It's a shared transmission with GM. Wonder if the GM versions have the same issues or if it is something as simple as a poor solenoid choice (similar to the Mercedes 5spd in the older Jags)
Ford 6F35 Transmission Failure
- Thread starter Whimsey
- Start date
This is the shift relearn procedure, it may be worth a try. As explained in the video, the TCU (Transmission Control Unit) memory has to be cleared with a scan tool at the dealer or an independent garage, it can't be cleared by disconnecting the battery cable and shorting the capacitors.
The two 6F35's in my care are shifting well (so far), but I'm anticipating having to do this procedure sometime in the future.
Would an external ATF cooler help with this issue?
I see many comments about bad shifting and running of the 6F35. I can honestly say that ours always shifted really good. Later in it's life the shift from 2nd to 3rd became slightly more pronounced compared to the other gear shifts, but still perfectly acceptable. When it failed other than the shift into 1st it shifted fine in the other gears, except reverse. Of course as soon as the failure was noted by the rough idle and banging into reverse and weird shifting into first we stopped driving it and took it to the transmission shop. For 99,500 miles it was fine. I wonder what Ford changed in 2016 to cause the TC failures? Too bad it was well cared for.
I missed an 18k mile tranny on ebay back in 2019 for a 2014 ford fusion, it was only 200 bucks. I should have bought it and put it on a shelf for my fusion. The 2.5L mazda / ford venture tractor engine can easily make it 300k.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
This same transmission has been used in pretty much every GM car and FWD based CUV/SUV since ~2006. You do see problems here and there, but you don't hear of widespread failures with them in GMs. Lots of them with 150-200K miles on the forums. IMO, other things tend to take these vehicles out before the transmission does.
I currently have 3 in my fleet between my 2016 Malibu, 2021 Equinox and the 9spd version in my 2021 Traverse. The factory ATF will be disturbingly black in them in ~30K miles, so I believe regular fluid changes do help them. I have posted my experience with ATF changes on mine.
I don't buy into the fear with these units at all.
Manual swap
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
That really is a shame, especially given the amount of fluid changes you did on it. I understand fluid color is only part of the picture, but how did the drained fluid look each time? It would have been interesting to know how the internals looked on the failed unit, as in was it a mechanical failure with metal bits everywhere, or was it an electronic component that failed and may have eventually lead to metal bits.
I put a votex magnetic drain plug on one of my 6T40s and my 9T65E. It probably does more to satisfy my curiosity than doing anything beneficial for the transmission.
I guess at the end of the day, the $5K you had to put into it is painful, but that's not bad all-in for a transmission R/R these days unfortunately.
We have this transmission paired with the 2.3L ecoboost in our 2015 Lincoln mkc. We’re getting close to 110,000 miles and it seems to be holding up fine. I’ve done a few drain and refills on the tranny using the Pennzoil Mercon LV. Generally still shifts smoothly, but there is one gear that seems to shift more firmly… I saw that a prior poster mentioned problems for years 2016 on, so maybe I just got lucky…
I wonder if those would shift better/last longer with ULV fluid, but I'm just brainstorming out loud. FWIW my wife had a '12 Equinox FWD six speed and it was decent. No issues.
No 6.2 Superduty? My supervisor at the DOT said he believed the 6.2 Superduties were probably the most reliable government truck he’d seen in his 20 years as a fleet mechanic/manager.
Of course that’s dealing with XL package trucks so no sync or fancy electronics to even have an issue.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
My friend owns a fleet shop. Has nothing bad to say about the Ford 6.2 except that the labor is too high for changing spark plugs lol. Has worked on several with >500k mi and now has 2 at over 700k mi. The valve springs will occasionally fail on high mileage units as well as the intake manifold. He’s only had one engine failure & it was user error. Valve spring failed while towing & guy never took his foot out of it until the valve dropped into the cylinder & opened a new viewport into the block
. He’s also not a fan of newer electronics in vehicles.
Get on priuschat.com and post that you are looking at a 2010 to buy and everyone will tell you the head gasket/ brake actuator/ battery is a ticking time bomb about to blow up your budget!
It's odd. Every other car forum, even unreliable stuff like Rx-7s, will say "well if you maintain it right, they aren't too bad", but the Prius forum is full of angst, even though it's statistically one of the most reliable vehicles of all time.
