This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
On sat. May 7, 2011 my 2005 Ford Freestar quit while driving 55 mph on an open highway. I lost speed while motor continued running.I pulled off to the side of the road turned off engine restarted fine, but would not move in either drive or reverse. I was stranded going to work. We think it might be the transmission. After reading all the complaints online there are hundreds I want Ford to do something about this. Someone please do something about this. We don't have the money to fix or even buy another vehicle. Now how do I get to work" support a family? after all the complaints why isn't there a recall yet"
Hello, while driving my 2005 Ford Freestar on the nys thruway at 65mph the engine started revving and the car was not moving forward. I became frightened as cars and trucks began flying by as I was unable to move. Fortunately I was able to slip into an opening in the traffic and pulled my car onto the shoulder. It scares me to think of the various situations that a terrible accident could have occurred had I not been lucky enough to move the car off the road. I had to have the car towed to a shop and unable to repair at that shop have the car moved to my house where it now sits. I just had a mechanic look at the vehicle with his computer and I was given a 3 choice range of options from $1100 for torque converter and shaft to $3100 for a transmission replacement. When I make a decision I would be able to arrange to have the parts saved.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the vehicle would shift into neutral abnormally while driving at any speed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that there was water in the power train control module and that it would need replacing. The manufacturer was contacted who filed a claim but provided no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 96,000. Updated 06/01/11 the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. Updated 07/29/11
The brunswick county department of social services owns a 2005 Ford Freestar van. On April 20, 2011 five Agency staff traveling on interstate 95 North to a meeting traveling at a speed of 75mph experienced a sudden failure of power causing the vehicle to slow down eventually stopping. The driver immediately move to the shoulder at which the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle has been transported via tow truck to a local automotive repair shop for transmission failure.
- Lawrenceville, VA, USA
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Driving at 25 miles per hour and I turned the corner and lost all motive power. The motor ran fine but the van had no gears forward or reverse. There was no indication of a problem, I didn't see or hear anything and no check engine light came on. This is the first time it has happened. A mechanic told me the torque converter output shaft would need to be replaced and the transmission rebuilt.
I own a 2005 Ford Freestar with 55,000 miles on it that I bought new. But on April 15 2011 as I drove down the road at about 30pmh I suddenly had no power of forward motion. I was heading to a hill. Not knowing what was happening a hit the brakes to stop and pull over to the side of the road. The car behind me was forced to go around me in the other lane. Thankfully nobody was coming up the hill. I tried to put the van into reverse to see if it worked but it was like being in neutral. The van started rolling down the hill again. The motor would race no matter what gear I put the van in. I had the van towed to transmission shop were I was told that they had heard of this problem. He asked if where were any signs of a problem prior to this. Which there were not. He told me that the torque converter output splines were sheared off and the transmission had to be rebuilt. That would cost about $2,300 and take a week. Now he is going to save the parts for me so I can see what happenedto them. I would like to see if Ford will take responsibility for this defect because it doesn't happen on every van made but is happening on a select few years. Maybe it was a bad match of parts, but I don't think that we should have to pay for that problem.
Vehicle was operating in normal manner in traffic. Suddenly all drive power to the wheels was lost. There was no warning at all from a sound to any shudder from the vehicle. Sudden loss of propulsion very dangerous in traffic moving 50 mph. Engine never stalled or died. Driver was able to maneuver vehicle from fast lane to a parking lot entrance and stop vehicle. Engine runs fine, brakes no issue; however, the van will not move in any gear. The transmission never engages while shifting on the steering column. There is absolutely no fluid leakage or smoke from the transmission. Van was towed to a transmission repair facility. Torque converter and pump were replaced. Total charges of about $1000 for the work. Service manager at bill collins Ford denied knowing of any issues with the transmission. While I was talking to him two customers arrived to pick up vehicle with exactly the same problem and similar occurrence of loss of power in traffic. His explanation was coincidence, yet this torque converter / transmission is stocked at a much higher than normal level in the parts department due to high demand per the service desk tech.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who performed a diagnostic and determined that the transmission failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer advised the contact that the failure was not recall related and they would not assist with the repair. The failure and current mileage was 26,000. Updated 06/01/11 updated 07/08/11
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact was driving approximately 25-30 mph when the vehicle experienced a loss of power. The accelerator was engaged yet the vehicle did not respond. The vehicle was later towed to a local mechanic shop where she was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired with a re-manufactured transmission from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 55,800 and the current mileage was 55,942.
Vehicle stopped having any forward and very limited backward power in my driveway. There was no warning and the vehicle had only 23,000 miles. There was no warning or previous indication of a problem. No transmission leaks, the fluid was a normal color. The transmission had to be rebuilt.
Our 2005 Ford Freestar ltd minivan has experienced sudden loss of power symptomatic of a transmission failure, which no warning or signs of a pending failure. This occurred while my wife was driving, and although it did not result in an accident or serious incident, it could have. The van has been taken to a local mechanic shop for diagnosis and repairs. The symptoms experienced seem very similar to those articulated by others in a pending NHTSA investigation of faulty torque converter input shaft splines on this model year vehicle.
My wife was taking my kids to school when she pulled out of our drive way and drove about a 1/2 mile and the car just stopped going forward. She tried pushing the gas and they engine just revs up. Luckily a neighbor was coming up and took her home. We you start the car it will not go into gear. It won't go in drive or reverse. We have not had any transmission problem up until this point.
My wife was on the interstate with my 2 and 4 year old traveling 70 mph today(3/15/11). Van lost power to transmission and thankfully she was able to reach the safety of the shoulder by way of dodging to semi trucks coming up fast behind her. Van is at the dealership now to figure out what has caused the failure of power. I have read about all of the issues other owners are having and find this very dangerous and disturbing. Something needs tp be done by Ford to rectify the issue.
I have a 2005 Ford Freestar. We bought it in 2008 and enjoyed driving it all over Texas but the rear brakes have always has made a moaning sound no matter what is replaced and the front brakes rattle. Dec 2010 replaced the water pump, alternator, ilder pulley and belt tensioner before I found the solution on youtube that it was the camshaft sychronizer that was making a shrieking noise. Then without warning three weeks later the transmission completely failed at a traffic signal 83230 miles, left my wife stranded in rush hour traffic luckily it wasn't at night or my kids in the van. No cause could be determined by mechanic other than tranny pan was full of metal and had to be completely rebuilt for $2000. I have owned an F150, aerostar, and Explorer all went over 180,000 miles and still working when I sold them. The Freestar has been a let down. Next minivan will be Nissan or Toyota. Hopefully Ford will recall the tranny on these van since most of the comments I have read experience tranny failure around 80K miles hopefully no one get hurt because of it.
I own a 2005 Ford Freestar minivan. Over the last couple of days I noticed it would shift hard when I put it into drive. Then on Tuesday, 3/8/11 me and my family was on the highway, my husband driving, and noticed the van would not shift into 3rd gear. We pulled over and checked transmission fluid and added just a bit. We then started driving again and then the van would not shift into 2nd gear. We were able to get it to a mechanic and was advised that the transmission needed to be either replaced or rebuilt. We are having it rebuilt with at least $1600 or more expense.
The day after a heavy rain, my 2005 Ford Freestar started stalling out and the engine light coming on. I thought it was a sensor as I had the same problem last year after a heavy rain & took it to the local mechanic who replaced the cam sensor which solved the problem. This time the mechanic said it was the transmission & he could not fix it. We had it towed to the Ford dealer we bought it from who confirmed that it is the transmission & will cost us $2,200 to have it fixed. Why is such a new, low mileage vehicle having this problem" I have been reading many complaints about the transmission on this very same vehicle. Why hasn't Ford recalled it? we cannot afford this and I need my van. It is so frustrating. Especially knowing that I am not the only one having this problem. Isn't there something we can do??" I still owe over $2000 on this van that I expected to last me for years without having to repair the transmission. Please help!
My husband was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the problem and he narrates the events below. I was coming out of a baseball game and after a stop sign I started moving out from an intersection turning right with traffic from the left. Suddenly, the 2005 Freestar made a noise and accelerated (as I had my foot on the gas) and like shifted to neutral gear. I tried to get it in gear again only to notice that it was still in drive. I tried to steer it to the side of the road but as I was just moving out didn't rolled enough to clear the traffic lane. Cars from the left started avoiding me going close to the middle of the two lane road as oncoming traffic honked their horn. Regardless of the gear it stood like if in neutral. Finally after a while the traffic slowed down so I got out and started to push the van to the side of the road. I had it towed to my house and couple of mechanics that had come by have quoted me over $2000 which I cannot afford since I just got a job. I had to rent a car until I can figure out what to do.
We were running some errands on 3/4/11. It was raining. Different times I notice a little bit of hesitancy when leaving the malls & pulling away from stoplights & stopsigns. On 3/5/11 we were backing out of our driveway & proceeded to put in drive, van kind of chug a lug and went maybe 30 ft & stop. Restarted van and it would do this all over again. Finally after about 5-6 times, went around the block & parked it in driveway. Mileage is 80,939. We had trouble like this in Jan 2011. Had it towed to lynch Ford, dealer charged us $150 & could not find anything wrong. Maybe because it was inside the dealership & got dried out. Mileage approx 77800 back in March 2010, the transmission was doing the same type of thing chug a lugging & then stop. Had it towed to a local shop who then had to tow it to the Ford dealer. Ford did have a recall issue on tcm, replaced it, the cowl panel & new key fobs. We had to pay for labor due to Ford motors fault what supposedly didn't cover. Mileage approx 65,000 not sure on this. At this time. I believe it is the same trouble again.
Driving on interstate at 75 mph with cruise control on, engine RPM rapidly increased and vehicle slowed in speed. Cruise control was disengaged, depressing the accelerator caused an increase in RPM, but vehicle had no motive power. Pulledto shoulder of interstate, vehicle would not move in any gear. Towed for repairs-cause of failure attributed to torque converter current mileage-77069. Parts required to effect repairs-torque converter overhaul kit, bushing kit, outside diameter band, pump rotor kit, clutch completer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Chateaugay, NY, USA