After 102 thousand miles, need new transmission and engine misfiring

[brutalcrawls]

Will, I got the bronco Sport in the shadow black color back in 2021. It has reached 102 thousand miles this year and I decided to take it in for a diagnostic test because I noticed there was a slight shudder when excelling to speeds from 30 to 36 mph. It took a while for the dealers to get my bronco sport in the shop to do the diagnostic because I had to wait until 2024 of January. Appointments were backed up til then. Anyways, so I got the diagnostic done and when I finally got to talk to the mechanic he told me that I needed a brand new transmission because the discs in transmission was slipping and that the car has reached its half life point. He said it would be about 7 thousand for a new transmission. On top of that, he continued to tell me that there was also misfiring going on in the engine and that I would need work on the engine as well. I was horrified and lost for words…I don’t have any warranty’s left on my bronco. i don’t know why I’m writing this, I only think it’s because, I needed to tell my story. I guess, I also need some suggestions and wondered if there were other people out there with these same issues? I tried to see if I could trade in, but even the dealers don’t want to give me another ride due to upside down equity issues with the car loan.

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[rocks]

Sorry to read you are in such a tough spot. Expensive to fix and at 120K miles may not be worth it. Trade it in and the BS resale has dropped like a rock and at 120K even worse. Upside down is even more of an issue. I'm surprised the dealer can't get you a loan including the the upsidedown number unless the number is really big and your credit isn't very good. Your only choice may be to do the repairs. You are in a really tough spot. Best of luck to you.

 

[Elegance]

I'm sorry you're in such a difficult spot. My best advice would be to repair it and keep driving it until you're not upside down on your loan. Adding negative equity to your next car purchase will only make things worse.

However, first and foremost, take it to several different independent shops for a second opinion and additional quotes. You don't have to go with a dealership if it means they'll cost you a lot more, plus, it's always smart to confirm the issue actually exists.

 

[AndyMac204]

Ford mechanic or independant told you this? I would get several quotes or diagnosis. Seems excessive to be honest. There should be alot of used parts out there ...

 

[Bucko]

I'm sorry you're in such a difficult spot. My best advice would be to repair it and keep driving it until you're not upside down on your loan. Adding negative equity to your next car purchase will only make things worse.

However, first and foremost, take it to several different independent shops for a second opinion and additional quotes. You don't have to go with a dealership if it means they'll cost you a lot more, plus, it's always smart to confirm the issue actually exists.

Totally agree with this second paragraph. Since the warranty has expired, you are not bound to Ford for any repairs. There are good reputable transmission shops out there that can rebuild your existing transmission; it does not have to be a brand new transmission. There could be transmissions available in a salvage yard with low miles that could be bought and installed by a transmission shop.

You have options.

 

[redbucky2022]

Get a written explanation of the diagnostics and a second opinion. I've had missfires create a slew of other problems. A miss on a 1.5 can wreak havoc only being a 3 cylinder. Fixing that miss could alleviate a lot of other symptoms your having.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

Thanks for sharing this information. It's part of the reason this forum exists.

 

[RSH]

Who was maintaining the vehicle? While it is true some here have had early transmission failure, It would seem that transmission clutch wear would have been possibly noticed when changing the fluid during service in the warranty period and could have been addressed. Misfire is an issue that can be detected with a diagnostic scan, also if it's bad enough it will set a check engine light, slight misfire can make it feel like you are having transmission problems when you really are not. If the vehicle was regularly serviced Its surprising how now you need approximately $8k in repairs. I Hope luck will swing your way.

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[Mockyngbyrd]

Terrible news. I agree with not going to the dealer. There must be a low mileage transmission available somewhere that the total cost would be less than the dealer charges. I hope this gets resolved to your satisfaction.

Good Luck.

 

[Foghorn]

I agree with RedBucky. I was a computer repair tech for 40 years. When a computer had more than one problem, and it could not be determined if they were related, the rule was to fix the easiest , most obvious thing first and see if the other issues went away. More often than not they did, or at least made the remaining issues easier to diagnose.

 

[BayBrownBronco]

Terrible news. I agree with not going to the dealer. There must be a low mileage transmission available somewhere that the total cost would be less than the dealer charges. I hope this gets resolved to your satisfaction.

Good Luck.

Agreed. A close friend of mine bought her 2016 Escape new and cared for it well (including a trans fluid change, I believe around 60k). She drove it gently overall. But her trans still failed at 90k. I helped her find a yard trans from a salvage yard via car-part.com and a Ford dealer installed it. Total cost $4k.

Sympathies to the OP here. But on my Sport, I plan to have the trans fluid changed every 30k miles. The Sports owner manual says, basically, change trans fluid every 30k in any kind of strenuous driving conditions such as towing or extensive idling. I’m a little skeptical (cynical?) about pretty much all OEM fluid life span claims; so here in the real world, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[BourbonRunner]

Sorry to hear and as others have said- you should shop that transmission replacement around. Check for a transmission repair specialist shop in your area. Or a shop that does swaps. There's likely a crate trans or a junkyard unit out there that could work.

That being said, if you wind up having to get a new one, I'd recommend getting an extended warranty that covers you out through the end of the loan to cover the negative equity you're stuck with. At least that way if it goes up you're somewhat covered.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Will, I got the bronco Sport in the shadow black color back in 2021. It has reached 120 thousand miles this year and I decided to take it in for a diagnostic test because I noticed there was a slight shudder when excelling to speeds from 30 to 36 mph. It took a while for the dealers to get my bronco sport in the shop to do the diagnostic because I had to wait until 2024 of January. Appointments were backed up til then. Anyways, so I got the diagnostic done and when I finally got to talk to the mechanic he told me that I needed a brand new transmission because the discs in transmission was slipping and that the car has reached its half life point. He said it would be about 7 thousand for a new transmission. On top of that, he continued to tell me that there was also misfiring going on in the engine and that I would need work on the engine as well. I was horrified and lost for words…I don’t have any warranty’s left on my bronco. i don’t know why I’m writing this, I only think it’s because, I needed to tell my story. I guess, I also need some suggestions and wondered if there were other people out there with these same issues? I tried to see if I could trade in, but even the dealers don’t want to give me another ride due to upside down equity issues with the car loan.

Can you send over a message with your VIN and the name/location of the Ford dealer you are working with? I would like to look into this on my end.

 

[kshaw]

Misfire issues can usually be fixed with new plugs and new coils and looks like an easy job on the BS. I have had good luck with AAA on clutches and so I would check with them on a transmission.

 

[Legin2000]

I agree with everyone here who said take it to a third-party mechanic. These 8-speed transmissions have been around for a while. You might want to take it to a transmission shop like Aamco. They might have the expertise to repair it, or replace it with a rebuilt transmission and cover that with a warranty.

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