Need advice: Transmission issues on 2020 Ford Explorer, P0772 code

[planant]

Hi everyone,
I own a 2020 Ford Explorer with about 59k miles on it. Recently, I’ve been experiencing several issues with the transmission, and I’m hoping to get some advice from those who may have dealt with similar problems.

What happened:

1. I noticed difficulty shifting between 1st and 2nd gear, with some rough or delayed shifts.
2. Recently, the car became completely undrivable. I was driving at about 70 km/h (45 mph), but when I slowed down, there were loud clunking sounds when the transmission tried to shift.
3. When I came to a stop, the transmission no longer engaged properly, and the car wouldn’t move. I could only move forward a little before it stopped entirely, and reverse doesn’t work at all.
4. The check engine light came on, and it threw the P0772 code (solenoid E stuck on).

Additional Context:

• My powertrain warranty expired just 3 months ago, which makes this situation even more frustrating
• I took the car to my local Ford dealership, and they told me the transmission is completely shot and needs to be replaced. The cost is estimated at around $4k
• Another shop mentioned it might only be a problem with the valve body or solenoids and suggested inspecting it further.

Questions:

1. Has anyone else experienced similar issues with their Ford Explorer or other vehicles with this transmission?
2. Do you think it’s worth towing the car to a transmission rebuild shop for a second opinion?
3. Is it common for the P0772 code to indicate a complete transmission failure, or could it be something less severe like a solenoid or valve body issue?
4. Are there any known recalls, technical service bulletins (TSBs), or common problems with the transmission on the 2020 Explorer?

Any advice, personal experiences, or suggestions are greatly appreciated. I want to make sure I’m not replacing the entire transmission unnecessarily if it could be something more manageable.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Cdubya]

I would call Ford customer service and beg for some good will. Ford has had issues with 10R60s and 10R80s. Maybe they will help defray the cost or even comp you.

 

[planant]

I would call Ford customer service and beg for some good will. Ford has had issues with 10R60s and 10R80s. Maybe they will help defray the cost or even comp you.

Thanks for the suggestion! I already called Ford, but they said I’m out of luck and would have to pay the full cost. I’m waiting for a supervisor to call me back—fingers crossed they reconsider.

 

[rcallais]

I also have a 2020 with right under 56,000 miles. I have a ford ESP which covered these repairs.... Transmission trouble started the last few months. Started with occasionally hard up and down shifts between 1st & 2nd. Progressively got worse. Right before new years driving one day wrench light came on and it started shifting very erratically, such a hard shift that we thought someone had rear ended us for a bit. The car went into low power mode and limped all the way to a dealership where we left it. Got message on the Ford app saying Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced power. The dealership said it had 4 codes. P0218(trans fluid incorrect temp), P0771(shift solenoid "E" Performance stuck off), P1783(trans over temp), P2704(I haven't found a description of this code). The dealership tried reprograming first then when that didn't work, changed the valve body and the filter. Got the car back and drove maybe a hundred miles or so and noticed hard shifts in drive and reverse. Reverse seemed to slightly roll forward before engaging. Still a few rough shifts between 1st & 2nd. Then driving with cruise control on it wouldn't shift into higher gears. I switched to manual mode and still no upper gears. Wrench and engine lights came on. It has been back at the dealership since Friday but no word yet. So my code with the same solenoid "E" is stuck opposite of yours and my car was still drivable and the valve body replacement did not do the job. I will try to keep updated here. I haven't gotten any information yet as to what codes it is showing now. Got messages on the ford app saying Powertrain Malfunction/ reduced power again and another 2 messages saying service engine soon the powertrain control system has detected on of the transmission clutches did not apply within the expected time as expected and transmission shift solenoids is not responding as expected or is stuck in the on position.
Sorry for the long reply and not really any answers for you.
If you're not a member yet, there are a few Explorer ST pages on Facebook. I have seen people say on there they got better built aftermarket transmissions for less than the ford stock transmission as replacements.

 

[BrooseDaMoose]

P2704(I haven't found a description of this code).

The P2704 OBD code is the Transmission Friction Element "E" Apply Time Range/Performance.

I have seen people say on there they got better built aftermarket transmissions for less than the ford stock transmission as replacements.

A built transmission will run about $7-10K and then there is the labor of pulling and installing. If you have another vehicle and can let your ST sit for a while you can ship your own transmission in to be rebuilt. RSA will do it for $3,700. Level10 is a bit more but I think they do a bit more, not sure though. I was faced with this about a year ago when my transmission failed right after having it serviced. They were not going to cover it at first so I looked into some other solutions. They ended up covering it under warranty though so I never pursued having it rebuilt.

 

[planant]

Thanks guys !

Today I just had my car towed to a specialized transmission rebuild shop. Luckily, we have a reputable one in town. They sent me a photo of the oil pan, and it’s full of metal debris, confirming that the transmission is heavily damaged. They explained that, in this case, it’s normal for the solenoids to throw those kinds of codes.

Ford had also reprogrammed my transmission yesterday, but it didn’t change anything—it still gave me the same error code on FordPass. Interestingly, FordPass hadn’t worked for at least six months, even after multiple battery resets and updates, but when the issue happened, FordPass suddenly started working again, which was surprising.

The shop gave me an estimate. It’s not cheap, but it’s reasonable. A rebuilt transmission costs around $3,500, including installation, while a brand-new one costs about $4,000 including installation. Do you think a rebuilt transmission might end up being better quality than the original one, considering the known issues with these transmissions? Would going with a rebuild be the better option in this case?

 

[bluesnake01]

I would just go with a new transmission in this case.

A rebuild transmission will only be as good as the shop is, do you trust them? Have they done any 1080R60?

 

[planant]

I would just go with a new transmission in this case.

A rebuild transmission will only be as good as the shop is, do you trust them? Have they done any 1080R60?

Huuuum.
They told me they’ve worked on 10R60 transmissions before, and the shop has a really strong reputation. A friend of mine even drove 600 miles to have his transmission rebuilt there (68 RFE on a RAM 2500 Diesel Cummin)
Just curious, would the components typically replaced or remachined during a rebuild generally have better quality or durability compared to Ford’s OEM parts? Or are they usually about the same?

 

[Cruising68]

I’d rather have a knowledgeable shop rebuild mine.

Had a customer of my former business did the remans for a big 3 automaker. While they had a great process for high volume, they were far from one guy building your transmission. I’d rather have one guy doing it versus 30 guys doing their step.


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[BrooseDaMoose]

Huuuum.
They told me they’ve worked on 10R60 transmissions before, and the shop has a really strong reputation. A friend of mine even drove 600 miles to have his transmission rebuilt there (68 RFE on a RAM 2500 Diesel Cummin)
Just curious, would the components typically replaced or remachined during a rebuild generally have better quality or durability compared to Ford’s OEM parts? Or are they usually about the same?

It all depends on the quality of the parts they use and their experience with these transmissions. If you have them use a Suncoast rebuild kit and they know what they’re doing, I would say it’s going to be better. If they use OEM parts it’s going to be the same. In that case I would just go with a new one.


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[DaHuntah]

I would just go with a new one.