2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

I WAS DRIVE MY 2005 FORD FREESTAR VAN AND AS STARTING TO GO UP OVERPASS LOSS ALL DRIVE POWER, ENGINE WAS RUNNING OK BUT TRANSMISSION WAS GONE. LUCKILY THIS WAS A NEW BRIDGE WHICH HAD A PLACE TO PULL OVER. I MADE TO THE TOP OVER THE OVER PASS BECAUSE OF SPEED BEFORE TRANSMISSION QUIT. I HAD NO WARNING JUST AN ALL THE SUDDEN LOSS OF THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN I STOPPED ON TOP OF BRIDGE I TRIED ALL GEARS INCLUDING REVERSE AND NOTHING . THIS IS DANGEROUS ME AND MY WIFE COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AND KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS, BETWEEN LOSS OF DRIVE TRAIN AND CRAZY DRIVERS WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE US HOME. FORD NEED TO FIX CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND FIX EVERY FORD FREESTAR EVER SOLD. *TR

MY WIFE WAS PARKING THE VAN AND BACKED UP FOR BETTER ACCESS TO THE PARKING SPACE. WHEN SHE SHIFTED BACK TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. SHE CALLED ME AND I WENT TO CHECK OUT THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT IN ANY GEAR. I CHECKED THE MANUAL LINKAGE AND IT WAS CONNECTED AND TIGHT. I CHECKED THE OIL AND NOTED THE OIL WAS QUITE A BIT ABOVE THE FULL LEVEL LIKE THE TRANSMISSION PUMP HAD QUIT WORKING. WE TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP WHERE I WORK AND REMOVED THE TRANSMISSION PAN. WE FOUND THE TRANSMISSION PAN CLEAN WITH ONLY NORMAL AMOUNTS OF METAL ON THE MAGNET AND NO INDICATION OF BURNED CLUTCHES. AFTER READING THE DESCRIPTIONS OF MANY SIMILAR FAILURES ON THE VARIOUS BOARDS I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN WE WILL FIND TORQUE CONVERTER/INPUT SHAFT FAILURE WHEN WE REMOVE AND DISASSEMBLE THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2005 FORD WINDSTAR. ON OCT. 21 2011 MY WIFE ARRIVED HOME FROM WORK AND I TOOK THE VAN TO PICK UP MY SON FROM HIS SCHOOL. WITHOUT WARNING THE VANS RPMS WENT UP AND THEN THE VAN STALLED. I RESTARTED THE VAN BUT THE VAN ACTED LIKE IT DID NOT WANT TO SHIFT GEARS AND THE VAN STALLED AGAIN. I WAS ONLY 1BLOCK FROM HOME AND WAS LUCKY TO MAKE IT HOME WHILE HAVING TO RESTART THE VAN SEVERAL TIMES. I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID TO TOW IT THERE AND IT WOULD COST $100 TO HOOK IT UP TO THEIR COMPUTER. I LOVE HOW IT COST ME $100 TO HAVE FORD TELL ME WHATS WRONG THEN WANTS ME TO PAY THEM TO FIX IT. IT ONLY TAKES 5 MINUTES TO HOOK UP THE COMPUTER WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN YOU WOULD THINK THEY SHOULD KNOW. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE A FRIEND WHO WORKS AT FORD AND HE HAD TO REPLACE THE PCM DUE TO WATER COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE PCM. WE GOT OUR VAN BACK ON THURSDAY NOV. 3RD 2011. THEN ON NOV. 7TH 2011(4 DAYS LATER) MY WIFE WAS ON A BUSY INTERSTATE RAMP GETTING READY TO MERGE ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 45MPH WHEN THE RPM'S SHOT UP THE VAN HESITATED AND LOST POWER SHE STARTED COASTING TO THE SHOULDER WHILE TRAFFIC WAS SPEEDING AROUND HER. IT WAS ALSO ON A CURVE SO TRAFFIC COULD NOT SEE HER UNTIL THEY WERE RIGHT ON TOP OF HER. EVEN ON THE SHOULDER WHEN SHE CALLED ME SHE WAS TERRIFIED THAT SOMEONE WAS GOING TO HIT HER BECAUSE THE SHOULDER WAS VERY NARROW AND TRAFFIC WAS WITHIN INCHES OF THE VAN. WE HAD THE VAN TOWED TO FORD AND THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT THIS MONDAY (NOV. 14, 2011) WE ARE DUE TO GO OUT OF TOWN FRIDAY NOV. 18TH AND WE DO NOT KNOW IF WE WILL HAVE A VAN TO GO ON A VACATION THAT HAS BEEN PLANNED FOR A YEAR. MY WIFE AND I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF WE CAN TRUST OUR FORD FREESTAR TO MAKE THE TRIP SO WE OUR GOING TO HAVE THE EXTRA EXPENSE OF RENTING A CAR. WE ARE OUT $750 SO FAR AND ANOTHER $400 TO RENT A CAR. WE HAVE 83,000 MI.

I WAS DRIVING WITH MY 2 CHILDREN WHEN MY 2005 FORD FREESTAR JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THANK GOD IT WAS DAYTIME, AND NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THIS ROAD AT THE TIME. MY CAR HAS ONLY 54,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TOLD AFTERWARD THAT IT WAS MY TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I HAD TO WAIT STANDING WITH MY 2 SMALL CHILDREN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD 20 MINUTES FOR A TOW TRUCK. THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE! THEIR IS NO REASON THIS SHOULD BE. IT IS GOING TO COST ME $2000.00 TO FIX WHICH I DO NOT HAVE. OF COURSE MY WARRANTY ONLY COVERED UP UNTIL 50,000 MILES. FORD SAID THAT'S TO BAD. THIS IS TERRIBLE SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE IMMEDIATELY! THIS IS NO WAY TO DO BUSINESS OR TO TREAT PEOPLE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO FIX THIS... *TR

MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE TRANSMISSION SUFFERED A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING FINE, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT TRANSFERRING ANY POWER TO THE WHEELS. STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY FOR THREE HOURS AWAITING A TOW, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER TRIED IN VAIN TO GET THE VEHICLE TO MOVE OFF OF THE ROADWAY WHILE CARS RACED AROUND THEM. THE TRANSMISSION GAVE NO PRIOR INDICATION OF IMPENDING MECHANICAL PROBLEMS AND WAS ALWAYS PROPERLY SERVICED. IN MY OPINION A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 56,000 MILES SHOWING NO INDICATIONS OR WARNING SIGNS SHOULD NOT HAVE SUCH A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. FROM MY LIMITED RESEARCH IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS IS NOT ONE ISOLATED INCIDENT OF THIS EXACT CIRCUMSTANCE. IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT A DEFECT IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER CAUSED THE SPLINES TO SHEAR OFF RESULTING IN COMPLETE AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS WHICH RENDERS THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. THIS CAN BE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPENS WHILE MERGING, CROSSING AN INTERSECTION OR BEING STRANDED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. FORD SHOULD BE MADE TO CORRECT WHAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW BEFORE SOMEONE HAS TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 50 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DROVE IN NEUTRAL TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FUEL FILTER WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO WEEKS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE POWER CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK FOR INSPECTION AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACING. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED BU THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. IT WAS THEN FOUND THAT WASTER WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND CONTACTING THE WIRING FOR THE POWER CONTROL. THE MECHANIC REMOVED THE WATER FROM THE TUBES OF THE POWER CONTROL MODULE AND ADDED CAULK TO PREVENT WATER INTRUSION. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE10033 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)) THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,950.

OUR 2005 FREESTAR MINIVAN WOULD STALL AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE WITH NO WARNING. WE PURCHASED THIS VAN IN 2005 FROM OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND HAD PULLED INTO AN INTERSECTION WHEN IT STALLED, SHE WAS FORTUNATE THAT SHE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VAN WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING WHEN YOU PUT INTO GEAR AND HAD NO REVERSE GEAR. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND FOUND OUT THE PCM HAD GOTTEN WET AND THAT THERE WAS A TSB ISSUED FOR THIS VEHICLE AS IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS MODEL. THE MECHANIC DRIED OUT THE PCM, RE-SEALED THE AREA PER THE TSB AND WE WERE BACK ON THE ROAD. THIS WAS IN AUGUST 2010 SO THE VAN WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. FOUR MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN THAT THE VAN SHUT DOWN FOR THE SAME REASON. THE GARAGE RE-DID THE WORK AND VERIFIED THE AREA WAS SEALED OFF. FIVE MONTHS LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN SO WATER HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN ABLE TO GET BACK IN THERE. WE TOOK IT BACK TO OUR LOCAL FORD MECHANIC AND THEY RE-SEALED THE AREA AFTER DRYING OUT THE PCM, AND 3 MONTHS LATER WE WERE IN THE SAME SITUATION. WE HAVE NOW REPLACED THE PCM WITH A NEW ONE, BUT I HAVE NO FAITH THAT THE WATER PROBLEM IS GONE. EACH TIME THE PCM FAILS, THE VAN WILL SHUT DOWN LEAVING YOU WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. EACH TIME WE HAVE GOTTEN LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AND THAT WE WERE WITHIN OUR HOMETOWN SO WE COULD HAVE THE VAN TOWED TO THE GARAGE. THIS IS A FAMILY VAN THAT AT ANY TIME ONE OF OUR CHILDREN COULD BE DRIVING WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, AND WITH THEM NOT HAVING AS MUCH DRIVING EXPERIENCE AS MY WIFE AND MYSELF, THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT IS GREATLY INCREASED. WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS SO FAR, ONLY THE EXPENSES, BUT I DON'T WANT TO KEEP SAYING "I'M GLAD WE WEREN'T PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC WHEN THAT HAPPENED." IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT IT COULD HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME.

WHILE DRIVING FROM FLORIDA TO VIRGINIA ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2011 AT DUSK WE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER DUE TO FAILURE OF MY 2005 FREESTAR'S TORQUE CONVERTER AS DIAGNOSED BY THE MECHANICS AT JIM BILTON FORD. WE WERE TRAVELING 70 MPH ON I-95 IN THE LEFT LANE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. FORTUNATELY, IN SPITE OF TRAFFIC, WE WERE ABLE TO GET INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND OVER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE DIAGNOSES WAS MADE. WE WERE TOLD THE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO GET ONE IN ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WHEN THEY INSTALLED IT THAT PART PROVED TO BE DEFECTIVE AS WELL. THEY HAVE ORDERED ANOTHER PART AND IT SHOULD BE IN FRIDAY. I AM, HOWEVER, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS REPAIR. WILL THERE BE YET ANOTHER FAILURE AND WILL WE BE AS LUCKY NEXT TIME. IN THE MEANTIME WE ARE STRANDED IN SOUTH CAROLINA EACH DAY THINKING WE WILL BE GETTING OUR VAN BACK TOMORROW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESUME DRIVING HOWEVER, WITH CONSISTENT STALLING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONLY AFTER RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR WAS REPLACED DUE TO WATER LEAKING INTO THE PCM WHICH CAUSED A SHORTAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,781.

WE WERE IN TRAFFIC TO THE BROWNS FOOTBALL GAME GETTING READY TO EXIT AND THE VAN JUST LOST MOBILITY, IT WOULDN'T MOVE,, I PRESSED ON THE GAS AND THE ENGINE REVVED BUT THE VAN SAT STILL , I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE TRAFFIC WAS SO BAD EVERYONE WAS TRYING TO GET TO THE GAME, WE WERE SO SCARED AND ALMOST HIT SEVERAL TIMES. WE CALLED POLICE FOR ASSISTANCE BUT THEY NEVER CAME, I FINALLY FOUND A NUMBER TO FORD ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE,, THEY WERE GOOD, AND THEY GOT A GOOD TOW COMPANY, WE SAT AND WAITED ABOUT AN HOUR FOR HELP, BUT THEY CAME AND TOWED IT ON A FLAT BED, WE HAD IT TOWED TO SPITZER FORD IN CUYAHGOA FALLS, THEY SAID IT WOULD BE 2400.00 TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER, THEY DENIED ANY ONGOING PROBLEMS ,, BUT I HAD ALREADY SEARCHED IT ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A MASSIVE PROBLEM WITH THIS TORQUE CONVERTERS JUST STOPPING,, I TOLD SPITZER SERVICE MANAGER MIKE, WE COULD NOT AFFORD 2400.00 HE SAID HE COULD PUT A USED REBUILT TRANSMISSION IN IT FOR 500.00 .. WE TOOK IT TO FALLS TRANSMISSION FOR 915.00 AND HAD THE TORQUE REPLACED, THE OWNER SAID HE IS DOING APPROXIMATELY 3 A WEEK. THEY ARE COMING IN A LOT..SINCE THEN HOWEVER, THE VAN IS SHAKING.. SO I HAD TO TAKE IT TO BE CHECKED AT G & R, THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND NOTHING, SO IT HAS HAD TO GO BACK TO THE FALLS TRANS 3 TIMES.. IT SHAKES BUT HE IS NOT SURE IF IT'S THE NEW TORQUE, OR SOMETHING ELSE. IT IS ALSO OUT OF ALIGN NOW.. TOW BILL FROM CLEVE 122.00 TOW BILL FROM FORD 50.00 TORQUE CONVERTER 915.90 G & R DIAGNOSTIC 69.23 TOTAL $1,157.13 AND IT STILL ISN'T RUNNING PROPERLY,, I HAD NO CAR FROM OCTOBER 2ND TO OCTOBER 6TH, THEN I HAD TO BORROW A CAR AGAIN FOR THE G&R CHECK,, AND 2 TIMES AFTER THAT WHEN IT HAD TO GO BACK TO FALLS TRANS,, I AM TAKING IT BACK AGAIN 10/31/11 AND LEAVING IT AT NIGHT FOR THEM TO LOOK AT ALL DAY TUES. *TR