2005 FORD FREESTYLE Complaints

IN 2008 MY FORD FREESTYLE STARTED LUNGING FORWARD AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WHEN IN GEAR WITHOUT EITHER THE BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLIED. IF I APPLIED THE BRAKES, IT STOPPED THE CAR RIGHT AWAY, BUT IF I WAS SITTING WITH THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE AND DIDN'T HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY LUNGE - AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES. I AM JUST LUCKILY WE NEVER HIT ANYONE. IT SEEMED TO HAPPEN AFTER IT RAINED. A LOCAL (NON FORD) MECHANIC STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THE ECM WAS GETTING WET AND CORROSION WAS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM. AFTER HE ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM (HE CLEANED AND TIGHTENED PINS, SEALED WITH TERMINAL SEALER/CORROSION INHIBITOR), THE PROBLEM COMPLETELY STOPPED. NOW, 4 YEARS LATER, IT'S DOING IT AGAIN. BUT THAT MECHANIC IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS AND I AM WORRIED THAT THIS IS A CHRONIC (AND SCARY) PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THIS MORNING MY VEHICLE LUNGED SUDDENLY BACKWARDS OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, RIGHT INTO THE SIDEWALK WHERE CHILDREN WERE PASSING. I HAD STOPPED MY CAR, LET UP THE BRAKE AND IT LUNGED. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT I NO LONGER FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING IT. I HOPE THAT YOU CAN INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND PROVIDE ME WITH AN UPDATE (AND A SOLUTION!). WE LOVE THE VEHICLE OTHERWISE. *TR

SECOND ROW BENCH WON'T RECLINE BACK UPRIGHT BECAUSE SEAT BELT MECHANISM STUCK AND PREVENTING UPRIGHT POSITION. DIFFICULT TO FASTEN CHILD'S SEAT BELT NEXT TO THE BENCH THAT WON'T GO UPRIGHT - VERY UNSAFE. CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE ISN'T ANY RECALL FOR SEAT BELT AND/OR SECOND ROW'S ALREADY KNOWN PROBLEM. THEY SAID TO PAY FOR THESE EXACT PROBLEMS OTHERS HAVE ALREADY POSTED ON MANY WEBSITES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE TRAVELING 5-10 MPH WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FUNCTIONING, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 130,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CLUSTER LIGHTS IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ALL WENT OUT AND THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, CONTROL TEMP, AND GAS GAGE ALL ZEROED OUT AND A WRENCH AND AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THEN AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING EVERYTHING STARTING WORKING AGAIN AND THE TWO WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF HOWEVER, THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD A DIAGNOSTIC DONE AND THE ERRORS WERE ALL ELECTRICAL. HAVE TO TAKE IT IN A FEW DAYS TO THE FORD DEALER AND BE CHARGED A $90.00 FEE UP FRONT JUST FOR THEM TO LOOK AT IT AND DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO ALL THE COMPLAINTS IT'S BEEN A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE DEALT WITH IN A RECALL. NOT JUST TRY TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG. I'M SURE IT'S GOING TO COST ME AN ARM AND A LEG WHEN THEY GET DONE. I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED A FORD BUT NOW I THINK I'M GOING TO MAKE A SWITCH TO A CHRYSLER (SINCE I DO WORK THERE NOW) AND I KNOW I WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF NOT JUST TAKEN. *TR

WHEN STOPPED OR MOVING SLOW TO MAKE A TURN THE ENGINE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN , THIS HAPPENS GOING FORWARDS OR IN REVERSE AND HAPPENS MORE WITH THE AC TURNED ON. *TR

THROTTLE BODY FAILURE (SEE PE-11018). FIRST INCIDENT VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. THEN HAD INCIDENCES OF LURCHING FORWARD AND ALSO IN REVERSED. SECOND FAILURE WAS SAME AS FIRST. AFTER THIRD FAILURE, CONTACTED LOCAL MECHANIC WHO IN TURN CONTACTED LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED OF PROBLEMS WITH THE THROTTLE BODY. STATED THAT, ACCORDING TO A SERVICE BULLETIN, THE PART COULD BE REPROGRAMMED BUT THEY HAD NOT HAD ANY SUCCESS WITH THIS AND WERE AT THAT TIME INSTALLING THE PART ON A CUSTOMERS VEHICLE DUE TO UNSUCCESSFUL REPROGRAMMING. PART REPLACED ON MY VEHICLE AT A COST OF $546.56.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD EXHIBITING AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,100.

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAPPENED! AGAIN, WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY THE MOTOR GAVE OUT. LUCKILY, WE MADE IT WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT TO THE SHOULDER. THE WRENCH SYMBOL AND THE CEL WERE ON. THE MOTOR STARTED AGAIN BUT THE CAR DIDN'T TAKE ANY GAS, DIDN'T ACCELERATE. AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND RUMBLING. I HAD MY WIFE AND KIDS IN THE CAR AND WAS REALLY SO MAD. WE HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK AND A TAXI TO GET HOME. THE CEL CAME ON SO MANY TIMES IN THE PAST MONTHS, WE CHECKED THE CODE - IT WAS ALWAYS FOR THE THROTTLE BODY. WE CLEANED IT AND THE LIGHT WAS GONE. ONLY TO COME BACK A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER. AS I SAID, WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM SINCE SOME MONTHS NOW. BUT THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THE MOTOR ACTUALLY STALLED. AND IN THIS REALLY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION : ON A HIGHWAY!! FORD NEEDS TO INITIATE A RECALL, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH IN THE LAST MONTHS, THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. MY FREESTYLE ALSO LUNGES FORWARD/BACKWARD IF I'M ACCELERATING. I THINK IT'S ALL RELATED AND TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE OF FORD NOT DO DO SOMETHING. IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. A MIRACLE NO ONE HAS BEEN INJURED UNTIL NOW - OR WORSE!!! *KB

CHRONIC PROBLEM, INCREASING FREQUENCY, CANT REMEMBER WHEN IT ALL STARTED WAS INFREQUENT 1-2X/YEAR AND USUALLY ON HOT DAYS, MAYBE WHEN IT WAS 1 YEAR OLD. HAS GRADUALLY INCREASED IN FREQUENCY HAPPENING NOW IN SPURTS WITH NO RHYME NOR REASON. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, OR DRIVE FROM REVERSE CAR WILL CHOKE AND STALL. SEEMS TO BE WORSE IN HOT WEATHER, BUT HAS ALSO OCCURRED IN VERY COLD. CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS UP IN LIMP HOME MODE BUT THEN CORRECTS WHEN SHUT ENGINE OFF FOR AWHILE, BUT THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON EVERY TIME NOTHING SHOWS ON COMPUTER WHEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON EITHER. NO CODES SHOW, MECHANIC IS CERTIFIED AND A FAMILY FRIEND, HE KEPT THE CAR; IT ACTED UP ONLY ONCE AND HIS COMPUTER SAID THROTTLE BODY SENSOR - IT WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. HE HAS DONE ALL HE CAN BUT CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET I HAVE SEEN THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE FREESTYLE. I WONT LET MY KIDS DRIVE IT FOR FEAR THEIR LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND QUICK THINKING AT THE WHEEL COULD GET THEM KILLED AS IT HAS HAPPENED PULLING OUT AT INTERSECTIONS. I FOUND THIS SITE THROUGH THE EDMONDS RECALL INFORMATION SITE: PLEASE INSTITUTE AN INVESTIGATION TO GET A RECALL ON WHATEVER IS GOING ON. I LOVE THIS CAR, IT NOW HAS 225000 MILES AND THAT IS THE ONLY PROBLEM, I CANT AFFORD A REPLACEMENT, BUT I CANT AFFORD TO DIE EITHER. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT BLOW COOL AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.