Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 02/15/2013 | |||
| After years of problems, previous postings on this site, and 3 pcms later... the story continues: our van has been in the shop 5 times within ~ 4-5 weeks, and the dealership keeps working to seal the pcm unit. the unit was sealed by ford with standard module seals, green expandable foam, etc., but water still got into the computer housing. during research on the freestar's computer problems, i read about the clip slots (where the pcm fits into the van) providing a means of water intrusion also, so they took it out again and sealed those. i got the van out of the shop, and the next day the check engine light came on. we took it by an auto parts place for a scan, and it showed a pcm problem. (the guy at the auto parts store said he had a 2005 freestar, and his pcm had shorted out also from water damage.) at least, this time a code was given! generally, codes are not generated since the malfunctioning computer is the code generator. i don't know if another pcm has shorted out in our van, or if water has once again seeped into the unit. the wet winter in georgia has practically rendered my van useless for the past couple of months. the van is truly a fair weather vehicle. to find more information on this issue, google 2005 ford freestar pcm water intrusion or visit any of the auto safety sites on-line such as nhtsa or arfc.org. i am currently seeking legal counsel regarding this issue, since ford has failed to take responsibility for the problems. unfortunately, pcm issues have often remained undetected due to the lack of code indications. (it took almost 2 years for one of many mechanics to diagnose our freestar's issues, and that was a result of on-line research.) pcm water intrusion problems usually are manifested as transmission or engine issues such as no reverse, erratic gear changes, rpm revs, or other unexplained occurrences. | |||
| 01/01/2010 | 130000 | ||
| Difficult to diagnose! symptoms of a wet pcm module manifests itself in many forms. we've experienced most of them by this point in our ~3 year battle with our freestar. randomly, our van would not: start, go into reverse, give warning lights, drive forward without stalling, allow certain systems to function properly. in other situations, it would: run roughly, break down, rev up unexpectedly, create transmission issues, etc. seals wear down and allows water to enter into the computer, due to its location under the windshield. one of the greatest problems of all is the lack of diagnostics for this issue. we've had our vehicle towed in, only to find diagnostic codes did not show up when the van was checked out. surprisingly, the car would usually start up and drive without a problem after being towed into the mechanic. after several towing experiences, we simply decided to leave our car stranded for a day or two if possible and return later to drive it away without a problem. we've replaced pumps, coils, transmission components, plugs, wires.. in an effort to get the van to work properly. finally, one mechanic did on-line research and found the pcm problem with the 2005 freestar. after finding water in the computer housing, he suggested that we buy a rebuilt one (ford does not supply pcm's for this van anymore) to see if that would solve the problems. however, the ford dealership had to install the computer so that the programming could be completed. otherwise, the original keys would not work. in summary, the pcm did solve the problems, until the next weather event. then, the problems started all over again. we have now had the computer replaced, dried, and/or sealed several times, but water keeps getting inside. the local ford dealership and other mechanics have been working diligently in an effort to seal the pcm. recall and class action needed! | |||
| 06/20/2012 | 38000 | ||
| Transmission seemed to be acting up trying to maintain highway crusing speeds, 55-65 mph. kept shuttering and vibrating. balise ford in hyannis ma found a problem in the transmission. they had the vehicle for approximately 60 days time. during that time they removed the transmission under the direction of ford esp extended warranty center approximately 8 times, replacing a new and different part each time they removed the transmission and reinstalled it. after the repair attempt exceeded the replaced value, ford esp extended warranty program decided to replace the entire transmission with a ford factory rebuilt transmission. after the transmission was replaced the vehicle started doing the same thing all over again. we then got a recall on the vehicle and inquired. come to find out the torque convertor was the problem and the rebuilt transmission from ford factory had one of the bad convertors and that needed to replaced as soon as parts were available. the new convertor came in and was installed in the vehicle approximately august 2012. late november 2012 the vehicle, now with 46,000 one owner pampered miles on it is doing the same thing. the vehicle shutters when floating in and out of gears when trying to maintain highway speeds, 55 - 65 mph. when this occurs you can feel the rumble in the vehicle and the tachometer needle jumps around. this vehicle is my mother's only means of transportation and she is a 72 year old woman who has had 2 total knees replacements. i purchased this vehicle brand new for her thinking it would be a dependable vehicle, and with her low amount of miles driven year, assumed it would last an easy 10 years. not the case. i am affraid to have her use this vehicle and ford needs to step up to the plate and fix it once and for all or replace the vehicle for us. | |||
| 07/16/2012 | |||
| Add-on info for complaint #10472027. the date stated for the problem with the pcm was merely an arbitrary start date for our problems, which was required to proceed with the complaint. we have had continual problems for at least near 2 years with the vehicle, but no mechanic (including ford's) has been able to accurately confirm the basis of such issues. our assessment of a damaged pcm is based on research of on-line complaints from other freestar owners which seem to almost perfectly match our situation, as well as the fact that our mechanic had to remove water from the computer compartment. currently, we are in search of a replacement computer, but they are almost impossible to find. | |||
| 04/05/2011 | |||
| 2005 ford freestar pcm problems. symptoms include intermittent incidences including vehicle's failure to start, running rough, improperly accelerating, refusing to move forward/backward, and other random problems. the fuel system components/camshaft sensor/etc, as well as the transmission have been replaced on the vehicle, but all of these issues still exist. codes do not show up on mechanic's diagnostic computers unless the car is actively having the problem, which seems to rarely happen. mechanics, including the local ford dealership, has not been able to confirm the problem with the pcm; however, our mechanic did find water in the computer module. he dried it out and resealed it, in hopes of resolving the issues we were having. the problems have continued though and despite lack of codes, all indications are that the computer is no longer good. another problem is the fact that getting a replacement pcm is nearly impossible. the demand for freestar reconditioned computers is so high that we've not been able to find one to replace the bad unit in the van. (apparently, new pcm's are not available at all.) after seeing the massive number of on-line complaints which are so similar to ours, i cannot believe that ford shut the case regarding the computer problem. if the diagnosis of failed pcm's is almost impossible to achieve, ford simply chooses to ignore the obvious. (read all of the complaints on nhtsa.dot.gov.) poor placement of the pcm on the back of the vehicle wall has allowed water to run off of the windshield into the unit, but ford will not take ownership in this problem. how many people have to risk having a wreck and possibly dying due to water-damaged components? it is unfortunate and unnecessary. one last question... is it possible that the transmission problems (currently on recall) be related to the water-damaged pcm's? | |||
| 08/20/2012 | 173460 | ||
| As i was driving, the vehicle (2005 ford freestar) begin to jerk as if the transmission was constantly disengaging and reengaging. also, the rpms would escalate during this problem. after about six jerks, the vehicle lost power to the wheels. i coasted to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. i waited for a few minutes and i started the vehicle up and i was able to drive home. the vehicle still jerks. i looked up the problem with a mechanic and the diagnostic computer readout stated it was the torque converter output shaft speed sensor. i looked the information up online and discovered it was involved with a recall. this recall (#12v006000) was supposedly repaired on my vehicle a month ago. i called ford and they said that the recall was already performed and they can not do anything else. | |||
| 12/30/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Was stalled out several times during the month of january and february of this year. it would just stop responding. it acted much like a transmission going out, but that was not the problem. after multiple towes and trips to the mechanic to attempt getting this vehicle repaired, it was determined that the pcm had gotten water inside and had to be replaced. i spent several thousand dollars trying to get this vehicle to run as well as it had before. once the pcm issue was discovered, it did run much better, but by this time i had lost my faith in the vehicle. i cannot believe that ford positioned a computer component where water would run down onto it, and they have not been forced to fix this issue. as a result of all of my problems with this vehicle, after many years of being a ford owner, i sold this van and purchased a chrylser town & country. | |||
| 07/26/2011 | 1 | ||
| The car lost power as i was trying to drive it. it took several seconds to go from 0 to 20mph. this is every day. once it gets to 20mph the car drives normally. also sometimes the car wont move when put in drive or reverse. i have to put it back in park, and then in drive or reverse for it to move. also, when i stop at a stop sign or a red light, the car drives very slow until it reaches 20mph. my car is on recall but i was told by ford that the part is not yet in stock. i have been waiting and having problems and spending money on this car since i purchased it. i've been waiting more than 8 months for the part from ford. they say the car is not dangerous to drive. i disagree but i need my car for work. i feel that they should give me a replacement. i am still making payments. | |||
| 06/09/2012 | 82000 | ||
| I had gotten a letter from ford motor co. stating they were having problems with the tork converter and transmissions on my model car. i live 160 miles from a ford dealer, but i was going into town to shop so thought i would stop in at kendall ford and talk to them about it. they had no idea what i was talking about and looked it up on the computer, and there it was. they could not tell me much except it could go uot at any time with no notice. they also said that they could not even help me if it did. i was on my own. and it did, in the middle of rush hour traffic. it just stopped. i could have been hit and someone could have been hurt or even killed. a nice man helped me get it across 3 lanes of traffic, pushing by hand where i had to have it towed back to kendall ford, i called brad, the man in charge to let him know it was there. to date, july 7, 2012 i finally got a call from them (had to bum a ride 160 miles home and have had no car since), they said the tork converter was so shot they wondered how i got that far (a little help from god). they also said that it would cost between 3 and $4,000 to repair the transmission. i nearly passed out. first put me in a car that could have killed me, then charge me more than the car is worth to fix it. i know for a fact that if the tork converter is not working properly neither will the transmission. i feel they should be responsible for the converter and the transmission for using cheep parts and putting our lives in danger. | |||
| 05/30/2012 | |||
| This last may i had a problem with my ford freestar 2005 when i was leaving a highway, i stopped at a traffic light and then accelerated, only to hear the engine accelerating but the car staying still. in march 2012 i received a letter from ford company, where i was informed of a safety recall notice 11s25/nhtsa recall 12v-006. i visited two agencies to report the problem, in one they told me that they have to investigate further and doing that it will cost me $100.00. in the second, they told me that they do not have the necessary parts to satisfied the safety recall. what can i do?, can you could help me to resolve this problem? thanks | |||
| 04/02/2012 | 83000 | ||
| Vehicle lost all power on i 95 in sc due to torque converter. it was towed to ford dealership, we rented a car to drive home to nc, over 350 miles away. finally after 5 weeks, our vehicle is now ready to be picked up. however, it needed a new transmission, due to metal flakes in the transmission. it seems every car that has this problem with a failed torque converter needs a new transmission due to the metal flakes. reading the blogs, transmission specialists are saying that these metal flakes are from the torque converter which is housed in the transmission. ford's recall letters were not sent in a timely manner, we had only been gone for a week on a trip to fl and when we got home & picked up the mail, there was a recall letter. we surely never would have taken this vehicle on a trip had we known this was possible. ford refuses to pay for anything. i would like to see research done as far as the torque converter affecting the transmissions. thank you. | |||
| 03/23/2010 | 69087 | ||
| Vehicle lost power while driving through a residential area going up a hill. i was able to coast backwards into a parking position -- vehicle would not go in forward or reverse. vehicle had to be towed and transmission replaced. | |||
| 04/02/2012 | 83000 | ||
| On apr 2, my husband and i were returning from fl to our home in nc. approx. 26 miles into sc heading n on i 95 our van lost forward power. we were able to coast to the shoulder, get a tow truck and have the van delivered to a ford dealership. we rented a car to get home (350 miles away). we had only been gone for a week, when the mail was picked up, there was a recall notice from ford about the torque converter. this was a very scary situation and a definite safety hazard. also, fyi, it seems that all vans that have this problem also have transmission problems though ford says the converter is not the cause - yeah right...there are currently no parts available, our van will be in sc for over a month, and we are responsible for all other costs, towing, car rental, and returning 350 miles to retrieve it, then driving 350 miles home. this is also ridiculous as this is going to cost us close to 4000.00. please warn freestar owners not to drive this van, as it is not a case of if, but when this part will fail. and also, the recall notice certainly was not sent in a timely manner. | |||
| 01/24/2012 | 71900 | ||
| Was driving around 30mph then the rpm's went up to 5000 let off gas rpm slowley went down..2nd time it happened took it in they said it was a sensor fixed it...the 3rd time was going threw an intersection died on me in middle of intersection almost got smashed by oncoming traffic with my kids in the van...had it towed they could not find anything wrong....4th or 5th time was going to work got of highway rpms went up to 5000 and the van wont go no wheres now...no reverse no drive just sits there sounding like shit they way ford made it...now waiting on them to tell me whats wrong with it.... | |||
| 08/05/2006 | 21223 | ||
| This vehicle has died on me numerous times while driving down the freeway or around town driving. it has been very scary and a miracle we weren't killed. the first time it happened in 2006. the ford dealer had no idea what it was, finally discovered it was happening in cold weather, moist air or rain. the pcm was getting wet. they put foam and sealed with an adhesive. it started again in 2008 had to be resealed. it has started again in 2011 and 2012 it is very scary and you never know when you will lose power. it is very expensive to have fixed. ford knows this was a bad design. they are waiting for someone to get killed and be sued before they will take responsibility for this problem. my van is now parked, while i try to get the money together to have it sealed again. hemborg ford doesn't even offer a discount for the repair. they are not concerned at all that the vehicle dies while you are traveling down the freeway. this van has had numerous recalls, it should have had one for the pcm but so far it has not. i guess they are waiting for someone to die. online there is a lot of complaints on this same issue from people from all over the united states. | |||
| 03/10/2012 | 114868 | ||
| Driving home from the gas station when suddenly the van stopped accelerating. we were going approximately 25 mph at the time. we were at a very busy intersection so we had to get out of the way quickly but the van would not go into gear. any gear for that matter. we pushed the van out of the way because the intersection is high in traffic especially with 18 wheelers. the transmission fluid level was where it should have been. we couldn't get the van going so we had to get it towed home. we had no prior problems with the van going in or out of gear before this incident. | |||
| 10/15/2011 | 190000 | ||
| Driving to florida on i-75, sudden loss of power, coasted off the highway. had to be towed and it cost me 1200.00 to get fixed. ihave the receipt for work done. | |||
| 06/16/2011 | 97950 | ||
| Pcm (power train control module) has gotten wet and causes car to not drive. lose power. not start. lunge, lurch forward. won't engage in drive or reverse. i have replaced pcm 6 times. broke down 5 times. had van towed 5 times. left van at repair shop for months at a time to diagnose problem.finally moved the pcm to the inside of van so that it won't be effected by water. ford has refused to acknowledge problem despite a tsb being issued. furthermore, i replaced the transmission and a recall has been issued but ford will not review my receipts for the transmission until letters go out. total stonewalling by ford. | |||
| 12/15/2011 | 64276 | ||
| My engine lost power as my van was shifting from first to second gear. after shifting into neutral, i could restart the van, but every time i reached the shifting point between first and second gear, the engine would cut completely out, thereby losing power steering and brakes. also, the reverse gear operates only intermittently. i took the van to a transmission specialist within five miles from my home because it would only operate in first gear, and was told the torque converter needed to be replaced. the repair is going to cost $2,436.05. i am attempting to seek assistance from ford, as the repair was started the day the recall was issued. so far, i do not have written confirmation from them that my vehicle is included in the recall, and they have not agreed to pay for the repair. | |||
| 09/15/2007 | 41000 | ||
| 9/2007 my husband, myself, and our 5 children were driving to my mothers house and out of the blue the van just stopped accelerating. we had the van towed to the dealership that we bought it. they told us that we needed a new transmission at 41,000 miles (just out of warranty) $2000 oop!! we had the trans replaced and are now 12/2011 having the same issue again. (just over 90,00 miles) we owe 2000$ on the van and the cost of repairs are over that. this has to be a safety issue..children in car + car randomly stopping!! i just don't understand how a van bought new off the lot can be on its 3rd transmission on less then 100,000 miles. we will never buy a ford again and after doing a lot of research i have found 1000s of owners with the same issues...its a shame ford will continue to allow customers to pay for their faulty products! | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 101653 | ||
| On my way home from work on janurary 1, 2012 at approx. 4:20pm my car starts to slow down n starts to go on reverse while it was on drive. i tried different gears but the car continue to go on reverse i had no warning light, no sign of the car go bad no noise, nothing the car just slowed down n went on reverse. the car was towed to my house i have no money to fix this issue i don't know whats wrong with this car and to top it off i just bought the car in march of 2011. my understanding is that ford is aware of these problems but has not done nothing to fix it i'm stuck making payments to a car that is not working so please tell me what can i do | |||
| 09/15/2007 | 41000 | ||
| 9/2007 my husband, myself, and our 5 children were driving to my mothers house and out of the blue the van just stopped accelerating. we had the van towed to the dealership that we bought it. they told us that we needed a new transmission at 41,000 miles (just out of warranty) $2000 oop!! we had the trans replaced and are now 12/2011 having the same issue again. (just over 90,00 miles) we owe 2000$ on the van and the cost of repairs are over that. this has to be a safety issue..children in car + car randomly stopping!! i just don't understand how a van bought new off the lot can be on its 3rd transmission on less then 100,000 miles. we will never buy a ford again and after doing a lot of research i have found 1000s of owners with the same issues...its a shame ford will continue to allow customers to pay for their faulty products! | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 101653 | ||
| On my way home from work on janurary 1, 2012 at approx. 4:20pm my car starts to slow down n starts to go on reverse while it was on drive. i tried different gears but the car continue to go on reverse i had no warning light, no sign of the car go bad no noise, nothing the car just slowed down n went on reverse. the car was towed to my house i have no money to fix this issue i don't know whats wrong with this car and to top it off i just bought the car in march of 2011. my understanding is that ford is aware of these problems but has not done nothing to fix it i'm stuck making payments to a car that is not working so please tell me what can i do | |||
| 09/15/2007 | 41000 | ||
| 9/2007 my husband, myself, and our 5 children were driving to my mothers house and out of the blue the van just stopped accelerating. we had the van towed to the dealership that we bought it. they told us that we needed a new transmission at 41,000 miles (just out of warranty) $2000 oop!! we had the trans replaced and are now 12/2011 having the same issue again. (just over 90,00 miles) we owe 2000$ on the van and the cost of repairs are over that. this has to be a safety issue..children in car + car randomly stopping!! i just don't understand how a van bought new off the lot can be on its 3rd transmission on less then 100,000 miles. we will never buy a ford again and after doing a lot of research i have found 1000s of owners with the same issues...its a shame ford will continue to allow customers to pay for their faulty products! | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 101653 | ||
| On my way home from work on janurary 1, 2012 at approx. 4:20pm my car starts to slow down n starts to go on reverse while it was on drive. i tried different gears but the car continue to go on reverse i had no warning light, no sign of the car go bad no noise, nothing the car just slowed down n went on reverse. the car was towed to my house i have no money to fix this issue i don't know whats wrong with this car and to top it off i just bought the car in march of 2011. my understanding is that ford is aware of these problems but has not done nothing to fix it i'm stuck making payments to a car that is not working so please tell me what can i do | |||
| 12/21/2011 | 134900 | ||
| My husband and i were driving down interstate 101 when the car stopped accelerating. we barely made it off the highway before it stopped. i am now waiting for a new transmission to be placed in my van. the van never gave us any warning. it just stopped accelerating. | |||
| 11/29/2011 | 64800 | ||
| This van has a bad computer board (pcm) due to rainwater that is allowed to funnel under the hood due to poor design of the hood. it is also possible that the transmission is being affected by this as well. the vehicle just stopped shifting into gear, followed by all sorts of electrical problems. the mechanic said the pcm was full of water and would need to be replaced. there are numerous message boards on the internet discussing this exact same problem with ford freestars ranging from 2004-2007 model years. ford needs to issue a recall on these vans as this causes the engine to stall and this could happen at any time - in the middle of a busy intersection, on the highway, etc. this could have devastating results if it happens at the wrong time. also, from what i've read on these message boards - this is a repeat problem!!!! once you fix this you will have the same problem in a year or two. nhtsa should do some research outside of formal complaints filed as i'm sure most people do not know the proper route to go. a simple internet search (that would allow you to contact or respond to individual reports) would direct you to hundreds of people with the exact same issue! | |||
| 11/07/2011 | |||
| I was driving with my 2 children when my 2005 ford freestar just stopped in the middle of the road. thank god it was daytime, and not a lot of people on this road at the time. my car has only 54,000 miles on it. i was told afterward that it was my transmission. the transmission needs to be replaced. i had to wait standing with my 2 small children on the side of the road 20 minutes for a tow truck. this was very unsafe! their is no reason this should be. it is going to cost me $2000.00 to fix which i do not have. of course my warranty only covered up until 50,000 miles. ford said that's to bad. this is terrible something needs to be done immediately! this is no way to do business or to treat people. someone needs to fix this... | |||
| 11/07/2011 | 81000 | ||
| Our 2005 freestar minivan would stall and shut down the engine with no warning. we purchased this van in 2005 from our local ford dealership. the first time it happened, my wife was driving the vehicle and had pulled into an intersection when it stalled, she was fortunate that she was not involved in an accident. the van would not stay running when you put into gear and had no reverse gear. we took it to a local garage and found out the pcm had gotten wet and that there was a tsb issued for this vehicle as it was a common occurrence in this model. the mechanic dried out the pcm, re-sealed the area per the tsb and we were back on the road. this was in august 2010 so the van was only 5 years old. four months later it happened again that the van shut down for the same reason. the garage re-did the work and verified the area was sealed off. five months later, it happened again so water has obviously been able to get back in there. we took it back to our local ford mechanic and they re-sealed the area after drying out the pcm, and 3 months later we were in the same situation. we have now replaced the pcm with a new one, but i have no faith that the water problem is gone. each time the pcm fails, the van will shut down leaving you without power steering and brakes. each time we have gotten lucky that there was no accident and that we were within our hometown so we could have the van towed to the garage. this is a family van that at any time one of our children could be driving when this problem occurs, and with them not having as much driving experience as my wife and myself, the potential for an accident is greatly increased. we have been very fortunate not to have been in any accidents so far, only the expenses, but i don't want to keep saying i'm glad we weren't pulling out into traffic when that happened. it is very possible that it could happen the next time. | |||
| 10/02/2011 | 59000 | ||
| We were in traffic to the browns football game getting ready to exit and the van just lost mobility, it wouldn't move,, i pressed on the gas and the engine reved but the van sat still , i was barely able to get it to the side of the road, the traffic was so bad everyone was trying to get to the game, we were so scared and almost hit several times. we called police for assistance but they never came, i finally found a number to ford road side assitance,, they were good, and they got a good tow company, we sat and waited about an hour for help, but they came and towed it on a flat bed, we had it towed to spitzer ford in cuyahgoa falls, they said it would be 2400.00 to replace the torque converter, they denied any ongoing problems ,, but i had already searched it online and found that there is a massive problem with this torque converters just stopping,, i told spitzer service manager mike, we could not afford 2400.00 he said he could put a used rebuilt transmission in it for 500.00 .. we took it to falls transmission for 915.00 and had the torque replaced, the owner said he is doing approximately 3 a week. they are coming in a lot..since then however, the van is shaking.. so i had to take it to be checked at g & r, they did a diagnositic and found nothing, so it has had to go back to the falls trans 3 times.. it shakes but he is not sure if it's the new torque, or something else. it is also out of align now.. tow bill from cleve 122.00 tow bill from ford 50.00 torque converter 915.90 g & r diagnostic 69.23 total $1,157.13 and it still isn't running properly,, i had no car from october 2nd to october 6th, then i had to borrow a car again for the g&r check,, and 2 times after that when it had to go back to falls trans,, i am taking it back again 10/31/11 and leaving it at night for them to look at all day tues. | |||
| 09/04/2011 | 112900 | ||
| As we drove at the 60 mph speed limit on i-64 in st. charles county, mo, in the middle of five lanes, our torque converter failed. the engine raced, as the cruise control attempted to control the speed as we drove up a hill. we coasted through traffic to the side of the road. at this point, there is virtually no shoulder in the interstate highway, so we were barely out of the way of traffic. we were on the downside of a hill, and on a curve, so there was no way oncoming traffic could slow to avoid us. we were extremely fortunate not to be hit as we coasted through the traffic lanes to the right side of the highway, and moreso that traffic approaching us from behind was able to avoid us. we had the van towed to a ford dealership, and they replaced the torque converter, at a cost of more than $1,500. though the van is repaired and back in working order, it was repaired with a torque converter, that. to my understanding, has the same defect that the original had. therefore, i am uneasy at the thought that the same thing could happen again at any time. | |||
| 09/21/2011 | 101000 | ||
| The transmission fialed without warning on the highway as i was trying to accelerate the van. | |||
| 09/08/2011 | |||
| On 9/8/11 i went to get in my car to leave from work and my car would not move. it would crank but when i put it into gear it would not move. after two days of trying to get a tow truck small enough to get into the parking garage at work, my car was towed to a car shop. the car shop told me ther was something wrong with the transmission and they couldn't fix it. they had transmission shop come pick up the car by tow truck on 9/12/11 and i was told by the tranmission shop it was the torque converter. after looking online i noticed that this is happening to a lot of people that have this same model car. ford is not doing anything about this. this car need to be recall as this is very dangerous. the transmission shop told me that it would be $1500.00 to repair this issue. there are people all over the u.s. that are having the same issue with the 2005 ford freestar. i will never buy another ford again. why isn't ford taking responsible for these defective parts (torque converters) they are putting in these vechles. do someone have to get seriously hurt before they decide to do something about this. i noticed that there is a class action lawsuit pending for this torque converter issue. i advise you all if you have experienced the same problem to complain and join suit. this is ridiculous. | |||
| 08/15/2011 | 135000 | ||
| While driving in traffic the van just slipped out of gear. hitting the gas only made the engine rev up. i coasted to a stop. the van would still start and run but would not go into drive or reverse. the gear shift moves but nothing happens. after having it towed we replaced the transmission sensor but it did not fix the issue. do not know what to do at this point. | |||
| 09/08/2011 | |||
| On 9/8/11 i went to get in my car to leave from work and my car would not move. it would crank but when i put it into gear it would not move. after two days of trying to get a tow truck small enough to get into the parking garage at work, my car was towed to a car shop. the car shop told me ther was something wrong with the transmission and they couldn't fix it. they had transmission shop come pick up the car by tow truck on 9/12/11 and i was told by the tranmission shop it was the torque converter. after looking online i noticed that this is happening to a lot of people that have this same model car. ford is not doing anything about this. this car need to be recall as this is very dangerous. the transmission shop told me that it would be $1500.00 to repair this issue. there are people all over the u.s. that are having the same issue with the 2005 ford freestar. i will never buy another ford again. why isn't ford taking responsible for these defective parts (torque converters) they are putting in these vechles. do someone have to get seriously hurt before they decide to do something about this. i noticed that there is a class action lawsuit pending for this torque converter issue. i advise you all if you have experienced the same problem to complain and join suit. this is ridiculous. | |||
| 08/15/2011 | 135000 | ||
| While driving in traffic the van just slipped out of gear. hitting the gas only made the engine rev up. i coasted to a stop. the van would still start and run but would not go into drive or reverse. the gear shift moves but nothing happens. after having it towed we replaced the transmission sensor but it did not fix the issue. do not know what to do at this point. | |||
| 09/08/2011 | |||
| On 9/8/11 i went to get in my car to leave from work and my car would not move. it would crank but when i put it into gear it would not move. after two days of trying to get a tow truck small enough to get into the parking garage at work, my car was towed to a car shop. the car shop told me ther was something wrong with the transmission and they couldn't fix it. they had transmission shop come pick up the car by tow truck on 9/12/11 and i was told by the tranmission shop it was the torque converter. after looking online i noticed that this is happening to a lot of people that have this same model car. ford is not doing anything about this. this car need to be recall as this is very dangerous. the transmission shop told me that it would be $1500.00 to repair this issue. there are people all over the u.s. that are having the same issue with the 2005 ford freestar. i will never buy another ford again. why isn't ford taking responsible for these defective parts (torque converters) they are putting in these vechles. do someone have to get seriously hurt before they decide to do something about this. i noticed that there is a class action lawsuit pending for this torque converter issue. i advise you all if you have experienced the same problem to complain and join suit. this is ridiculous. | |||
| 08/15/2011 | 135000 | ||
| While driving in traffic the van just slipped out of gear. hitting the gas only made the engine rev up. i coasted to a stop. the van would still start and run but would not go into drive or reverse. the gear shift moves but nothing happens. after having it towed we replaced the transmission sensor but it did not fix the issue. do not know what to do at this point. | |||
| 09/08/2011 | |||
| On 9/8/11 i went to get in my car to leave from work and my car would not move. it would crank but when i put it into gear it would not move. after two days of trying to get a tow truck small enough to get into the parking garage at work, my car was towed to a car shop. the car shop told me ther was something wrong with the transmission and they couldn't fix it. they had transmission shop come pick up the car by tow truck on 9/12/11 and i was told by the tranmission shop it was the torque converter. after looking online i noticed that this is happening to a lot of people that have this same model car. ford is not doing anything about this. this car need to be recall as this is very dangerous. the transmission shop told me that it would be $1500.00 to repair this issue. there are people all over the u.s. that are having the same issue with the 2005 ford freestar. i will never buy another ford again. why isn't ford taking responsible for these defective parts (torque converters) they are putting in these vechles. do someone have to get seriously hurt before they decide to do something about this. i noticed that there is a class action lawsuit pending for this torque converter issue. i advise you all if you have experienced the same problem to complain and join suit. this is ridiculous. | |||
| 08/15/2011 | 135000 | ||
| While driving in traffic the van just slipped out of gear. hitting the gas only made the engine rev up. i coasted to a stop. the van would still start and run but would not go into drive or reverse. the gear shift moves but nothing happens. after having it towed we replaced the transmission sensor but it did not fix the issue. do not know what to do at this point. | |||
| 06/05/2011 | 180000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving 70 mph the rpm increased excessively while trying to move to the other lane. the vehicle was move to the shoulder turns the engine off and then on. the vehicle was then put in gear but would not move. the vehicle was then towed home where it was parked. the failure was unknown and the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 180,000...mw | |||
| 05/30/2011 | 51000 | ||
| When attempting to accelerate our 2005 ford freestar limited to get onto the highway the van stalled when passing 2000 rpm(s) with no warning. the stearing wheel locked and loss all power to the car. with the stearing locked pulling off to the sholder was near impossible. the vehicles behind had to go around me driving close to 65-70 mph in speed or slam on their brakes to miss me. a very frightening experience with children in the car. unable to afford to bring the vehicle to a shop for repairs due just purchasing the vehicle in april of 2011 from tom bush mazda dealership in jacksonville florida. | |||
| 06/05/2011 | 180000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving 70 mph the rpm increased excessively while trying to move to the other lane. the vehicle was move to the shoulder turns the engine off and then on. the vehicle was then put in gear but would not move. the vehicle was then towed home where it was parked. the failure was unknown and the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 180,000...mw | |||
| 05/30/2011 | 51000 | ||
| When attempting to accelerate our 2005 ford freestar limited to get onto the highway the van stalled when passing 2000 rpm(s) with no warning. the stearing wheel locked and loss all power to the car. with the stearing locked pulling off to the sholder was near impossible. the vehicles behind had to go around me driving close to 65-70 mph in speed or slam on their brakes to miss me. a very frightening experience with children in the car. unable to afford to bring the vehicle to a shop for repairs due just purchasing the vehicle in april of 2011 from tom bush mazda dealership in jacksonville florida. | |||
| 04/20/2011 | 103000 | ||
| I, along with my disabled father and 3 yr old daughter, were traveling on hwy 41 traveling approximately 55 mph when i tried to pass someone and my van lost complete acceleration power. i had to get back into the lane and coast to a safe area to stop and leave my van. we were surrounded by cars traveling in speeds of 60mph + and could of easily been injured! there were absolutely no warnings of any problems. the van just simply lost complete power. now i am left with getting my van towed and having repairs made which are likely to cost several thousand dollars! why is this not on recall yet?? | |||
| 03/07/2011 | 66495 | ||
| I was driving down the road and the car lost all power, was able to get it started again and then it died 5 more times. when i would get it restarted it would not go, it would jerk and sputter. took it to a mechanic and was told there was water in where the comupter was housed.they had looked up and there was a technical service bulletin about the engine/transmission driveability issues, reference number 06-14-10. they advised us that this was most likely the problem. we replaced this part for it and they said it was fine. pulled out of the lot and went to make a turn and the car died again. | |||
| 12/01/2010 | 97000 | ||
| Water leaking in from the windshield messing up the pcm. | |||
| 05/03/2010 | 108000 | ||
| I was driving down the interstate on my way to work one morning going approximately 75 mph when suddenly in the fast lane passing a car, my motor just revs. i coast to the edge of the road as safely as possible (this was during 8:00am rush hour traffic). then i was stranded there for over an hour waiting for my boss to come pick me up. later that afternoon i had the van towed to a garage and hooked up to diagnostics which said the torque convertor was out and then towed home at a cost of $225. my van which i loved up until that day is sitting at my house waiting to be repaired which i can not afford at this time. it makes me sick to have to pay the car payment and fix it too. and because this happened i missed three days of work and now no longer have transportation to and from work, which may turn end up having my beloved van repossed and end up losing my job. i hope they get the recall out there asap so i can get this fixed!!! | |||
| 04/04/2010 | 35000 | ||
| 2005 ford freestar limited -- vehicle stalls while driving and loses power steering and brakes. vehicle has had acceleration and revving of engine when idling in neutral, and also sometimes no reverse gear. sometimes it just fails to start. all of these problems have been attempted to be repaired by two different ford dealership maintenance departments and another local mechanic. all problems appear to be related to the computer (pcm) and/or transmission. the computer (pcm) has been replaced twice by ford in the last eight months but the problem persists. water keeps getting into the pcm compartment and causing havoc. they don't seem to know how to stop it, and the problem keeps repeating itself. last time, two weeks ago, we had to call 911 when we stopped for a red light on a busy highway. when the light turned green, i stepped on the gas, but the van did not go forward. cars were now racing past our stopped van, on both sides, at high speed. we were sitting ducks. we called 911 to get police out to stop traffic for fear of being rearended at high speed. myself, wife and three kids (10,7,2) were stuck there. good samaratin risked his life and stopped all traffic behind us while i carried kids out of van to safety. others helped push the van off the road. van has been at dealership since then for the last two weeks, but they say can't duplicate the problem (when they know exactly what it is). i asked them to open computer again to check for water but they refuse -- saying it's too difficult and it can't be in there (even though it has proven to be the problem on numerous previous instances). i reported issue to ford national customer care hotline several times. i have asked them to recall the van for safety issues and to help me. they refuse (citing out of warranty). the vehicle has about 42k miles on it now. problems began spring 2009 (at about 35k miles) when heavy rains happened all year. many other owners with same dangerous problem | |||
| 04/12/2010 | 100364 | ||
| I had just left my driveway. as i was pulling onto calabash drive from a stop sign at maplewood drive my vehicle lost speed. although the vehicle was running i lost connection with the transmission. since i was only traveling approx. 25 mph i was able to drift into a driveway. i tried all the gears and had no response from any. i shut the vehicle off and waited approx. 2 minutes and restarted it. i was able to move the vehicle approx 100 feet before i again lost contact with the transmission. i repeated this procedure 4 times before i was able to pull back into my driveway. i contacted a transmission repair shop and had the vehicle towed there. i had to have a new torque converter installed which cost me a total of $991.84 i had no warning of this occurance as the vehicle had been driven earlier that day without incident. | |||
| 03/19/2010 | 80100 | ||
| I was travelling down the highway at 45 mph, when the van suddenly went down to 20 mph. i was travelling on the inside lane of a two lane highway, and i was having a hard time getting over to the right. the left side was a median. i finally managed to get over to the right and pulled into a driveway. once in the driveway, the vehicle would not move any more. there were no indications anything was wrong prior to this. i had just travelled to this town 30 miles away from my home. no noises, no difficulty shifting gears - nothing. the vehicle is currently in the shop it happened on friday today is sunday and i won't hear anything from the mechanic until monday. the reason i am filing this compaint is - i travel to houston on a regular basis in this vehicle. i cringe when i think about what would have happened to me and my family if this would have happened to us while we were in houston's traffic. the normal speed on a highway in houston is 80mph. if nothing is done -death is ultimate. | |||
| 11/14/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Van just stopped in the middle of driving down the highway. it just cut off. the mechanics are saying the computer went out. we had to get a new transmission not even 6 months after we got the van in 2006. | |||
| 07/19/2009 | 74986 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2005 ford freestar se w/3.9l v6 engine on mi hwy m-29 just north of algonac, michigan. i was driving about 45 mph, and at one point, i was pressing the accelerator and the van was slowing down. i coasted over to the shoulder and stopped my freestar safely, without any damage to property. i tried shifting into reverse, but no engagement of the transmission took place. there was also no engagement in forward gears 1 or 3. i was found off road dead. :-) i had van towed home to saint clair shores (37 miles) at a cost of $50 to allstate road service and $116.25 out-of-my-pocket. i had my van towed again (covered under allstate's $50 limit) to my selling dealer, roy o'brien ford, also in saint clair shores. i was informed late the next day that to diagnose the problem would cost $850. then the tech gave more info to my service writer that he thought the torque converter splines were stripped. revised estimate was $1525 to remove the transmission, pull the torque converter and replace same and reinstall the transmission. the transmission pan was dropped' for examination, screen and gasket change, and new trans fluid was added to fill the system again. actual outlay today was $1524.72. i had no warning that i was about to lose power to the wheels. i'm glad i was on a quiet semi-rural road with homes around. one homeowner checked on my wife and i to see if we were ok. he even offered to let me use his lavatory. at least there is some kindness left. the phone call to allstate was exasperating, as the call center staffer was using a paper map of michigan and had no idea where we were. being stuck on a sunday evening after business hours could have been very eerie. everything turned out ok, but at a substantial cost. *tr | |||