PULSCAR SORTING RULES — TORQUE CONVERTER COMPLAINTS (NHTSA, 2015 TO 4 OCTOBER 2026) Published alongside https://www.pulscar.io/blog/torque-converter-replacement-cost . License: CC BY 4.0. The rules below were written before any complaint in the set was sorted, and a dated record of these rules was kept before sorting: 2026-10-14T08:26:59Z (UTC time) 9e136f8c23ace70794acf5fe34cc20245fbac1a61722085ad71fd16dd42c920f (identifier of the rules file exactly as written) (Two wording changes were made to the text below for publication: this title, and the heading of the appendix. Nothing else differs from the file as first written.) POOL HISTORY: the first search (the three patterns in the appendix) found 3,532 complaints and was not changed after the rules were fixed. A separate completeness search, which tried misspellings of "torque" and "converter" (torc, torch, toque, tourqe, tq, coverter, convertidor and others), abbreviations, "lockup" wording, "torque clutch" and trouble-code wording, found 22 more; those were sorted by the same rules, unchanged. 66 complaints that name only a trouble code for the converter clutch, with no converter, TCC or lock-up wording, were set aside. ============================================================================== # Sorting rules — torque converter complaints (torque-converter-replacement-cost study) Written before any complaint in the set was sorted. ## Pool (how the complaints were found) NHTSA complaints received 2015-01-01 to 2026-10-04 (782,908 narratives, NHTSA flat files downloaded 07.10.2026). A complaint is in the pool if its narrative matches any of three case-insensitive patterns (A, B, C) (exact patterns in the appendix of this file): A. "torque converter" in any common spelling ("torque converter", "torqueconverter", "torque convertor", "torq converter", "trq conv…"). B. A lock-up wording: "TCC", "lock-up clutch/solenoid/converter/shudder/mode", "converter clutch", "converter shudder", "T/C shudder". C. The bare word "converter" or "convertor" in a narrative that also names a transmission wording (transmission, transaxle, CVT, shudder, lock-up, slip, shift, gear, stall), unless the word directly after "catalytic", "cat" or "exhaust" (those are exhaust parts). The pool is wide on purpose: owners rarely use the words a shop uses. The people sorting decide relevance (N) for every complaint. "Torque converter" here means the fluid coupling between the engine and an automatic transmission/transaxle, including its lock-up (TCC, converter clutch). It does NOT mean a catalytic converter, an exhaust converter, an electrical (DC/AC) converter, or a manual transmission clutch. A "TCC solenoid" or "lock-up solenoid" is a valve or solenoid in the transmission, NOT the converter itself. For each complaint record exactly one CATEGORY and four yes/no FLAGS. ## RELEVANCE N — Not about a torque converter on THIS vehicle. Examples of N: the match is a catalytic or exhaust converter, an electrical converter, or a different word; the converter is named only in a general remark that is not about this vehicle ("people say it's usually the torque converter") with no finding, quote, repair or diagnosis on this vehicle; the converter is named only in a list of parts with no statement that it failed, was suspected, was replaced or was quoted (for example "transmission, torque converter, axle ... recalled" with nothing about this vehicle's own converter). A torque converter that the owner, a shop, a dealer or the maker says failed, is suspected, was diagnosed, was replaced, was quoted or recommended, or was checked and cleared, on THIS vehicle, makes the complaint NOT N, even if the rest of the complaint is about something else. ## CATEGORY (one letter) — what the complaint says happened about the converter on this vehicle T — Transmission replaced or rebuilt. The complaint states the whole transmission/transaxle was replaced, rebuilt, overhauled or remanufactured (done, not only quoted) AND names the torque converter in the diagnosis, the cause, the repair, the damage or the bill. The converter may have been the cause, a victim, or just replaced along with the rest. C — Converter replaced. The complaint states a torque converter was replaced (done, not only quoted), without T. Includes a converter replaced with a valve body, solenoid, seals, cooler flush or fluid, provided the transmission itself was not replaced or rebuilt. Q — Converter quoted, diagnosed or recommended only. A dealer, shop, maker or independent mechanic said the converter is bad or needs replacement (or quoted a price for it, or declined to cover it), but the complaint does not say the work was done; without T or C. The owner repeating "they told me it is the converter" counts as Q. A refusal by the maker to cover a converter repair is Q. A — Something else was done instead. The converter was suspected or named, but the complaint states the converter was NOT replaced and a different remedy was applied or tried: a fluid service or flush, a software update/reflash/relearn, a TCC/lock-up or shift solenoid, valve body, cooler line, mount, engine or sensor repair; without T, C or Q. (Dealer says "not the converter, it is the solenoid, replaced" is A.) O — Owner-attributed only. The owner (or the complaint text) names the converter, TCC or lock-up as the cause or the failed part, or compares the symptom to converter shudder, with no shop, dealer or maker diagnosis, quote or repair stated; without T, C, Q or A. Precedence when more than one fits: T, then C, then Q, then A, then O. (Converter replaced and then the whole transmission replaced = T; a converter quote and then a fluid flush that did not help = Q.) ## FLAGS (yes/no) covered — the complaint says the maker, a warranty, an extended warranty or service contract, a recall, a special coverage or customer-satisfaction program, goodwill, or the dealer paid for or agreed to pay for the converter or transmission work (in full or in part), or that the work was done free. "no" when the owner paid, when payment is not stated, when coverage was requested and refused, and for N. returned — the complaint says the same symptom came back, or the converter/transmission failed again, after a converter or transmission was replaced, rebuilt or repaired, or after any converter-related fix. "no" when the outcome is not stated, when the fix held, and for N. fluid_first — a transmission fluid service (change, drain-and-fill, flush, exchange, top-up) was done or recommended for this symptom before or instead of a converter repair. "no" when no fluid service is mentioned, and for N. debris — the complaint says metal, clutch material, debris, contamination, burnt fluid or a failed internal part (pump, clutch pack, bearing) was found in the fluid, pan or transmission, or that the converter failure damaged the transmission (or a failed transmission damaged the converter). "no" when not stated, and for N. ## Output One line per complaint, comma-separated, no header, in the order given: `odino,category,covered,returned,fluid_first,debris,note` category is one of N T C Q A O; flags are yes or no; for N write no for all four flags. note: at most 15 words, no commas (use semicolons), naming the evidence (e.g. "dealer said converter; quoted $2,400; not done"). ## Appendix — exact pool patterns (Python re module, case-insensitive) ``` A = torque\W{0,3}conv\w* | torqu?e?\W{0,2}convertor\w* | tourque\W{0,3}conv\w* | trq\W{0,3}conv\w* | torq\W{0,3}conv\w* B = \bTCC\b | lock\W?up\W+(?:clutch|solenoid|converter|shudder|mode) | (?:clutch|solenoid|converter)\W+lock\W?up | converter\W+clutch | converter\W+shudder | \bT\W?C\W+(?:shudder|clutch|lock) C = (\bconvert[eo]rs?\b not directly preceded (within 40 characters, ending the window) by cata*, cat, exhaust, catalyst, muffler) AND the narrative matches transmission|transaxle|trans\b|cvt|shudder|lock\W?up|slip|shift|tranny|gear|stall ``` ============================================================================== TIE-BREAK RULES, written while the first 201 disagreements were read and extended as later ones were settled (R13 to R19 were added in the course of the work; rule_applied in the complaints file names the rule used): R1 Q needs a person other than the complainant to name the converter for THIS vehicle: a dealer, shop, independent mechanic or the maker (including a maker statement about this vehicle's converter recall/coverage, a denial or a quote). "Online research", "forums", "I learned it may be the converter", "I believe", or a dealer who only said "recall about the transmission" without the converter = O. R2 Recall or bulletin text pasted into the complaint (the maker's own description of a recall, an NHTSA recall summary) with no statement of what was done or said about THIS vehicle = N if the complaint says nothing else about the vehicle's own converter. If the owner says the recall applies to their vehicle or was refused/expired = Q. R3 A converter named only inside a list of parts ("transmission, torque converter, valve body seals defective") with no verb about failing/suspected/replaced = N. R4 Converter named only as a neighbour of the real fault (ring gear, starter clearance, converter housing bolts, converter seal/pump seal leak, cooler lines, solenoid-only/circuit-code-only complaints) = N. A leak "from the converter" itself is NOT N. R5 C only when the text says the converter itself was replaced/repaired/rebuilt/reman (done). "Repaired the transmission" or "the dealer fixed the transmission" without naming the converter as the part done = not C (use A if a non-converter remedy is stated, else Q/O). R6 A needs: converter suspected/named AND the text states a different remedy was applied (fluid flush, software, solenoid, valve body, thermostat, cooler, engine/mount/sensor repair) AND no converter replacement. A workaround or "run the engine first" instruction is not a remedy: use Q if a dealer/maker named the converter-linked condition, else O. R7 Precedence still T > C > Q > A > O. If the converter was replaced and a later whole-unit replacement/rebuild is stated = T. R8 returned=yes only if the symptom/failure came back or persisted AFTER a repair, replacement, software fix or recall remedy was done on this vehicle (any converter-related fix). A symptom that never got a repair = no. R9 debris=yes only for explicit metal, shavings, particles, clutch material, contamination, burnt fluid found in fluid/pan/transmission/converter, or a statement that one failed component destroyed/damaged another (converter damaged the transmission or vice versa), or a failed internal part named as found. A burnt smell, overheating or "transmission failed" alone = no. R10 covered=yes only where the maker/dealer/warranty/recall/goodwill pays or paid (in whole or part) or the work was free. Coverage asked and refused = no. A recall remedy described as free = yes even if not yet done. R11 fluid_first=yes only where a transmission fluid service (flush/change/drain-and-fill/exchange/top-up) is stated as done or recommended for THIS symptom. Fluid level "found low" with no service = no. R12 Relevance N vs O: "owner names the converter as the cause or compares the symptom to converter shudder" = O (not N). N only when the converter is not about this vehicle's fault (R2, R3, R4, catalytic/other converters, other people's cars). R13 A trouble code or scan reading that NAMES the converter or its lock-up clutch as the fault ("TCC stuck off", "converter clutch performance", "P0741") is O when only the owner reads it; Q when a dealer/shop reads it and quotes, recommends or refuses a repair for the converter; N when it names only a solenoid or circuit (R4). (Added after review batch a1 flagged four cases: 10910472, 10917658, 11154734, 11162829.) R14 (added after review batchs a1-a4) A mechanic's unspecific confirmation ("this is what it is", "that sounds right") that does not name the converter is not a diagnosis of the converter: O. R15 A converter that a dealer or shop checked and cleared, with another cause named and a different repair prescribed or quoted (done or not), is A (the converter was not the fix). R16 A different component failing after a converter replacement (not the same symptom or failure) does not make returned=yes. R17 A whole transmission replaced or rebuilt while the complaint names the converter in the repair ("transmission but not the converter was replaced", "converter kept") is T (the sorting rules's T already says the converter may be named as replaced along with, or left out of, the rest). R18 A dealer or shop that names the converter as contaminated or damaged by another failed part, with no remedy stated, is Q with debris=yes. R19 (audit chunk) An owner who only wonders aloud whether converters are defective, with no statement that this vehicle's converter is the cause, is N. CONSISTENCY PASS: complaints on which both sortings agreed were checked against the rules by a keyword test that flagged 420 of them as possibly inconsistent; each flagged complaint was read, and 17 were corrected (rule_applied shows the rule and the reason).