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.
We have a 2006 Ford Freestyle. It has been lunging forward while in drive and reverse even when your foot is on the brake. It happens randomly but seems to be worse when you turn the steering wheel while you are stopped with the car in reverse or drive. At first we had the rack replaced. This solved some of the noise but it still lunges. After searching the internet it seems that several people have tied it to the throttle body. This has been a real problem as we have been teaching our daughter how to drive. It can be quite dangerous while at stop lights and trying to park. Also, recently the wrench light has come on after it begins to lunge. When the wrench light is on it has little power to accelerate. After the car is parked for a while the light goes on and the car functions normally again. Please pursue a recall on this part and let me know what you find in your investigation.
The car is surging and lunging (see pending investigation from May 2011). Also, when running the A/C it starts to go off and on by itself, then the engine starts to shut off and on, and all gages go to zero, like the car is losing power.
When placed in reverse the auto would surge without warning, as if the fuel pedal were applied. This also did it when going from reverse to forward. Had to keep foot firmly on the brake at all times or risk an accident. Car became very difficult to drive when this occurred. At 80,472 miles. Engine check light stayed on after another surge problem that stalled the auto. Ray skillman Ford in greenwood, in determined it was the "throttle body". it was replaced and while the service man drove the car, the entire A/C unit went out. They put a new clutch & compressor. After calling several Ford dealerships, there has been a huge backorder of these throttle body's. capital city Ford is installing two a day the same with ray skillman Ford.
I have a 2006 Ford Freestyle and at a stopped position, sometimes, will try to lung forward or backward, even when the brake is engaged and my foot is not on the gas. Will do the same when at a stop light and release the brake the car will lung forward. Have contacted Ford with this complaint and even received a case number. After contacting them several times concerning the matter, I still have not heard from Ford.
When stopping or taking off car surges whether your backing up or at a stop light. They said it was the throttle body, check engine light on when stopped at red light can only inch forward.
- Argyle, TX, USA
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After returning from the Ford repair center, the car lost power in the accelerator. My husband was unable to make the car move forward while pressing on the gas pedal. Ford came to pick up the vehicle and we were later told that the engine was blown and needed to be replaced. We have had the car approximately seven months and have driven it for for less than 8,000 miles.
I was backing out of a parking place when my Freestyle lunged backward, narrowly missing people walking. The red 'wrench' light came on indicating there was an engine problem. The motor ran very rough but we did get to our destination. I remember reading an article regarding this issue with the Freestyle, lunging forward or backward. I researched this and concluded many other Freestyle owners have had the same problem. We did have this problem corrected at a hefty price of $700. Hopefully, the Ford Motor Company will recall these Freestyles before a fatal accident occurs.
Car accelerated unexpectedly, to the point of having to hold the brake while the tires were still spinning in the gravel. After this the dashboard wrench and check engine light came on. Car also stopped while in traffic several times. After taking car to Ford dealership for service, we were told the throttle body was malfunctioning and caused this problem. While the car is still under warranty we were advised this part was not covered under the warranty at a cost of $700 to us. We have no problem with the dealership, our problem is with Ford Motor Company. Why is there no recall!! this is a dangerous situation.
The vehicle's engine cut out after a stop several times, when restarted, vehicle behavior was erratic during acceleration. Dealer determined the electric throttle body was bad and replaced the component.
The car began to jerk and lurch, and engine speed abruptly slowed after about (3) hours of highway driving (from Vermont to New Hampshire). A trouble light (wrench icon) appeared. Engine rpms fluctuated, but vehicle would not respond to the gas pedal. Pulled over, waited a few minutes, restarted the car. Trouble light was no longer on, and the vehicle was fine and normal for the rest of the ride home. Brought car to portsmouth Ford, who could not find any problem. Second incident, January 2011: Highway drive back to New Hampshire from Connecticut. Same problem. Abrupt and alarming drop in car speed. No throttle control. Erratic engine RPM performance. Attempted to pull off interstate highway to a safe area. Waited 5 minutes. Re-started the engine. Trouble light gone, engine performed fine, and no issue the rest of the trip. Brought the car for transmission service to valvoline, then to dowling Ford where the vehicle was purchased. Third incident, March 2011: After (2) hours of highway driving abrupt drop in engine speed while attempting to merge on interstate 84. Lost throttle control. Near collision with a tractor-trailer in bad weather while trying to get out of the way and off the highway. Frightening experience. Brought car to bob thomas Ford in hamden, Connecticut for a transmission program update and complete transmission service. Dealer could not find a problem with the vehicle. Fourth incident, June 24, 2011: Again on I-84 in the rain after 2.5 hours of highway cruising. Radical loss of engine power and vehicle speed. My daughter barely avoided a collision attempting to maneuver off the highway in heavy traffic with erratic throttle control. Daughter called me in a panic, crying. Waited off the highway a few minutes, re-started, and was fine. Car no longer used on the highway, just locally. The consumer also stated the alternator failed. Updated portable 08/23/11 updated 09/14/11
While putting car in reverse car surged backwards and the check engine wrench came on. Drove car home approx. Five blocks and shut car off because car was running rough. Started car back up and car ran smooth and the check engine wrench was off. I sat in parking lot for approx. Five minutes while my wife was shopping with car running and the air conditioning on. This is the second time in the last month that this car has done this. Both with the same issues. The car surges, then runs rough, then the check engine wrench comes on, then when you shut the car off and restart it the car runs smooth and the check engine wrench shuts off.
I was approaching an intersection at about 1-5 mph and pressing the brakes, then the car lunged forward and moved 2 to 4 feet (at no point I pressed the gas pedal). After that, the gas pedal did not work, and I had to restart the car to be able to move it again. This all happened at an intersection. I believe this is a very dangerous problem. With the lunge I could have hit a pedestrian. With the need to re-start at the middle of a congested intersection, I could have been hit by a car moving in the opposite direction.
Was driving vehicle, attempting to pass another vehicle, my vehicle lost power and I was unable to pass. Could not bring vehicle to full power. Took to Ford dealership, they said it was the driveability and made the repair. Then on 5/15/2011, the same problem occurred when attempting to enter freeway. Again taken to Ford delearship. This time they said it was transmission control system, repairs made. This problem again occurred yesterday, again when on freeway traveling at 60 mph, vehicle lost power and could not return vehicle to full power. I feel that my life and the lives of my family members are in danger due to the problems with this vehicle and the inability of the Ford delearship to make repairs. We have read that others with this make and model vehicle have had similar problems and are reporting issues with the throttle body.
My 2006 Ford Freestyle was accelerating when I had my foot on the brake at a stop sign. It does not gas when I have my foot on the gas pedal. It stalled a few times and when I have the car in reverse it accelerates without me even pressing on the gas. My wrench light was on in my dash as well. I took it to pepboys and was informed that my sensor was bad and I needed spark plugs and a vacuum hose..after spending $700, needless to say the problem with the accelerating still exists and there is also a humming noise while driving and the steering is very hard to maneuver. I took it back to pepboys and they said it is an electrical issue and I have to take it to Ford to get it fixed. Updated 03/23/12
I was sitting in the car with the air conditioner on for about 10 minutes with my children while my wife went to pick up a few groceries. When we left I put the car reverse and slowly took my foot of the break. The car then jerked backwards as my foot was softly on the break and then again when it was off the break. The car then stalled and the wrench light appeared. This has happened several more times since, mostly when the car is in "drive" with the air conditioner working hard and my foot either softly on the break or just off the break. The car will jerk forward. I'm not sure the component that is malfunctioning, but bellow is an educated guess.
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph the vehicle stalled. Upon restart, the vehicle operated as normal. A check engine light was also illuminating on the instrument panel upon restart. The contact also stated that the vehicle was experiencing a recurring failure in which it would momentarily surge forward. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 08/01/11 the consumer stated he had an accident last year in a private parking lot. The consumer stated the vehicle surged when it was placed into gear. The throttle body was replaced in 2011. Updated 01/30/12
The automobile surges when initialing engaging into either reverse or drive. Extreme pressure needs to be applied to the break to prevent the car from surging 5 to 10 feet, either backwards or forwards depending on which gear is selected. Took the car to danvers Ford in danvers, Massachusetts. There service manager stated he had not heard of any surging problems. No error codes were detected. He contacted Ford Motor Company and the recommended the "throttle body" be replaced. For obvious safety reasons reasons, we complied and replaced the throttle body at an out-of-pocket expense to us of roughly $650.
Vehicle lunges at idle, especially on hot days when A/C is running. Almost ran over attendant at oil change location. This has occurred about 30 times since we have owned the car. The dealer has no knowledge of other Freestyles with this problem, but many other Freestyle owners do, as does the Ford corporation.
On several occasions my 06 Ford Freestyle has had and unexplained jerk/lunge in motion. We purchased the car in Oct 08 and the problems started Nov 08. I have gotten to the point where I have had enough, and my faith in Ford is slowly wilting away. The jerk/lunge normally occurs while coming to a stop at red light or stop sign, or going idle speed in the following places drive-thru, parking lot, while reversing or parking the car. Today when I got back from the grocery store I was reversing into my garage and the car started to lunge I applied the break and it continued to jerk about a foot till it stopped. I was not sure the car would stop, this scared me half to death, I kept on thinking what if someone was behind me. I tried again and it happened 2 more times before I shut the car off. I then turned everything off in the car started the car again and put it into reverse and everything was fine. I was very grateful that this happened in my own drive way. If I was in a parking lot I could have hit a car with it moving a foot and I could have hit someone. The jerking/lunging in the car is very sporadic and has happened while my husband drove the car as well, so it is not operator error. It is so sporadic that this action is hard to recreate at a given notice you can not predict the time but you can anticipate that it will happen at least 3 times a week. Some may think that if it is hard to recreate then it is not a problem, but if it happens at least 3 times a week that is something to look at especially when you are thinking about human life. A vehicle is not a luxury item especially to a military family like we are. It is a necessity that should be dependable and the manufacturer should stand behind there products. I have two small children and wonder what to do next. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope there will be a resolution to this soon.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Lubbock, TX, USA