Transmission Problems?

[Family Truckster]

We have a 2018 Expedition Max 4x4 Limited with heavy duty tow package. From the beginning, downshifting into lower gears while at lower speeds produced clunky noises. We attributed it to the 10 speed transmission. Then we started noticing audible and physical clunking (almost a banging sound) when we slowed down on a slight decline. It almost sounds like it is skipping gears. This happened while driving on mountain roads. Well, it went to a whole new level yesterday. While entering the freeway on a slight decline, I had to apply the brakes and then accelerated. The transmission went into neutral and there was no power when I applied the gas. I shifted into drive and still nothing happened. Thankfully no cars were behind me as I was dead in the water. Coasted over to the shoulder, restarted engine and everything worked fine. Taking car into dealer tomorrow. Scanning the internet for 10 speed 3.5 ecoboost problems and it seems to be common. Anyone else notice rough, clunking shifting at lower speeds while slowing down?

 

[Raptors]

Sounds like you might have an issue due to the shifting into neutral as well as the rough shifting when slowing down. I don’t have an Expedition yet, still researching large SUVs, but I just wanted to throw in my experience with my 2017 Raptor. It has the 10 speed with a 3.5 and in sport mode only, the shifts can be rough when slowing down to a stop. In normal mode you don’t notice the shifting at all when slowing. This is common to all Raptors so I wondered if you were using a sport mode.

 

[Family Truckster]

I was driving in normal mode. We haven't even tried all the fancy drive modes yet!

 

[gtnator]

That's not normal, you should definitely take it in.

 

[Blackscreen67]

Speaking from experience with adaptive learning transmissions speficially the dodge 68rfe which behind a Cummins diesel.....

Adaptive transmissions are awesome..... except they literally are the most inconsistent transmissions ever created.

100% fly by wire and the shift pressures change everytime that keys turn on.

The best way to keep an adaptive trans happy is as follows....

Don't constantly change who drives the car.

Don't go from stop and go traffic to beating on it on the highway.

Be careful doing hard accelerations when in the upper gears due to ratio sizes and chance of slipping.

I sure as hell wouldn't tow with one unless it was in a manual gear control mode with tow/haul on.

I was driving in normal mode. We haven't even tried all the fancy drive modes yet!

Highly recommend only driving in sport mode. This offers the best shift patterns and best transmission line pressures which hold the gears and allows firmness.

 

[zarga]

I've had the exact same issues up until your freeway problem. My transmission clunked so loudly in a parking lot a couple of weeks ago that people around me looked under the truck assuming I dropped something. I haven't mentioned it to the service tech yet. I kept thinking I was still "breaking it in;" however, after 12,000 miles I think it's broken(?!) in.

 

[Randy Schmidt]

This happened to me last weekend. I was pulling out of a parking lot and under normal throttle I hear a clunk that sounded like something fell off of the Expedition. Stopped to check and all seemed normal. That is the one and only time it has happened. I have 11,000 miles on my to date.

 

[Family Truckster]

UPDATE! Got the car back today and they couldn't find anything wrong or duplicate my problem. At least my concerns are now documented in case something happens down the road.

 

[rjdelp7]

Disconnect battery recently? Any time battery is disconnected the transmission can go nuts. It is in the owners manual. Removing negative terminal and turning headlights on(to drain remaining power) will hard boot your PCM and put transmission into 're-learn' mode.

 

[Randy Schmidt]

This just happened to me again... After pulling out of a parking spot and slowly excellerating I heard and felt a clunk, almost like the running board dropped and hit the ground. Pretty concerning...