I was going down the highway a handfull of hours ago in my 2001 Ford Taurus, no ominous rattlings or threatening console lights to be seen, when unexpectedly I felt the engine lose all purchase on the wheels and my vehicle began to coast. Coast I did, onto a bit of asphalt spanning the medium, where a friendly stranger helped me to move the vehicle across the lanes and onto the shoulder.
The two fuses which, according to the manual, relate to the transmission’s electronics appear intact, and the park position works normally, while all other positions result in the vehicle rolling freely like Neutral. After allowing the vehicle to sit for some time, it did not reengage. According to a mechanic who I managed to snare from a nearby gas station, the fluid level is normal.
About a year ago, the transmission leaked until it stopped working, and I added some seal-swelling fluid and replaced the missing fluid. Since then, it has stopped leaking completely, as the fluid has not been added to since that time and the mechanic I met claimed it was at normal levels.
Can anyone here make a suggestion as to what the problem might be, and how I can hopefully save some money over getting the transmission itself replaced as a easy but expensive option? I dearly hope to hear that the 2001 Taurus simply has a cable which is prone to falling out.