2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE REAR POWER LIFTGATE, FOLLOWED BY A FORCEFUL CLOSURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. RECALL 06V069000, STRUCTURE BODY HATCHBACK/ LIFTGATE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE REMEDY WAS INSUFFICIENT AND FAILED TO ADDRESS THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 77,000.

DRIVING ON I-10 IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE, MY 2005 FORD FREESTAR VAN SUDDENLY (AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING) LOST FORWARD POWER. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT THERE WAS NO TRUST. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A NEARBY SERVICE STATION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND IT APPEARS THAT MY SITUATION IS VERY SIMILAR THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FILED ABOUT THE LOST TORQUE IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL YEAR CAR. MY CAR HAD ONLY 68,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

JUST GOT HOME FROM DRIVING THE KIDS FROM TOWN AND THE TRANSMISSION QUIT ON THE 2005 FREESTAR VAN. I AM TRYING TO GET INTO THE SHOP. I CONSIDERED THIS A NEAR MISS. *TR

WE OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTAR WITH 53,000 MILES ON IT THIS MORNING, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5TH I WENT TO START THE CAR AND IT MADE A HORRIBLE SCREECHING NOISE. I SAT IN THE DRIVEWAY FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES TO SEE IF IT WOULD GO AWAY AS THE ENGINE WARMED UP AND WHILE IT BECAME SOFTER THE SCREECH WAS STILL THERE. TRIED TO PUT IT IN REVERSE AND SLOWLY ROLLED DOWN MY DRIVE WAY BUT WAS UNABLE TO EVER ENGAGE THE GEARS AND GET IT BACK INTO DRIVE. AFTER A COUPLE MINUTES OF BEING FRUSTRATED AND ROLLING FARTHER DOWN MY DRIVE WAY I PUT IT IN PARK AND HAD MY HUSBAND HELP ME PUSH THE VAN BACK INTO OUR DRIVEWAY. BEING A SATURDAY, WE CAN'T GET A HOLD OF ANY OF OUR LOCAL SHOPS BUT LOOKING ONLINE WE WERE ABLE TO FIND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO IT. MY CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD AND HAS 53K ON IT, IT SHOULDN'T BE HAVING ISSUES LIKE THIS YET. *TR

ON WED, DEC 2, 2009, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR DURING RUSH HOUR. SHE TURNED A CORNER, ONTO A BUSY BLVD, AND CONTINUED TO GO UP THE HILL, SUDDENLY THE CAR ACTED AS IF IT HAD BEEN SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THERE WAS NO PRIOR VIBRATION, NOISE, STALL, STUTTER, SMELL, ENGINE LIGHT OR OTHER OCCURRENCE TO ALERT US THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ANY ISSUES AT ALL. THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE CAR LOST ALL ACCELERATION, MID-HILL, IN VERY BUSY TRAFFIC. SHE WAS ABLE TO DODGE TRAFFIC AND COAST TO A SHOULDER. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED 30-60 SECONDS EARLIER, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN T-BONED BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC AS SHE TURNED ONTO THE BLVD. AFTER READING THE ONLINE FORUMS AND NHTSA SITE, I AM SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT THE 2004/2005 FREESTARS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR TRANSMISSIONS GOING OUT WITH NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS OR NOTICE OF ANY KIND. I AM EQUALLY SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS, AND THE NHTSA IS SUPPOSEDLY INVESTIGATING THE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS OF SAME ISSUE, AND YET NEITHER FORD NOR THE NHTSA HAVE CHOSEN TO NOTIFY CURRENT OWNERS OF THE IMPENDING DANGER. A RECALL IS CERTAINLY IN ORDER. AND AT THE VERY LEAST, ALL CURRENT FORD 2004/2005 FREESTAR OWNERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS DANGER. THE QUOTE WE RECEIVED TODAY, FOR A REFURBISHED TRANSMISSION, WAS $2,800. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM FOR OUR FAMILY IN A HORRIBLE ECONOMY WHERE OUR HOUSEHOLD INCOME HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY AND IT'S 3 WEEKS TILL CHRISTMAS. THANK YOU FORD AND NHTSA FOR LEAVING CUSTOMERS AND CITIZENS IN THE DARK, AND IN DANGER! *TR

DECEMBER 2008, FELT THE TRANSMISSION SLIP WHILE DRIVING IN SNOW, HAD MECHANIC LOOK AT THE VAN, COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE DRIVES FINE UNTIL 11-19-09 DRIVING UP A HILL, SPEED LIMIT 45, AROUND A CORNER, 2005 FORD FREESTAR WITH 63457 MILES, TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY GOES INTO NEUTRAL. PULL OVER, WON'T GO INTO ANY GEAR, AAA TOWED THE VAN TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. SHOP RE-BUILT TRANSMISSION, $2557.37. BASAL'S TRANSMISSIONS, JIM BASAL 860 633 9111 NOT SURE IF PART IS AVAILABLE. HE INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR

WHILE EXITING THE PEARLRIDGE SHOPPING MALL PARKING GARAGE IN PEARL CITY, HAWAII, MY VAN COMPLETELY LOST POWER. AS I DRIFTED TO THE STOP LIGHT I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO ANOTHER GEAR TO SEE IF I POSSIBLY HAD SOME OTHER GEAR TO GO INTO SO THAT I MAY PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC. AFTER TRYING FOR A FEW SECONDS I REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT MOVE THE VAN AND HAD TO GET OUT AND PUSH. I HAD TO ATTEMPT TO MOVE THE VAN WHILE TRAFFIC WAS PASSING ON BOTH SIDES OF ME. LUCKILY, A MOTORIST STOPPED AND HE AND ANOTHER GUY ASSISTED ME IN GETTING MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE PARKING STRUCTURE SAFELY. WITH A VEHICLE JUST QUITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD LIKE THIS ONE I WAS AT RISK OF BEING REAR ENDED WHICH WOULD HAVE LEAD TO A SEVER ACCIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE INVOLVED MYSELF, MY AUNT AND MY TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS ALONG WITH THE OCCUPANTS OF THE STRIKING CAR. I WAS ALSO AT RISK WHILE TRYING TO CLEAR THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROADWAY BEFORE AN ACCIDENT COULD POSSIBLY OCCUR. I BOUGHT THE VAN USED IN 2007 AND RECEIVED A FULL TRANSMISSION SERVICE BEFORE I TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME. THIS WAS DONE AT 46000 MILES AND NOW THAT I AM AT 84K THIS MAJOR PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED. I BELIEVE I AM SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED EVERY 50K MILES SO I AM STILL GOOD WITH THE FLUID. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST ME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $4700 TO GET THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BY USING A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS POSSIBLY FIXED FROM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS I HAVE. WITH ALL OF THE POSTED COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAS AND ARE STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS I AM, I FIND IT HARD JUST TO SIT BACK AND SHELL OUT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN IT SEEMS TO BE A MUCH LARGER PROBLEM THAN JUST THAT OF ONE VAN. *TR

TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY FAILED WHEN ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE DRIVEWAY IN THE MORNING. CAR: 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THERE IS NO DRIVE NO REVERSE GEAR NOTHING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH ALL OF THE GEARS IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. SHE HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD-WAY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO HER HOME. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED, NOR HAS ANY REPAIRS BEEN MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 61,000.

I PURCHASED A 2005 FREESTAR WITH 37,000 MILES ON IT IN APRIL OF 09. WITHIN THE FIRST 1,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION SENSORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOVEMBER 13TH, YES FRIDAY THE 13TH, THE TORQUE CONVERTER BROKE ON THE TRANSMISSION WITH 47,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS ON THE 290 EXPRESSWAY DURING RUSH HOUR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SO I COULD COMMUTE BACK AND FORTH TO WORK AND CART MY GRANCHILDREN AROUND. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE FORD IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE??????? I HAD TO BORROW MONEY( 8,000 DOLLARS) AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER FOR THE TRANSMISSION!!!! FORD SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR PUTTING A PRODUCT LIKE THAT ON THE MARKET. HAD I LOOKED INTO REPORTS BEFORE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I WOULD HAVE NEVER CONSIDERED BUYING ONE. I HAVE PURCHASED FORD VEHICLES FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, BUT NO MORE..PLEASE HELP US GET A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR