I have a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport with an automatic transmission and only 82,000 miles. Recently the car has been slipping between second and third. Eventually the O/D light will come on and the car will go into "failsafe" mode. I took it to a dealership and a hundred dollars later they told me I needed a new transmission.
Before this I was having trouble in Overdrive on the highway heading up slight grades. The car would actually "bump" and fail to downshift. I was getting really poor gas mileage and for a time I thought there was a problem with one or more of my oxygen sensors.
If I do need a new transmission would this explain the poor gas mileage? I was getting horrible gas mileage before the O/D light started blinking. Also does anyone know if I'm damaging the car by driving it knowing that it needs a new transmission? How much should I expect to pay for a new transmission? The dealer quoted me three thousand dollars. But I hear Ford dealerships only replace transmissions they don't fix them. If anyone has any advice or insights I would be greatly appreciative.
Bryan Larimer