2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR HAS ONLY 46,000 MILES ON IT. DECEMBER 23, 2007, TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE TRANSMISSION/TRANSAXLE INDICATOR LIGHT COME ON AS THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED SUDDENLY AT 55MPH. WE TOOK TO THE THRELKELD FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE SHIFTING SOLENOIDS HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR $1,012.00. *TR

MY CAR SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING WRONG..NOT EVEN A LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON. I WAS DOING ABOUT 40MPH AND IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE THREW ME INTO NEUTRAL AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE IN EITHER DIRECTION AT ALL. *TR

2005 FORD FREESTAR VAN WENT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55MPH ONCE IT STOPPED IT WOULD NOT MOVE. ONLY HAS 38500 MI. DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS NEW TORQUE CONVERTER FOR ONLY $1200-$1500 AND IT'S OUT OF WARR. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND OUT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH PROBLEMS. IT'S LESS THAN 3YR OLD BUT 2500MI OVER WARR. NOW I KNOW WHY EVERYBODY IS BUYING FOREIGN CARS. *TR

ON DEC 15,2007 MY PREGNANT WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN WERE GOING SHOPPING. AS THEY WERE DRIVING UP A INCLINE THE VEHICLE JUST STARTED RACING AS IN NEUTRAL. MY WIFE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AS BEST SHE COULD DUE TO A LOW SHOULDER,STILL IN THE ROAD. SHE REMOVED THE KIDS AND BROUGHT THEM UP AN EMBANKMENT SO IF THE VEHICLE WAS HIT THEY WOULD BE SAFE. A FRIEND TOWED US TO A LEVEL SPOT AND I CHECKED THE LINKAGE AND FLUID LEVELS. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO PROBLEM WITH EITHER AND THERE WAS NO SIGN THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE TRANSMISSION JUST QUIT AND UPON RESEARCHING I FOUND OUT THAT THIS ISN'T AN ISOLATED PROBLEM AND THAT I'M NOT ALONE. IF THIS HAPPENED AT A BUSIER TIME I THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL BECAUSE OF THE LARGER INCREASED TRAFFIC. PLEASE HELP AS THIS IS ARE PRIMARY VEHICLE AND MY WIFE IS DUE IN MARCH. *TR

TRANSMISSION BROKE @ 50,000 MILES WITHOUT WARNING. I JUST BOUGHT THIS VAN 8 MONTHS AGO, AND NOW IM MAKING PAYMENTS ON A VAN I CANNOT DRIVE. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION. (WHICH I DO EVERY 5K, THIS WAS AT ABOUT 40K). REAR DRIVER BRAKE PADS WERE DOWN TO 10%, ALL OTHERS WERE FINE. WHEN REPLACING PADS, THE MECHANIC FOUND BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED INTO THE CALIPER, CAUSING IT TO FAIL. THE CALIPER FAILURE CAUSED OVERHEATING AND DRAGGING OF THE CERAMIC BRAKE PAD ON THE ROTOR, CUTTING A HUGE GROOVE INTO ROTOR, WHICH NEGATED ANY CHANCE OF MACHINING. THE CALIPERS, ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS ALL REQUIRED REPLACEMENT WITH LESS THAN 40K MILES ON THE CAR... BIG $$$$. THIS FAILURE SEEMED PRE-MATURE, AND WAS UNUSUAL EVEN TO A SERVICE MANAGER WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. (HE SUGGESTED THAT FORD SHOULD BE NOTIFIED, WHICH THEY WERE, TODAY, 11/26/2007). *TR

2005 FORD FREESTAR GRINDING BEGAN BACK BRAKES HAVE HAD VAN MAINTAIN AT DEALERSHIP SINCE GOT NEVER HAD REPORT BRAKES NEED REPLACED AS NOISE INCREASED AT 42,068 MILES TOOK BACK TO DEALERSHIP FOUND BACK BRAKE AND ROTORS NEED REPLACED BUT NOT FRONT BRAKE THIS GOOD THIS IS A FWD VEHICLE FRONT BRAKES SHOULD GO FIRST FORD REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS WANTED 475.00 BUT AFTER POINTING OUT NEVER ADV ANY PROBLEM FINAL PRICE PAID 332.01 AFTER CHECKING MAINTENANCE HISTORY IN COMPUTER CHECKING INTERNET MULTI PROBLEM BACK BRAKES HAVE CONTACT CORP FORD WILL NOT ASSIST OR RECALL ISSUE AT MOMENT THIS IS HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM ORIGINAL BACK BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE. *JB

AT APPROXIMATELY 28,000 MILES WE HEARD A TERRIBLE SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR MINIVAN AND AFTER VISUAL INSPECTION THE BRAKE PAD ON THE DRIVER'S REAR WAS WORN TO NOTHING. IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VAN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED US THAT IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY OUR WARRANTY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY OUR PERSONAL MECHANIC WE WERE INFORMED THE CALIPER WAS STICKING AND CUT INTO THE ROTOR. HE PUT A SET OF BRAKE PADS ON SO WE COULD DRIVE IT BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, SUNSET FORD, IN GRAVOIS. WE WERE TOLD SINCE WE DID NOT USE MOTOCRAFT THE REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED. NOW AT 50,000 MILES THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND THE VAN NEEDS ANOTHER SET OF BRAKES AND ROTORS. *TR

AT APPROX. 33,000 MILES STARTED EXPEIENCING BRAKING PROBLEMS- SOFT PEDAL, REQUIRING EXCESS PRESSSURE TO STOP SAFELY. OCCASIONAL INSTANCES OF ACCELERATION WHILE BRAKING BECAUSE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL WERE AT SAME HEIGHT. A NARROW ACCELERATION MISS DROVE ME TO MY SERVICE SHOP WHERE I ASKED THEM TO CHECK OUT THE BRAKES. THE PADS & ROTORS WERE IN FINE SHAPE. BUT THE MASTER CYLINDER PROVED TO BE BAD. IT TOOK 4 REPLACEMENT CYLINDERS FROM LOCAL DEALERS TO GET ONE THAT FIT AND FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. NOW AT 54,000 MILES THE PEDAL IS AGAIN SOFT AND BRAKING IS GETTING HARDER EACH DAY. VISUAL INSPECTION OF PADS AND ROTORS SHOW PLENTY OF USEFUL LIFE REMAINING. SINCE WHEN IS 30,000 MILES AN ACCEPTABLE AVERAGE LIFE FOR A MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER?

AFTER READING A COMPLAINT ON YOUR SITE FROM ANOTHER CONCERNED CONSUMER, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THE ISSUES THAT ARE RECURRING WITH OUR MINIVAN. OUR AUTOMATIC DOORS DO NOT STOP CLOSING ONCE AN OBJECT IS PLACED IN THEIR WAY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A NUMBER OF BUMPS, BRUISES, AND SCARES. WE ARE FORCED TO PUSH OUR CHILDREN OUT OF THE WAY IF THEY ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE "DOOR CLOSE" BUTTON ON THE DOOR, BECAUSE I AM PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO STOP THE DOOR FROM CLOSING, AND MY HUSBAND, WHO IS A 230 LBS. FORMER BODY BUILDER HAS TO PHYSICALLY JAM THE DOOR BACK OPEN TO PREVENT IT FROM CLOSING. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THERE IS A SAFETY FEATURE IN PLACE TO PREVENT IT FROM CLOSING ON SOMEONE AND CAUSING INJURY. EVEN THE SALESPERSON WAS UNABLE TO GET THE DOOR TO STOP CLOSING ON HIM. WE SENT THE CAR TO THE SERVICE CENTER FOR FIXING AND WE WERE TOLD THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DOOR. AGAIN, I READ THIS SAME COMPLAINT FROM ANOTHER CONCERNED MOTHER AND CONSUMER ON YOUR SITE, AND I FEEL THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO IMMEDIATELY. I AM CERTAIN THIS ISSUE COULD INJURE SOMEONE SIGNIFICANTLY, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY. *TR