2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

THE TORQUE CONVERTER IN OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR HAS GONE OUT AT 43,000 MILES AND NOW AT 86,000 MILES. *TR

CAR STOPS WORKING FOR A SECOND WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IN THE WINTER TIME, USUALLY SNOW. IT AS IF SOMETHING MISSES AND CAR IS ABOUT TO STALL OUT BUT CATCHES ITSELF AND BEGINS TO WORK AGAIN. USUALLY HAPPENS IN SPURTS BUT ONLY IN THE WINTER MONTHS. HAPPENS EVERY WINTER FOR PASSED 3 YEARS. PCM AND MASS AIR FLOW SENSORS REPLACED TWICE. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 FORD FREESTART. AT 50000 MILES, THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING THE VAN TO NOT MOVE WHEN THE SHIFTER WAS TAKEN TO DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE VAN WOULD NOT GO, BUT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. AT THE TIME OF FAILURE, THE VAN HAD BEEN DRIVEN APPROX 1 HR EARLIER TO A STORE, THEN ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HOME AND WOULD NOT MOVE. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION PRIOR, JUST SUDDEN FAILURE. *TR

CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD WITH 39K MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. CAR WOULD NO LONGER DRIVE. COMPLETELY LOST THE ABILITY TO SHIFT OR DO ANYTHING. BROUGHT CAR TO A STOP AT A LIGHT AND IT WOULD NO LONGER OPERATE. I TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SERIOUS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. FORD SAYS WARRANTY RAN OUT AT 36K MILES AND COST TO REPAIR IS ESTIMATED AT OVER $3,000. SEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS BY FORD FREESTAR OWNERS. MY RESEARCH SHOWS A CLEAR PATTERN OF CONSISTENT TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE. THIS POINTS TO A DEFECT BY THE MANUFACTURER AND FLIES IN THE FACE OF NORMAL CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS THAT WHEN YOU BUY A BRAND NEW CAR, ITS TRANSMISSION SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 30 OR 40 THOUSAND MILES! I WAS ALSO SHOCKED TO FIND THAT NHTSA HAS NOT YET INITIATED AN INVESTIGATION DESPITE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE AGENCY ITSELF. I THEN CALLED NHTSA TO ASK WHAT IT TAKES TO START AN INVESTIGATION. I ASSUME THAT THE AGENCY HAS A TYPICAL STANDARD OR SET OF GUIDELINES THAT IT FOLLOWS TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN INVESTIGATION IS CALLED FOR, BUT NO ONE AT NHTSA WOULD GIVE ME THAT INFORMATION OR WOULD DIRECT ME TO ANYONE ELSE AT THE AGENCY WHO COULD PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. ESSENTIALLY, I WAS TOLD "JUST FILE A COMPLAINT" AND GO AWAY. NO OTHER HELP WAS AVAILABLE TO ME AS A CONSUMER AND A TAXPAYER. I'M DEEPLY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE PROCESS AND I HOPE THAT THE STEP OF FILING THE COMPLAINT MAKES THE AGENCY MORE RESPONSIVE THAN IT HAS BEEN SO FAR. *TR

TRAVELING NORTH ON I-75 IN MICHIGAN, OUR VAN LOST ALL GEARS AT 50-60 MPH WITH NO WARNING OR NOISE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THE VAN WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE ON A DOWNHILL STRETCH OF ROAD AND WE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. THE ENGINE WOULD REV AND THERE WAS POWER, BUT NO GEARS. WE WERE GOING SKIING FOR THE WEEKEND AND WERE ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A WRECKER (AFTER SITTING IN THE VAN FOR 1 1/2 HOURS WITH 2 YOUNGER CHILDREN) AND TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR, THE SERVICE REP SAID THE TORQUE CONVERTER SHAFT WAS STRIPPED AND WOULD BE ABOUT $1700 TO REPAIR. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS HURT AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE TRAVELING WITH US TO TAKE THE CHILDREN WHILE WE RODE IN THE WRECKER. THIS IS DEFECT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD! *TR

2005 FORD FREESTAR VAN. 95K MILES. TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING TRAVELING AT 50 MPH ON THE FREEWAY. UP UNTIL THIS POINT, EVERYTHING WAS FINE EXCEPT WE'D HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TRANNY TO ENGAGE LONGER THAN NORMAL BEFORE APPLYING GAS: FORWARD OR REVERSE. IF WE DIDN'T, THERE'D BE A SURGE ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD CLUNK. *TR

YESTERDAY, 12/7/08, I PULLED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, SWITCHED GEAR FROM REVERSE TO FORWARD AND APPLIED GAS. OTHER THAN REVVING OF ENGINE, NOTHING HAPPENED. IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE ANY GEARS. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP TODAY AND THEY REFERRED ME TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO HELP AS THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. 2005 FORD FREESTAR TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 51,000 MILES (DECEMBER 7, 2008) SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS FAILURE OF REASONABLE ASSURANCE OF FUNCTIONALITY OF VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 58,000.

TRANSMISSION HAS MALFUNCTIONED LEADING TO COMPLETE VEHICLE IMMOBILITY. VEHICLE HAS DEVELOPED A REPUTATION FOR THIS FAILURE. *TR

ON TUESDAY NOV. 11TH AT 5:21PM MY WIFE AND 3 OF MY 4 CHILDREN WERE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY 4 LANE HIGHWAY IN MURFREESBORO, TN WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR STRANGE SOUND THE 2005 FORD FREESTAR VAN WE OWN FAILED TO PROPEL ITSELF FORWARD. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT THE CAR ACTED AS THOUGH IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. MY WIFE COASTED TO A STOP AND PLACED VAN IN PARK AND KILLED THE ENGINE. SHE RESTARTED AND PLACED IN DRIVE POSITION BUT VAN WOULD NOT MOVE. OTHER DRIVERS WERE SWERVING TO MISS HER AS NO SHOULDER TO PULL ONTO. REVERSE GEAR NON RESPONSIVE AS WELL. HAD VAN TOWED TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP. TOTAL TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE AT 55, 500 MILES. PAID $751 DOLLARS FOR TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACEMENT. *TR