2005 FORD FREESTAR Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS AT 55 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED. THE WIPERS PERMANENTLY STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 2/24/2006 - THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO GREASE IN THE BEARING FITTINGS. *NM

I BOUGHT A 2005 FORD FREESTAR USED WITH 25000 MILES ON IT. THREE WEEKS LATER THE GAS CAP LIGHT CAME ON A DAY AFTER THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WHEN THE VAN WAS LOOKED AT THE CHARCOAL CANISTER WAS CRACKED IN THE FRONT. I WAS TOLD SOMETHING HIT IT AND IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HE SHOWED IT TO ME AND OTHER THAN THE HOLE IN THE FRONT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANY DAMAGE NOT A SCRATCH. I CALLED FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT DO ANY THING TO HELP. MY POINT TO THEM WAS IF SOMETHING CAN HIT THE CANISTER AND CRACK IT BUT NOT EVEN SCRATCH THE PAINT ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VAN THAN IT MUST BE IN A BAD PLACE. I CAN NOT REPLACE IT EVERY THREE WEEKS AT $500 A TIME. THE OLD PART WILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN I CAN REPLACE THE OLD ONE I DO HAVE PICTURES OF IT IN PLACE. *JB

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT VIBRATION PROBLEMS. THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND VEHICLE SHUTTERED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE DAYS AFTER PURCHASING IT. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS AND COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE DEALER CHANGED THE ROTORS TWICE AND CHANGED THE TIRES. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR FOR 17 DAYS. THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO THE DEALERSHIP AND PUT THE VEHICLE ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE SEEMED TO THINK THAT WAS THE TIRES. CONSUMER WAS SUPPOSE TO PICK UP THE CAR BUT WAS HESITANT BECAUSE OF THE TIRE PROBLEM. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THERE WERE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME PROBLEM. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FORRESTER. SHE IS RENTING THIS VAN, AND WHILE SHE WAS BENDING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE SEAT IN THE MIDDLE ROW SHE ALMOST GOT HER HEAD CRUSHED WHEN SHE MOVED THE LATCH. THE BACK SUPPORT CAME TUMBLING DOWN AND HER HEAD GOT CAUGHT IN BETWEEN. THIS COULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH FORCE, AND IF SOMEONE WAS PLAYING WITH THE LATCH, A WHOEVER WAS IN THE NEXT SEAT WOULD BE HURT. CONTACT WAS GOING TO RETURN THE VAN TO THE RENTAL PLACE. *AK

UNDER NORMAL BRAKING BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL HEIGHT IS EQUAL TO GAS PEDAL HEIGHT. UNDER HEAVY BRAKING BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL HEIGHT IS BELOW GAS PEDAL HEIGHT. THIS MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNDER BRAKING. UPDATED 11/28/2005 - *NM

DT: ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO THE BRAKES FAILED. WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IT SIMPLY WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IT DID SLOW DOWN BUT AS DRIVER PROGRESSED THE BRAKE SHOE HUNG TO THE ROTOR AND MADE A CLICKING SOUND AS THOUGH THEY WERE STILL APPLIED. AFTERWARDS CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP AND TOOK VEHICLE IN. THE TECHNICIAN STATED IT WAS A ROTOR PROBLEM. THE DEALER GRINDED RUST OR " LOT ROT" OFF THE ROTORS AND PLACED THEM BACK ON THE VEHICLE. TWO DAYS AGO HOWEVER THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN WITH THE BRAKE PADS STICKING TO THE ROTOR AND THE CLICKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE IS BACK AT THE DEALER WHO SAYS THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. *NM

HEADLIGHT BEAM PATTERN IS TERRIBLE. NO SEEING DISTANCE ON LOW BEAM AND THE HIGH BEAM PATTERN HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF LIGHT RIGHT DOWN IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, WHERE IT DOES NO GOOD.*AK

SUSPENSION SHOOK AT 60 MPH, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER.*AK THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND SHAKES AFTER HITTING BUMPS. VIBRATION CAUSES HEAD RESTS TO EXTEND AT TIMES. *TC

THE ELECTRIC SLIDING DOOR WILL OPEN ABOUT A FOOT, AND IT WILL STICK. THE BRAKES ARE LIKE SPONGES. CONSUMER STATES HE HAS TO COMPLETELY DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL STOP. CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD THREE TIMES FOR THESE ISSUES. *AK

3 YEAR OLD CHILD WAS GETTING OUT OF FREESTAR AND LEANED INTO THE SWITCH TO CLOSE THE DOOR; DOOR BEGAN TO CLOSE ON CHILD. AS I WAS REACHING IN THE DOOR I WAS KNOCKED DOWN AND THE DOOR CONTINUED TO CLOSE ON MY BODY BRUISING MY SHOULDER AND HIP AREA. I HAD TO USE ALL MY STRENGTH TO PUSH THE DOOR BACK. IT TAKES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO MAKE TO THE DOOR RETRACT WHILE SOMETHING IS IN ITS WAY. THE VAN WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE SEVERAL ADVISORS TOLD ME THAT THE DOOR IS OPERATING PROPERLY AND THAT IT WOULD NOT CAUSE SERIOUS HARM TO AN INDIVIDUAL ONLY BRUISING. *NM