2005 FORD FREESTYLE Complaints

VEHICLE HAS BEEN LUNGING FORWARD AT VERY SLOW SPEEDS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, USUALLY WITH FOOT LIGHTLY ON BRAKE. WHEN THIS OCCURRED ON 8/3/12, THE VEHICLE LOST CONSIDERABLE POWER AND THE DASH INDICATED "SAFE MODE". MECHANIC ADVISED THROTTLE BODY NEEDS REPLACED. *TR

CAR BEGUN ACCELERATING WHILE PULLING INTO THE GARAGE. NOTICED THAT IT WOULD ACCELERATE OR LUNG AT LOW SPEED. IT ALSO HAPPENS WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS HAPPENS GOING FORWARD OR REVERSE. ALSO REVS UP MOTOR WHILE STOPPED. IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE PULLING INTO PARKING SPACES (HAVE ALMOST WENT OVER A HILL SIDE AT WORK PARKING), STOPPING AT STOP LIGHTS (SEVERAL TIMES RUN UP ON THE BACK OF CARS AT STOP LIGHTS), PULL INTO GARAGE (HAVE ALMOST DROVE THRU MY WALL) AND BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVE WAY. THIS HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS. TOOK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE CHECKED FOR PROBLEM WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE MY THROTTLE BODY REPLACED. COSTING AROUND $600. I AM NOW UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE IN MANY CASES CAME CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT. DRIVING THIS CAR IS UNSAFE AND I WAS EVEN TOLD THAT BY THE CAR DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD SUGGEST THAT I RENT A CAR UNTIL MY CAR WAS FIXED. UNDER THE AFFECTED PARTS THIS PART IS NOT LISTED IT IS THE THROTTLE BODY. *TR

ON MARCH 4TH 2010 I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY SISTERS DRIVEWAY WHEN MY CAR SURGED AND CAUSED ME TO BACK INTO HER NEIGHBORS GARAGE ACROSS THE ALLEY. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS FROM ALMOST HITTING PEDESTRIANS IN CROSS WALKS TO ALMOST HITTING THE FRONT OF STORES, OR OTHER VEHICLES WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO OR BACK OUT OF PARKING SPOTS. THE CAR ALSO SURGES AT STOP LIGHTS. I HAVE STARTED PUTTING MY CAR IN PARK WHILE IDLING SO THAT I DON'T END UP IN AN ACCIDENT. IN MAY OF 2012 I HIT A METAL FENCE POST WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK MY CAR AT THE LOCAL RODEO. THE CAR IS DANGEROUS & I DO NOT ALLOW MY DAUGHTERS, WHO ARE BOTH OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE, TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THIS DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED.

1. PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE, VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, STEERING WAS TURNED SHARPLY AT THE TIME AND FOOT ON BRAKE 2. PULLING IN GARAGE AND VEHICLE SURGED WHILE FOOT ON BRAKE. *TR

VEHICLE LUNGES WHEN STARTING OUT FROM PARKED, LUNGES IN FORWARD GEAR, AND IN REVERSE GEAR. I SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. I HAD THIS PROBLEM MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE AND HAVE NEARLY INJURED SOMEONE WHEN HE STEPPED BEHIND MY VEHICLE AS I PUT IT INTO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING PLACE. THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF, FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP. HOWEVER THE BRAKING IS NOT SUFFICIENT WHEN BACKING IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THIS DESERVES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR FOR 40+YRS. AND ASSURE YOU THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR FORDS NOT HANDLING THIS. THEY ARE WELL AWARE THAT THIS EXISTS AND ARE IGNORING A SERIOUS HAZARD. ANY FORD SERVICE WILL ADMIT THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A RECALL. I SEE NOW THAT THERE IS A REDESIGN DUE TO THE PROBLEM. YOUR POWER CAN FORCE THEM TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM, AND SAVE SERIOUS INJURY FROM THIS POINT ON. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED AND SOMEONE HAS BEEN INJURED SERIOUSLY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DURING HOTTER WEATHER IF THE CAR IDLES AT A STOP LIGHT OR IN TRAFFIC, IT STARTS SURGING UNCONTROLLABLY UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED VERY FIRMLY. USUALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE FAIL SAFE MODE ENGAGE. THE ENGINE SPEED SURGES UP AND DOWN AND TRIES TO MOVE THE CAR. IF THE BRAKE IS NOT DEPRESSED VERY FIRMLY CAR HAS HIT CURB AND TRIED TO CLIMB ONTO THE SIDEWALK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE IN REVERSE WITH THE CONTACTS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO APPLY THE BRAKES UNTIL THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE THEN STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE11018 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED BACKWARDS. THE FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MOSTLY AT LOW SPEEDS AND WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE11018 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 4 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR OR MORE TIMES BOTH FORWARD AND IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A DEALER OR A MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

THE SAME THING HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE WEATHER GETS WARM (90+ DEGREES F). VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD OR BACK WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THROTTLE PEDAL AND WITH STALL WHEN BRAKE IS PRESSED HARD TO STOP LUNGE. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL TECHNICIANS THAT THE THROTTLE BODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. WE HAVE REPLACED IT TWICE ALREADY. IT HAS PORTS THAT "HEAT" IT THOUGH THE RADIATOR. HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT SHOULDN'T HAVE THE PORTS. WE LIVE IN FL. THIS CAR IS NOT MADE FOR HOT WEATHER. MIGHT BE OK TO LEAVE THAT HEATED THROTTLE BODY ON IN COOLER CLIMATES, BUT NOT IN FL. HUGE SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE HAD TO ADJUST MY DRIVING TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LUNGING. (I THROW VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL INSTEAD OF PRESSING BRAKE SO THAT THE LUNGING STOPS) ALSO, I CAN SOMETIMES PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE AT ALL. *TR