Purchased a 2011 CPO Navigator L in December with 12k miles and the front pump seal went out on a trip this weekend.


I noticed smoke behind the car and pulled over only to find the smoke was coming out by the driver door not the tailpipe. I peeked under and transmission fluid was very rapidly dumping out of the tranny/engine seal. It was hitting the exhaust and burning. Had it towed and the five of us and all our luggage were set up in an F150 as a rental. Great truck, poor family beach mobile. When the tech was able to look at it he said the front pump seal, pump, and torque converter needed to be replaced. He also said that the front pump seal was replaced in December by the dealership I purchased the car from, guess right before I took posession. Funny enough I called the original dealership and they have no record of replacing anything with the transmission. Something is sketchy but right now I just want things fixed.

Am I looking at a huge headache if this seal has gone out twice in 20k miles? Perhaps just a fluke?

This is our third Navigator (had an '01 and an '03 prior) and apart from the usual issues (air suspension, sliding running boards, side mirrors)- they have been good to us.

 

I have a '11 Limited EL. I haven't had any tranny problems yet. But I only have 13K on it. I suspect it was an internal problem that was bandaid fixed by the dealership that sold it to you.

My only issue so far is a small leak in the airbag system on the drivers side. After letting it sit for a few days the driverside drops about an inch.

This is one of the risks of buying a relatively new car used. The first owner took the depreciation hit and left the second buyer with this. It sometimes works out and sometimes not.

Most likely once this is fixed, under warrantee, you are probably good to go.

It is a PITA when it happens with all aboard. I hope it didn't ruin the trip.

Johnny

 

Bummer about the trip getting goofed up a bit. At least you got something that would hold your gang and carry your gear. The good news with your problem is that the problem is Lincoln's to fix. Best of luck enjoying vacation and I wouldn't overthink the problem. You've got miles of coverage left and Ford doesn't want to fix it more than once, so hopefully they'll get it this time.

 

Thanks guys,

The trip was an event in and of itself- Gettysburg to Ocean City should be around 4 hours. Getting over the bay bridge took 3 hours by itself then the car broke down a half hour after that- trip was a little over 9 hours total. Then all our luggage and stuff in the bed of a truck with no cover and it had rained on and off all day.

The ride home on Monday was thankfully normal. Now I have to drive back down once it is fixed and swap back vehicles, that is not really something I'm looking forward to.

I would think the labor is most of the cost, I agree Ford probably doesn't want to do it anymore than I would. I was concerned that this is such a heavy vehicle, I live and travel up and down ridges aroudn PA and am wondering if the tranny is getting stressed too much?

 

No, the tranny is not over worked. I live in the Pacific NW and tow a 4500lb boat over the passes. If you are not towing up and down hills, the transmission is just cruising.

Your problem was a fluke IMO.

Sorry about that 9 hour trip. That sucks.

Johnny

 

Good news it's still under warranty. Bad news it's a hassle.

These transmissions are really hardy and can handle a lot of pressure. It's just a fluke that yours did what it did-but, it may be a sign something else is causing the failure. Replacing failed parts on a low mile truck many times doesn't address the root cause. I would push them to figure out what this is. It's on Fords dime.

I would ask the service manager to talk to Ford and have them explain why and how this can happen so frequently. Ask for an engineer to look at the case, as your safety might be compromised if this happens again. Keep us posted.

 

I wouldn't say they are "really hardy and can handle a lot of pressure" they are 1/2 transmissions not a torqueshift jammed into a 1/2 ton. Ford is not going to send an engineer down for one failure. He needs to push for a new case if anything.

That being said I'd bet these failures are due to either a burr on the hosing where the seal sits or the hole needs to be line bored again to get within spec. I really find it hard to believe two seals in a row failed with that low mileage. Anytime I see some hack (read most mechanics especially at a car dealer) working on something they rarely take the time to ensure everything is within spec before re-assembly.

Cliffs:
1. Check the hole for a burr and for alignment.
2. ask for a new case, converter and pump.

 

Just wanted to follow up with this. I was able to get the description on the first tranny problem and it is identical to what happened to me, but only the seal was replaced.

I was able to talk to the tech who worked on my tranny and he said they replaced the torque converter, seal and front pump. All gaskets seals and fluid as well. Does the front pump house the seal? I'm under the impression it does and that is why it was replaced. Two weeks in the shop total and a seven hour round trip to go get it

They also reprogrammed to tranny software because of harsh shifting and having to hunt for gears up and down hills. If this happens again I'm going to insist on a complete new transmission or possible buy back.