How do I protect the transmission?
 

I have a 1999 Wagon with 48K miles and the 24 valve Duratec motor.

I heard that that one of the weak spots of the Taurus/Sable platform was the transmission.
Is this true?
What normally fails?
Is there a TSB that would help me extend the life of transmission?

Are there any tricks to making the transmission last?

First of all, if you have the Duratec engine, congrats! You have the AX4N tranny which is the more reliable of the two (AXOD-E a.k.a. AX4S is the other one)...Since the unit is mostly computer controlled, it's hard to say what could go wrong, but changing the tranny fluid every 30K is a good preventive measure to equipment fail...Since overheating was also an issue with these trannies, you may also consider installing an external transmission cooler...They're worth the investment...