Hey guys,
I have a 2009 Ford Escape Xlt with a duratec v6 3.0 with 176k miles on it and the transmission died. There are a few options I was quoted for possible replacement. These prices include a 1 year parts and labor warranty
92k miles, $1,385+$1,100 labor+ tax and fluid
Or
126k miles, $1,100+$1,100 labor + tax and fluid
My question is do you guys think it is worth it (will the engine last for much longer) and if so which one is the better deal.
Thank you
The car is 12 years old. I wouldn’t put that kind of money into it.
If your maintenance history is good I would consider it. I would have the car checked to see if everything is solid to help make my decision.
Why did the transmission died?
This is really a no-brainer. Go with the 92,000 mile transmission, or buy a different vehicle. It simply does not make sense to pay 88% of the cost of the proposed repair with a low-mileage transmission to receive a transmission with 37% more miles. Put differently, the cost delta of $285 or 12% is too small to justify trying to save the money.
More importantly, this is a vehicle which is known for the transmission going out at around 150,000-160,000 miles. A 92,000 mile transmission still has enough expected life remaining to justify the cost of the repair. A 126,000 mile transmission does not have enough expected life remaining to justify the cost of the repair–especially when a far superior option exists for not much more money.
Isn’t this the vehicle you were given that your father does not think spending money on it is a wise move.
He said ask the people on here first, not that he thinks it’s a bad idea.
Both of our main concerns are that some other element will fail but as far as I know the engine drove smoothly and I had regular oil changes on it, but you never know.
I wanted to know if anyone had experience with the duratec 3.0 v6 from this era and if they think it’ll last me for a while longer after this.
With the vehicle market right now I think I will go with the repair, and yea I said the same thing to my dad about the 92 vs 126.
What about the engine though, do you think it will last a while longer if it has been properly maintained. I don’t really know how long these engines are reliable for.
I was told a while ago that it was on its way out and i no longer get forward movement, only reverse.
Let’s not forget that most of the “well-maintained” cars with which people have problems almost always turn out to be…
not so well-maintained.
Therein lies the question of whether it has actually been properly maintained.
For instance, over the past 3 years, how many times has the oil been changed, in terms of both odometer mileage and elapsed time?
Also…
Is this vehicle used for mostly short-trip, local driving?
Has the engine ever been run low on oil?
Has the engine ever overheated?
Changed every ~5k miles or less, not sure on the elapsed time but I’ve changed it probably twice since September of 2020.
Never has overheated.
Used for mostly around town with an occasional 2-3 hour trips. Tranny died on the way back from Massachusetts going highway speeds.
There is a minor oil leak which requires the transmission to be removed to fix which I would have done as well. But the engine has never been low I make sure to check on it every now and then.
If this is a dual-clutch version of an automatic transmission, I would be hesitant to put another of the same transmission back in. Is there an option to install a different type of transmission?
Would a different transmission be able to communicate with the ECM?
I’m not sure. It’s the stock one that comes with the escape. The last one lasted me 176k miles so I don’t see what’s so bad with it?
It is a conventional 6 speed automatic transmission used in many Ford vehicles.
What condition is the body in . . . ?!
Some Ford dual-clutch automatics experienced some problems. You can use the forum search feature to read what posters here have said, link upper right this page. Nevada above explains your transmission isn’t of this type, so the dual-clutch problems are not applicable in your case.
fyi, The dual clutch design links a conventional manual transmission gear-set with an automatic clutch. The driver doesn’t have to press any pedals, or push any lever to shift gears. The idea I suppose is that manual transmissions are pretty bullet-proof, so if you could get that along with not having to worry about shifting gears, that would be a winner. Good idea, but by the posts we get here, reliability seems to have been a problem.
It’s an Escape. I doubt that Ford would put an expensive transmission like a dual clutch in a relatively inexpensive SUV.
My vote is to fix it assuming the engine has no weird noises and does not consume much motor oil.
Granted, the trans lasted 176k miles BUT, if it had been serviced every 30 to 40k miles odds are it would still be going strong.
That statement is based on the fact that the majority of engines and transmissions are neglected; ignoring claims otherwise.
A suggestion I might make is to check the motor oil level more frequently than “now and then”. Some engines may not use any noticeable amount of oil but at some point they may start and this can come on fairly quickly.
Congrats for actually checking it. With most they may as well just weld the hood shut.