A Ford Edge owner was facing a repair bill that could make anyone question whether their car was worth keeping. But the price wasn’t her only concern. She also wondered what the mechanic wanted to replace.
When her 2016 Ford Edge Titanium started rattling while idling, the owner took it to a mechanic. Using a small camera, the shop found a cracked flex plate, which connects the engine to the transmission. With 121,000 miles on the SUV, the mechanics recommended replacing the entire transmission rather than just repairing the damaged part.
The owner and her husband couldn’t agree on what to do. He thought accepting the repair shop’s suggestion made more sense than buying another car. She wasn’t so sure, especially after spending about $2,500 on repairs over the past year.
With another expensive bill hanging over her head, she turned to Reddit on October 23 for advice.
Quite the Difference
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She wanted to know whether fixing the Edge was worth it or if it was finally time to find another vehicle, since replacing the entire transmission would cost an estimated $8,800.
Reddit commenters encouraged the owner to ask about replacing only the flex plate. According to her, the original shop initially refused to provide a price for that repair. She kept asking until it finally gave her an estimate.
The original shop eventually quoted $5,100 for the flex-plate repair. Another shop came back with a much lower price: $1,600. Compared with the original $8,800 transmission quote, that was a $7,200 difference.
The difference was enough to sway her.
“We’re moving forward with the second shop,” she wrote in an update.
Just Missed It
Replacing a cracked flex plate instead of the entire transmission wasn’t a new idea. Ford had already created a repair program for certain Edge models with that problem.
In 2022, the company introduced Customer Satisfaction Program 22N12. The program applied to certain 2015–2018 Ford Edge vehicles equipped with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine and 6F35 transmission.
Ford warned that a cracked flex plate could cause rattling, shaking, trouble starting, or even a loss of power. Its repair instructions called for replacing the broken part, the transmission fluid pump, and the torque converter.
That doesn’t mean the work is cheap, though. Mechanics have to remove the transmission to reach the flex plate, which takes time. Ford allowed 9.3 hours of labor for front-wheel-drive models and 10.5 hours for all-wheel-drive versions.
The program also came with a mileage limit. Eligible owners could receive full coverage up to 100,000 miles and half coverage up to 120,000 miles, as long as the vehicle was within the 10-year limit.
The owner’s Edge was already 1,000 miles past that limit, and it’s also unclear whether her SUV had the required engine and transmission to qualify. A commenter suggested asking Ford for an exception, but she didn’t say whether she contacted the company.
Another Headache
Even the cheaper repair wouldn’t address every problem with the Edge. The owner said the steering sometimes became difficult when turning sharply, while several dashboard warning lights briefly came on. She hadn’t told the mechanic about those symptoms, so the cause was still unknown.
Another 2016 Edge owner offered some hope. That driver said a Ford dealer had repaired a cracked flex plate and related parts for $3,700 on an SUV with about 200,000 miles. The dealer hadn’t recommended replacing the transmission.
Despite the repair bills, the owner still wanted to keep her Edge. Having no car payment was a big reason why.
Her patience with Ford was another matter. When a commenter criticized the brand’s reliability, she agreed.
“Yes, this is the first and last Ford I’ll ever get!”