MajorCommonTransmission

Ford Courier: Five-speed manual gearbox bearing failure (fifth gear and input shaft)

Five-speed manual gearbox bearing failure (fifth gear and input shaft) is a common transmission fault on the Ford Courier on the 1999–2006 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,400 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 10 documented faults on the Ford Courier.

Vehicle: Ford Courier
Engine: 2.5L
Years: 1999–2006
Fuel: diesel
Gearbox: manual
System: Transmission

This page covers the Ford Courier as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Ford Courier faults10 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Turbocharger yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The five-speed manual behind the 2.5 turbo-diesel Courier and its Mazda Bravo twin is a known weak point once the ute has done serious work, with the fifth-gear and input-shaft bearings the usual casualties. NZ and Australian owners report boxes going noisy or failing outright somewhere past about 150,000 km, and worn boxes commonly jump out of fifth on the overrun. The demand is obvious in the parts trade: NZ and Australian rebuilders stock a dedicated bearing kit for this exact gearbox and sell reconditioned units off the shelf. Left alone, a whining bearing eventually breaks up and puts metal through the box, which turns a bearing kit into a full rebuild or a replacement gearbox. It is easy to miss on a short test drive because the noise only shows up in one or two gears at steady throttle.

What you would notice

Whine or rumble that changes with road speed in fifth gear but goes quiet in neutral
Gearbox jumping out of fifth gear on a trailing throttle downhill
Rumbling with the clutch pedal up and the gearbox in neutral, engine idling
Notchy or baulky change into second and third when cold
Rattle or growl that disappears the moment you press the clutch pedal

How to check it

Where to look. Manual gearbox directly behind the engine, under the centre of the cab floor

Do a long test drive that includes at least ten minutes at open-road speed in fifth gear, because that is the gear that gives itself away. Wind the windows up, turn the stereo off and listen for a whine or rumble that rises and falls with road speed rather than engine speed. Lift off the throttle at about 90 km/h in fifth and see whether the gearbox tries to pop itself out of gear - rest your hand loosely on the gear lever and feel whether it moves. At a standstill with the engine idling and the gearbox in neutral, listen with the clutch pedal up, then press the clutch pedal down: a rumble that vanishes when you press the pedal points at the input shaft area. Repeat the same listening test in third and fourth. Ask whether the gearbox has ever been rebuilt or replaced and ask for the invoice, and ask whether the ute has towed regularly. If a workshop inspection is possible: have a transmission specialist inspect the gearbox oil for metal and check endfloat on the shafts.

Parts involved: Turbocharger.

What it costs to put right

$1,400 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the gearbox ever been rebuilt or replaced?”
“Does it ever jump out of fifth gear?”
“Has this ute towed regularly, and how heavy?”
“When was the gearbox oil last changed?”

Now check the Ford Courier you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

ExplorOz forum thread 'Bravo/Courier 98-03 2.5td gearbox issues and general reliability'
Offroad-Express (NZ) thread 'Ford Courier/Mazda Bounty 4x4 known faults?' - gearbox problems reported on work utes, reconditioned boxes the common fix
Geartech Automotive (NZ, Manawatu) - stocks a dedicated 'Mazda/Ford Pan Type 2.5L Gearbox Bearing Kit' for this gearbox
Gympie 4WD Spares (AU) - reconditioned Mazda Bravo / Ford Courier WLT 4WD gearboxes sold as a standard line

Ford Courier buyer questions

Is five-speed manual gearbox bearing failure (fifth gear and input shaft) serious on a Ford Courier?

We rate it major and common on the Ford Courier. The five-speed manual behind the 2.5 turbo-diesel Courier and its Mazda Bravo twin is a known weak point once the ute has done serious work, with the fifth-gear and input-shaft bearings the usual casualties. NZ and Australian owners report boxes going noisy or failing outright somewhere past about 150,000 km, and worn boxes commonly jump out of fifth on the overrun. The demand is obvious in the parts trade: NZ and Australian rebuilders stock a dedicated bearing kit for this exact gearbox and sell reconditioned units off the shelf. Left alone, a whining bearing eventually breaks up and puts metal through the box, which turns a bearing kit into a full rebuild or a replacement gearbox. It is easy to miss on a short test drive because the noise only shows up in one or two gears at steady throttle.

How much does it cost to fix on a Ford Courier?

$1,400 to $3,200 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Ford Courier years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 1999–2006 Ford Courier. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.