1994 Ford Thunderbird

I OWN A 1994 FORD T-BIRD WITH A 5.0 V8 AND AS I AM DRIVING(NOT ACCELERATING, ETC.) THE CAR IT UNEXPECTLY DOWN SHIFTS FOR NO REASON. IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN MORE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN IT IS HOTTER. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO LAKE CITY FORD IN COEUR D'ALENE AT LEAST 4 OR 5 TIMES OVER THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT SOME PART "JUST NEEDS CLEANING" THE PROBLEM KEEPS COMING BACK. I FEEL THAT IT IS A DANGER AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

ENGINE - MAKES A MOANING NOISE AND RAISES THE IDLE. AS A RESULT, THE CARE WANTS TO ACCELERATE, EVEN WITHOUT PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR. PAINT - PAINT OXIDIZED ON ALL SKYWARD FACING SURFACES. SPOTS OF RUST HAVE DEVELOPED. POWER LOCK - DRIVER'S SIDE POWER LOCK MAKES A NOISE, BUT DOES NOT MOVE THE LOCK TRANSMISSION - DOESN'T SHIFT WHEN IT IS SUPPOSED TO, AND WHEN IT DOES, IT IS VERY JERKY.

I NOTICED IMMEDIATLY AFTER BUYING THIS CAR THAT THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED THAT WAS 11/98 IT TOOK SEVERAL CALLS TO THE DEALER AND A COARSE OF A YEAR FOR THEM TO FINALLY FIX IT. SECOND TIME I BROUGHT IN TO SHOP REPLACED WHOLE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS 12/99. NOW IN 6/03 THE TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO SLIP AGAIN. ALSO HAD RECALL LETTER ABOUT HEAD GASKETS, FORD REFUSED TO WORK WITH ME ON REPLACEMENTS, HAD TO BE REPLACED OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. PRIVATE DEALER LIED ABOUT CONDITION OF VEHICLE, IT HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHEN I BOUGHT IT. FORD MADE NO ATTEMPS TO HELP RESOLVE PROBLEMS. *AK

CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE JERKING FORWARD WHILE AT STOP LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY THREE CERTIFIED MECHANICS. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD GASKETS WORE OUT. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. *AK THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH IT'S POWER WINDOW'S, AIR CONDITIONER AND TRANSMISSION. *NLM

THE TRANSMISSION GEARS SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING REFUSED TO SHIFT OUT OF LOW GEAR. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY SLOW DOWN ALMOST TO A HALT WHILE IN TRAFFIC. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE CONSUMER BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER WHERE PURCHASED. WHILE IN THE HANDS OF THEIR TRANSMISSION TECHNICIANS, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. CONSUMER SOUGHT OUT A REPUTABLE SPECIALIST WHO INSTALLED A SENSOR WHICH SOLVED THE PROBLEM BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. THE MALFUNCTION WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED AT A SECOND ATTEMPT. THE SPRING ACCUMULATOR WAS BROKEN, THE OVERDRIVE BAND WAS BURNED AS WERE THE LOW CLUTCHES. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECOGNIZED THE POOR DESIGN AND CHANGED IT SO CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT OF MONIES PAID FOR REPAIRS. *JG *SCC

AUTO. TRANS. SHIFTS FROM DRIVE TO 2ND GEAR. HAS ONLY DONE THIS 5 SEPERATE TIMES OVER A 2 - 3 YEAR PERIOD. I FIND THAT IF I SHIFT THE GEAR SELECTOR TO 1ST GEAR AND PUSH IT INTO DRIVE THE PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR. THE FIVE TIMES IT HAS HAPPENED WAS WHEN I SHIFTED FROM PARK STRAIGHT TO DRIVE. I FIND I CAN PUSH THE GEAR LEVER FORWARD FROM DRIVE UNTIL THE INDICATOR SHOWS IN THE NEUTRAL SLOT BEFORE THE TRANS. SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL. I BELIEVE THE DOWNSHIFTING IS CAUSED BY THE MISALIGNMENT OF THE GEAR SELECTOR. NLM

THE TRANSMISSION WILL MAKE UNCOMMANDED AND UNEXPECTED DOWNSHIFTS FROM OVERDRIVE TO 3RD AND SOMTIMES TO 2ND GEAR ANY NEARLY ANY SPEED ABOVE 35 MPH. THIS OFTEN OCCURS AT FREEWAYS SPEEDS OF 70 TO 80 MPH AND CREATES A HAZARDOUS, AND UNEXPECTED SLOWING. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION MAY EITHER UPSHIFT AND DOWNSHIFT REPEATEDLY OR GO INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK INTO GEAR. THIS RESULTS IN THE RPM CHANGING WILDLY AND, AT TIMES, GOING HIGH ENOUGH TO POTENTIALLY CAUSE ENGINE DAMAGE.*AK