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Ford Source-verified model

Ford 5R55E

The 5R55E is an automatic gearbox produced by Ford. It is the five-speed automatic transmission, which was widely applied in both two and all-wheel drive cars. This transmission found application in various Ford models (such as Lincoln and Mercury).

Speeds 5
Type AT
Drive RWD
ATF capacity (L) 9
ATF change (L) 3
ATF type Dexron VI

Other and alternative codes of this transmission

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5R55E
5R55 E
5R55-E
verified naming OEM designation source name

Common problems & symptoms

All problems & diagnostics →

Problems and symptoms reported for this transmission, compiled from repair sources. Not a complete list.

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Solenoid Malfunction Gear Control
Solenoids controlling gear shifting and torque converter lock-up may fail; test resistance with ohm meter.
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Transmission Overheating Severe Conditions
5R55E prone to overheating under severe operation; can lead to complete transmission failure if unaddressed.
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Incorrect Gear Ratio Third
DTC P0733 indicates incorrect gear ratio in 3rd gear, suggesting clutch pack or solenoid issues.
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Erratic Gear Shifting Behavior
Faulty solenoids can cause erratic or failed gear shifts across multiple gears in the 5R55E.
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Torque Converter Lockup Failure
Solenoid failure may prevent proper torque converter lock-up engagement, causing slipping or shudder.
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Valve Body Shift Issues
Valve body may require shift kit installation to correct shift quality and pressure regulation problems.
⬡ Support & Market Presence Index
6.8
/10
Well covered
How widely this transmission is used, documented and supported across the Go4Trans graph.
Market presence
5.3
How widely this unit is fitted across vehicle platforms and model years
Documentation depth
8.9
How thoroughly known failure modes are catalogued for this unit
Knowledge & support
7.9
Volume of manuals, TSBs and reference material indexed for this unit

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About this transmission

Transmission general data

The 5R55E is an automatic gearbox produced by Ford. It is the five-speed automatic transmission, which was widely applied in both two and all-wheel drive cars. This transmission found application in various Ford models (such as Lincoln and Mercury).

Regarding the mechanical part, the 5R55E is similar to the 4-speed 4R55E. The 5R55E has the adaptive shift control and directional high energy frictions. It was the 1-st five-speed electronically-controlled gearbox in an American car.

Common issues:

1)Malfunction of solenoids – this transmission employs solenoids to control many of its functions, including the gear shifting process and operation of the torque converter lock-up. The simplest and method of testing solenoids is to use the ohm meter, which measures solenoids resistance.

2)High chance of overheating: like any other automatic gearbox, the 5R55E is subject to overheating, especially if it is exposed to severe operation conditions. Overheating frequently leads to the transmission failure, therefore transmission repair specialists often recommend installing transmission coolers, which help to cool down the transmission.

Vehicle fitment explorer

Confirmed vehicle applications. Every row is drawn from our source-verified fitment database.

Make Model Year Drive Engine
Ford AEROSTAR 97 5 SP R/4WD V6 4.0L
Ford EXPLORER/SPORT TRAC 97-08 5 SP R/4WD V6 4.0L
Ford RANGER 97-11 5 SP R/4WD L4 2.3L V6 3.0L 4.0L
Mazda PICKUP B SERIES 97-10 5 SP R/4WD V6 4.0L
Mercury MOUNTAINEER 98-00 4 SP R/4WD V6 4.0L

Sources & Contribution

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Every claim on this page is backed by a structured source record — including community contributions, each with its own reference.

Type
Title
Author
Link
video
5R55E Teardown
Gary Ferraro
video
5R55E transmission P0733 3rd. Incorrect…
Automatic Transmission
video
5R55E Valve Body Shift Kit Installation…
Benjamin West (Transmission Hard Parts)
video
INSTALLATION PROBLEM - 2000 FORD…
SimplyAutoRepairs
video
INSTALLATION PROBLEM - 2000 FORD…
SimplyAutoRepairs
video
INSTALLATION PROBLEM - 2000 FORD…
SimplyAutoRepairs
manual
atra.com
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manual
payhip.com
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✓ Accepted contributions are credited in the Sources list
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