2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

RECALLED TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED IN 2005 FREESTAR BY DEALER . ( NO WARRANTY PAPERWORK GIVEN FOR THIS PART.) 5 MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, EXPERIENCED TOTAL POWER LOSS INCLUDING POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. STRUGGLED TO PULL CAR OFF THE MAIN ROAD. TOWED TO OFTEN USED AND NEARBY REPAIR FACILITY. TRUSTED MECHANIC PULLED CAR APART AND REPLACED TRANSMISSION ( INCLUDING NEW TORQUE CONVERTER) FOR TOTAL OF $2225.00. VAN HAD BEEN CAREFULLY MAINTAINED AND HAD 83,000 MILES ON IT. FORD DEALERSHIP ( TOM'S FORD OF KEYPORT, NJ) REFUSED TO REIMBURSE JUST FOR COST OF 2ND TORQUE CONVERTER THAT FAILED SINCE "THE WORK WAS NOT DONE AT FORD DEALERSHIP." ( HOW WOULD I KNOW THIS WAS REQUIRED W/OUT EVER RECEIVING WARRANTY PAPERWORK? AND I REMEMBERED THE ORIGINAL RECALL FORM FROM FORD STATED PART REPLACEMENT BY OUTSIDE MECHANICS WOULD BE REIMBURSED???) LOCAL DEALERSHIP "COULDN'T HELP." NOTICE, I DID NOT EVEN TRY TO GET FORD TO ACKNOWLEDGE TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSED BY RECALLED PART OR TO COVER THE NEW TRANSMISSION COSTS. FOLLOWUP THROUGH FORD'S CONSUMER DIVISION ALSO DENIED REIMBURSEMENT FOR 2ND FAILED TORQUE CONVERTER. INTERESTING QUOTES FROM THEM: "WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT TRANSMISSION FAILURE FOR THAT VEHICLE" AND " THE FAILURE OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER DOES NOT CAUSE TRANSMISSION FAILURE." HMMM BEWARE OF TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WITH THIS MINIVAN WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILS!!! DANGEROUS AND FORD IS PLAYING DUMB. UNFORTUNATELY, LIVES AT RISK WITH THIS DENIAL STRATEGY. I USED TO BE A "FORD" MAN. DROVE ONLY FORDS FOR DECADES: F150 TRUCK + $$$ FORD RV + EXPLORER + ESCAPE, ETC. NO LONGER. *TR

FIRST WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE THAT WAS UNSAFE AND HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OURSELVES THEN FINALLY FORD ISSUED A TSB TO REPAIR AND RECOVERED OUR MONEY. ALONG WITH THAT IS THE MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION OF THE VAN STOPPING JERKING SPEEDING UP THE DRIVING ON THE ROAD ESPECIALLY WHEN IT RAINS OR EVEN A SLIGHT MIST. THIS NEED TO ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA AND PRESSURE FORD TO REPAIR THIS BEFORE THEY ARE SUED FOR A DEATH CAUSED BY THE LACK OF ATTENTION TO THIS HIGHLY SAFETY RELATED FAILURE. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WITHOUT WARNING SUDDENLY HAD NO POWER, AT 40MPH, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED ONLY TO DIE AGAIN 3 MORE TIMES. I THOUGHT I WAS OUT OF GAS BUT THE GAGE SAID 1/8TH OF A TANK. PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND HAD FRIENDS BRING GAS. STARTED UP FINE AND DROVE MAYBE A BLOCK WHEN IT STARTED SPUTTERING AND BUCKING. THE CHECK ENGINE IDIOT LIGHT CAME ON SO I PULLED OVER AGAIN. I RESET THE BATTERY CONNECTION AND LIGHT WENT OFF. I PULLED OFF TO DRIVE AROUND IN THE PARKING LOT AND IT DIED WHEN I CRANKED THE WHEEL TURNING EVERY CORNER. STARTED AGAIN, THIS TIME IT WAS HARD TO TURN OVER, AND IT SPUTTERED AND THE TRANSAXLE IDIOT LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, THE RADIO CAME ON BY ITSELF AND THE EVE PLAYER EJECTED. INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE ON BUT SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. CHECKED THE TRANNY FLUID, IT LOOKED A LITTLE LOW IN THE DARK(MIDNIGHT) SO PUT IN HALF A QUART. LIGHT WENT OUT BUT THE VAN REFUSED TO GO FORWARD. I DROPPED IT MANUALLY INTO 1ST AND IT SLOWLY MOVED. PARKED IT AND TRIED OTHER GEARS, ALL UNRESPONSIVE BUT WHEN SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL THE ENGINE JUMPED AND THE RPMS REVVED UP TO 3000!! AFRAID IT WOULD JUMP INTO GEAR AND RUN OVER MY FRIEND, I CUT OFF THE IGNITION WHILE IN NEUTRAL. I WAITED UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR NO TRAFFIC, THEN DROVE THE VAN HOME, KEEPING THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON. WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL ABOUT 25 FEET PER RESTART, EACH TIME THE VAN WOULD DIE WHEN SPEED EXCEEDED 15MPH OR 2000RPMS. TOOK AN HOUR TO GET THE 1.5 MILES HOME. THIS VAN HAD JUST GOTTEN A FULL SERVICE OIL CHANGE/LUBE/FILTER SERVICE AND I HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED AT SEARS UPON PURCHASING IT JUST 6 MONTHS AGO AND HAD NO OTHER ISSUES AT ALL. UPON RESEARCHING, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT FORD PUBLISHED BUT REFUSES TO FIX/RECALL. THERE IS A RECALL ON MY VAN'S TORQUE CONVERTER, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND A MAJOR DEFECT THAT WILL GET SOMEONE KILLED OR SERIOUS INJURED. *TR

2005 FORD FREESTAR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL NOTICE OF VEHICLE LOSING POWER WHILE DRIVING AND AFTER REPAIRS PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON JANUARY 13, 2013, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BECAUSE IT WOULD REGULARLY JERK FORWARD AND BACKWARD AND THEN IT WOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WOULD SKIP A CYCLE AND WOULD COMPLETELY STOP. ON FEBRUARY 19, 2013, THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED ON THE PREVIOUS VISIT, AND IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT PROBLEM.

I HAVE A 2005 FORD FREESTAR AND NOTICED THE THIRD SEAT CAME LOOSE. WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT I FOUND THAT THE WHEEL WELL AROUND THE REINFORCEMENT PLATE HAD RUSTED COMPLETELY OUT ON THE DRIVER SIDE FOR FEAR OF THIS BEING A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE FACT THAT THE THIRD SEAT IS MOSTLY USED BY CHILDREN I DECIDED TO REPORT IT. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE PLATE ON THE OUT SIDE MUST NOT SEALED AFTER BEING WELDED TOGETHER ALLOWING RUST TO START FORMING IMMEDIATELY AFTER VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO SERVICE BY MANUFACTURER. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE WHEEL WELL. *TR

FAULTY FUEL SYSTEM VENT CAUSES GASOLINE TO SPRAY OUT WHEN FILLING UP. ADDITIONALLY A HISSING SOUND IS HEARD WHEN OPENING THE GAS CAP, INDICATING THAT THE GAS TANK PRESSURE IS HIGH DURING NORMAL OPERATION. SEVERE FIRE HAZARD; LEAKED GASOLINE MAY CAUSE FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION. THERE ARE SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR THIS MODEL VEHICLE LISTED IN THE NHTSA DATABASE, SO IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. THE ISSUE IS LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN HAPPENING BEFORE LISTED TIME AND MILEAGE; OBSERVED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER I RECEIVED VEHICLE FROM PREVIOUS OWNER.

TOOK VAN IN TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH FORD REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER ON THE RECALL THE TRANSMISSION STILL SLIPPED. WHEN REPAIR WAS COMPLETED WE WENT AND PICKED UP OUR VAN ON THE WAY HOME IT DIED AND ALL THE LIGHTS WERE GOING CRAZY. SHOP TOWED BACK TO THEIR SHOP. THEY WENT THROUGH VAN AND FOUND THE COMPUTER WAS SATURATED WITH WATER. WE WERE TOLD NEED A NEW COMPUTER AND NEW WIRING HARNESS AND THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH FORD WITH THEIR COMPUTERS GETTING WET. NOW WE ARE OUT 2600 AND STILL DON'T HAVE A CAR. IF THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WHY ISN'T FORD DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THE ISSUE? *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS IN THE PARK POSITION AND WHEN I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE IT STARTED HESITATING AND WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED. *TR

AFTER YEARS OF PROBLEMS, PREVIOUS POSTINGS ON THIS SITE, AND 3 PCMS LATER... THE STORY CONTINUES: OUR VAN HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES WITHIN ~ 4-5 WEEKS, AND THE DEALERSHIP KEEPS WORKING TO SEAL THE PCM UNIT. THE UNIT WAS SEALED BY FORD WITH STANDARD MODULE SEALS, GREEN EXPANDABLE FOAM, ETC., BUT WATER STILL GOT INTO THE COMPUTER HOUSING. DURING RESEARCH ON THE FREESTAR'S COMPUTER PROBLEMS, I READ ABOUT THE CLIP SLOTS (WHERE THE PCM FITS INTO THE VAN) PROVIDING A MEANS OF WATER INTRUSION ALSO, SO THEY TOOK IT OUT AGAIN AND SEALED THOSE. I GOT THE VAN OUT OF THE SHOP, AND THE NEXT DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE TOOK IT BY AN AUTO PARTS PLACE FOR A SCAN, AND IT SHOWED A PCM PROBLEM. (THE GUY AT THE AUTO PARTS STORE SAID HE HAD A 2005 FREESTAR, AND HIS PCM HAD SHORTED OUT ALSO FROM WATER DAMAGE.) AT LEAST, THIS TIME A CODE WAS GIVEN! GENERALLY, CODES ARE NOT GENERATED SINCE THE MALFUNCTIONING COMPUTER IS THE CODE GENERATOR. I DON'T KNOW IF ANOTHER PCM HAS SHORTED OUT IN OUR VAN, OR IF WATER HAS ONCE AGAIN SEEPED INTO THE UNIT. THE WET WINTER IN GEORGIA HAS PRACTICALLY RENDERED MY VAN USELESS FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THE VAN IS TRULY A "FAIR WEATHER" VEHICLE. TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUE, GOOGLE "2005 FORD FREESTAR PCM WATER INTRUSION" OR VISIT ANY OF THE AUTO SAFETY SITES ON-LINE SUCH AS NHTSA OR ARFC.ORG. I AM CURRENTLY SEEKING LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING THIS ISSUE, SINCE FORD HAS FAILED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEMS. UNFORTUNATELY, PCM ISSUES HAVE OFTEN REMAINED UNDETECTED DUE TO THE LACK OF CODE INDICATIONS. (IT TOOK ALMOST 2 YEARS FOR ONE OF MANY MECHANICS TO DIAGNOSE OUR FREESTAR'S ISSUES, AND THAT WAS A RESULT OF ON-LINE RESEARCH.) PCM WATER INTRUSION PROBLEMS USUALLY ARE MANIFESTED AS TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE ISSUES SUCH AS NO REVERSE, ERRATIC GEAR CHANGES, RPM "REVS", OR OTHER UNEXPLAINED OCCURRENCES. *TR

THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH MY WIFE DRIVING AND TWO CHILDREN IN THE CAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE OUT OF HARMS WAY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WORSE HAD SHE BEEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC OR MERGING ON TO THE INTERSTATE. THE PROBLEM IS THE PCM MODULE HAS BEEN GETTING WET, FORD KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND EVEN CREATED A SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT IT. AT THE VERY, VERY LEAST I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT FORD WOULD HAVE CONTACTED THE VEHICLE OWNERS TO MAKE THEM AWARE THAT A SERIOUS ISSUE LIKE THIS EXISTED. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR INNOCENT FAMILIES OWNING THESE VEHICLES. IT IS MY OPINION THAT VANS IN PARTICULAR SHOULD BE SCRUTINIZED A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY DUE TO THEIR INTENDED AUDIENCE, SOCCER MOMS HAULING AROUND THE MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION OF THAT FAMILY, THEIR CHILDREN. IT IS BEYOND ME HOW AUTOMAKERS CAN PUT UNSAFE VEHICLES LIKE THIS ON THE ROAD AND THEY ARE NOT FORCED TO REPAIR ISSUES LIKE THESE WHEN THE OWNERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE AT RISK. THIS IS MY SECOND BUT SEPARATE COMPLAINT I LODGED AGAINST FORD ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST ONE WAS IN 2008 OR 2009 WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, LEAVING THE VEHICLE LIFELESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE DEEMED UNSAFE FOR THE ROADS AND FORD SHOULD BE FORCED TO HAVE A FAIR BUY BACK PROGRAM FOR THESE VEHICLES. *TR