2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

DRIVING AT 25 MILES PER HOUR AND I TURNED THE CORNER AND LOST ALL MOTIVE POWER. THE MOTOR RAN FINE BUT THE VAN HAD NO GEARS FORWARD OR REVERSE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM, I DIDN'T SEE OR HEAR ANYTHING AND NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS HAPPENED. A MECHANIC TOLD ME THE TORQUE CONVERTER OUTPUT SHAFT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. *TR

I OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTAR WITH 55,000 MILES ON IT THAT I BOUGHT NEW . BUT ON APRIL 15 2011 AS I DROVE DOWN THE ROAD AT ABOUT 30PMH I SUDDENLY HAD NO POWER OF FORWARD MOTION. I WAS HEADING TO A HILL . NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS HAPPENING A HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS FORCED TO GO AROUND ME IN THE OTHER LANE. THANKFULLY NOBODY WAS COMING UP THE HILL. I TRIED TO PUT THE VAN INTO REVERSE TO SEE IF IT WORKED BUT IT WAS LIKE BEING IN NEUTRAL. THE VAN STARTED ROLLING DOWN THE HILL AGAIN. THE MOTOR WOULD RACE NO MATTER WHAT GEAR I PUT THE VAN IN. I HAD THE VAN TOWED TO TRANSMISSION SHOP WERE I WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. HE ASKED IF WHERE WERE ANY SIGNS OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THIS. WHICH THERE WERE NOT. HE TOLD ME THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER OUTPUT SPLINES WERE SHEARED OFF AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. THAT WOULD COST ABOUT 2,300.00 AND TAKE A WEEK. NOW HE IS GOING TO SAVE THE PARTS FOR ME SO I CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENEDTO THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF FORD WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON EVERY VAN MADE BUT IS HAPPENING ON A SELECT FEW YEARS. MAYBE IT WAS A BAD MATCH OF PARTS ,BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE WAS OPERATING IN NORMAL MANNER IN TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY ALL DRIVE POWER TO THE WHEELS WAS LOST. THERE WAS NO WARNING AT ALL FROM A SOUND TO ANY SHUDDER FROM THE VEHICLE. SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC MOVING 50 MPH. ENGINE NEVER STALLED OR DIED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER VEHICLE FROM FAST LANE TO A PARKING LOT ENTRANCE AND STOP VEHICLE. ENGINE RUNS FINE, BRAKES NO ISSUE; HOWEVER, THE VAN WILL NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION NEVER ENGAGES WHILE SHIFTING ON THE STEERING COLUMN. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO FLUID LEAKAGE OR SMOKE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. VAN WAS TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR FACILITY. TORQUE CONVERTER AND PUMP WERE REPLACED. TOTAL CHARGES OF ABOUT $1000 FOR THE WORK. SERVICE MANAGER AT BILL COLLINS FORD DENIED KNOWING OF ANY ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO HIM TWO CUSTOMERS ARRIVED TO PICK UP VEHICLE WITH EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AND SIMILAR OCCURRENCE OF LOSS OF POWER IN TRAFFIC. HIS EXPLANATION WAS COINCIDENCE, YET THIS TORQUE CONVERTER / TRANSMISSION IS STOCKED AT A MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL LEVEL IN THE PARTS DEPARTMENT DUE TO HIGH DEMAND PER THE SERVICE DESK TECH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT RECALL RELATED AND THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000. UPDATED 06/01/11*LJ UPDATED 07/08/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE ACCELERATOR WAS ENGAGED YET THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP WHERE SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH A RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,942.

WHILE TRAVELING ON I-94, GOING 70 MPH, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY GONE. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO A SAFE LOCATION ON THE SIDE OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY WITHOUT THE USE OF A TRANSMISSION. MY HUSBAND AND 2 SMALL CHILDREN WERE IN THE VAN WITH ME AT THE TIME. IT WAS VERY UNNERVING AND DANGEROUS. WE HAD THE VAN TOWED TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY QUOTED $1400 FOR THE REPAIR BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM DOWN TO $1100. THE VAN HAS ONLY 66000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. FORD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM AND A RECALL NEEDS TO BE MADE.

VEHICLE STOPPED HAVING ANY FORWARD AND VERY LIMITED BACKWARD POWER IN MY DRIVEWAY. THERE WAS NO WARNING AND THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 23,000 MILES. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR PREVIOUS INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. NO TRANSMISSION LEAKS, THE FLUID WAS A NORMAL COLOR. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SLIDING DOORS WHEN CLOSING DO NOT STOP OR OPEN WHEN AN OBJECT WAS BLOCKING IT. IF SOMEONE WAS IN THE PATH OF THE DOOR WHILE IT WAS CLOSING IT CONTINUED TO CLOSE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DOORS AFTER THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE SENSORS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,491.

MY SON DROVE THE FREESTAR HOME THE NIGHT OF 3/20 AND STATED IT WAS RUNNING A BIT ROUGH. THE NEXT MORNING MY WIFE HAD A HARD TIME STARTING THE CARE TO DRIVE OUR DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL. ONCE SHE GOT THE VEHICLE STARTED AND BACKED IT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER AND WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO START THE VAN BUT IT NOW HAD NO REVERSE. THE DEALER HAD THE VAN FOR 12 DAYS AND REPLACED THE PCM. WE GOT THE VAN BACK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALER NOW STATES THAT THE WIRING AND CONNECTORS TO THE PCM ARE ALL SOAKED AND THEY NEED TO BE DRIED AND CLEANED. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE FREESTAR AND THAT I WAS QUITE LUCKY AS TO THE TIMING AND LOCATION OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT FAILED. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BY FORD PRIOR TO ANYONE GETTING INJURED. *TR

OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR LTD MINIVAN HAS EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER SYMPTOMATIC OF A TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHICH NO WARNING OR SIGNS OF A PENDING FAILURE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, AND ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR SERIOUS INCIDENT, IT COULD HAVE. THE VAN HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS. THE SYMPTOMS EXPERIENCED SEEM VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE ARTICULATED BY OTHERS IN A PENDING NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER INPUT SHAFT SPLINES ON THIS MODEL YEAR VEHICLE. *TR