2004 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

2004 FORD FREESTAR. CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE STATING CONSUMERS WHO HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIRS, WOULD RECEIVE REIMBURSEMENT IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2012. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SECOND QUARTER HAS PASSED AND HE STILL HAS NOT RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT. ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 AS HE ACCELERATED TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED UP AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN. AFTER COASTING ABOUT 2000 FEET, HE WAS ABLE TO GET OFF AT THE EXIT RAMP AND WAS ABLE TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK.

ON 08/13/2012 TRIED TO ENGAGE THE THIRD ROW FOLDING SEAT TO THE FULL UPRIGHT POSITION. THE DRIVERS SIDE LATCH FOR THE THIRD ROW SEAT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THE SEAT ANCHOR TO BE LOOSE. AFTER I LOOKED AT THE OUTSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL THE PLATE THAT THE ANCHOR MOUNTS TO WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED ALL THE WAY AROUND AND THE PLATE AND ANCHOR IS DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE AND FALLING INTO THE WHEEL WELL. THERE IS NOW A BIG HOLE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL DIRECTLY INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE BECOMES SOAKED WHEN DRIVEN IN THE RAIN. SAFETY ISSUE AS OUR KIDS RIDE IN THE THIRD ROW SEAT AND THERE IS NO WAY TO LATCH THE SEAT SAFELY NOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIR UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V006000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER) HE NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD DECELERATE PRIOR TO THE REPAIRS BUT IT HAD BECOME MORE PERSISTENT OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO WATER PENETRATING THE PCM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,600. UPDATED 10/10/12 *CN UPDATED 10/15/2012 *JS

2005 FORD FREESTAR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL CONCERNING TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER *TGW IN MARCH 2012, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. AFTER A FEW WEEKS, HE DECIDED TO CONTACT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER LISTED ON THE MEMO. THE CONSUMER STATED TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, HE NEVER RECEIVED AN UPDATE TO THE ORIGINAL NOTICE THAT WAS PROMISED FOR 2ND QUARTER 2012. ON 04/02/12, THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER THEN INFORMED THE REP, THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED ON 12/17/10 AND HE HAD IT REPLACED AT HIS EXPENSE. HE WAS THEN ADVISED TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TO SEEK A REPLACEMENT AND THEY WOULD ASSIST HIM IN RECOUPING HIS COSTS THROUGH THE FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THE NEXT DAY, THE CONSUMER ARRIVED AT THE DEALER. THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF THE RECALL, BUT IT WAS STILL NEW AND THEY HAD NO DETAILS ON HOW TO PROCEED. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THEY WERE WAITING FOR PRODUCTION OF SUITABLE REPLACEMENT PARTS. WEEKS LATER, THE PARTS ARRIVED. HOWEVER, HE WAS INFORMED THEY WERE NOT DOING REPAIRS, UNLESS THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING. THE CONSUMER THEN CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AGAIN AND RELAYED WHAT WAS SAID TO HIM. THE REP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE DEALER WAS WRONG AND EVENTUALLY AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMED THE CONSUMER, HE WOULD ONLY BE REIMBURSED FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER, NOT THE TOWING, BECAUSE THE WORK WAS NOT PERFORMED BY A FORD DEALER. *JB

WE HAD THE 3RD ROW SEAT FOLDED DOWN FOR CARGO SPACE. UPON PULLING THE SEAT BACK UP, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT WOULDN'T LATCH AND THE SEAT MOVED WHEN SOMEONE WAS SITTING ON IT. WHEN MY HUSBAND TRIED TO SECURE THE LATCH BY FOLDING THE SEAT BACK DOWN AND THEN BACK UP AGAIN - THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE LATCH AND PLATE IT'S ATTACHED TO FELL INTO THE WHEEL WELL. HE HAD TO REACH UP OVER THE LEFT REAR WHEEL TO REMOVE THE PART AND SAW THAT THERE IS NOW A HOLE IN THE WHEEL WELL THAT GOES RIGHT INTO THE VAN - YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE IN THE VAN! THE LATCH UNIT: THE PLATE IT'S BOLTED TO AND THE METAL SECTION OF THE WHEEL WELL THAT THE PLATE IS WELDED TO WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. WE CAN NO LONGER USE THE BACK SEAT DUE TO SAFETY REASONS. WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING SOMEONE TO REPAIR IT. ONE PERSON SAID WE'D HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE WHEEL WELL. WE READ ON LINE THAT FORD HAS RESPONDED THAT THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT "PARTS" FOR THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT WASN'T MANUFACTURED TO BE REPLACED. NOW WE HAVE A VAN WE CAN'T GET FIXED, WE CAN'T USE THE 3RD ROW SEATS (WE HAUL THE NEIGHBOR'S 2 KIDS IN ADDITION TO OUR 2 KIDS TO AND FROM SCHOOL), AND GETS WET ON THE INSIDE WHEN IT'S RAINING BECAUSE OF THE OPEN HOLE IN THE WHEEL WELL. *TR

AS I WAS TAKING OFF FROM A RED LIGHT, I NOTICED THAT MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TRIED CHANGING GEARS BUT IT STILL WOULD NOT GO. TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHANGED OUT THE TORQUE CONVERTER. SIX MONTHS LATER ON JULY 14TH, IT STARTS DOING THE SAME THING BUT I STILL HAD FIRST GEAR. TOOK IT BACK TO FORD AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION THIS TIME. COME TO FIND OUT WHEN THEY CHANGED THE PART THEY DID NOT CHANGE THE FILTER, FLUID, OR BLOW OUT THE LINES. THEY WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS ON THIS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD OR USE THE FORD PLACE FOR REPAIRS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THIRD ROW SEATING ANCHOR FAILED DUE TO CORROSION PENETRATING THE REAR WHEEL WELL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 78,507.

IN JANUARY 2012 AS PER RECALL NOTICE THAT WAS ON CNN NEWS, FORD ADVISED US IN MARCH 2012 THAT OUR 2004 FREESTAR WAS BEING RECALLED FOR A FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER. IF THIS PART WERE TO FAIL, THE VEHICLE WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION. THE FORD WEBSITE STATES THAT THE PART IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE AND WILL NOT BE UNTIL THE 2ND HALF OF 2012 WHICH WE ARE ALREADY IN. FORD STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WILL NOT LOSE ELECTRICAL FUNCTION SO THAT WE CAN USE OUR DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS AND COAST TO A SAFE STOP. HOW CAN THIS BE POSSIBLE IF YOU ARE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSES ALL POWER TO GO FORWARD OR BACKWARDS AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN A LANE THAT IS NOT ALONGSIDE A MEDIAN? WE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO TELLING US TO CONTACT OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP AS THE PART MAY BE AVAILABLE. WHEN WE DID MAKE CONTACT WE WERE TOLD YET AGAIN THAT THE PART IS STILL UNAVAILABLE. I CANNOT FATHOM HOW THIS PART CAN TAKE SO LONG TO BE MANUFACTURED AND SENT TO DEALERSHIPS. DOESN'T THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY VALUE LIFE? I FIND IT INEXCUSABLE FOR THEM TO TAKE SO MUCH TIME TO REMEDY A SITUATION, A SITUATION THAT PUTS MY FAMILIES LIFE IN PERIL EVERYTIME WE TAKE IT OUT ON THE ROAD. THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN USE AS A DEFENSE WHEN THEY HAVE KNOWN FOR SUCH A LONG TIME THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED. LISTENING TO THE PHONE INFORMATION ON THE # THAT FORD LISTS IS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS. THEY TELL YOU NOT TO WORRY, JUST PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN YOUR VEHICLE WILL NOT GO IN FORWARD OR REVERSE...BUT IT WILL COAST TO A SAFE STOP...THAT IS IF SOMEONE DOESN'T CRASH INTO YOU AS YOU ARE MAKING THE ATTEMPT TO GET OFF THE ROAD. *JS

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN MEEHAN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE NHTSA RECALL 12V-006 2004 FORD FREESTAR TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTER (DOT/I# H 2012182) *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF HIS VEHICLE AND WAS TROUBLED BY THE FACT, THAT FORD HAS NOT CONTACTED HIM REGARDING A REPAIR DATE AND REPLACEMENT PARTS. *JB