Don't know about Fords. I did keep an AT 1995 V6 Ford Contour until 2008. The original AT still worked up to that point. I have a 2006 Sonata V6 I bought back in 2005. So, it's over 10 years old. It still accelerates to 60 mph below 7 seconds. In fact, it seems to accelerate smoother now compared to when it was still new.

One thing I noticed with the AT is the car is harder to abuse unlike a MT which I can easily red-line and bust the engine gaskets if I'm in the mood. An AT will simply not let me do the same. That's why there is the perception AT cars have less performance than their MT counterparts. But, they're also less prone to abuse by the driver.

I have yet to see any part replacement for the AT of my Sonata and I've been abusing it almost daily for the past 10 years.