Replaced Cracked Torque Converter & Defective PTU

[edge1217]

A few weeks ago I brought my 2013 Edge LTD AWD with 48,000 miles into the dealer to check what seemed to be a small but persistent leak coming from the transmission area. They diagnosed it as a PTU that was throwing fluid out the upper valve, so they replaced the PTU under my Extended Service Plan. As soon as I got it home, I noticed it was still dripping, but this time instead of the heavy, black sludge that it was leaking before, now it seemed to be much lighter in viscosity and more reddish colored, more like transmission fluid. I brought it back and they assured me the drips were just "residual transmission fluid" (from the original PTU failure) that was still dripping off the lower transmission mount. They cleaned the mount and test drove the car and assured me it wasn't leaking, but they advised me to give it a few days in case they missed some remaining fluid when they cleaned it. Two weeks later, it was still dripping, but now at a worse rate than before, and worse after highway driving. No way was it residual oil from the original PTU failure.

 

I brought it back for a 3rd time and sure enough, today they confirmed it wasn't residual oil. Now they say it was a crack in the torque converter housing (P/N AA5Z*7005*A). They replaced the converter housing and re-sealed the transmission case halves, and replaced a few small one-off tranny parts (cup, seal, bearing, funnel, pins, nuts, bolts). They assured me all was good, but once again they warned me that some "residual fluid" may continue to drip from the trans mount for another week or two.

 

I drove the car home, and looked underneath an hour later. There was a huge 3' long puddle about a foot behind the spot of the original leak, about dead center on the vehicle (or maybe very slightly toward the driver's side of dead center). It was colorless and odorless, so I'm assuming it is just A/C condensate. It just seemed like a lot of water and in a spot that I never really associated with the A/C condensate (somehow I thought it came out more toward the passenger side, and a bit more forward). The undercarriage seemed pretty wet too. I took a short drive with the A/C off and got a few more additional drips, but not the same quantity as before, so I'm cautiously optimistic it's just condensate.

 

So I have three questions....

 

1. How common is it for a torque converter housing to crack? This and the PTU were a "same-event" repair. Should this kind of problem make me consider ditching the car before the tranny/PTU goes again (and possibly after my ESP plan expires)?

 

2. The type of fluid that was leaking initially seemed very different from the stuff that was leaking immediately after the PTU replacement. Is it possible that the dealer messed something up when they installed the PTU, and caused a leak in the tranny?

 

3. Can someone please confirm the normal location for the A/C condensate to drip? Is it dead-center (or slightly driver's side of dead center), and just behind the front wheel wells?

 

Many thanks. I still really love my Edge, but I lost faith in this dealer's service department and I'm beginning to question if this car's power train can go the distance. It only has 48k miles and I've taken meticulous care of it and have been very diligent about bringing it back to Ford for all maintenance. Suddenly I find myself questioning its reliability.