2005 FORD FREESTYLE Complaints

I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE "SURGING" PROBLEM BEING INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA. I WAS IN A PARKING LOT AND PUT THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, STARTED TO BACK OUT OF THE SPACE AND THE ENGINE SURGED AND LURCHED BACKWARDS INTO THE DRIVING AREA. I PUT IT INTO PARK AND NOTICED THE ENGINE RPMS GOING UP AND DOWN INSTEAD OF STAYING CONSTANT WHILE IDLING, THEN IT EVENED OUT. I TRIED AGAIN AND THE CAR SURGED AGAIN (I WAS READY FOR IT THIS TIME AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN) AND WAS ABLE TO BACK OUT OF THE SPACE AND DRIVE NORMALLY. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THE VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS, BUT I AM NOT SURE HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN DOING IT. *TR

ROAD TRIP FROM BC TO ONTARIO, DRIVING THROUGH MOUNTAINS, FIRST OCCURRENCE IN CHASE, BC, AT DAIRY QUEEN CAR LUNGED IN DRIVE THROUGH, HEARD WHINY NOISE FROM ENGINE, GETS WORSE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. LAST OCCURRENCE ON TRIP, DRIVING BACK INTO HOPE, BC, AFTER CRUISE CONTROL WANT TO SPEED UP A BIT BUT NO POWER, GET OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND CAR STALLS WHILE GOING ABOUT 60 KPH!!! MANAGE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY ONTO MERGING LANE. HUSBAND CHECKED FLUID LEVELS BUT EVERYTHING IS TOPPED UP. MANAGE TO START UP AGAIN AFTER 3 TRIES AND GET HOME SAFELY. ADDRESS IS IN CANADA, PLEASE IGNORE CALIFORNA AND ZIP CODE. *TR

WELL ITS BEEN HAPPENING FOR AWHILE NOW MY 2005 FREESTYLE HAS THE TENDENCY TO LUNG FORWARD AND IN REVERSE IN LOW SPEEDS OR EVEN AT STOPS CAUSING THE CAR TO RATTLE AND STALL OR GO INTO ENGINE PROTECT MODE WHICH MAKES IT DRIVE VERY SLOW. BUT ITS IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENT. I ALSO NOTICE THAT THE TRANNY WINES NOW AND ONE OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS IS BROKE. VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE MY WIFE WONT EVEN LET ME TAKE MY KIDS IN THE CAR. VERY FRUSTRATING THAT FORD HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS WHAT DOES IT TAKE SOMEONE TO GET KILLED????? *TR

PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE FACING RESTAURANT, WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL, CAR LUNGED FORWARD. CURBING KEPT ME FROM HITTING PEOPLE WALKING INTO RESTAURANT. A/C COMPRESSOR REPLACED A FEW DAY PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENCE; HOWEVER, CAR HAS BEEN LUNGING SINCE A/C COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED. THE DAY THE AC COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED AND I DROVE THE CAR OFF OF THE FORD DEALERSHIP LOT, MY CAR LUNGED PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE AT THE POST OFFICE -- I THOUGHT THE FLOOR MAT HAD GOTTEN CAUGHT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM THE LUNGING HAPPENS BOTH GOING FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. TOOK CAR BACK TO FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE A/C COMPRESSOR WAS INSTALLED; GENTLEMAN AT "QUICK LUBE" DESK SAID HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FREESTYLE OR AT LEAST HE HAD NEVER WRITTEN UP A SERVICE REPORT FOR THIS PROBLEM. HAVE DISCOVERED ON-LINE NUMEROUS ENTRIES REGARDING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FREESTYLE. FEEL FORD MOTOR COMPANY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2005 LIMITED EDITION FREESTYLE HAS A FEW ISSUES THAT I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. MY THROTTLE IS HAVING MAJOR ISSUES. THE CAR WILL SURGE FORWARD WITH NO WARNING WHEN I AM AT A COMPLETE STOP. IT ALSO HAS CAUSED IT TO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFICULTLY ACCELERATING WHEN IN MOTION AND STARTING THE IGNITION. I'M AFRAID THAT IT WILL SURGE FORWARD AND CAUSE ME TO HIT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. I'VE READ ONLINE ABOUT PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WHERE IT GETS SO BAD THAT THEY'VE EVEN LOST ALL ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND ONE PERSON WHO HIT SOMETHING IN HIS GARAGE SENDING IT FLYING THROUGH THE GARAGE WALL. MY HUSBAND HAS TRIED CLEANING OUT THE THROTTLE WITH NO SUCCESS. WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO WITH NO WARRANTY AND THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. *TR

WHEN IN REVERSE OR DRIVE IF TURNING THE STERRING WHEEL THE CAR TAKE OFF AND YOU HAVE TO BUT THE BRAKE ON HARD TO STOP CAR. THIS HAPPENS 95% OF THE TIME. *TR

WHILE AT A STOP AND IDOLING THE VEHICLE'S RPM'S WILL GO UP TO ABOUT 6 AND THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD....OR GOING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE THE RPM'S ON THE VEHICLE GO UP TO ABOUT 6 AND THE VEHICLE WILL LUNGE. DURING THE REVERSE THE VEHICLE'S DASH WARNINGS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE DIED. THIS IS NOT A SAFE!....I COULD ACCIDENTLY HURT SOMEONE THATS WITHIN A FEW STEPS OF MY VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES NOW. *TR

WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS (5-10 MPH), WHETHER IN FORWARD OR REVERSE, THE CAR WILL LUNGE FORWARD (OR BACKWARD IF IN REVERSE). THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 10 TIMES OVER THE LAST 4 DAYS, RESULTING IN SEVERAL NEAR-MISS ACCIDENTS WITH VEHICLES, AS WELL AS ALMOST HITTING A PEDESTRIAN MULTIPLE TIMES. THE ENGINE LUNGING HAS ONLY OCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS, MOSTLY WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE ABOVE 85 DEGREES. THE ENGINE LUNGING OCCURS WHEN I'M DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS WHEN I'M BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, OR DRIVING IN TRAFFIC IN WHICH I'M DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED. THE TIME BEFORE LAST, IT WAS IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT WHEN I WAS PICKING UP MY SON FROM SUMMER SCHOOL. BOTH THESE TIMES, A PEDESTRIAN WAS ALMOST HIT WHEN THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD. TODAY, I WAS IN TRAFFIC IN THE WALMART PARKING LOT WHEN THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CHECK ENGINE SYMBOL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD, AS WELL AS THE ENGINE FAILSAFE MODE COMING ON. I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND BACK ON TO GET THESE LIGHTS OFF. *TR

WHILE STOPPED OR AT LOW SPEEDS THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD SUDDENLY. ONLY A QUICK APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT. WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES LAST SUMMER ALSO AS IT SEEMS TO BE AGGRAVATED BY VERY HOT WEATHER AND THE USE OF THE AIR CONDITIONER. WE GOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A "THROTTLE BODY UPDATE" AND WANTS $945 BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM OR NOT. I SEE THIS AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT RISK POTENTIAL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE IF OTHER FREESTYLE OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE WHEN FIRST STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS OR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.