In spite of your experiences there's always(well almost) a logical answer. I repaired TVs for almost 40 years had many sets passed to me from other techs who said it can't be fixed. Except for cases of part not available, I never found that true. In the '70s one of my friends swapped 351C & FMX automatic from a '70 Mustang into a '70 Cougar. Everything was fine in stang but in Cougar there was no 2nd gear. Intermediate band in trans was busted. Will always be a mystery as to why it broke during swap, or maybe on first engagement after swap. His dad was a mechanic at Ford, even he nor the transmission tech had no explanation. It wasn't haunted.
Depends on who repairs it and what is needed in parts. Trans w/ 78,000 miles and who knows if that's the real mileage, not to mention whether fluid/filter was ever changed, may very well need a total rebuild.
se·ance /ˈsāˌäns/ noun a meeting at which people attempt to make contact with the dead, especially through the agency of a medium. Frank, it's time to let go of the haunted angle.
I think some one brought it up but I didn't see a response, how is the fluid level? I have had cars that would engage in drive but not reverse due to low fluids. They would engage drive but didn't really move without clear signs of low oil.
Wow, you really have a good one on your hands! Hope it's something easy that make us all wonder why we didn't think of it.
Lubegard ATF Protectant my transmission Guy puts a bottle of this in all of his rebuilds. Ford wanted $2400 to replace a transmission in my Windstar van. I stopped by his shop and he put a bottle of this in and told me to try it. within 25 miles the transmission was shifting like new. I went back by his shop to thank and pay him and he said he would catch me next time...