A year that DOESN'T have massive transmission issues?

[Boli Muentes]

I installed a 170 Tstat and now the tranny temp is 180 at highway speed. Towing a 6,000 pound Pace trailer the temp never gets above 200.

 

[amwoods1212]

Has anyone had an easy transmission fix? Recently bought our used 2019 Expedition Max, and the wrench light came on after some slow acceleration and shifting on a large bridge. Dealer has to keep it for 5-6 days just to diagnose! I am 400 miles outside factory warranty but have an extended warranty.

 

[Hellwig]

Has anyone had an easy transmission fix? Recently bought our used 2019 Expedition Max, and the wrench light came on after some slow acceleration and shifting on a large bridge. Dealer has to keep it for 5-6 days just to diagnose! I am 400 miles outside factory warranty but have an extended warran

Most likely the CDF drum needs to be replaced and it won't be easy. But like you said, you have extended warranty, so why worry?

 

[Hellwig]

Fwiw, I've been towing a 5000 lb trailer about 5000 or 6000 miles in mostly very hot weather in Mexico since Jan 4th with my 2019 Stealth that has HD tow, trans temps are consistently cool, and it's been mostly flawless... I have about 70,000 miles total now... A few odd shifts when abruptly accelerating up hills ito pass at highway speeds in tow/haul mode, but nothing too scary.

Would you please let me know what the "consistently cool" temperature was? I need to tow 4300 lbs in summer time.

 

[amwoods1212]

Most likely the CDF drum needs to be replaced and it won't be easy. But like you said, you have extended warranty, so why worry?

I am mostly concerned with having it sit at the dealer for months like some of the posts in this forum describe

 

[C Trost]

We bought a 2019 Max with max tow package in December. We were aware that the transmission had been replaced when the original owner traded it in and clearly should have been more concerned about that. We tried pulling our 3k lb trailer last weekend and the transmission was getting too hot. Service center could replicate the issue (not trailer attached when they had it) and they said it must have been overfilled when it was replaced but should be fine now (but they didn't do anything to it because level was normal when they tested it). This weekend we took test run down the highway with the trailer. It took a whopping 15 minutes to get transmission temp to 244 degrees and the coolant temp to 230. A different dealership it taking it in to check it later this week but from what I'm reading this is a common issue. Lovely. Is there a more current year that they have fixed this in? I'll give them a chance to fix it but I'm not keeping it if I'm going to constantly fight the transmission...but I LOOOVE my expy!!

Sorry to hear that. Something is definitely wrong. Tow my 8500# with my ‘20 XLT HD tow last 500 tow, trans temp 212, coolant didn’t check as gauge no different than without the trailer.

 

[Pawpaw]

No problems with my '21 FX4 with max towing. Pull a 8K pound camper about once a month and other then that I mostly baby it around town. Shifts smooth as butter with the 3.73 gearing.

 

[Left Coast Geek]

Would you please let me know what the "consistently cool" temperature was? I need to tow 4300 lbs in summer time.

205-215F

 

[amwoods1212]

Most likely the CDF drum needs to be replaced and it won't be easy. But like you said, you have extended warranty, so why worry?

You were spot on. It is the CDF Drum

 

[TravisExpy]

Valve body sleeve was replaced and transmission rebuilt. I finally got to pick it up this morning. Fingers crossed it’s truly fixed this time!!

 

[BlakeMAX2019]

We bought a 2019 Max with max tow package in December. We were aware that the transmission had been replaced when the original owner traded it in and clearly should have been more concerned about that. We tried pulling our 3k lb trailer last weekend and the transmission was getting too hot. Service center could replicate the issue (not trailer attached when they had it) and they said it must have been overfilled when it was replaced but should be fine now (but they didn't do anything to it because level was normal when they tested it). This weekend we took test run down the highway with the trailer. It took a whopping 15 minutes to get transmission temp to 244 degrees and the coolant temp to 230. A different dealership it taking it in to check it later this week but from what I'm reading this is a common issue. Lovely. Is there a more current year that they have fixed this in? I'll give them a chance to fix it but I'm not keeping it if I'm going to constantly fight the transmission...but I LOOOVE my expy!!

We have a 2019 MAX XLT, no trailer package, never towed anything. Tranny blew up at 30kmiles. Completely rebuilt under warranty but still a hassle. At 45kmi now and not sure I wanna risk it happening again, another user on here mentioned that at a certain point in 2019, they change the tranny to correct the issue. Not sure when that could’ve been because we bought ours in Nov 2019.

 

[BlakeMAX2019]

You were spot on. It is the CDF Drum

Yes the CDF drum! How do you know if it has that? Ours is a 2019 MAX XLT no trailer package, never towed anything. tranny blew up at 30kmiles…completely rebuilt. At 45k now…and wondering what’s next? another user said if it has the CDF drum it may blow again in 40kmi?

 

[TravisExpy]

Yes the CDF drum! How do you know if it has that? Ours is a 2019 MAX XLT no trailer package, never towed anything. tranny blew up at 30kmiles…completely rebuilt. At 45k now…and wondering what’s next? another user said if it has the CDF drum it may blow again in 40kmi?

I think it's a regular part of the transmission. They just released the TSB to replace that drum at the end of February so if yours was rebuilt prior to that then I'd say there's a decent chance you'll have issues again. I'm about to post another update on ours. It just got ANOTHER new transmission.

 

[TravisExpy]

UPDATE: It was not fixed. Ugh. So grateful that this is under factory warranty still. Towing temps were cooler but not a ton and we hit a slight hill (I mean SLIGHT) and sped up a bit to 72 to get around a vehicle and we hit 255 degrees again. Back to the shop it went. So much damage found when they opened it up again and we had only had it a few weeks after it was rebuilt. They put a brand new transmission in it this time.
In case you lost track...40k miles it got a new transmission...47k it got rebuilt....48k new transmission again.
If it doesn't hold this time I'm done with this car.

 

[SyndicateZ]

So grateful that this is under factory warranty still

Make sure you get a Ford PremiumCare extended with all options included plan for when the factory warranty ends.

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

This car seems to not have any transmission issues:

(The transmission in my Expedition failed too.)

 

[SyndicateZ]

This car seems to not have any transmission issues:

(The transmission in my Expedition failed too.)


View attachment 80976

I bet it gets excellent gas mileage

 

[amanwithaplan]

Aside from the F150, what other vehicles hold the 10R80?

2021 Expedition Max Plat, under 30000 miles. Just had the valve body "overhauled", this past week, due to very harsh shifting from 3-4, 4-3, as well as from Park to Drive/Reverse.

Aside from that, and a couple other minor things, this truck just eats miles for breakfast.

 

[TravisExpy]

I just know of the F150 and expedition. I would highly suggest you keep a close eye on your transmission temps. Mine weren’t high enough to flag a warning on the truck but were plenty high enough to indicate all of the damage that was happening.

 

[amanwithaplan]

I just know of the F150 and expedition. I would highly suggest you keep a close eye on your transmission temps. Mine weren’t high enough to flag a warning on the truck but were plenty high enough to indicate all of the damage that was happening.

Definitely. Aside from some very minor towing (utility trailer w/ mulch/dirt), and/or a very hot day, rarely do I see the transmission temperatures go over 200F.

Sorry to hear about your expedition - if it happens again, I'd definitely look into lemon law. These trucks are great when they work, but unfortunately, in the increasing common times they don't, it quickly becomes a very expensive (and heavy) brick.