I'm having gearbox problems in my 2013 Ford Territory

I’m having trouble with the gearbox in my 2013 Ford Territory (six-speed auto 2.7 diesel), but only when the gearbox is warm. When decelerating at any speed the car jerks quite badly but when I speed up it stops. In slow traffic the jerking becomes worse, however if I put into neutral slowing down the jerking stops.

The mechanics can’t find an issue because when they test drive the car is generally cold and works fine. There’s no issue changing gears up or down, it’s only when the gearbox gets hot the problem begins? Any thoughts?

The first thing to do is get your mechanic to drive the vehicle when it’s hot. Arrange a time and then deliver the car at that time with everything up to full operating temperature. Otherwise, the problem isn’t going to show up when it needs to.

While there are lots and lots of things that can cause this sort of behaviour, it does sound like something in the actual powertrain is the problem. That’s because the shuddering goes away when you drop the transmission into neutral and let the vehicle coast to a stop. If the problem was a wheel, a wheel bearing, axle, brake problem or an out-of-balance driveshaft, the problem would continue even though you were coasting.

You may have a problem with something inside the transmission itself, way too much backlash somewhere in the driveline or a problem with the torque converter. Either way, you need to have your mechanic experience the problem or everybody is simply guessing.

Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

Comments

Have a new question for the CarsGuide team?
More than 9,000 questions asked and answered.
Complete guide to Ford Territory 2013
Complete guide to Ford Territory 2013 CarsGuide Logo
Reviews, price, specs and more