JibberJab

There is a Chevy Malibu forum that I visited and many posters describe the same kind of issues people are experiencing with the 6F35 (except for the half-shaft seal leak). My wife's Volvo S40 was recently rear-ended very badly and we were so certain it was going to be totalled we went to a Chevy dealer and test drove a new 2012 Malibu. During the test drive we experienced a flared 2nd to 3rd shift - once as we drove out of the dealer parking lot and twice during acceleration from two stop lights. I mentioned this to the salesman and he stated that the reason the transmission wasn't shifting properly was because the car wasn't warmed up yet and he was unaware of any transmission issues whatsoever. After the test drive the car was put right back into inventory.

Yes, according to the specs I read, the 2013 will have the 6F35.

Ugh, I really wasn't expecting this and was hoping for better news. There are a number of YouTubes out there that are mind blowing in comparison to yours, but the problem is clearly unmistakable. I have been researching this topic quite a bit and there are numerous reports of low fluid level, high fluid level, as well as couple of cases where fluid is blowing out of the filler tube. It makes you wonder what is going on at the factory. You would think that the factory would incorporate a fluid delivery system for dispensing precisely metered quantities of transmission fluid to ensure absolute consistency during assembly. This is a process and no one should ever have to make a guess about this sort of thing when producing hundreds of these per day. I've had my share of transmission problems with two VW Passats and unless the car had to be towed, they weren't interested in helping me. I used to tell my wife that the only way my car could ever get repaired was if I walked in the door with the broken part in my hand and actually showed them that it was broken. All I ever got from the dealer was the "no code, no problem" attitude too. Amazing. It's unfortunate but the dealer may be instructed avoid any warranty work without a diagnostic code. I would love to know what they meant by "wait and see." Did the transmission behave the same way after you left the dealer?

I'm curious, what was redesigned for 2012?

Thanks, I appreciate what you have to say and I am still thinking of moving forward with the Fusion. I'm concerned because the last two Passats I purchased had tranny issues. My 2005 Passat with the ZF transmission would always bang into second gear and when bringing the vehicle to a complete stop, it felt like I was being bumped from behind. I brought the car in and the dealer said my transmission was behaving normally. My 2008 Passat with the Aisin transmission developed a harsh shift from first to second and I received a letter from VW stating that they were pleased to inform me of their decision to extend the warranty that covers the valve body in this transmission to 7 years or 100,000 miles. This was based on customer complaints they received. Imagine how pleased I was. This is now two cars in a row with transmission issues, so I have some concerns. I also have to consider the fact that Ford makes tons of these transmissions so maybe the failure rate is extremely low.

Yeah, thanks. I was expecting this. I revised my search criteria and googled "chevy malibu transmission issues" and all those issues that are about as easy to find, as you say, don't amount to all that much in comparison to what I get back on the Ford Fusion.

These posts are disturbing. The 6F35 transmission was a co-engineering project between GM Powertrain and Ford Motor Company, so the GM 6T70 looks very much like the Ford transmission when placed side-by-side and internal components are sourced from the same supplier, yet I am not able to find any issues related to transmission failures on Chevy Malibu and Saturn vehicles. After reading the press release by Ford on the 6F35, you would think this transmission is bulletproof. I watched a YouTube video that was shot at Ford's Van Dyke assembly plant and it shows the valve bodies being meticulously assembled in a clean room environment to ensure that valves won't stick during operation in your vehicle. The 6F35 transmissions were not being built there at the time, but I see no reason why the same manufacturing processes would not apply. I have read many posts by Fusion owners stating their valve bodies needed to be replaced. Based on the video, it would seem to me that the valve body is not a field replaceable part. How is this happening? How many Ford technicians (if any) have the expertise to crack open a transmission and perform this task? I could see a Ford technician replacing an entire transmission, but not mucking with its internals. This is a situation where a brand new unit should be sent from the factory for replacement. The other thing is that we have no idea how many Ford products have been affected; is it 2%, 5%, 10%? Also, I am not finding anything regarding failures on the 2011 model year and if it was fixed for 2011, I cannot find anything that discusses what Ford did to resolve the problem. Did Ford finally figure this out? I would like to buy a 2012 Fusion but this has me wondering whether or not I will regret this.

I am a long time VW and Audi lover but I am done with them. I have had many Passats over the years (all with reliability issues) but the new 2012 Passat has been cheapened to the point where I can no longer consider owning one at any price. My biggest gripe, among others, is the cost cutting that took place in the interior. - The top of the line $32K Passat now only includes an 8-way power seat (6 for seat and 2 for lumbar) but the 2010 model had a 12-way power seat (8 for seat and 4 for lumbar). - Much more use of hard plastics. - Door panels have a cheap feel to them and flex quite a bit when you poke them and incorporate more hard plastics than soft materials. - Leather seating surfaces are not high grade. Very stiff IMO. The quality is so cheap, it is actually a no cost option. - Front seats are not comfortable as they once were mainly due to lack of adjustment, but they have lost their edge in this department. - I just couldn't get comfortable in the new Passat; the seat-backs were too tight and my right knee kept hitting the steering wheel no matter how I adjusted the seat and steering wheel. - Rear passenger compartment is ridiculously large in terms of leg room (way too large). Most midsize sedans accommodate rear passengers well enough. - For such a large car, they could have done better with rear headroom. In short, VW wants you to believe (and they do make this clear) that the new model is better that the previous model. I disagree. You don't even get what you pay for anymore. Now, when I sat in a Fusion SEL in the showroom, I was blown away. Sure, I could find a couple of things to pick on but the overall package is far superior to that of the new Passat. - Front seats are really comfortable and the driving position works for me. - For the most part, high quality plastics thru-out. No door panel flex here, and door panel materials are higher in quality in comparison to the new Passat. - Much, much higher grade leather and stitching. The Passat is clearly a joke in this department. - All switch-gear has a nice tactile feel. The Passat missed the mark on this. - Love the blue ambient lighting. - More that enough rear seat room for me. - One touch up/down on driver and passenger front windows (not all the way around as in all VW products, but will do for me). - The V6 runs on regular gas. The Passat V6 requires premium gas. My only complaints are as follows, but many have to do with the auto industry as a whole as they all seem to do most things the same way: - I really have no use for leather seats. They just don't hold up over the long term (I have been there). Why am I forced to get leather when going to the SEL? I want the SEL, just not the leather. - I don't want a moonroof - it takes away headroom. The dealer I went to had 30 Fusions on the lot and all but three had moonroofs. What's up with that? - The SE gives you an 8-way power seat as opposed to the 10-way on the SEL and I don't think the SE has heated seats or mirrors. - Why does the premium audio system always end up in the top of the line offering? I wish Ford had a way to let you build your car your way thru a special order only program as opposed to sticking you with the option to build your own on the web site. I would even be willing to pay for this. I know I can come fairly close with an SE but I want the Sony sound system, heated seats and mirrors, and the 10-way power seat. The V6 is a must. And no leather! Is it me or is everyone else in love with leather? And, at least you can get a V6 in the SE. The Passat only offers a V6 in their top of the line SEL model. Anyway, I would welcome any additional info such driving impressions, things you like/don't like, fit and finish, resale value, reliability issues, dealer service experience, etc. Also, a number of people reported auto transmission failures for the 2010 MY. Does anyone know what Ford did to resolve this? Thanks