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.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, she applied the brakes and the vehicle accelerated without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and the mechanic stated that the throttle position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact notified the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The failure mileage was unknown.
While at idle upon starting car and shifting (automatic) from park to drive or reverse, the vehicle has exhibited significant "lunging" without any applied pressure to gas peddle. Additionally, this lunging has been repeated a number of times independent of initial vehicle starts (I.e. when parking the car and backing up). Approximate lunging of the vehicle before human response time and brake application with subsequent stoppage of vehicle is subjectively estimated at 24-36 inches (2-3 feet). Recommendation: Recall; replace and/or repair. Reference investigation number: PE11018.
In this incident, before the engine shut off the car would surge with power forcing my car to thrust forward without control, perhaps certain times up to anywhere from a few inches to a couple feet. After this happens for a little while the car turns off and the system reads failsafe engine mode. This incident happened to me 3 times on the way to the dealership, and I just received the estimate of around $850 to fix this unsafe working vehicle due to its electronic throttle body malfunctioning. Luckily no people were close to my car any of the times the car was randomly accelerating.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that when in reverse, the vehicle would surge backward while the brakes were applied. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where the dealer advised that the traction control feature needed to be deactivated to resolve the issue. The contact deactivated the traction control feature but it did not remedy the problem. The failure mileage was 60,000.
My car has a serious lunging problem. It does it mainly when the car is in drive, but also when in reverse. I have hit posts and other stationary objects a couple of times, and have multiple near misses of hitting other cars. An example would be such as when in the drive-thru at mcdonalds or other fast food places, when the car is idling. This has also happened many times when I am sitting at stop lights or waiting to make a turn. I have taken the car to the Ford dealer a couple times and asked if they could check it out, always being told that they couldn't find anything wrong. Is there anything that Ford is doing to correct this problem?
- Battle Mountain, NV, USA
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My vehicle has a failed throttle body as evidenced by two codes: T2106 and P061B (reported to me by my mechanic). It lunges or surges when trying to accelerate normally. It goes into "engine fail safe mode" repeatedly and randomly. It has "rough starts" from time to time that have not been found to have another cause. Now, the check engine light is on and stays on, and it will not go into engine fail safe mode, which actually scares me. It scares me because, as I understand it, engine fail safe mode is a protective mode for a failed throttle body. When my mechanic ran the diagnostics on the check engine light, he got the two codes listed above, which he said indicate a failed throttle body. He said this could be dangerous. He said that from his research, this is a wide-spread problem, and Ford should have issued a recall on this by now. I have contacted Ford, and they are refusing to assist with this. My real dilemma is that even if I pay for the replacement, if Ford has not reengineered the part, I will be putting in another defective Ford part. This is what is happening to many Ford owners. They are experiencing multiple failed throttle bodies. I feel trapped in this situation with no good solution other than to pray for safety and hope for Ford to do the right thing and reengineer this part, recall it, and replace it. Can you please investigate this? thank you, Ford driver
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly decelerated. The contact also stated that prior to the failure a wrench icon illuminated along the control panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the dealer confirmed that the electronic throttle body needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 103,000. The VIN was unknown.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that when reversing the vehicle would lunge backward. The contact would have to depress the brake abruptly in order for the vehicle to come to a complete stop. In addition, the AWD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a sensor defect. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of failure. The failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 75,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly surge forward as the wrench warning indicator symbol illuminated. The dealer informed the contact that the throttle body failed and would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. No repairs were performed. The current mileage was 113,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 112,000.
Car lunges forward at certain times. Most notably while air conditioner is running and pulling into a parking place. Sometimes lunges while pulling out of parking; so while in reverse. Seems to have something to do with tight turning of the steering wheel. Mention has been made of a possible throttle body sensor problem. When taken to the mechanic however; it would not lunge, so no repairs were made. Only does it on certain occasions.
We have experienced numerous problems with our Freestyle, and at this point are faced with a failed throttle body, which will cost $900 to replace (dealer quote). Searching the internet reveals that this is a very common, known problem with the Freestyle, and its sister cars (the 500 & Sable) all build by Ford with the same engine. The problem causes the vehicle to lurch while at idle, to perhaps 5-10 mph, endangering anyone in the vehicle's path (ie, pedestrians, cars ahead in a drive-thru lane, etc.) Ford has produced several successive variants of the throttle body, indicating the newer ones do not have the fatal design flaw that plagues the original. Why am I forced to purchase a replacement for an obviously (at this point) badly designed product? these cars should be recalled, and we should be reimbursed for the expense.
Throttle body failure vehicle began lurching forward while in drive with brake applied this was on numerous occasions especially at drive through food establishments. I replaced the throttle body for $653 at my local mechanic.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly lunged forward and backward without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 103,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly lunged forward and backwards without warning, but more forcefully when in reverse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they would need two days fully to inspect the vehicle but the contact declined. The manufacturer was notified who informed her that they were investigating the failure. They offered no other assistance. The failure mileage was 117,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that whenever she would enter a parking space, the vehicle would lunge forward and backward abnormally. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,266.
I have had numerous instances where, when either at a stop light, or parking or waiting in the carpool line my Freestyle has lunged forward while my foot was on the brake pedal. Some instances are worse than others with more force, but I am able to stop the car by pressing harder on the brake pedal. I have almost hit a couple of cars in the drive thru lanes at restaurants. I have also experienced my Freestyle cutting off while at a light, and even once when I took my foot off the gas to coast into a parking lot. The car just died. I called the local Ford dealership and they stated that there have been issues with the throttle body sticking and its way of correcting itself is to lunge the car and attempt to right the issue. They quoted anywhere from $100 to try to clean the throttle body and possible have to replace it to the tune of about $700. If this problem is so well known that my dealer knows about it, why has it not been addressed and recalled?
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. While driving approximately 2 mph, the vehicle unexpected lunged forward and the engine began to exhibit an abnormal increase in rpms. The failure recurred during acceleration or deceleration on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the constant problem. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
The car jumped forward, accelerated on it's own. I was unable to anticipate the move. I took my foot off the brake and the car jumped forward without warning into another vehicle. This unanticipated movement has occurred sporadically over the last months and we have narrowly avoided hitting children in school zones and cross walks. Sometimes the jump occurs while the brake is being depressed, but mostly it happens when I start to take my foot off the brake. It is dangerous and scary to not have control of my vehicle.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Los Angeles, CA, USA