, which is so critical in the 10R80 transmission. The seoond tech obvioulsy didn't run to temp and check, if he had, he would have found himself covered in fluid.
Let me know what you guys think or if I'm being unreasonable in my reimbursement expectations.
Thanks for reading this long thread and Happy Independence Day!
Fast forward to June 26, 2023, three weeks later, 2pm-ish, the hottest day of the year in Arizona at 110 degrees plus, driving home on I-10 from Phoenix, 8 miles west of Benson, average speed 75-83mph, climbing a hill....the whole family feels transmission slip, tranny temp spikes at 253 degrees on gauge and I pull over to see my tranny hemorraging fluid. Trip back home is over and I'm stuck on the side of the road for the next 8 hours. Progressive roadside assistance can't find a tow but say they can schedule me for 9am the next day, geez thanks. I call 4 tow companies myself and they all refuse to come get us. I end up calling my nephew a 150 miles away in Phoenix and he scrounges a flatbed trailer to haul my Expedition back to Phoenix at midnight. Come the next day and take my Expy to Phoenix dealership. The Phoenix dealership put an actual tranny tech on the job and confirms on the invoice that the tranny was, "WAY OVERFILLED," which is something, as a lot was pouring out on the side of the road.
The Phoenix dealership says the vent on the tranny did its job and prevented damage to the tranny by venting out overheated, overfilled fluid. They run diagnostics, confirm no codes, tech says tranny doesn't smell burnt out and fluid is clean. They cannot recommend replacement. They also inform me my battery needs to be replaced, good to know. To the original dealers credit they acknowledge their fault in this over the phone and promise to make things right. I rent a car and got my family home and now have to make a return trip in a new rental car provided for by the original dealership, a day out of my life.
On the drive home I'm hypervigilant with gauges. Tranny stays between 208 - 219 degrees. Shifts seem to be ok. Now the engine temps go crazy changing from 210 to 217 in seconds, falling from 226 to 205, in a seconds. Engine temp gauge dipped to 198 degrees for a few seconds, super weird. I don't know if that is a symptom of a new issue, or the battery degrading, or what.... I get it home and check coolant and it was ok but added some to max level.
I am very frustrated that I took this to a dealership and paid dealership prices to have this work done incorrectly, given how critical fluid levels are and to ensure I have some sort of warranty peace of mine. So now I am going to demand the original dealership reimburse me for my expenses, I get my nephew to write up a tow invoice (he's a very good diesel mechanic and does a lot of side jobs) and I'm planning on demanding reimbursement for him to come get me and tow me home as well as bring his suburban to transport my family. Here is what I am asking for:
Tow which included 150 mile deadhead to my location, load oversized vehicle, 150 mile return tow to Phoenix, and another vehicle to get my family home: $855 which is $2.55/mile, after 5pm
First Rental Car: $115 (Not even asking for fuel reimbursement)
Wife's lost wages for a day due to having to call in last minute: $392
17 year-old son's lost wages for a day due to having to call in last minute: $60 (He was super embarassed as it was his second week on the job)
Return to Phoenix trip fuel: $54.07 (Not asking for fuel to bring the Expy home)
Refund of initial tranny service: $672.28
Tranny service in Pheonix: $412.97 (Paid by dealership already)
So in all I'm asking for $2154.97 I know the dealership is going to balk over the tow charges and lost wages but I plan on sticking to my guns. They were given two opportunities to do the job correctly, which is what I pay for when I take my vehicle to the dealership. Obviously the original tech and the tech that inspected the "leaks" when I took it in failed at checking fluid levels, which is so critical in the 10R80 transmission. The seoond tech obvioulsy didn't run to temp and check, if he had, he would have found himself covered in fluid.
Let me know what you guys think or if I'm being unreasonable in my reimbursement expectations.
Thanks for reading this long thread and Happy Independence Day!