Depending on the mileage on your tranny, I would recommend getting the fluid flushed. If you don't have more than 100K miles on the odometer then you should not have any issues with the tranny filter.
A fluid flush changes about 98-99% of the fluid in your transmission. Dropping the pan and changing the filter only changes about 50% of the old fluid unless the filter change is followed by a fluid flush...perhaps that's what Ford does?
A fluid flush requires the use of a special machine that is filled with about 14 quarts of fresh fluid and has hoses that connect to the transmission fluid lines that go to the cooler in the radiator. The engine is started and the transmission pumps the old fluid out through the cooling lines, which forces the fresh fluid back into the transmission. After about 10 minutes you will see all the old dark dirty fluid is in the machine and the new fluid is in the transmission..
I am a firm believer in the transmission fluid flush rather than going the old school way of dropping the pan to change the filter, but only about half of the old fluid. When you have the fluid flushed, you have less chance of fluid leaks or problems with shops improperly installing the filter or o-rings and those mistakes can kill your transmission.
Also the life blood of the transmission is the fluid. This is a hydraulic fluid used to cool the transmission and exert hydraulic pressure to shift gears and operate the transmission. The filter is only a fine screen to block larger particles from being recirculated through the transmission. The filter does not trap and hold these particles like an engine oil filter. When the engine is shut off the particles blocked by the transmission filter will fall harmlessly to the bottom of the transmission pan where the ferrous metal particles will be attracted to a magnet and held their harmlessly. If you regularly have your fluid flushed, your transmission filter should easily last more than 100K miles...but your fluid rarely will last that long.
I have my transmission flushed on all my vehicles every 25K-30K miles and have never had any transmission problems. More and more vehicle manufacturers are recommending fluid flushes. Some who use the sealed transmission only recommend transmission service every 100K miles?? I am not for going that long without a fluid flush. Remember, dealerships want you to have your vehicle serviced at their shop, so they will often quote you more frequent maintenance intervals than the factory recommends. That way they get you in more often, and perhaps they can find more things wrong or give you the impression that you need some additional, extra cost service.
...Rich
