I’ve had a nightmare year with my 2014 SE Automatic. The transmission has failed 3 times, and each time it’s the same story—after stopping, the first couple of shifts cause the car to jerk violently. It’s cost me $2000 every time to fix it. The weird thing is, it only seems to happen in July and August, and always when there’s a lot of stop-and-go traffic. Are these conditions the reason why this keeps happening?
Yeah, stop-and-go traffic can be rough on the transmission. I usually try to take it easy, only using 1/3 throttle in first gear and 2/3 in second. Seems to help. I’ve got 240k miles on mine with all the original transmission parts—knocking on wood here!
@Harper
I’ve heard both sides—some people say to drive it easy, but I’ve had Ford techs tell me to drive it like I stole it. I use mine for Uber, so I rack up miles fast (35k since February). I’m at 156k now, and as far as I know, it’s the original transmission. One TCM was replaced about 10 years and 80k miles ago.
@Lyle
I drive for Lyft, and I agree with you. It seems like the transmission can handle stress, but I’m not sure how long the clutches will hold up. I usually pick a throttle position and stick with it. Seems to work, but who knows how long it’ll last.
@Harper
240k miles? That’s pretty impressive! I bought mine with 158k km, now at 173k km, and I’m hoping it lasts another 2-3 years without any major problems. I’m driving cautiously and avoiding the shudder as much as I can.
@Harper
I’m at 221k miles and sometimes I give it a bit of gas, but I try to be careful too.
Yeah, stop-and-go traffic is brutal on these transmissions. I’m not sure if the hot weather makes it worse, but I had the same issue during a long LA commute. The transmission couldn’t handle the heat and the traffic.
The stop-and-go traffic makes it worse, but it’s really the transmission design that’s the problem. These cars are known for having awful transmissions, and it’s not something you can fix permanently.
Stop-and-go traffic is rough, but I’ve found that manually shifting in S mode helps. I usually shift at around 3200 RPM. I haven’t had any heat-related problems, but I live in Wisconsin where it doesn’t get that hot.
Those transmissions are notorious for problems. Ford has a bunch of lawsuits over it. I had mine go out at 50k miles, replaced it, and it went out again at 55k. After getting the state attorney general involved, Ford basically told me to take a hike. They know about the issues but don’t care. I ended up scrapping the car to avoid selling it to someone else who would have the same problem.
Honestly, you might want to swap it for a manual transmission.
Indigo said:
Honestly, you might want to swap it for a manual transmission.
Not a whole new car, just swap out the transmission! If you had the money for a new car, you probably wouldn’t be worrying about this.
Indigo said:
Honestly, you might want to swap it for a manual transmission.
Yeah, I’m just going to fix it one more time, sell it, and put the money toward an old Toyota or something reliable.
In my experience, the transmission actually works better in cold weather, especially below freezing.
I’ve got a 2014 SE as well, and yeah, the stop-and-go traffic kills the clutches. Mine always acts up in the summer when it’s over 100 degrees. I think the transmission control module is to blame in my case, and I’m trying to get it to act up again so Ford can replace it under warranty. But yeah, city traffic is the worst for the clutches.
A few folks have already nailed it—heat and stop-and-go driving are the biggest issues. Try accelerating lightly and reset your transmission before you change how you drive. I think it’s something like putting it in neutral and turning the key. After I did that, I floored it on the highway a couple of times, and I haven’t had any shuddering in weeks. I think every stop you make wears it down, so driving smoothly is key. If you’re mostly on the highway, you might get 250k miles out of it, but city driving will kill it faster.
Stop-and-go traffic is rough. Try to leave space in front of you so you don’t have to creep forward and engage the clutch constantly.
Same here with my 2013. Summer heat and traffic are a killer.
Automatic transmissions are just not built for stop-and-go traffic. That’s the worst environment for them.
Yeah, stop-and-go traffic really does a number on these transmissions. I just got my TCM replaced, and the transmission has been adjusting to my driving pretty well. You need to treat it like a manual, though, and be careful when breaking in new clutches. The main issue is that these transmissions are just bad, which is why Ford got sued.