2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

I WAS ALONG THE EXPRESSWAY ABOUT 55MPH ,THEN ALL UNSUDDEN THE VAN MADE A JERK AND BEGIN TO LOSE POWER AND SLOWED PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND IT WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED SO I MANAGED TO LET IT ROLL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED CUT THE MOTOR OFF ,AND THEN CRANKED IT BACK UP PUT IT INTO DRIVE WOULD NOT MOVE THEN REVERSE WOULD NOT MOVE SO CUT IT OFF AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. *TT

DRIVING IN PARKING AREA AT 25 MPH WHEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER DUE TO AN INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. HAD TO TOW VAN TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST GARAGE AS THERE WERE NO APPARENT REASONS FOR THE FAILURE. WAITING FOR DIAGNOSIS AT THIS TIME. NO PREVIOUS NOTICE OR INDICATIONS OF PENDING FAILURE WERE PRESENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE REPAIRS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONSISTED OF THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER, MASTER AIR FLOW SYSTEM AND EGR VALVE AT DIFFERENT TIMES. IN ADDITION, THE BELT TENSIONER WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. MOST RECENTLY, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND EXHIBIT A SEVERE JERKING MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE PCM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND WITHIN TWO DAYS WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE IDENTICAL FAILURE RECURRED; AS A RESULT WATER LEAKED INTO THE PCM. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND AUTO STARTS COASTING. ENGINE WILL REV, TRANSMISSION HAS DIS-ENGAGED AND WILL NOT RE-ENGAGE. THIS IS APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON FAILURE WITH THIS MODEL. TRANSMISSION IS OUT, NO WARNING OR NOISE; JUST GONE. SO MANY REPORTED TRANSMISSION FAILURES, ONE HAS TO WONDER WHY THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALLS ISSUED. *KB

UPON A STOP OR WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE, THE CAR LUNGES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I VIEW THIS AS DANGEROUS, AS THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES, EITHER WHEN IN A PARKING LOT WITH PEDESTRIANS BEHIND ME ENTERING STORE OR WHEN I AM AT A STOP LIGHT AND PEDESTRIANS ARE IN A CROSSWALK. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I SEE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING AS WELL, CONCERNING A "THROTTLE BODY" COMPONENT ON THE FORD FREESTYLE FROM YEARS 2005 AND UP. I FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY INVESTIGATED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED THROUGH NO FAULT OF THE CAR OWNER, BUT IN FACT, THE VEHICLE AND THE MAKER OF THE VEHICLE. *KB

AS WE DROVE AT THE 60 MPH SPEED LIMIT ON I-64 IN ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO, IN THE MIDDLE OF FIVE LANES, OUR TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED. THE ENGINE RACED, AS THE CRUISE CONTROL ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL THE SPEED AS WE DROVE UP A HILL. WE COASTED THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT, THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO SHOULDER IN THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, SO WE WERE BARELY OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. WE WERE ON THE DOWNSIDE OF A HILL, AND ON A CURVE, SO THERE WAS NO WAY ONCOMING TRAFFIC COULD SLOW TO AVOID US. WE WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE NOT TO BE HIT AS WE COASTED THROUGH THE TRAFFIC LANES TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AND MORESO THAT TRAFFIC APPROACHING US FROM BEHIND WAS ABLE TO AVOID US. WE HAD THE VAN TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, AND THEY REPLACED THE TORQUE CONVERTER, AT A COST OF MORE THAN $1,500. THOUGH THE VAN IS REPAIRED AND BACK IN WORKING ORDER, IT WAS REPAIRED WITH A TORQUE CONVERTER, THAT. TO MY UNDERSTANDING, HAS THE SAME DEFECT THAT THE ORIGINAL HAD. THEREFORE, I AM UNEASY AT THE THOUGHT THAT THE SAME THING COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AT ANY TIME. *TR

CAS ASKS THIS LETTER AND THE 92 COMPLAINTS ATTACHED HERETO BE PLACED IN THE DOCKET OF EA09-016 AND THAT FORD BE ORDERED TO RECALL ALL 2004-05 FORD FREESTAR, AND MERCURY MONTEREY VANS FOR DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS.

DRIVING MY FREESTAR AND IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER. ENGINE STILL RUNNING, WILL NOT GO IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. ONLY NEUTRAL OR PARK. THIS HAPPENED IN A RURAL 2-LANE ROAD IN KENTUCKY. NO WAY TO GET ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER GETTING IT TOWED TO A DEALER AFTER THEY HAD CLOSED FOR THE WEEKEND. HAD TO GET A RENTAL CAR. TO GET BACK HOME TO MICHIGAN. MONDAY THE DEALER CALLED THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD STRIPPED IT'S SPLINES COST 1379.85 FOR THE TORQUE CONVERTER, TWO SEALS, FLUID, A SCREEN AND A TRANS INSULATOR WITH LABOR. RENTAL CAR FROM ENTERPRISE 420.76 TOWING 95.00 GAS FOR THE EXTRA TRIP TO KENTUCKY AND BACK $70.00 NOT ONLY WERE WE LUCKY WE DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY THIS FAILURE. BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET A TOW TRUCK WITHIN AN HOUR. THE VEHICLE HAD 85,625 MILES ON IT. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH I HAD PURCHASED AND EXTENDED WARRANTY. IT ONLY WENT TO 72,000 MILES. *TR

THE MINIVAN HAS BEEN DESCRIBED BY THE DEALERSHIP WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE PROPOSED REMEDY IS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. WE WERE RETURNING HOME AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1/2 HOUR AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY WE PROCEEDED TO AN INTERSECTION AND STOPPED AT A RED TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED AND GAS PEDAL PRESSED, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED BUT THE CAR DID NOT MOVE. WE TRIED ALL THE GEARS AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE RUNNING NORMALLY. WE FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THIS FAILURE HAPPENED AT A STOP AND NOT AT FREEWAY SPEEDS AND THAT THE VEHICLES BEHIND US AT THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL DID NOT PLOW INTO OUR REAR END. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT OCCURRING WE HAD INTERMITTENT OCCASIONS WITH THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMING ON, AND THEN GOING OFF. WE OFTEN WERE ALWAYS ABLE TO CLEAR THE PROBLEM BY TIGHTENING THE GAS CAP WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING, WHICH IS A COMMON CAUSE FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN ON. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED FROM A FORD DEALER ABOUT 17 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. DURING THAT TIME WE NOTICED OCCASIONS OF BURSTS OF ACCELERATION WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER WHO ASSURED US THIS WAS NORMAL. SINCE THE INCIDENT, I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF POSTS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING IDENTICAL PROBLEMS ON THE 2005 FORD FREESTAR, YET NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. WHILE WE CAME OUT OF THIS INCIDENT SAFELY, I CAN SEE HOW IT WOULD CAUSE TRAGIC ACCIDENTS TO OCCUR. IN THE END, WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF $4000 FOR THE REPAIR (1/3 OF THE PRICE WE PAID FOR THE VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING THE CAR LESS THAN 6000 MILES AND HAVING IT SERVICED METICULOUSLY IN THE INTERIM). OUR HOUSEHOLD IS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, AND WE DO NOT HAVE RESOURCES FOR THIS KIND OF REPAIR. WHILE WE ARE HAPPY TO BE UNINJURED, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE FLAWED TRANSMISSION IS DEVASTATING. *TR