| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 997029169 | Incident Date: Jul, 31 1997 |
| Consumer's City: SEDRO WOOLLEY | Consumer's State: WA |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO | Manufacturers Name: Ford Motor Company |
| Model Name: AEROSTAR | Model Year: 1994 |
| Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No | Component's Description: Power train:automatic transmission:cooling unit and lines |
| Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No | Persons Injured: 0 |
| Vehicle's VIN#: 1FMDA41X3RZ | Date added to File: May, 25 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Jan, 04 2000 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: Jan, 31 1995 |
| Was Original Owner: No | Anti-lock Brakes: Yes |
| Number of Cylinders: 0 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: This van releases automatic trans. fluid from the seal between the torque converter and the transmission body. it does this when hot (but not overheating), in the summer, while towing a light weight camping trailer (load within ford towing limits). this occurs typically while climbing, but also on a flat grade at high speeds (65-70 mph) in hot temperatures (85f +). the fluid squirts onto the exhaust pipe, releasing large amounts of smoke. there was a previous recall on this van for a similar problem with releasing trans. fluid onto the exhaust pipe, and i had the recall work done, but it involved the transfer case and driveshaft, not the torque converter to transmission seal. i have had a large aftermarket trans. cooler installed as well as a trans. fluid temp. guage. the engine coolant and trans. fluid are within normal temp. limits when these incidents occur. the dealer service dept. has told me that this problem would not be fixed by replacing the seal; that it would continue because of component limitations. although the drivetrain components have not been detectably mechanically damaged by these incidents, the incidents are a clear safety hazard because of the fire hazard as well as the possible loss of control if the drivtrain components were to fail precipitously. when these incidents occur, i have to pull over immediately and shut off the engine and let the trans. cool for a time, and this is another safety hazard because there is not always a safe place to pull over. i believe that the previous recall for this (or a similar) problem did not result in an adequate fix and that the issue should be re-examined. the date of the incident noted on this report was the first occurrence. |
