Phil B. Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I'm thinking about buying a new 2011 Fusion. But I'm leery about doing so because of the horror stories that I've been reading about on this forum regarding problems that folks are having with the 6F35 automatic transmission (in the Fusion). I don't want to spend good money on a new car that has a transmission whose long-term reliability is in question. I've been burned before with other problems on Ford vehicles that I have owned in the past, specifically the 3.8L V-6 engine head gasket problem on the old Taurus/Sable. From personal experience... that was a bad one! I did read that Ford has taken steps to fix the transmission "flare" as they call it, (I call it slippage) problem during the 2-3 and 3-4 upshifts. But I also read that some folks are still having a problem with hard shifting after Ford tweaked thier transmissions. So this leads me to question if the problem has been fixed. So, what I'd like to know is: Has Ford fixed the slippage and hard shifting problems with the 6F35 auto. transmission, or should I wait until there is evidence that a good permanent solution is in place before I buy a new car? Phil B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aneekr Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) While updates since 2009 have improved the 6F35's performance characteristics, automatic transmissions from other manufacturers are still smoother and/or more responsive. I too am leery about the long-term durability of any FWD automatic designed by Ford. If you like the 2011 Fusion otherwise, I'd recommend getting one with the 6-speed manual transmission (made by Mazda) or a SPORT model with an Aisin AW 6-speed automatic. Edited February 24, 2011 by aneekr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCM1 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 My parents bought one of the first 2011 Fusions with the Select-shift transmission (3.0L SEL) and so far it has shifted flawlessly. I have driven it a couple of times and it shifts very smoothly with no hard shifts or slipping. I have also manually shifted it a few times and it also worked flawlessly. This would have been after all the updates for the software and valve body. Posts I've seen deal with 2010 models. I would suggest you test drive at least a couple different 2011 Fusions and see what you think. Ford definitely has had its screw-ups, such as the head gasket problem you mentioned along with other V6 problems early on, and the previous generation diesel pickup engine (which to be fair was Navistar). But problems are not unique to Ford, such as GM's plastic intake manifolds on the V6 engines that leak water after a few years, "normal" piston slap in 2000/01 models, and timing chain noise in 1980's 4-cylinders, or Chrylsler's legendary burning oil past the valve guide problems along with transmission failures. I sincerely believe Ford has some of the best engines in cars and trucks right now, and believe with the image of quality and reliability they are working hard to gain will not let a problem like the transmission continue on in production. As far as Ford reliability on FWD platforms, I too have heard of issues in the past. But have heard more problems with GM and Chrysler products. Even the Japanese brands have problems, including Mazda and Toyota. Have not heard of many issues with Fords lately other than the 2010 Fusion. Our family has owned a couple other FWD Fords, including a 1990 Mercury Topaz with 225,000 miles and a 1995 Mercury Mystique with over 100,000 miles, and neither car has had transmission or engine problems. A friend at work has a Ford 500 with the CVT transmission, and since he is a salesman, it gets lots of miles. He also has not had any powertrain problems. We have had several rear wheel drive Ford vehicles with no transmission problems, other than a leaking front seal in a 1985 pickup (which gets the heck pulled out of it) and a 1969 Fairlane that had a band break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedman3637 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Hi Phil B, I leased a 2011 fusion sel brand new in Feb. I'm already having transmission problems. I almost got killed pulling out of my development the other day. If I were you I wouldn't buy it until they put a different transmission in the car. The current transmission is a known dog, I think its not a question of if your going to have problems, its when. Of course the dealer hasn't heard of any problems, and when I brought the vehicle in all codes were normal, the service adviser said I would have the to take the tech for a ride and have him experience the problem.The scary part is that the Fusion is regarded as one of their better products. Please do some research before considering a fusion. I've had Ford's my whole life, and most likely this will be my last. I'm sorry I didn't get a nissan Altima, do some research and you'll see that they have very few problems compared to the fusion. Please do some research before considering a fusion, and consider that these cars will be worth nothing in a few years when these issues come out. There is already a lawfirm researching these widespread problems with these cars, look on the automobile forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerdude20 Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Hi Phil B, I leased a 2011 fusion sel brand new in Feb. I'm already having transmission problems. I almost got killed pulling out of my development the other day. If I were you I wouldn't buy it until they put a different transmission in the car. The current transmission is a known dog, I think its not a question of if your going to have problems, its when. Of course the dealer hasn't heard of any problems, and when I brought the vehicle in all codes were normal, the service adviser said I would have the to take the tech for a ride and have him experience the problem.The scary part is that the Fusion is regarded as one of their better products. Please do some research before considering a fusion. I've had Ford's my whole life, and most likely this will be my last. I'm sorry I didn't get a nissan Altima, do some research and you'll see that they have very few problems compared to the fusion. Please do some research before considering a fusion, and consider that these cars will be worth nothing in a few years when these issues come out. There is already a lawfirm researching these widespread problems with these cars, look on the automobile forums. sorry to hear about your issues. but bs on them being worthless when the issues come out. ever heard of a honda accord? 6th,7th, & 8th gen accords have huge issues with tranny failure. in the v6 its almost a guarantee it will fail about 100k miles. hell i have a 4cyl with the same transmission and mine is slipping badly. to the OP, if you like the fusion get it. honestly every car brand has transmission issues. the people experiencing issues are the most vocal. look up accord, camry, sonata, or altima and you will see people with transmission and engine issues. its a risk you take with a car, new or used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedman3637 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 sorry to hear about your issues. but bs on them being worthless when the issues come out. ever heard of a honda accord? 6th,7th, & 8th gen accords have huge issues with tranny failure. in the v6 its almost a guarantee it will fail about 100k miles. hell i have a 4cyl with the same transmission and mine is slipping badly. to the OP, if you like the fusion get it. honestly every car brand has transmission issues. the people experiencing issues are the most vocal. look up accord, camry, sonata, or altima and you will see people with transmission and engine issues. its a risk you take with a car, new or used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedman3637 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Blazerdude, I agree that alot of cars do have issues, but the issue with the Fusion is a safety hazard. It amazes me that Ford didn't correct the widespread issues with the 6f35r transsmisions, I believe this is the same transmission that is in the Escape. I never had a new car that I'm nervous to pull out into traffic anytime the car sits for a few hours. I have around 1700 miles on the Fusion, and every time I drive the car after sitiing all night the car has the infamous flares, previously the car only did this twice, once almost getting me into a serious accident. The last couple of days the pos transmission shifts erractically when cold. It sucks having a new vehicle that has to be brought in for service and there doesn't seem to be a fix. I left my car overnight at Wayne Akers Ford in Lake Worth florida, and they said the car didn't act up and the car didn't have any codes. Thats what makes this problem so dangerous, the more I research this widespread problem, most people have the same problems even after getting a new or rebuilt transsmision., or a reflash. I challenge anyone to find a new car with a worse transsmision than the Fusion. The Hyundai Accent that I used overnight when my Fusion was in service had a way smoother and better operating transmission, as well as a much smoother idle, otherwise that car was a pos. Its a shame that Ford is on the road to hurting their current reputation by selling vehicles that are defective, and when all these issues with these garbage transmissions are fully realized, I'm sure these cars will have the infamous Ford resale value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom D Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 My wife has a 2005 Mustang and we had similuar transmission problems I took it to every dealer in Columbia and they all said there was no problem. After 2 yeard it cured it self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Some percentage of Fusions use the Aisin-Warner 6F35 transmission. These is a completely different transmission than the Ford 6F35. Sorry I don't know which engine/trim combinations are Ford versus Aisin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Some percentage of Fusions use the Aisin-Warner 6F35 transmission. These is a completely different transmission than the Ford 6F35. Sorry I don't know which engine/trim combinations are Ford versus Aisin. I don't think the Aisin tranny is called 6F35 - only the Ford/GM joint venture tranny. All I4 and 3.0L V6 Fusions use the 6F35. The 3.5L Fusion and MKZ still use the Aisin tranny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I don't think the Aisin tranny is called 6F35 - only the Ford/GM joint venture tranny. Internal to Ford it is called A6F35 or AW6F35. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06mariner Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 I'm thinking about buying a new 2011 Fusion. But I'm leery about doing so because of the horror stories that I've been reading about on this forum regarding problems that folks are having with the 6F35 automatic transmission (in the Fusion). I don't want to spend good money on a new car that has a transmission whose long-term reliability is in question. I've been burned before with other problems on Ford vehicles that I have owned in the past, specifically the 3.8L V-6 engine head gasket problem on the old Taurus/Sable. From personal experience... that was a bad one! I did read that Ford has taken steps to fix the transmission "flare" as they call it, (I call it slippage) problem during the 2-3 and 3-4 upshifts. But I also read that some folks are still having a problem with hard shifting after Ford tweaked thier transmissions. So this leads me to question if the problem has been fixed. So, what I'd like to know is: Has Ford fixed the slippage and hard shifting problems with the 6F35 auto. transmission, or should I wait until there is evidence that a good permanent solution is in place before I buy a new car? Phil B. Phil ~ Here is how I look at it. You obviously like the Fusion, enough so that you are considering buying it. You are aware of the 'flare' issue on the 6F35 tranny. My guess is that even though Ford has tried to fix the issue it still exists and Fords attempts up until this point have failed. Now I am buying a Fusion/MKZ in July (or so that is my plan) and want to avoid this issue as well. This is what i'm doing: (and depending on how much you want/can spend this may not work for you but) ....AVOID the 2.5 and 3.0 and get a Sport with the 3.5 and totally different tranny. My dad has a 2010 MKZ and has not had a single hiccup so far. With all the rebates they have on the Z's now, so long as you don't need all the "stuff", you can get a MKZ for just a couple more bucks than a SPORT, at least here where I live. For me, the Fusion SPORT appeals to me more because i'm 23, but if I get a better lease deal with the Z then i'll have no problem taking it (so long as it's Red Candy ) Good luck with your decision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedman3637 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Phil, I posted before I have a 2011 fusion sel 4cyl with the awful 635f transmsiion. My father rented a 2010 Fusion in Colorado for the Summer, the first was was recalled, I don't know what for. They replaced it with a new Fusion, after speaking with him he said both of the cars had the infamous transmission flares. This information only makes me more upset that Ford could sell these cars with these dangerous and garbage transmissions. Do yourself a favor and buy a vehicle with a proven track record and not media hype about how good their quality and reliability are. Also think of your resale value, these cars already have awful resale despite what their bs commercials say, and their only going to get worse when the inevitible widespread recall come for these vehicles. Tis will definitely be my last Ford vehicle, I traded in a 2008 Edge (awful transmission, not as bad and dangerous as the Fusion, also horrible airconditioner, before that 2000 Taurus Se ( dangerous visibilty problem anytime it rained), 1992 Mustang Gt conv my favorite one despite main seal leak after 100,000 miles. It seems that when you buy a Ford vehicle you have to settle for a vehicle with some serious issues as well as awful resale value across the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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