2006 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

THE FIRST FAILURE WAS WHEN I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD DOING JUST OVER 55 MPH, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VAN DIED AN I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VAN IT FINALLY STARTED AND STAYED RUNNING. I EVENTUALLY MADE IT HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. HAD IT CHECKED AND WAS TOLD IT POSSIBLY HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE BUT CHANGE THE FUEL FILTER IN CASE IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH FUEL GETTING TO THE ENGINE. SO WE DID. IT RAN FINE AFTER THAT UNTIL ABOUT 3 MONTHS LATER. WE TOOK IT TO RUN ERRANDS WITH NO PROBLEM AND RETURNED HOME. WENT TO RUN TO THE GROCERY STORE AND THE VAN WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. IT WOULD START OK BUT NOT MOVE, WOULDN'T GO INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. THANKFULLY IT WAS AT HOME WHEN IT HAPPENED AND NOT GOING DOWN THE ROAD LIKE THE FIRST TIME WHEN I HAD ALL 3 KIDS WITH ME. HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE WHERE THEY FOUND METAL SHAVINGS IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER. HAD A NEW ONE PUT IN AND IT RAN FINE FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THEN WE FOUND CRACKS IN THE COIL PACKS AND HD THOSE REPLACED ALONG WITH ALL SPARK PLUGS. NOT SURE IF THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE TORQUE PROBLEM. SPENT $940.00 TO FIX THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND ANOTHER $240.00 TO FIX COIL PACKS AND SPARK PLUGS. THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS A RECALL ON THE '04 AND '05 AND THE SAME NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH THE '06'S. *TR

RECURRENT INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH SLIPPING TRANSMISSION. PROBLEM HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY WORSE. WAITING FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH THIS KNOWN FORD TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I WILL PROBABLY DIE,WHEN THIS(TRANSMISSION) FAILS AND PUTS ME IN THE PATH OF A SPEEDING VEHICLE; GIVING ME NO CHANCE TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. A 6 YEAR OLD VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR LAMPS WERE FLICKERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT ECM WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 5/7/12 *CN UPDATED 05/30/12

I HAD JUST LEFT HOME AND TURNED OUT ONTO MAJOR HIGHWAY - I WAS PICKING UP SPEED AND IT WAS LIKE I PUT MY VAN INTO NEUTRAL - I JUST PULLED OFF HIGHWAY AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. HAD TO TOW IT AND HAVE IT REPAIRED. TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT -- HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. AAMCO REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND THEY TOLD US IT HAD A 2005 TRANSMISSION IN IT. I FEEL LIKE THE 2006 FORD FREESTARS SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE SAME RECALL AS THE 2004 AND 2005 FORD FREESTARS AS SOME WERE ACTUALLY MADE IN 2005. *TR

EVERY TIME IT RAINED, MY ENGINE WOULD SHUDDER, SHAKE, SOMETIMES KNOCK, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT FOR NO GOOD REASON, AND I STALLED OUT IN TRAFFIC ONCE. THE VEHICLE BECAME NON-DRIVABLE WHEN IT RAINED (AND ONLY WHEN IT RAINED). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY FORD DEALER (SCHULTS FORD OF HARMARVILLE, PA), WHERE TECHNICIAN PAT SAND INDICATED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH FORD FREESTARS, AND SAID A FORD SERVICE BULLETIN INDICATES THAT BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM (INCORRECT SEALER APPLICATION TO THE PCM AND POOR POSITION OF PCM IN RELATION TO WINDSHIELD RUN-OFF) WATER LEAKAGE INTO THE PROGRAM CONTROL MODULE CAUSES IT TO ISSUE RANDOM COMMANDS AND ERRORS. THEY FOLLOWED THE FORD BULLETIN AND BY SIMPLY BETTER SEALING AGAINST MOISTURE / BLOCKING THE WATER FLOW, RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

DRIVING WITH THE FAMILY, GOING 50 MPH AND THE CAR CUTS OUT COMPLETELY DEAD WITH NO WARNING. HAD TO COAST INTO THE MEDIAN. PUT CAR IN PARK AND RESTARTED. EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER, CAR DIED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN. CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. SAME ISSUES WITH 04 AND 05 FORDS THAT ARE BEING RECALLED. 06 NEEDS TO BE RECALLED TOO. NOW I HAVE TO SPEND 3K ON A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF A FORD DOCUMENTED ISSUE. *KB

YESTERDAY WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 30, OUR 2006 FORD FREESTAR SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD REVVING UP NOISE WITH THE RPMS SHOOTING UP FOR A SECOND AND THEN I HAD NO PROPULSION. THE MOTOR WAS RUNNING, BUT ALL I COULD DO WAS COAST AS FAR AS I COULD TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. MY HUSBAND AND THREE YOUNG CHILDREN WERE WITH US, AND IT WAS VERY SCARY TO LOSE POWER LIKE THAT AND THEN TO SIT ON THE SHOULDER BEING SHAKEN BY EVERY BIG RIG THAT CAME BY. WE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP AND RENT A VEHICLE TO DRIVE THE 100 MILES HOME. ONCE HOME LAST NIGHT, WE FOUND INFO ABOUT THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER FREESTARS AND THAT FORD IS VOLUNTARILY RECALLING '04 AND '05 MODELS TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTERS. WHAT ABOUT THE '06 MODELS THIS IS HAPPENING TO? WE WERE AMAZED AT THE STORIES WE FOUND IDENTICAL TO OURS. WILL THE 2006 MODELS BE ADDRESSED AS WELL? WHEN I HEARD THE AUTOMATED MESSAGE FROM FORD CONCERNING THE '04 AND '05 MODELS AND HOW THIS ISSUE DOES NOT AFFECT SAFETY BECAUSE A VEHICLE CAN BE COASTED TO SAFETY, I WAS APPALLED. I WONDER IF THEY HAVE TRIED THAT IN INTERSTATE TRAFFIC CONSISTING TO A LARGE DEGREE OF 18-WHEELERS BARRELING DOWNHILL ON YOU AS YOU TRY TO GET PAST A BRIDGE TO THE SHOULDER WHILE CARRYING YOUR HUSBAND AND THREE KIDS! AND THEN TO SIT THERE NOT ABLE TO MOVE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WHILE MORE 18-WHEELERS FLY BY, FEELING RELIEF EACH TIME THEY DON'T HIT YOU, TRYING TO DECIDE IF WE'D ALL BE SAFER STANDING IN THE DITCH! DIDN'T FEEL SO SAFE TO ME! *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON A RURAL SINGLE LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO SHOULDER, MY 2006 FORD FREESTAR MINI-VAN COMPLETELY LOST ACCELERATION. I WAS TRAVELING 70 MPH AND GOING UP A LARGE HILL WHEN EVERYTHING JUST SHUT DOWN. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING, NO LIGHTS, NOTHING! WHEN PUSHING THE GAS TO THE FLOOR, THE RPM'S REVVED BUT I HAD NO ACCELERATION. I COASTED TO A STOP AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, TRYING TO MANEUVER THE VAN OFF THE ROAD AND OUT OF THE WAY OF THE 18 WHEELER THAT WAS NOT FAR BEHIND ME. AFTER TRYING REPEATEDLY TO GET THE TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE, I HAD IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $3000. I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THIS DEALERSHIP TWICE TO HAVE THEM FIX SMALL THINGS THAT THEY HAD NOT PROPERLY PUT BACK TOGETHER. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, THE POWERTRAIN WARNING LIGHT FOR THE TRANSMISSION CAME ON AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO A DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN, AND BECAUSE IT WAS THANKFULLY STILL UNDER WARRANTY I WASN'T OUT ANY MONEY, BUT I WAS WITHOUT MY PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR OUR FAMILY OF 5 FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. THE TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT IS STARTING TO SLIP AGAIN, AND I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE TO HAVE THEM LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM BEFORE IT GOES OUT, BUT I KEEP GETTING TOLD IT IS NOTHING. WHEN MY HUSBAND RODE WITH THE MECHANIC TO SEE IF IT WOULD SLIP, THE TORQUE CONVERTER STARTED SHUDDERING, BUT THE MECHANIC SAID, "IT'S JUST THE TORQUE CONVERTER SHUDDERING, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT". NOW I AM READING THAT A FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER MAY LEAD TO MORE TRANSMISSION TROUBLE, BUT I FEEL THE FORD DEALERSHIP IS JUST WAITING FOR THE WARRANTY TO GO OUT AGAIN SO THEY WON'T HAVE TO FIX IT YET AGAIN. THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE WE HAVE THAT WILL TRANSPORT OUR WHOLE FAMILY, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW SAFE IT IS FOR ME TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT. *TR

MY FORD FREESTAR HAD BEEN OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT AND THE WINDOWS WERE ICY AS THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROX 30 DEGREES. I STARTED THE CAR AND PUT THE REAR DEFROSTER ON HIGH FOR ABOUT 10 MIN BEFORE LEAVING FOR WORK. SOON AFTER, I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD IMPLOSION AS THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED AND MOST FELL IN! STUNNED AND NOT KNOWING INITIALLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED, I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND QUICKLY REALIZED THAT I NEEDED ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND RETURNED HOME TO FURTHER ASSESS MY NEWLY 'AIR CONDITIONED' VAN. I CONTACTED MY DEALER SEVERAL DAYS LATER AND GOT THE REAR WINDOW REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. DESPITE A COUPLE OF MECHANICS SUGGESTING THAT THE COMBINATION OF THE ICY CONDENSATION ON THE WINDOW AND THE DEFROSTER RUNNING ON HIGH CAUSED THE WINDOW TO SHATTER, FORD MOTORS WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ANY OF THE EXPENSE ($260) FOR REPAIRS. THIS VAN HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND FORTUNATELY HAS OTHERWISE BEEN RELIABLE. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT FORD WOULD NOT COVER WINDOW REPLACEMENT AND EXAMINE THE CAUSE ESPECIALLY AFTER READING THAT THIS IS A PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES. THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY CONCERNS INTO CONSIDERATION TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN SAFE VEHICLES FOR ALL ON THE ROAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,971 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 190,000.