Ford Everest Gearbox & Transmission Problems

Believe it or not, this is perfectly normal behaviour from many modern vehicles with eight, nine or even 10-speed automatic transmissions. It’s even more common with torquey turbo-diesel engines which can jump one or even two gears on a light throttle without affecting performance. Put simply, there are more gears on offer than the vehicle actually needs. Don’t forget, once upon a time, a three-speed transmission was quite common.

So why have nine or ten gears in the first place? Because when the vehicle is heavily loaded or towing three tonnes of caravan, those extra gears come in very handy for keeping the engine in its torque zone and ensuring it can still go up hills at highways speeds and take off from a red light without over-exerting itself. And when cruising on the highway, the vehicle can select a really high gear and lower its engine speed, which reduces fuel consumption markedly.

You were right on the limit of the Everest, close to both the towing limit and the GCM limit, so you needed to be mindful of that when towing and you shouldn't be towing in the overdrive ratios. It sounds as thought the transmission was overheating, which suggests the Everest is borderline for cooling when operating at its supposed limits. Anyone planning to tow in a similar loading situation should consult a towing specialist before they go to make sure they're fully prepared for the trip. Maybe the Everest needs extra transmission cooling. To be fair to the Ford dealers they can't diagnose a problem that isn't presenting itself at the time the car is in their workshop. As a consumer your best option if the carmaker isn't being helpful is to go to the consumer affairs department of your state government.