20 December 2023 Reading time: 2 minutes

The first-generation Powershift gearbox on the Mondeo Mk4 has a notorious reputation. I hoped it wouldn’t be that bad — at least on the EcoBoost — but it was.

Despite regular maintenance — clutch replacements, seals, fluid changes — the gearbox finally gave up. One November evening, it started skipping the even gears. This points to a failing valve body, meaning a full teardown, inspection, and repair — expensive and inconvenient.

So, I went with plan B: convert to a manual gearbox, which proved surprisingly complicated on the EcoBoost.