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Ford Freestyle CVT Transmissions

420 messages,  Last post on May 16, 2013 at 5:58 AM

You are in the Ford Freestyle Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Freestyle, Transmission, SUV

Messages Page 23 of 43

#218 of 420 Re: CVT fluid change [coldcranker] by sinder

Dec 22, 2009 (10:54 am)

Replying to: coldcranker (Dec 21, 2009 2:11 pm)
A little late there, coldcranker...My 06 Freestyle sits in the shop as we speak, waiting on a remmaned trannie because whos' got $5600 for a new one and why in the ##$$ would I want to give FORD another dime of my money?
 
So, no....I am not fine.
 
And if FORD dealerships/service advisors don't know about one of thier own products, then everyone on this thread needs to be extremely concerned.
 
I have had my oil changed every 3k miles, without fail and have kept up with all the maintenace on my freestyle. I should NOT have learn about CVT's. I am NOT a mechanic. I am a consumer who EXPECTS the manufacturer of a product that I worked my butt off to pay for, to have just a clue about it and it's problems.
 
Besides, I'm just a bit miffed ,coldcranker because I was almost in what would have certainly been an awful accident because my freestyle just stopped running. No acceleration, NOTHING and I had a semi coming my way. So, yes, I hold FORD accountable...
 
The bottom line is that there is a right and a wrong and people ought to know the difference.
 
CVT-VTi....yes, different makers---German vs Szentgotthard, Hungary. End result ??? The same !
=========================================================
 
GM settles lawsuit over faulty Saturn transmissions
 
  
Automotive News
September 11, 2008 - 6:00 pm ET
 
General Motors has settled a class-action lawsuit involving early transmission failures in the more than 90,000 Saturn vehicles carrying its VTi continuously variable transmission.
 
The settlement, which has preliminary approval from a federal judge, could cost GM more than $100 million, said Rob Schmeider, a plaintiffs' lawyer from the Lakin Law Firm of Wood River, Ill.
 
The settlement applies to owners of 2002 to 2005 Saturn Vues or 2003 or 2004 Saturn Ions with failed VTi transmissions, which cost around $4,000 to $5,000 to replace, Schmeider said. The percentage of individual plaintiffs' expenses that will be paid depends on the mileage of the vehicle when the transmission failed, and whether owners purchased the vehicle new or used.
 
If the judge grants approval, all people listed on qualifying vehicle titles will receive claim forms for past and future expenses related to failure of the VTi transmission before vehicles reach 125,000 miles. The settlement applies to VTis that fail within eight years of the model year.
 
U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb has scheduled a hearing Feb. 17 in Sacramento. Calif., to weigh final approval of the settlement.
 
GM could not release details or comment on Thursday, a spokeswoman said.
 
The VTi transmission, which Saturn discontinued after 2005, uses a steel belt and adjustable pulleys to keep the engine running in its most efficient rpm range. GM touted it as 7 percent more fuel efficient than the automatic transmissions Saturn was producing at the time.
 
The transmission, designed by GM Powertrain, was made in an Adam Opel AG plant in Szentgotthard, Hungary.

#219 of 420 Re: CVT fluid change [sinder] by 01taurussel

Dec 22, 2009 (6:33 pm)

Replying to: sinder (Dec 22, 2009 10:54 am)
Wife had an 02 Civic EX.......under warranty and the transmission slipped. Guess what? Honda Replaced it- didn't fix it. Transmissions (unless its a good old GM 4 spd), are complex these days. They have grade logic, 6-7 heck even 8 speeds in a car that costs more than my condo value.......(BTW, Honda transmissions are not GM 4L60E - they are $$$)
 
Go buy a Porsche, or a Jaguar, even take a look at the equipment that I purchase for the company I work for - you have to buy the parts available (made by the manufacturer because of economies of scale and patents). We pay absurb amounts for maintaining the equipment we own because its not like a Dell computer that needs a new keyboard - can't just be replaced on a whim. Parts have to be ordered, made, etc........We save a ton on buying used equipment though
 
Ford dropped the ball on the CVT in terms of dealership training. They use the word "tranny flush" - which is sac-religious in terms of a CVT fluid change...
 
Every manufacturer has their problems (Honda transmissions anyone?), and Ford did a good job, all things considered with the CVT. It wasn't a major disaster

#220 of 420 Re: CVT fluid change [01taurussel] by sinder

Dec 22, 2009 (6:56 pm)

Replying to: 01taurussel (Dec 22, 2009 6:33 pm)
Ford did a GOOD job, all things considered ? Then why don't you go ahead and pony up the $5600 to have mine replaced whilst I search for a ride to work everyday, waiting on the parts to come in.
 
Let's just say it wasn't a disaster for YOU ! But it is for ME !
 
Would you have considered HONDA to have "done a good job, all things considered" if they did NOT replace your wife's transmission and you got on the net and found all kinds of people having the same troubles?
 
Not likely!
 
The designers/engineers seem to design NOT for the road or for a repair., but SIMPLY for the assembly line.
 
Why suggest buying a Porshe or Jag.....Apparrently, I cannot even own a FORD !
 
Oh, and thanks for educating me on the cost differential between a computer keyboard and a FORD CVT transmission.
 
Yes, I'm a little upset.

#221 of 420 Re: CVT fluid change [sinder] by coldcranker

Dec 23, 2009 (10:31 am)

Replying to: sinder (Dec 22, 2009 6:56 pm)
sinder, The main point is that you would have had a greater chance of transmission failure if you had bought a vehicle with a normal, non-CVT automatic transmission. This is based on surveys done every year to thousands of Freestyle owners, showing the CVT is more reliable than regular automatics. See Consumer Reports at the library. I think they come out with the auto reliability ratings every April.
 
Still, it may be possible to get a class action lawsuit going if enough Freestyle/500 owners banded together. A lawyer would know for sure, but it may be difficult to convince a judge to go forward with the lawsuit and/or win it, if the fact that the CVT fails less often than regular automatics is brought up.

#222 of 420 Re: CVT fluid change [coldcranker] by sinder

Dec 23, 2009 (11:06 am)

Replying to: coldcranker (Dec 23, 2009 10:31 am)
Well, coldcranker....It's NOT just the Freestyle that these CVT's are in.
 
 My research (and I am early into it because I will NOT let this be swept under the rug) shows these transmissions of forms of (ie TVi) in the Nissan Rogue, Sentra, Ultima, Maxima......
 
All kinds of problems here as well as with the Audi, Ford 500 Mercury Montego, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Uno, Subuaru Kei.....
 
So it will not just be Freestyle owners that I will be talking to. It will be as many people as I can find that have had problems with CVT transmissions.
 
The "normal" transmissions can generally be fixed/rebuilt etc. CVT's cannot. The parts (at outrageous prices) must come directly from FORD who then has to "special order" them....this goes for rebuilt trannies as well. Some people had to wait weeks and even months.
 
And if you read back through this post, you will find that there are many FORD dealers don't even want to work on them or don't have a clue how to fix them, thereby forcing us to buy a new or used one.
 
It's a faily simple concept......FORD owns your butt if your CVT fails and they don't much care what it cost US to repair it because they KNOW the money is coming back to them.
 
I still say there is a right and a wrong and people ought to know the difference.
 
Oh...by the way, after contacting the FORD Headquarters directly, they "in a nut shell" said.....Hate it for you....but here's a link to our new line of 2010 Fords.... Are you kidding me???

#223 of 420 Re: CALLING ALL CVT ISSUES... [nutabug] by sinder

Dec 23, 2009 (12:20 pm)

Replying to: nutabug (Dec 02, 2009 4:39 pm)
I'm with you on this one nutabug, she said as her 2006 Freestyle sits in the shop waiting for a rebuilt transmission. (Naturally-NOBODY in the transmission business will touch the one IN the vehicle.
 
Talk about "what if" ? I was almost in what would have been a BRUTAL accident. My Freestyle just stopped moving foward as I was crossing a very busy intersection. Pressed the accelerator to the floor ??? NOTHING !!!! No RPMs, nothing and a Semi truck was headed my way.
 
I turned the car off, quickly turned it back on, put in into drive and then it BOLTS across the street (scary but thankful)
 
Next, the wrench light came on and the engine lighe and I am running in "safe" mode a mile to a dealer. You know the rest...
 
I'm NOT letting this go !!!!!! I have already contacted FORD and they have pretty much dismissed me because my warranty ran out at 60k and I have 67k on mine.
 
Well, hate it for THEM, that's NOT a good enough answer. I am working hard to collect data and will push this as far and as hard as I can!

#224 of 420 Update CVT transmission by sinder

Dec 23, 2009 (1:08 pm)

Just called Hub City FORD in Crestview, FL and asked them (Brent) if I had any recourse regarding this issue. Brent reminded me that he did offer an extended warrantly and I declined it and that there is NOTHING else he will do about it. This is true. The car had 39k miles BUT the warrantly was still good until 60K.
 
I told him I knew I didn't buy the ext. warranty but he touted the CVT as being the be-all and end all of transmissions. He was right about one thing.....It's the end all of transmissions.
 
He said there is nothing he will do for me and hung up on me. Sheesh, you'd think he'd at least offer to take a look at the thing. There you have it ladies and gentleman, that's an example of Hub-city Fords customer service. Pretty sad to say the least.
 
Let's not leave out Mike, the Supv. of Maintenance. Thank goodness for him because it was HE that educated me that the reason there are repair shops all over the United States is because cars fail. Whew...a genius right there !

#225 of 420 Re: CVT fluid change [sinder] by coldcranker

Dec 28, 2009 (11:21 pm)

Replying to: sinder (Dec 23, 2009 11:06 am)
Lets make clear that all CVTs out there are not the same design and brand.
 
German ZF: Audi, MiniCooper, Freestyle/500
Japanese Jatco: Nissan, Chrysler
American GM: Saturn
Others: Mitsubishi, Fuji Heavy (Subaru), etc.
 
Of all those, the only CVT design that really has durability problems at a high enough frequency of failure is the GM one specifically. The MiniCooper flavor of the ZF did have some problems, but that was in some early versions only.
 
The main point here: Don't lump all CVT trannies into the same category. The GM ones are the only ones that stand out as a failure in execution. The design principles are sound, as Nissan has bet heavily on the durability, using the Jatco brand units in many of their vehicles, and Nissan knows what they are doing.

#226 of 420 Re: CVT fluid change [coldcranker] by bobw3

Dec 29, 2009 (5:40 am)

Replying to: coldcranker (Dec 28, 2009 11:21 pm)
I agree. I think cost is the biggest factor that's preventing manufacturers from using CVTs, not reliability.

#227 of 420 Tranny dumped x4 by usmc_av8r

Dec 29, 2009 (12:24 pm)

My brothers '05 Freestyle tranny dumped out on him & his family the day after Christmas in VA. It's the fourth time since he bought it in '05, all for the same reason except this time he's 2k over on his 75k extended warranty. Local Ford dealership, the place he bought it & had it fixed the three other times, are asking 6k for a new tranny or 2k for a rebuilt.
 
Sucks for him. He's on vacation from NC and has to be back at work on Jan 5th. He's going to shitcan the POS and go "Japanese" ...I don't blame him.

Messages Page 23 of 43

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