2005 FORD FREESTYLE Complaints

CAR WAS FINANCED AND PURCHASED USED FROM AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER IN 2007 @ APPROX. 64K MILES. PREVIOUS OWNER WAS REGISTERED AS FORD MOTOR CO., INDIANA. ON 12 JUN 2014, WITHOUT WARNING, THE CONTINUOUSLY-VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (CVT) FIRST SHOWED SIGNS OF A PROBLEM: FAILING TO SHIFT OUT OF LOWER SPEED GEAR FROM A STOP TO HIGHER GEARS DURING TRAVEL. PROBLEM WAS REMEDIED TEMPORARILY BY SHIFTING FROM D TO R AND BACK TO D WHILE STOPPED. THE PROBLEM RECURRED SPORADICALLY, BUT WITHIN LAST WEEK FREQUENCY OF PROBLEM HAS INCREASED WHILE AWAITING SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THIS MORNING, 13-AUG-2014, TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND FAILED TO ENGAGE IN ANY FORWARD GEAR WHILE STOPPED AT INTERSECTION, RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF FORWARD PROPULSION. PROBLEM REMEDIED BY SHIFTING FROM D TO R AND BACK TO D, WITH SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTLY. SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATES THAT CVT FAILURES IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL ARE COMMON AND RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION WITH REBUILT (AS TRANSMISSION IS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED BY FORD). MOREOVER, ONLY FORD CAN PERFORM THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED DURING ANY OF THESE EVENTS. COST OF REPAIR WILL EXCEED VALUE OF CAR. $5800 OR MORE VERSUS $3600 TRADE-IN OR INSTANT-CASH OFFER PRICE $1500. AC COMPRESSOR FAILURE AND REBUILD (INCLUDING REAR AC) IN 2012 COST $875. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID NEEDED TO BE CHANGED AND THE TRANSMISSION FILTER REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE FAIL SAFE MODE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 10 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000. UPDATED 10/02/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHCLE WOULD SURGE AT LOW SPEEDS AND EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF POWER AT HIGH SPEEDS. UPDATED 03/2/2015 *JS

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND THE THROTTLE BODY HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALER BUT THEY ONLY CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY WHEN IT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE LAST EVENT WAS IN AUGUST 1 WHEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE FAIL SAFE MODE CAME UP AND THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST THE POWER AND WOULDN'T RUN FASTER THAN PROBABLY 0.1 MILE PER HOUR. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME I WAS WITH MY KIDS IN A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STOP RUNNING. THANK GOD I HAD A CHANCE TO STEER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE 2005-2007 FREESTYLE, THIS IS A SUPER SAFETY ISSUE AND NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WHEN MY CAR STOPPED I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT ON THE BACK WITH A WORST OUTCOME. I GOT A TOW TRUCK AND THEY TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORD DEALER. THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT HELPFUL AT ALL AND TREATED ME WITH A BAD ATTITUDE. VERY EXPENSIVE TO CHANGE THAT'S WHY FORD IS NOT GETTING INVOLVED AND ONLY OFFERED TO CLEAN THE PART IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, KNOWING THAT WOULDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. FORD SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR THE THROTTLE BODY PART BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS KILLED IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A THREE TO FOUR SECOND LAG. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,902.

CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR CAME UP WRENCH LIGHT LIT UP WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS. *TR

RIDING DOWN ROAD AND CAR STARTED LUNGING AND TRYING TO GO ON ITS OWN. THEN TRANSAXLE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR WOULD THEN ONLY GO 40MPH BUT IT WOULD REV UP AND TAC AT 5 OR MORE. TOOK IT TO AMERICUS SUNBELT FORD, THEY SAID IT NEEDED TRANSAXLE FLUID AND PUT SOME IN. LIGHT WENT OFF AND IT WORKED. VERY DANGEROUS TO BE IN ROAD AND CAR WON'T GO FAST ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. THE A/C QUIT RIGHT AFTER THIS. HAD A/C FIXED AND IT WAS OK. NEXT THE THROTTLE BODY IN JUNE 2012 MESSED UP AND I HAD IT FIXED AT SUNBELT FORD AND THEY CHARGED ME ALMOST $900. RAN FOR A WHILE THEN FORD HAD A RECALL ON THROTTLE BODY AND I TOOK IT IN AND THEY CLEANED IT BUT WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR WHAT I PAID TO GET FIXED. MAY 2014 A/C COMPRESSOR WENT OUT AGAIN GOT IT FIXED AND ON JULY 13, 2014 IN ATLANTA GA ON INTERSTATE 85 AROUND NORCROSS WITH THE TRAFFIC FLYING 75 80 MPH BY ME JERKING ALONG AT 40MPH AND THE TRANSAXLE LIGHT CAME ON. IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY SINCE I HAD MY CHILD AND HUSBAND WITH ME WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND WE WERE NOT AT AN EXIT TO GET OFF BUT WHEN WE LIMPED TO ONE I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT AND IT QUIT GOING UP THE SMALL HILL. IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR BACKWARD THEREFORE WE WERE IN HARMS WAY AGAIN. WITH THE HELP OF STRANGERS WE PUSHED IT TO SAFETY. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED 169 MILES BACK TO MY HOME AND THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT IT IS FULL OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BUT IT WILL NOT GO. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. FORD SHOULD HAVE TO TAKE THESE CARS OFF THE ROAD AND PAY ME FOR ALL THE REPAIRS AND A CAR THAT WON'T GO. *TR

LUNGES FORWARD OR BACKWARD WHEN PUT IN TO DRIVE OR REVERSE .CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM COMES ON AND OFF AS IT PLEASE. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT 4 DIFFERENT TIMES BUT NO PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN FOUND. THE NEXT ISSUE IS NOW IT IS DISPLAYING THE WRENCH LIGHT AND SAYS ENGINE SAFE MODE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I REALLY LIKED MY CAR UNTIL THIS HAS STARTED IT IS MY ONLY CAR AND I HAVE 3 SMALL CHILDREN I NEED TO TRANSPORT DAILY AND I AM VERY SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR BUT HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. FORD PLEASE HELP FIGURE OUT THESE PROBLEMS I HAVE READ A LOT ABOUT OTHER HAVING THESE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

VEHICLE IDLING, VEHICLE PUT INTO REVERSE AND INSTANTLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS, DEPRESSED BRAKE AND VEHICLE NET INTO A SAFE FAIL MODE. ENGINE LIGHT AND A WRENCH DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON. TURNED VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON SYSTEMS CAME UP FINE. PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND LUNGED FORWARD. ENGINE LIGHT AND WRENCH DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE WENT INTO FAIL SAFE MODE AGAIN. DROVE VEHICLE HOME IN FAIL SAFE MODE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICING SEPTEMBER 08, 2010 FOR SAME ISSUE, THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. *TR

* ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WHEN PARKING OR REVERSING AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING ON ANY FAN LEVEL. - DURING HIGH EXTERIOR TEMPERATURES WHEN VEHICLE AC IS ON, VEHICLE DRASTICALLY LUNGES FORWARD IF IN DRIVE - OR BACKWARDS IF IN REVERSE. RESEARCH ONLINE STATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG FORD VEHICLES, THEREFORE IF FORD DOES NOT ACT SWIFTLY TO CORRECT THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY DEFECT IN THEIR MANUFACTURING, I WILL CONTACT MY CONGRESSIONAL/SENATE REPRESENTATIVES. THESE VEHICLES TRANSPORT CHILDREN, AND FORD SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND NOT IGNORE THESE PROBLEMS LIKE CHEVROLET AND TOYOTA DID. "MAN-UP" FORD! *TR