AWF21 Master Rebuild Kit, new and ready to install. Fits the AWF21. Ships fast from the USA.
When an AWF21 six-speed starts slipping out of 4th, 5th or 6th, flares between gears on a highway on-ramp, or the drain plug comes out coated in dark friction paste, the clutch packs are done and a fluid change will not bring them back. This master rebuild kit is the parts set for a full teardown of the AWF21, the Aisin six-speed transaxle Ford fitted to cars such as the 2006-2012 Fusion, the Mercury Milan, the Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, and the 2005-2007 Five Hundred and Montego. Volvo, Mazda and several European brands used the same Aisin family under other names.
AWF21 is the name Ford uses for the Aisin AW TF-80SC. It is a transverse unit built on the Lepelletier layout: a simple planetary set feeding a Ravigneaux compound set, giving six forward ratios from 4.148 in first to 0.686 in sixth with no direct gear. Three clutches and two brakes produce those ratios, and every shift is clutch-to-clutch, with one element releasing at the exact moment the next applies. That design is smooth when it is healthy and unforgiving when it is worn. A glazed friction pack or a piston seal that bleeds apply oil does not just slip; it upsets the overlap timing the TCM expects, so the computer keeps adding correction until it sets a ratio code or drops the car into failsafe. A master kit replaces the consumables you throw away once the case is split: the friction and steel plates, the gasket set, the piston and lip seals, and the sealing rings, so each clutch circuit is rebuilt from the same fresh starting point.
Not every AWF21 complaint needs a teardown. Sonnax documents wear in the solenoid modulator and clutch control bores of this valve body that produces the same ratio codes and 4th-6th slip with healthy clutches. Start with the fluid: clean red fluid with codes points toward the valve body, while black fluid full of lining points toward the packs. Watch commanded versus actual gear and slip speed on a scan tool, using our guide to Aisin slipping under load, and compare the complaint with the difference between a flare and a true slip before you pull the unit.
This kit is listed for the AWF21. The listing does not break fitment down by year, and the TF-80SC and its close relative the TF-81SC share many parts but not all of them, so do not treat any kit as universal across the family. Read the identification tag on the transmission case, compare the clutch counts and gasket shapes against your old parts, or send us your year, model and VIN and we will confirm the match before it ships. If you would rather buy by year, the 2006-2012 AWF21 master kit is also in stock, and every pump, valve body and solenoid for this family is in the Aisin transmission collection.
Strip and wash the case, then inspect the drums, the pump gears and the bushings before opening the kit; a scored drum or worn bushing will undo new frictions quickly. Soak every friction in fresh JWS 3309-type fluid before assembly, measure each pack clearance as you build it, and air-check each circuit through the case before the valve body goes on. A hot-running unit usually wore its valve body as well, so price the AWF21 solenoid kit while the pan is off. Flush the cooler and lines, fit a new TF-80SC filter and pan gasket kit, and fill with Mobil 3309 ATF, setting the level at operating temperature. Finish by clearing the adaptive values and driving through full shift cycles, as covered in our adaptive relearn guide.
| Fits | AWF21 |
| Part type | Master Rebuild Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Yes. AWF21 is the Ford name for the Aisin TF-80SC six-speed. The closely related TF-81SC shares much of its design but not every internal part, so check the case tag before you order.
Ford-family applications include the 2006-2012 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, and the 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego. Send us your VIN if you are not sure which transmission your car has.
Not always. Valve body bore wear can set the same codes with good clutches. If the fluid is clean, check the valve body and solenoids first. If it is burnt and full of lining, the clutches need this kit.
A JWS 3309-type fluid such as Mobil 3309. Check the level hot at the fill and check plugs, not cold.
A new filter and pan gasket, a cooler flush, and any drum, bushing or pump part that shows wear. If the unit was run hot, plan on servicing the valve body and solenoids at the same time.
Yes. Clear the adaptive values with a capable scan tool and drive through repeated upshifts and downshifts so the TCM can relearn clutch fill times on the new packs.
