2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING 67 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE AMP DISPLAYED 6,000. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INPUT SHAFT FAILED AND CAUSED THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO FAIL AS WELL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION AT THE COST OF $3,609.14. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN NOVEMBER OF 2007; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 35,850.

TWICE OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR EXPERIENCED WATER LEAKAGE THROUGH THE COWL GRILL ON THE HOOD. AFTER HEAVY RAIN IN MARCH 2008, THE FIRST OF SEVERAL BREAKDOWNS AND FIX ATTEMPTS OCCURRED, RESULTING IN 3 MONTHS OUT OF SERVICE, AND REPLACEMENTS OF THE WIRING HARNESS, THE PCM COMPUTER, SEVERAL OTHER COMPUTERS AND SENSORS, AND THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION, EQUALING NEARLY $5,000 IN TOW, RENTAL CAR, AND REPAIR BILLS--SOME OF WHICH THE DEALERSHIP TALKED MY INSURANCE TO PAY FOR AS A "WATER DAMAGE CLAIM." IN BETWEEN, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS AND BREAKDOWNS, AND THEN THIS PAST MARCH 2009, ALSO DURING HEAVY RAIN, THE CAR EXPERIENCED THE WATER DAMAGE BREAKDOWN. THIS TIME THE WATER ONLY RUINED THE PCM COMPUTER, BUT THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO HONOR THE REPAIRS THAT WERE LESS THAN 12 MONTHS OLD AND WE TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE LICENSED REPAIR TECHNICIAN. HE FOUND THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ONLINE THAT DESCRIBED THE KNOWN WATER LEAKAGE PROBLEM IN SOME 2005 FREESTAR MODELS AND DID THE RECOMMENDED FIX TWICE. IN HIS OPINION AND IN THE GEICO INSURANCE ADJUSTERS OPINION, THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS. THIS TIME WE HAD NO COVERAGE FOR THE DAMAGE AND WERE OUT OF A VEHICLE FOR TWO MONTHS AND OUT OF POCKET OVER $3,000. I'VE BEGGED FORD'S CORPORATE OFFICES TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK AND JUST LET ME OUT OF THE FINANCING BUT THEY REFUSE DUE TO THE NUMBER OF MILES. ALSO, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S LEMON LAW OFFICE SAID THERE WERE TOO MANY MILES. IN ADDITION TO THESE PROBLEMS, IN 90,000 MILES, I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE ROTORS NOW FOUR TIMES BECAUSE THEY ARE WARPING DANGEROUSLY. THE PADS ARE OK, BUT THE ROTORS ARE CONTINUALLY WARPING AND IT COSTS $800 EACH TIME TO HAVE THE BRAKES FIXED. *TR

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET IN MY 2005 FORD FREESTAR VAN WHEN I HAD TO STOP AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TO GET OUT AND CHECK ON SOMETHING IN THE BACK. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE VAN BACK IN DRIVE, THE ONLY GEAR THAT WAS WORKING WAS NEUTRAL. WITH NO WARNING THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. WE WERE FORTUNATE WE WERE NOT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT THE TIME. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH NO NOTICE. HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON I-65 RPM'S GO UP SPEED GOES DOWN. COAST ON I 65 TO A STOP AND CALL TOW TRUCK. VEHICLE DOES NOT GO F OR REV AND GEARS. TRANSMISSION IS DEAD. TRANSMISSION GIVES NO WARNING PRIOR TO TOTAL FAILURE. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING HOME FROM VACATION WITH FAMILY IN OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. FORTUNATELY WE WERE NOT ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT HAPPENED BECAUSE WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT WAS LIKE THE GAS PEDDLE WAS UNPLUGGED. WE HAD TO PUSH IT OUT OF THE ROAD. DRIVE NOR REVERSE WORKED. HAD TO HAVE TOWED. THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED AT A LARGE COST AFTER THE LARGE COST TO GET HOME IN A CAB AND THEN A RENTAL CAR. *TR

TRANSMISSION JUST DROPPED OUT OF GEAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 15 MONTHS. THIS WILL COST ANOTHER $1500. PLEASE HELP. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 71,817 MILES. TRANSMISSION HAS NO FORWARD OR REVERSE. COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AFTER GREAT SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE. *TR

AS WITH ALOT OF FREESTAR 2005 OWNERS...THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 50,000 MILES. NO HINT OF FAILURE...JUST PULLED UP TO STOP SIGN AND WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN TRAFFIC WAS CLEAR. MY WIFE AND ANOTHER COUPLE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR ACROSS THE INTERSECTION TOO REACH A SAFE HAVEN. LUCKY THAT OTHER CARS TRAVELING ON THAT ROAD GAVE THE PUSHERS THE RIGHT OF WAY AND NOBODY WAS INJURED. IT WAS A VERY BAD SITUATION TO BE IN. FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS AS MY COST IS OVER $3500.00 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION THAT SHOULD HAVE LASTED MUCH, MUCH LONGER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT GO INTO GEAR AND THE RPM'S GO UP AND DOWN. WHEN DRIVING MORE THAN 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO JERK. WHEN DRIVING MORE THAN 20 MPH, THE INTERIOR LIGHTING ILLUMINATES AND THE VEHICLE STALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP, BUT THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AFTER APPROXIMATELY FOUR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE REPAIR SHOP. THE FIRST THREE REPAIRS WERE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,710 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,986. UPDATED 05/05/09 *BF UPDATED 05/06/09*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE CHANGED GEARS AND AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT THE GEARS BEING MOVED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. SHE THEN PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE TO A SECURE LOCATION AWAY FROM THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE FAILED COMPLETELY AND LOST TOTAL POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $3,600. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 94,000.