Hello, Forum! My transmission is going. Three mechanics have told me so plus it makes noise, it transitions hard, the fluid leaks, and the dealer told me they smelled burning.

A 2011 Ford Escape (v6, awd) w/ 125,000mi is valued at ~$9,000. A new transmission is almost $7,000!

If I deal with the transmission with a used, rebuilt, or new one--do any other parts typically die or need costly repairs before 225,000mi?

 

Brand new is best, refurbished second best, used from a junkyard is worse. I would recommend refurbished, they usually come with a one or two year warranty.

 

A remanufactured trans comes with all the latest updates and a better warranty than a rebuilt.

 

What the difference between refurbished and remanufactured? I've always thought refurbished trans is coming from a company like Jasper, whereas remanufactured is a "new" trans from Ford.

In my experisnce its pretty rare to get a 100% new engine/transmission from Ford unless its a new model where they don't have remanufactured ones yet to ship out, I suppose this is from a warranty point of view though.

 

A reman usually came from Ford.
I don't know who provides a refurbished or just what was replaced
I do know a reman comes with all new and updated parts whether the old parts passed or not
I also know a rebuilt reuses what they consider passible parts , but we don't know how long they will last.
Warranties vary for each of the ones listed.

 

Thanks for the info on transmission types! That removes some of the mystery for me.

My real question is, if I replace the transmission, is anything else major statistically likely to die in that 1-3yr warranty period? I'd feel foolish buying a transmission w/ a 3yr warranty only to have the engine die in another 1yr/30k miles. I don't know when other major and expensive parts typically die on a Ford. I'm at 125,000 miles and add 30K highway mi/year.

The dealer is laying out the costs for a transmission tomorrow--from Ford ($7,000, 3yr warranty) vs. rebuilt (2yr warranty) vs. used (1yr warranty). The car is worth $9.5K and I have an offer for $2K to break it down for parts, so $7K to replace the transmission + $1.5K in other repairs seems too expensive? If the used quote isn't much better, my next step will be visiting other transmission shops.

 

I would seek the opinion of an actual transmission shop that work on transmissions only. . Perhaps they can rebuild what you have for less. Most dealers will just replace the whole unit because they don't get into the internals very much and often farm out to transmission shops anyway. Unless under warranty, I would not use a dealer for transmission or body work unless you like overpaying.

 

fordadventurer,

The questions you are asking would require a complete vehicle maintenance history, plus a crystal ball to predict the future.
I would be very careful if anyone says they can tell you exactly what will break/malfunction up the road because different folks drive differently, conditions are not the same ,,programmed maintenance if done correctly if at all, I believe you get the picture.

 

I think the main issues the 3.0 has is the timing cover and oil pan leaking oil. There has been some issues of the ABS module having a internal fault and at this time the module is on backorder so it cannot be fixed.
Of course its possible that anything else will break after replacing the transmission or engine.

 

My full list of issues includes: (1) Transmission ($5k-7k), (2) a sensor won't clear even after replacement ($1k), (3) wheel bearings ($1k), and a leaking radiator and oil pan. $9K in repairs out-of-pocket on a $12k car is tough to swallow. It doesn't help that my local Ford Service department avoids answering my calls when they're over-time or over-budget and their technicians say not to trust their associates. I'd need a reliable service department to correct all this within a reasonable cost. I've decided to sell and switch to a Jeep Cherokee (off-road chops) or Nissan Rogue (fuel economy). Many great memories in my Ford Escape--past flames, driving in washes, and across ice on the hairiest cliffs.

Thanks for the advice, and happy trails driving your Escapes!