2004 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

I HAD MY VAN IN PARK WHILE I DROPPED MY KIDS OFF TO THE SITTER..CAME BACK OUT THE VAN HAD DIED..I TRIED TO START AND IT WOULD NOT EVEN TURN. THOUGH MAYBE BATTERY..PUT A KNEW ONE IN AND STILL NOTHING. HAD TO HAVE TOWED TO A SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE PCM WHERE IT WAS CORRODED DUE TO WATER LEAKING IN. A TOTAL OF A LITTLE OVER $1200 FOR PART AND LABOR. VERY LUCKY I WAS PARKED AND NOT DRIVING AT THE TIME WHEN THE VEHICLE DIED. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THERE IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN THAT IS ALLOWING WATER TO GET INTO THE PCM AND CAUSING IT TO GO BAD. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PART WITH OTHER OWNERS. *TR

THE PCM INTERNAL COMPUTER IS CRASHED AND CAUSE THE VEH TO RUN POORLY AND NOT START, DRAINED BATTER, ETC - THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH A LOT OF 2004 FREESTARS AS I READ ONLINE AND WAS TOLD TO SUBMIT THE INFO SO THAT MAYBE THEY WILL DO A RECALL AND GET THIS FIXED. THANK GOD IT DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I OWN 2004 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LATCH THE THIRD ROW REAR SEAT, THE LATCH FAILED DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION ON THE FLOOR PANEL ,SIDE PANEL AND ATTACHMENTS WHICH HOLDS THE THIRD SEAT LATCH BRACKET THE THIRD ROW SEAT LATCH BRACKET SLIDES OUT AND EXTRUDES TO REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS AND CAN BURST THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE WHILE RUNNING CAR. I AM ENTERING THIS COMPLAINT IN RELATION TO OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED. THERE IS A DEFECT INVESTIGATION TAKING PLACE (EA12003 AND PE11039) FOR THIS ISSUE ALREADY. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT MY 3RD ROW SEAT BACK UP AND LOCK IT INTO PLACE. ON THE DRIVE SIDE I NOTICED THAT IT WOULD NOT LOCK INTO PLACE. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW, I KNOW NOTICED THAT THE WHOLE LATCH HAD BROKEN OFF BECAUSE OF RUSTED PANEL. THE WHOLE PLATE RUSTED THRU . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED AND REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V006000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

RETURNING FROM A 'DUMP RUN', I NOTICED THE PLASTIC COVER FOR THE 3RD ROW PASSENGER SEAT, DRIVER SIDE, HAD BEEN DISLODGED AND WAS LYING ON THE FLOOR. I WENT TO RECONNECT IT AND I FOUND THE LATCH 'FLOATING'. IT WAS NO LONGER PART OF THE VEHICLE. I COULD SEE OUT THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION, I SAW THAT THE WELDED PLATE, THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE VAN WAS NO LONGER ATTACHED. I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE TIRE FOR DAMAGE, YET. THIS IS A DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING ERROR, AS THE LATCH BRACKET USED TO SECURE THE PASSENGER SEAT IN PLACE, NEEDS TO BE A PERMANENT PART OF THE VEHICLE. THE VAN ISN'T TOO OLD, AND SHOULD LAST MANY MORE YEARS/MILES AND FOR THIS PIECE TO COME LOOSE, IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS A QUALITY ISSUE. I'M AFRAID TO TAKE IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR FEAR OF BEING GOUGED ON THE COST TO REPAIR, WHICH SHOULD BE AT FORD'S COST. IF THIS WAS A PICK UP TRUCK WITH EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS ALL THE TIME, I COULD SEE A RUST ISSUE. THIS VEHICLE IS LIGHTLY USED AND GARAGED NIGHTLY, SO IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN - EVER. THE OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS PAGE ARE ALL SIMILAR TO MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PART. RIGHT NOW, I'M USING A STRAP TO HOLD THE PIECE IN PLACE, STRETCHING TO THE LATCH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. COMMENT: THIS VAN HAS HAD TOO MANY QUALITY ISSUES SINCE WE PURCHASED IT IN 2006 - TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACED, DRIVER SEAT HEATER REPLACED, TRANSMISSION REPLACED, CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH MECH. REPLACED, IGNITION REPLACED. *TR

THE DRIVER-SIDE WALL BRACKET THAT LOCKS THE THIRD ROW SEAT INTO THE UPRIGHT (USABLE) POSITION IS LOOSE. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS WELDED TO THE INNER SHELL SHEET METAL OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT THE INNER SHELL AROUND THE BRACKET HAS RUSTED SUFFICIENTLY TO CAUSE THE BRACKET TO BE LOOSE. WE HAVE DISCONTINUED USE OF THE BACK SEAT, FEARING INSUFFICIENT PROTECTION DURING A POTENTIAL CRASH. *TR

DURING STS TIRE SERVICING, MECHANIC SHOWED ME A LARGE SECTION OF STRUCTURAL STEEL HANGING FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL AND A MICHELIN TIRE THAT CONTAINED ABRASIVE RIPPING CAUSED BY THE SECTION OF STEEL THAT HAD BEEN DANGLING AND RUBBING AGAINST THE TIRE. THE LARGE SECTION OF STEEL CONTAINED AN ANCHOR AT THE CENTER WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED TO HOLD THE THIRD ROW ROW IN PLACE. THIS STEEL PLATE WITH THE ANCHOR FOR HOLDING THE THIRD ROW SEAT IN PLACE IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH ALLOWED THE WELDS HOLDING IT IN PLACE TO FAIL CREATING DANGERS OF: UNSECURED SEATING, HOLE EXPOSING PASSENGERS TO EXTERIOR OF VEHICLE AND MOVING PARTS, OPENING FOR RODENTS OR OTHER DANGERS TO ENTER VEHICLE, KNOWLEDGE OF PRIOR MAY CAUSE FEAR AND PANIC OF DRIVER OR PASSENGERS WHICH MAY CAUSE ACCIDENT OR MENTAL ANGUISE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO SMITH FORD DEALERSHIP IN WASHINGTON, N.J. REQUESTING AN INSPECTION AND WARRANTY REPAIR OF THE ABOVE STATED STRUCTURAL STEEL. SMITH FORD INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SAID THAT THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED BY FORD AND THAT FORD DOES NOT ACCEPT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. REPORTED THIS TO FORD HEADQUARTERS ON NOVEMBER 30, 2012 AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEALERSHIP WAS CORRECT IN STATING THAT FORD WILL NOT REPAIR THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. MY WIFE IS INCREASINGLY HAVING TERRIFYING VISIONS OF MICE JUMPING ON HER WHILE DRIVING, HAVING SNAKES CRAWLING INTO THE CAR, RAIN SNOW MUD ETC ENTERING VEHICLE, OR HAVING THE CHILDREN PUT THEIR HANDS OR OTHER THINGS INTO THE HOLE IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

HAVING THIS PROBLEM 4 DAYS IN A ROW, ENGINE QUITS AT ANY SPEED LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES, CAR WILL SPEED UP WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING MOVED, FORD SAID WATER IN THE COMPUTER COULD COST 1,000 TO 1,500. CHECKED ON MY COMPUTER FOUND PAGE AFTER PAGE OF THE SAME COMPLAINT AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM!! HAS ANYBODY BEEN KILLED YET? WHEN IS THE N.T.S.B GOING TO ACT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT LATER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT A LARGE SQUARE BOLT NEAR THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS CORRODED. THIS BOLT HELD THE REAR SEAT IN PLACE AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRACKET WAS FRACTURED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE SEAT WAS UNABLE TO LATCH AND REMAIN IN PLACE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH INTO A DRIVEWAY AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE THEN COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND, WHICH CAUSED THE TIRE TO BECOME COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. IN 2004, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V446000 (WHEELS:CAP/COVER/HUB). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.