Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
055103/21/200510014682Intermittent headlamp flicker with no key in the ignition - vehicles built before 2/21/2005. *tt05/05/2005
1817909/01/200410011346Wrench light on, diagnostic trouble code p0562 and transaxle in limp home mode after battery jump start. *tt01/18/2005
1817809/01/200410011345Wrench light on, no engagement in drive or reverse and diagnostic trouble code p0942. *tt01/18/2005
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY
1931208/01/200610021061Battery light illuminated. *kb02/27/2007

Investigations


NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - INSTRUMENT PANEL
PE07058FORD MOTOR COMPANY11/16/200703/11/2008INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE
 The subject vehicles experience a loss of proper instrument cluster operation.typically, the problem appears as the needle on the gauge (speedometer, tachometer, fuel, and/or temperature) sweeps and resets intermittently.ford reports the problem as momentary power interruption causes the gauges to sweep and then recover to normal function.in august 2006, ford issued a technical service bulletin (tsb 06-17-9) to provide guidelines to service technicians for diagnosis and repair of this condition.odi's review of ford's response to the agency's informationrequest letter reveals that the majority of the reports to ford (63%) indicate that the instrument cluster would experience intermittent loss of power.ford reports that thislasts for only a few seconds.also ford states, the vehicle's exterior lighting would not fail to illuminate even in the event of power interruption to the cluster because the exterior lights are powered separately and do not rely on any signal from the cluster.additionally, odi contacted complainants who affirmed the intermittent condition and that none of the exterior lights on the subject vehicles would be affected by power interruptions to the instrument cluster.odi last received a report regarding this issue in august of 2007.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted at this time.odi will however continue to monitor the issue and will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
01/11/2012550001
 The first incident my fuel gauge is off & producing incorrect data of gas remaining in car & driver window would roll up and down when trying to just roll it up. i took the car back to the dealership they did not fix the issue. another incident i was on the highway and the stalled while driving. third incident i was at a stop light with my 5 year old daughter in the car, all of a sudden the car made a loud revving up noise then shot us forward into oncoming traffic. i was barely able to back up before the cars reached us. another time i was driving with my daughter taking her to daycare then going to work and we were going through a school zone. we stopped at a stop sign and there was a family with 3 children crossing and the car shot us forward again and we almost hit the family. several times when picking up my daughter i would put the car in reverse and my foot was on the brake pedal still all of a sudden the car shot us back into the cars behind us. this car is very unsafe. i fear for the safety of others and my daughters and my life when getting into this car. ford should recall this vehicle and replace it with a new car. people shouldn't be at risk for this. *tr
01/11/201255000
 The first incident my fuel gauge is off & producing incorrect data of gas remaining in car & driver window would roll up and down when trying to just roll it up. i took the car back to the dealership they did not fix the issue. another incident i was on the highway and the stalled while driving. third incident i was at a stop light with my 5 year old daughter in the car, all of a sudden the car made a loud reving up noise then shot us forward into oncoming traffic. i was barely able to back up before the cars reached us. another time i was driving with my daughter taking her to daycare then going to work and we were going through a school zone. we stopped at a stop sign and there was a family with 3 children crossing and the car shot us forward again and we almost hit the family. several times when picking up my daughter i would put the car in reverse and my foot was on the brake pedal still all of a sudden the car shot us back into the cars behind us. this car is very unsafe. i fear for the safety of others and my daughters and my life when getting into this car. ford should recall this vehicle and replace it with a new car. people shouldn't be at risk for this.
09/19/20121130001
 While maneuvering my vehicle in a small space (forward, reverse, turning the wheel) the car began to surge and lunge (has occurred before, but mostly in reverse.) there was loud whining when i turned the steering wheel (that began recently and is almost constant.) the engine began to rev loudly, the car trying to lunge even with the brake applied. i reversed the car several feet from the road for fear it would lunge into traffic. the engine light (1st time ever) and the wrench symbol came on. car went into limp mode, would not accelerate or exceed 30mph. (4th or 5th time this has happened in the one year i've owned the car.) diagnostic codes given by autozone on 9/19/12: p2106 (throttle actuator control system) & p061b (internal control module torque calculation performance error.) upon restart, engine light off. dealer was contacted, and on 9/26/12 i drove the car to repair shop. they said smart junction box melted, must replace (electronic chassis control module )before doing repairs to the throttle body, cvt and suddenly non-working a/c (was working prior). no repairs have been made to the vehicle as the dealership (not ford) refuses to honor the 36,000ml warranty with car. recent problems prior to 9/26/12:*highway driving (55+mph/sometimes using cruise) car revs high rpms/will not accelerate at all/resumes later*sputters/stalls/loses power when slowing/stopping (it does restart) instrument panel brightens/dims*power locks malfunctioning (unlock function works with fob only) often while driving car locks/unlocks continuously/car randomly unlocks after being parked/turned off*cd player not working/displayed error code/2 month later working again*security system function inconsistent/disables randomly*gears not engaging right away, then a loud noise and car surges/lunges into drive/reverse* lunging (mostly reverse) and surge/lunge when in drive/brake applied. *tr
09/19/2012113000
 While maneuvering my vehicle in a small space (forward, reverse, turning the wheel) the car began to surge and lunge (has occurred before, but mostly in reverse.) there was loud whining when i turned the steering wheel (that began recently and is almost constant.) the engine began to rev loudly, the car trying to lunge even with the brake applied. i reversed the car several feet from the road for fear it would lunge into traffic. the engine light (1st time ever) and the wrench symbol came on. car went into limp mode, would not accelerate or exceed 30mph. (4th or 5th time this has happened in the one year i've owned the car.) diagnostic codes given by autozone on 9/19/12: p2106 (throttle actuator control system) & p061b (internal control module torque calculation performance error.) upon restart, engine light off. dealer was contacted, and on 9/26/12 i drove the car to repair shop. they said smart junction box melted, must replace (electronic chassis control module )before doing repairs to the throttle body, cvt and suddenly non-working a/c (was working prior). no repairs have been made to the vehicle as the dealership (not ford) refuses to honor the 36,000ml warranty with car. recent problems prior to 9/26/12:*highway driving (55+mph/sometimes using cruise) car revs high rpms/will not accelerate at all/resumes later*sputters/stalls/loses power when slowing/stopping (it does restart) instrument panel brightens/dims*power locks malfunctioning (unlock function works with fob only) often while driving car locks/unlocks continuously/car randomly unlocks after being parked/turned off*cd player not working/displayed error code/2 month later working again*security system function inconsistent/disables randomly*gears not engaging right away, then a loud noise and car surges/lunges into drive/reverse* lunging (mostly reverse) and surge/lunge when in drive/brake applied
09/27/201245000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start. also, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle lunged forward independently. both failures recurred numerous times. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. however, neither offered any assistance. the failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 50,329. pmb
01/14/20071
 I've had problems with this vehicle numerous times over the past few years. i filed a complaint on here once but do not remember the dates or the username/password i used. this vehicle is the worst car i have ever owned. i've sunk thousands into repairs in the last couple of years. i've had instrument cluster replaced 4 times, replaced engine mounts, my a/c compressor went out on it, throttle body replaced. and now it sits on blocks we thought was the fuel pump went out so replaced it. didn't do any good. not sure what it is the instrument cluster still doesn't work correctly, it was surging til the day the other day when it just wont go anymore, it will start and run but won't go. i was told it could be numerous things, throttle body again, instrument cluster still not right, might be my transmission, could be my pedal throttle sensor, fuel switch out..........so what do i do nickel and penny everything i have into a lemon that obviously the nhtsa nor ford care about. i'm a single mother with two children, we live 7 miles from town...and now i have no transportation. i bought this vehicle in 2005 and paid quite a bit for it. its like toilet paper or diapers....disposable! i will never purchase a ford again. *tr
09/19/2012113000
 While maneuvering my vehicle in a small space (forward, reverse, turning the wheel) the car began to surge and lunge (has occurred before, but mostly in reverse.) there was loud whining when i turned the steering wheel (that began recently and is almost constant.) the engine began to rev loudly, the car trying to lunge even with the brake applied. i reversed the car several feet from the road for fear it would lunge into traffic. the engine light (1st time ever) and the wrench symbol came on. car went into limp mode, would not accelerate or exceed 30mph. (4th or 5th time this has happened in the one year i've owned the car.) diagnostic codes given by autozone on 9/19/12: p2106 (throttle actuator control system) & p061b (internal control module torque calculation performance error.) upon restart, engine light off. dealer was contacted, and on 9/26/12 i drove the car to repair shop. they said smart junction box melted, must replace (electronic chassis control module )before doing repairs to the throttle body, cvt and suddenly non-working a/c (was working prior). no repairs have been made to the vehicle as the dealership (not ford) refuses to honor the 36,000ml warranty with car. recent problems prior to 9/26/12:*highway driving (55+mph/sometimes using cruise) car revs high rpms/will not accelerate at all/resumes later*sputters/stalls/loses power when slowing/stopping (it does restart) instrument panel brightens/dims*power locks malfunctioning (unlock function works with fob only) often while driving car locks/unlocks continuously/car randomly unlocks after being parked/turned off*cd player not working/displayed error code/2 month later working again*security system function inconsistent/disables randomly*gears not engaging right away, then a loud noise and car surges/lunges into drive/reverse* lunging (mostly reverse) and surge/lunge when in drive/brake applied
09/27/201245000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start. also, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle lunged forward independently. both failures recurred numerous times. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. however, neither offered any assistance. the failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 50,329. pmb
01/14/20071
 I've had problems with this vehicle numerous times over the past few years. i filed a complaint on here once but do not remember the dates or the username/password i used. this vehicle is the worst car i have ever owned. i've sunk thousands into repairs in the last couple of years. i've had instrument cluster replaced 4 times, replaced engine mounts, my a/c compressor went out on it, throttle body replaced. and now it sits on blocks we thought was the fuel pump went out so replaced it. didn't do any good. not sure what it is the instrument cluster still doesn't work correctly, it was surging til the day the other day when it just wont go anymore, it will start and run but won't go. i was told it could be numerous things, throttle body again, instrument cluster still not right, might be my transmission, could be my pedal throttle sensor, fuel switch out..........so what do i do nickel and penny everything i have into a lemon that obviously the nhtsa nor ford care about. i'm a single mother with two children, we live 7 miles from town...and now i have no transportation. i bought this vehicle in 2005 and paid quite a bit for it. its like toilet paper or diapers....disposable! i will never purchase a ford again. *tr
09/27/201245000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to start. she also stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle lunged forward independently. both failures recurred numerous times. the dealer as well as the manufacturer were both notified. neither offered any assistance. the failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 50,329. dt
01/14/2007
 I've had problems with this vehicle numerous times over the past few years. i filed a complaint on here once but do not remember the dates or the username/password i used. this vehicle is the worst car i have ever owned. i've sunk thousands into repairs in the last couple of years. i've had instrument cluster replaced 4 times, replaced engine mounts, my a/c compressor went out on it, throttle body replaced. and now it sits on blocks we thought was the fuel pump went out so replaced it. didn't do any good. not sure what it is the instrument cluster still doesn't work correctly, it was surging til the day the other day when it just wont go anymore, it will start and run but won't go. i was told it could be numerous things, throttle body again, instrument cluster still not right, might be my transmission, could be my pedal throttle sensor, fuel switch out..........so what do i do nickel and penny everything i have into a lemon that obviously the nhtsa nor ford care about. i'm a single mother with two children, we live 7 miles from town...and now i have no transportation. i bought this vehicle in 2005 and paid quite a bit for it. its like toilet paper or diapers....disposable! i will never purchase a ford again.
10/10/201288000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the failure recurred intermittently as the contact drove at various speeds . the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the dealer advised that the computer had to be reset. after the repair the failure continued. the check engine warning light was also illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 88,000. kmj
10/10/201288000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. while driving approximately 35 mph the vehicle suddenly stalled. the failure occurs at different speeds intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an the dealer for diagnostic testing. the dealer stated the computer had to be reset. after the repair the failure continued. the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 88,000. da
10/24/20121400001
 Engine sputter then failure. then computer error states, fail safe engine mode. diagnostic reveals throttle body failure. common problem according to service department recall pending, why won't u act. web full of this complaint. *tr
10/15/20121
 My instrument panel started going out while i was driving down the highway one night and it caused my reverse lights to flash on and off. this is a problem that ford knows about and it is a problem due to faulty solder joints on the back of the instrument panel, there is a tsb for this, but there is no recall on this why? this problem has also led to my transmission going out again, and ford will do nothing about any of it. i am not the only one who has had this problem either there are tons of owners of this car that have had these issues. ford needs to be held accountable for these issues that are a result of faulty manufacturing. we are a hard working family and we spent everything we had replacing the transmission in our car six months ago, and our warranty was up seven days before our transmission went out and now thanks to the faulty instrument panel doing whatever it was doing to the computer when it was cutting in and out it has tore my almost $4000.00 transmission up and now i have no car to haul all of my children around in. i also contacted ford via email and the response i got was save your receipts in case of a recall or a forgiveness program is started up. *tr
10/24/20121400001
 Engine sputter then failure. then computer error states, fail safe engine mode. diagnostic reveals throttle body failure. common problem according to service department recall pending, why won't u act. web full of this complaint. *tr
10/15/20121
 My instrument panel started going out while i was driving down the highway one night and it caused my reverse lights to flash on and off. this is a problem that ford knows about and it is a problem due to faulty solder joints on the back of the instrument panel, there is a tsb for this, but there is no recall on this why? this problem has also led to my transmission going out again, and ford will do nothing about any of it. i am not the only one who has had this problem either there are tons of owners of this car that have had these issues. ford needs to be held accountable for these issues that are a result of faulty manufacturing. we are a hard working family and we spent everything we had replacing the transmission in our car six months ago, and our warranty was up seven days before our transmission went out and now thanks to the faulty instrument panel doing whatever it was doing to the computer when it was cutting in and out it has tore my almost $4000.00 transmission up and now i have no car to haul all of my children around in. i also contacted ford via email and the response i got was save your receipts in case of a recall or a forgiveness program is started up. *tr
10/24/2012140000
 Engine sputter then failure. then computer error states, fail safe engine mode. diagnostic reveals throttle body failure. common problem according to service department recall pending, why won't u act. web full of this complaint.
07/16/201284000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, the transmission warning light illuminated. the contact decelerated to 40 mph as the vehicle began to lunge forward abnormally. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure recurred. the vehicle was returned to the dealer, who stated that the transmission would need to be replaced again however, they did not have the necessary parts to complete the repair. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the transmission was rebuilt however, the failure recurred. the contact was informed that there was an electrical problem that was causing the recurring transmission failure. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. kmj
07/16/201285000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated while driving 50 mph the transmission light illuminated. the contact slowed down to 40 mph and the vehicle began to lunge forward independently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and was informed the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the day the vehicle was returned from the dealer the failure recurred. the vehicle was returned to the dealer who stated the transmission would need to be replaced again however they did not have parts. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the transmission was rebuilt. the failure recurred. the contact was informed that there was an electrical problem that was causing the transmission failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. dt
04/01/2011350001
 The vehicle unexpectedly surges when turning into a parking space or sitting at drive through. also having issues with engine dying when reversing. *tr
04/01/201135000
 The vehicle unexpectedly surges when turning into a parking space or sitting at drive through. also having issues with engine dying when reversing.
06/29/2012131000
 I was backing up out of a parking spot very slowly and the car surged backward about a foot, i was able to depress the brake and stop it. the fail safe mode then engaged. i turned the car off and sat for a couple minutes and restarted it and started backing out. the same thing happened again, the surge backward and the failsafe mode engaged. i once again stopped and turned off the engine and sat for about 15 minutes. when i restarted the car the check engine light was on but i was able to back out of the parking space all right, and the failsafe mode did not come back on. it was an extremely hot 100 degrees day, and the a/c was on. this is extremely scary. i could have hit someone.
10/27/2010118000
 Purchased the car used from ford dealership. i had been following a friend on ih10 in east texas. friend had pulled over to side of road, ipulled in behind him. i stayed in my car with ac running for approx 10 minutes i put the car in gear and started to drive. the vehicle would not go over 20 mph. i pulled over and turned the car off. my friend saw me and pulled his vehicle over and came back to ck on me. i started the car back up to get off the freeway the accelerator was racing even with my foot on the brake the engine light came on and the computer said it was running in safe mode. on july 2 2012 i took my son to airport. i parked in the parking lot ,we had set in the car in park with engine and ac running for about 15 minutes.. when i put the car in reverse the acclerator got stuck and with my brakes still applied the car lunged backward acellerator running full force. the gas pedal was not engaged by me and i had to turn the car off to stop the acceleration. when i turned the car back on the engine light was on and operating in safe mode. this is ver unnerving and i think could have caused an accident had any cars been around me. i took the car in to the dealership where i had purchased it, have an appt to bring it back in on july 9 to have them fix it. i got on the website of ford today for any recalls that might have been called for my car-didnt see any for this type problem. however in researching the problem i found a lot of people who had reported it. this problem needs to be addressed and quickly before someone is injured or killed-and i pray its not me. the dealership is charging me $85 to run a diagnostic they already knows exists. as far as i can tell, no one has been able to have this problem resolved or fixed
06/29/2012131000
 I was backing up out of a parking spot very slowly and the car surged backward about a foot, i was able to depress the brake and stop it. the fail safe mode then engaged. i turned the car off and sat for a couple minutes and restarted it and started backing out. the same thing happened again, the surge backward and the failsafe mode engaged. i once again stopped and turned off the engine and sat for about 15 minutes. when i restarted the car the check engine light was on but i was able to back out of the parking space all right, and the failsafe mode did not come back on. it was an extremely hot 100 degrees day, and the a/c was on. this is extremely scary. i could have hit someone.
10/27/2010118000
 Purchased the car used from ford dealership. i had been following a friend on ih10 in east texas. friend had pulled over to side of road, ipulled in behind him. i stayed in my car with ac running for approx 10 minutes i put the car in gear and started to drive. the vehicle would not go over 20 mph. i pulled over and turned the car off. my friend saw me and pulled his vehicle over and came back to ck on me. i started the car back up to get off the freeway the accelerator was racing even with my foot on the brake the engine light came on and the computer said it was running in safe mode. on july 2 2012 i took my son to airport. i parked in the parking lot ,we had set in the car in park with engine and ac running for about 15 minutes.. when i put the car in reverse the acclerator got stuck and with my brakes still applied the car lunged backward acellerator running full force. the gas pedal was not engaged by me and i had to turn the car off to stop the acceleration. when i turned the car back on the engine light was on and operating in safe mode. this is ver unnerving and i think could have caused an accident had any cars been around me. i took the car in to the dealership where i had purchased it, have an appt to bring it back in on july 9 to have them fix it. i got on the website of ford today for any recalls that might have been called for my car-didnt see any for this type problem. however in researching the problem i found a lot of people who had reported it. this problem needs to be addressed and quickly before someone is injured or killed-and i pray its not me. the dealership is charging me $85 to run a diagnostic they already knows exists. as far as i can tell, no one has been able to have this problem resolved or fixed
06/29/2012131000
 I was backing up out of a parking spot very slowly and the car surged backward about a foot, i was able to depress the brake and stop it. the fail safe mode then engaged. i turned the car off and sat for a couple minutes and restarted it and started backing out. the same thing happened again, the surge backward and the failsafe mode engaged. i once again stopped and turned off the engine and sat for about 15 minutes. when i restarted the car the check engine light was on but i was able to back out of the parking space all right, and the failsafe mode did not come back on. it was an extremely hot 100 degrees day, and the a/c was on. this is extremely scary. i could have hit someone.
04/01/2011100000
 When parking, driving very slow (under 10mph) or backing up my car lunges forward with surge of power and foot on brake not gas. sometimes it dies and gave error code engine failsafe mode. worse when acon, don't remember it being an issue in the winter. took to dobbs and was told it was my throttle body and my computer would need reset. cleaned throttle body to see if that would correct issue. improved, but did not correct. very scary and dangerous in traffic, approaching stop signs, especially if pedestrians nearby. fear could lunge at them.
06/13/2012104500
 Car lost power at 35-40 mph for just a few seconds. many instances of lunging in forward and reverse. frightening to drive in parking lots.
03/01/2012105000
 I owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the instrument cluster sporadically shuts down and you are unable to see the speedometer, odometer or any gauges on the dashboard for about 10 seconds. the problem reoccurs several times a day. the answer i have received is that my car is receiving a surge of engery causing this malfunction. my vehicle has completely shorted out at this point and my lights on the inside of the vehicle and dashboard flicker, but the motor is not attempting to start. hoping it is a blown fuse but maybe the alternator.
06/13/2012104500
 Car lost power at 35-40 mph for just a few seconds. many instances of lunging in forward and reverse. frightening to drive in parking lots.
03/01/2012105000
 I owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the instrument cluster sporadically shuts down and you are unable to see the speedometer, odometer or any gauges on the dashboard for about 10 seconds. the problem reoccurs several times a day. the answer i have received is that my car is receiving a surge of engery causing this malfunction. my vehicle has completely shorted out at this point and my lights on the inside of the vehicle and dashboard flicker, but the motor is not attempting to start. hoping it is a blown fuse but maybe the alternator.
06/13/2012104500
 Car lost power at 35-40 mph for just a few seconds. many instances of lunging in forward and reverse. frightening to drive in parking lots.
03/01/2012105000
 I owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the instrument cluster sporadically shuts down and you are unable to see the speedometer, odometer or any gauges on the dashboard for about 10 seconds. the problem reoccurs several times a day. the answer i have received is that my car is receiving a surge of engery causing this malfunction. my vehicle has completely shorted out at this point and my lights on the inside of the vehicle and dashboard flicker, but the motor is not attempting to start. hoping it is a blown fuse but maybe the alternator.
01/10/201272000
 While driving the instrument cluster would behave erratically and then completely stop working for 10-30 seconds, after this the wrench and seat belt light stay on. then they reset and all gauges work normally and then this reoccurs. during these occurrences the engine would act sluggishly and there would be slower acceleration. this has been happening for 3+ months and today the gauges have all stopped working, the same 2 icons are lite and now the reverse lights stay on whether the car is in park, drive, neutral or reverse. the turn signals, lights and brake lights all work but do not display on the dash. seen the tsb's from ford, the investigation done by nhtsa pe07058, this needs to be re-opened and a recall performed by ford.
03/22/201256152
 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.
05/01/200718000
 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. sm.
05/01/200718000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated the air conditioning does 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. li
09/02/2011
 I have a 2005 ford freestyle with two issues.. issue #1- when shifting into gear (drive or reverse) or starting to accelerate the car lunges forward or backward. it is a requirement to stay a few feet back and foot firmly on the brake at all times as not to hit other vehicles or pedestrians. issue #2- instrument panel randomly began to illuminate lights (ie check engine, seatbelt, air bag) for a period of time and then they would disappear. then the gauges (ie gas, temp, and speedometer) began not working. took it in to shop and they confirmed a faulty insturment cluster
01/17/200733000
 I have more than one complaint. 1) shortly after buying my used 2005 freestyle i would be driving both at higher and lower speeds and i would loose all control of the vehicle. it would not respond to gas or steering. it was like it was loseing power but it was still running. i had several near misses when this would happen. i was lucky that when i bought my freestyle it was certified and under warranty, otherwise the repairs would have cost me over $1200. my ford dealer replaced the kind of sensor/brain as they called it. has been working sence. 2) air compressor needs to be replaced now. i thought the a/c wasn't blowing cold enough, i finally told it to a repair shop i trust and he said he couldn't understand i i had any cool air at all. 3) brakes, rear most of all, have been replaced several times. way too soon and anytime it's wet they sceal like crazy. gues i need to have them changed again. 4) transmission issues are starting now. i roughly have 90k miles and hoped this would be my last car for several more years. i hate to trade it in and start another car payment and let this car get back out to some other unsuspecting soul.
12/08/2010101000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the instrument cluster had a interruption in power, causing the dials to operate improperly. the contact was unable to read the speedometer due to the malfunction. the contact had the instrument cluster replaced by the dealer three times bu the failure continued to recur. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the cluster malfunction and the manufacturer advised that there was nothing they could do to assist. the failure mileage was 101,000. kmj
12/08/2010101000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated the instrument cluster had a interruption in power causing the dials to operate improperly. the contact was unable to read the speedometer due to the malfunction. the contact had the instrument cluster replaced by the dealer three times. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the cluster malfunction and the manufacturer stated there was nothing they could do. the failure mileage was 101,000. jo
11/27/2011133000
 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.
11/17/201196000
 Eng. surging car wants to acelerade weil standing at red light hat trouble holding car still also weil driving car wants to lurge forward
08/26/2011111000
 Unexplained acceleration of vehicle. car lurches for no apparent cause.
08/15/2011125000
 2005 ford freestyle surges and accelerates from a stop or low speed. it is particularly evident when shifting the transmission from drive to reverse or reverse to drive. the acceleration can last for maximum 5 seconds but you better have your foot firmly planted on the brake or the vehicle could lunge forward or backward into oncoming or parked cars and pedistrians. it doesnt happen al the time, often after the car has been run and parked for a 15-30 minute period.
07/22/201176000
 Request to re-open nhtsa defect investigation #pe07058. the entire instrumental panel stopped working while starting, stoping or driving at low speed and on highway. also when it happens, no turn signal alarm, no air conditioner, and controls on the steering wheel not working. have not been able to check outside lights. it happens from time to time, comes and goes, lasts about 2-10 seconds. a few occasoins, it trigged air bag, coolent warning and check engine lights to come on. check engien light stayed for a few days. i think it is a design or production defect since ford knew it back in 2006 according to its tsb. i think it's dangerous, especially when driving on highspeed, at night and in bad weather, you lose the info of speed and air conditioner and don't know if turn signal light is on.
06/01/2011120000
 2005 ford freestyle unexpectedly accelerates when car is put into gear (forward or reverse), this seems to be aligned with other complaints associated with nhtsa investigation pe11018. the engine will rev when putting the car into gear and will lurch in the direction of the gear that it was placed in. this is not due to the driver inadvertently pressing on the gas pedal at the same time as the brake. the driver has to firmly press on the brakes to prevent the car from moving. if the brake is only pressed just enough to put the car in gear the vehicle will actually move 3-4 feet. the happens sporadically but does occur at least 4-5 times a week.
03/01/2010125000
 Our freestyle has experienced mild but worsening unintended acceleration for two years now, but it was always mild and did not cause the car to lurch forward even when the driver's foot was hard on the brake pedal. then we had a new problem: no cold air from the ac at idle. we responded (6/11) to a mailed promotion from hertrich ford (easton md) for an ac tune up. they did nothing but add dye to our refrigerant and clean our air ducts with disinfectant. so we turned to the owners' forum, myfordfreestyle.com, and quickly diagnosed the problem: a seized-up pressure control valve. apparently ford dealers refuse to perform this simple repair (part cost $40) and will only replace the entire ac compressor ($800 + labor). so we ordered the valve online and had a competent local mechanic replace the valve (1-hour labor plus cost of refrigerant). the ac is good as new, but the unintended acceleration is now much worse. the incidents always occur at very low to no speed and when maneuvering the car (i.e. parking, k-turning, etc.). in all of these situations, both the ac and the power steering pump are demanding/drawing near-maximum power from an essentially idling engine, nearly stalling the engine; the electronic engine/idle control then kicks-in and hugely over-reacts by revving the engine to 2,000+ rpm. even with your foot on the brake, an automatic in drive is going to surge quite far at 2000+ rpm. please look at the myfordfreestyle.com website: note that almost all of the complaints about unintended acceleration come during hot weather months and a few also note the problem is much worse with the ac on. it took us less than 30 minutes on the website to diagnose both the ac problem and unintended acceleration problem. it is inconceivable that ford has not been aware of both of these problems for years. (surely ford's customer relations staff monitor owner forums).
06/01/201090000
 Sitting at stop light, engine surges and lurches into fail safe mode. car slips out of gear into neutral, and limps to a stop. has occured multiple times, especially in the heat of summer. taken car into multiple shops, have never received consistent answer. answers range from transmission failure to a bad computer, or a sensor.
06/03/2011250000
 My 2005 freestyle is making loud rattling sound (coming from trans) and the failsafe mode indicator as well as the yellow wrench have been appearing. i have had it in the service dept of dealership many times for surging and power failures, etc, and they have made numerous repairs - (including the ac compressor) and replaced a head gasket (which is leaking badly now?), and it appears this time it may be a throttle body problem? the dealer won't look at it till next week and wants $200 to check it out? people waiting in line (at the service dept) today told me they had the exact same problems (with freestyles). there should be a recall if so many people are complaining.
09/24/201055500
 I own a 2005 ford freestyle and about 1 year ago, when ever i would back out of my garage or pull into the garage at a slow speed, sometimes the car would lunge unexpectedly either forward or backward depending on if i was backing out or pulling into my garage. it occured at least 3 or 4 times per week until it finally got so back that my check engine light came on. at that point, i took the car to the dealership and they charged me over $600 to replace the throttle body on the car. this did resolve the issue somewhat, but at least a couple of times a month i still experience this lunging of the car, but it is not as dramatic as it was before they replaced the throttle body. i was really worried about this issue as we have a lot of kids that like to play around our house and i was always worried i was going to run into one of them when backing out of the garage so i had to make sure i kept one foot on the break just in case. this is a very serious issue and it is something that is definately a safety hazard to the public. also, my wife has a 2006 ford 500 and it experienced the same problems and we had to get the throttle body fixed on it as well. i spent over $1,000 within the span of a few months on the same issue in two different ford vehicles. there is definately something wrong with the throttle body mechanism and ford needs to be held accountable for this dangerous situation they have put car owners in and they should be required to refund the cost of anyone who has already spent $600 or $700 to fix their throttle body. the ford dealer told me to keep my receipts in case this issue made the recall list.
05/23/2011131000
 2005 ford freestyle complete shutoff of electrical system including turn signals. this is the second problem. the first was the surging that everybody is complaning about. after a wrong diagnosis and replacing the throttle body and pcm, the whole problem was fixed by replacing the alternator. my concern is the complete shutoff of electrical system is a safety issue. this second problem is current.
09/24/201055500
 I own a 2005 ford freestyle and about 1 year ago, when ever i would back out of my garage or pull into the garage at a slow speed, sometimes the car would lunge unexpectedly either forward or backward depending on if i was backing out or pulling into my garage. it occured at least 3 or 4 times per week until it finally got so back that my check engine light came on. at that point, i took the car to the dealership and they charged me over $600 to replace the throttle body on the car. this did resolve the issue somewhat, but at least a couple of times a month i still experience this lunging of the car, but it is not as dramatic as it was before they replaced the throttle body. i was really worried about this issue as we have a lot of kids that like to play around our house and i was always worried i was going to run into one of them when backing out of the garage so i had to make sure i kept one foot on the break just in case. this is a very serious issue and it is something that is definately a safety hazard to the public. also, my wife has a 2006 ford 500 and it experienced the same problems and we had to get the throttle body fixed on it as well. i spent over $1,000 within the span of a few months on the same issue in two different ford vehicles. there is definately something wrong with the throttle body mechanism and ford needs to be held accountable for this dangerous situation they have put car owners in and they should be required to refund the cost of anyone who has already spent $600 or $700 to fix their throttle body. the ford dealer told me to keep my receipts in case this issue made the recall list.
05/23/2011131000
 2005 ford freestyle complete shutoff of electrical system including turn signals. this is the second problem. the first was the surging that everybody is complaning about. after a wrong diagnosis and replacing the throttle body and pcm, the whole problem was fixed by replacing the alternator. my concern is the complete shutoff of electrical system is a safety issue. this second problem is current.
09/02/2010100000
 2005 ford freestyle sel has lost power and turned off completetly twice. both times, i turned the ac and radio off and it started back up immediately. i have also experienced the sudden surge others have described when slowing at an intersection for a stop sign and it does require a quick hard break to keep from entering the intersection. both of these events are extremely dangerous.
02/22/201146000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that all of the gauges on the instrument panel were malfunctioning. when the failure would occur, the tail lights would illuminate. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the vehicle was diagnosed as the cluster module being defective and needing to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was out of warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 46,000.
02/22/201146000
 Tl - the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact state that all of the gauges on the instrument panel were malfunctioning. she also mentioned that when this happens the reverse lights turn on. the vehicle was taken to a local shop who diagnosed cluster module was defective and needed to be replace. the manufacturer was contacted who did not offered any assistance since the vehicle was out of warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 46,000. pm
06/01/200865000
 Over a period of about 2 summers, the 2005 ford freestyle would surge while sitting at an intersection or slowing during the approach. the surge was a rapid acceleration of the vehicle which required a heavy, or a quick brake. a quick response was required to avoid a rear-end collision, entering an intersection, or striking a pedestrian. the surges seem to be related to the operation of the air conditioner. the car had gone into a fail-safe mode while sitting in a drive-thru. i began using the ac sparingly and would turn off the ac completely when driving in the city or approaching and intersection. however, while approaching a turn on a state route, with a speed limit of 55, the vehicle unexpectedly shutdown leaving the vehicle exposed to on-coming traffic. the date listed below is an approximation. around the same time toyota was having problems with run-away vehicles, i contacted the ford motor company alerting them of this hazard. i was told to contact a dealership. the dealership replaced the throttle body. i was told that the computer could not/did not show any information about the fail-safe. on-line, it appears that many people have had these problems. due to the season, i will not know if the problem was corrected. i'm hoping that the family isn't in the car if it wasn't.
01/22/201060000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the driver noticed that all the warning lights would illuminate on the instrumental panel on a intermittent basis for a year. the vehicle would also stall on different occasions without warning. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that the instrument cluster had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the instrument cluster. the contact also stated that when trying to decelerate the vehicle it surge forward. the vehicle was also repaired for the instrument cluster for this failure as well. the failure has still occurred for the mentioned failures. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. tb
12/02/201078000
 Tl- the contact owns 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated the instrument cluster looses power and all of the gauges stop working and the interior lights go out. this can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated they could not find a problem with the vehicle. the dealer also stated this did not mean there was not a problem because they were aware of it, but the vehicle showed no signs at the time. the failure mileage was 78000 and the current mileage was 79000.rl
08/08/201050000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. while driving at various speeds, the contact noticed the entire instrument panel gauges would not function correctly with the illumination of the check engine low fuel level warning light. in addition, the wrench warning symbol and air bag warning indicator would illuminate. the failures occurred intermittently when the vehicle was in operation. also, both turn signals failed to function properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis and they were unable to detect a problem. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. the vin was unavailable. js
03/15/200959000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle limited. while driving approximately 50 mph at night the vehicle lost power. the instrument panel did not display and all lights went out. he stated the vehicle started back working after ten seconds. the failure has caused him to replace five batteries. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer was unable to duplicated the failure. the vehicle was purchased used in march 2009 and the failure has been intermittent since that time and has become more severe. he was unable to provide a vin. the failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 100,000. vwb.
09/16/201058456
 My 2005 ford freestyle with 58,000 miles suddenl;y looses all the instrument panel indications and the engine then dies. restart is possible and instruments then return to normal. this usually occurs within a few minutes of starting the car but has happened at speed on the highway. the dealer claims this is a common freestyle problem and the entire instrument cluster has to be replaced at a cost of $700.00. why has this obvious safety issue not been subject to a reaclall?
08/30/201074000
 The car lunges forward or backward depending if you are in drive or reverse. it is so fast you have to brake with both feet and pull agaiinst steering wheel to stop car. car trips into failsafe mode after this happens (would be too late, you would have hit something by then)dealer says it is the bad throttle body. seems to be a systemic problem with freestyle 2005-2007? very dangerous a matter of time before someone is run over or killed with vehicle
09/16/201058456
 My 2005 ford freestyle with 58,000 miles suddenl;y looses all the instrument panel indications and the engine then dies. restart is possible and instruments then return to normal. this usually occurs within a few minutes of starting the car but has happened at speed on the highway. the dealer claims this is a common freestyle problem and the entire instrument cluster has to be replaced at a cost of $700.00. why has this obvious safety issue not been subject to a reaclall?
08/30/201074000
 The car lunges forward or backward depending if you are in drive or reverse. it is so fast you have to brake with both feet and pull agaiinst steering wheel to stop car. car trips into failsafe mode after this happens (would be too late, you would have hit something by then)dealer says it is the bad throttle body. seems to be a systemic problem with freestyle 2005-2007? very dangerous a matter of time before someone is run over or killed with vehicle
09/16/201058456
 My 2005 ford freestyle with 58,000 miles suddenl;y looses all the instrument panel indications and the engine then dies. restart is possible and instruments then return to normal. this usually occurs within a few minutes of starting the car but has happened at speed on the highway. the dealer claims this is a common freestyle problem and the entire instrument cluster has to be replaced at a cost of $700.00. why has this obvious safety issue not been subject to a reaclall?
08/30/201074000
 The car lunges forward or backward depending if you are in drive or reverse. it is so fast you have to brake with both feet and pull agaiinst steering wheel to stop car. car trips into failsafe mode after this happens (would be too late, you would have hit something by then)dealer says it is the bad throttle body. seems to be a systemic problem with freestyle 2005-2007? very dangerous a matter of time before someone is run over or killed with vehicle
08/27/201041000
 The vehicle would experience intermittent loss of the electrical to the gauges and interior lighting. the gauges would sweep to zero and then momentarily sweep back. the length of the loss of electrical is increasing with each intermittent failure. twice now the vehicle has also lost acceleration when pulling out of an intersection causing a potential collision condition. the last time this happened it also occurred with a loss of electrical to the instrument cluster and interior lighting. this is a potential serious condition as the vehicle may have been involved in a collision due to the loss of power. the vehicle is currently with the ford dealer undergoing diagnostics.
08/21/201058000
 2005 ford freestyle. 3 different incidents when the car was stopped, lurched forward and then the dashboard light came on reading engine safe failed turned car off and restarted. 3rd time it happened the check engine light remained on with the emissions light on the dashboard. took car to dealership to be serviced. we are now told the throttle body needs to be replaced and the electric system needs to be rebooted. the car only has 58,000 miles and we purchased only 30 days ago used.
05/15/201065000
 During vehicle operation, the instrument cluster suddenly and catastrophically fails, apparently disabling several critical safety features. the malfunction at first occurred intermittently, then more frequently, but now occurs continuously. a local ford dealer has replaced the instrument cluster twice without resolving the problem, indicating that original ford equipment may be defective. the speedometer and tachometer needles suddenly drop to zero and freeze. the digital display shows
08/10/201080000
 Car accelerated when placed in reverse and brake was applied, 2005 ford freestyle ... took to dealer... relaced the throtel sensor w a kit. problem was resolved to the tune of $700,00
06/01/201048000
 2005 ford freestyle experiencing electrical instrument failure. all gauges fail (drop to zero) and dash light goes out while driving. guages may resume to working position, but sometimes continue to fail while driving. very scary when speedometer registers 0 mph at highway speeds!
08/10/201080000
 Car accelerated when placed in reverse and brake was applied, 2005 ford freestyle ... took to dealer... relaced the throtel sensor w a kit. problem was resolved to the tune of $700,00
06/01/201048000
 2005 ford freestyle experiencing electrical instrument failure. all gauges fail (drop to zero) and dash light goes out while driving. guages may resume to working position, but sometimes continue to fail while driving. very scary when speedometer registers 0 mph at highway speeds!
08/10/201080000
 Car accelerated when placed in reverse and brake was applied, 2005 ford freestyle ... took to dealer... relaced the throtel sensor w a kit. problem was resolved to the tune of $700,00
06/01/201048000
 2005 ford freestyle experiencing electrical instrument failure. all gauges fail (drop to zero) and dash light goes out while driving. guages may resume to working position, but sometimes continue to fail while driving. very scary when speedometer registers 0 mph at highway speeds!
08/10/201080000
 Car accelerated when placed in reverse and brake was applied, 2005 ford freestyle ... took to dealer... relaced the throtel sensor w a kit. problem was resolved to the tune of $700,00
06/01/201048000
 2005 ford freestyle experiencing electrical instrument failure. all gauges fail (drop to zero) and dash light goes out while driving. guages may resume to working position, but sometimes continue to fail while driving. very scary when speedometer registers 0 mph at highway speeds!
05/21/201070719
 Electrical ground connection failure 2nd repair within 70000
05/01/201052000
 2005 ford freestyle with 54k miles. instrument cluster intermittently goes completely dark. all gauges including speedometer stop working. happens randomly about 2 times per day. taken to ford dealer who looked up tsb (06-17-9). charged $750 for parts and labor. no responsibility taken by ford for this obvious and dangerous manufacturing defect. this is an all to common problem in this year vehicle should be recalled.
04/12/201033200
 I own a 2005 ford freestyle with 33,200 miles on it. i bought it new. in late march 2010, the needles on the gauges started sweeping down to zero and the car lost power. then the car regained power again. this happened 4 times in the last two weeks. the last time it happened i was driving down i-85 at 55 mph with tractor trailer trucks directly in back of me and also along side of me. the gauges swept and the car lost power but the power did not come back and i was barely able to get the car to the side of the road. it had to be towed in for service. of course, ford said it was not covered under my warranty and i would have to pay to repair
12/10/20091
 It started with the instrument cluster acting funny the guages dropped to 0 and jittered after a few seconds they went back to normal ... now my reverse lights stay on and the cluster doesn't work for longer periods of time. *dt
03/08/2010860001
 We own a 2005 ford freestyle. over the last 4-5 months we have had issues with the instrumentation panel going black. this has caused the vehicles reverse lights to come on and stay on. it was happening about once every few weeks and has increased to a weekly issue. we have to unhook and rehook the battery to temporily fix the problem each time. a mechanic indicated it is an issue with the electronic cluster controlling the instrumentation panel. upon searching multiple sites this seems to be the most frequent non-recall issue for this year/make/model car. when it happens while driving the vehicle instrumentation goes crazy, the car bucks, and the reverse lights come on. i have been told it is a component problem with the mother board which is a defect and even replacing it will not necessarily fix the problem in the long term as this could occur with the new electronic cluster as well. *tr
01/10/2010850001
 Request to re-open nhtsa defect investigation #pe07058 - instrument cluster failure: electrical system: instrument panel the nhtsa should re-open the nhtsa defect investigation #pe07058 because the car's reverse lights incorrectly turn on during this problem and seem to be related this issue. ford's own technical service bulletins (tsb #0662 and tsb #06179) even state that the reverse lights are part of the problem. we have seen this problem first hand. my ford 2005 freestyle is experiencing the instrument cluster failure problem researched in nhtsa defect investigation #pe07058 and causes the car's reverse lights to come on while car is driving forward or in park. we have witnessed the reverse lights come on while the car is in park and also when the car is driving forward. this is in contradiction to the defect investigation that said the exterior lights were not affected. quote from #pe07058: ... ford states, the vehicle's exterior lighting would not fail to illuminate even in the event of power interruption to the cluster because the exterior lights are powered separately and do not rely on any signal from the cluster.additionally, odi contacted complainants who affirmed the intermittent condition and that none of the exterior lights on the subject vehicles would be affected by power interruptions to the instrument cluster. here are ford's technical service bulletins that contradict your research findings: tsb #0662 -- intermittent instrument cluster gauge sweep/reset - multiple warning lights on - reverse lights on - vehicles built before 2/17/2006. *tt (nhtsa id #10019951, january 01 2006) tsb #06179 -- intermittent instrument cluster operation - including gauges sweep/reset - multiple warning lights illuminated and/or reverse lights stay on. this applies to vehicles built before 02-17-06. *kb (nhtsa id #10021037, no date provided). *tr
02/24/2010872131
 2005 ford freestyle w/87,213 mi., purchased used with 87090 miles. driving approx 40 mph, slowing to stop, put turn signals on, no turn signals. noticed check transmission & air bag lamps lit. pulled over, shut the engine off & took key out, speed still registering a speed of 40 mph. cycled the car on & off 3 times & then the check engine light came on. in transit to dealer & the entire instrument panel lights, then sweeps thru all the warning lamps, the reverse gear taillights & the brake lights light, then the check engine lamp lights & no gauges register, incl speed!! dangerous!! this cycle repeated approx 3 times before check engine came on steady. called dealer & told to put on hazard lights & bring car in asap. was told today that the entire instrument panel must be replaced, but that this is no guarantee that the problem won't occur again. weather at time of incident was dry, temps in upper 40's. *tr
08/24/2009600001
 Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. after starting the vehicle, the entire instrument panel and headlights failed without warning. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle has not been inspected at this time. the failure mileage was 60,000. the current mileage was 63,000. updated 01/05/10 *bf updated 01/06/10.*jb
07/15/2009640001
 The instrument panel flips on and off at random intervals causing the car to jump into safe mode. if this occurs at high speed the car bucks and becomes uncontrollable until it slows down below 40mph. in a possible related issue the battery light continuously flickers on and off even with a brand new battery installed. the alternator appears to charge when ever it feel like it and not continuously. there are so many electrical issues in this car i will not let anyone in my family drive or ride in it. with on 64000 miles on the vehicle none of these problems should be occurring. i fear a major accident each day i get in and drive it work.*tr
08/01/200941000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. she stated that the speedometer gauges failed intermittently as well as the dashboard, air conditioner, tail lights and rpm gauges. while driving approximately 25 mph she attempted to make a right turn into a garage and the turn signals failed to operate. due to the failure a vehicle following her nearly crashed into her. she has reviewed the technical service bulletins and nhtsa action number: pe07058 investigation which was closed in 2008. the contact is aware of the safety risk and the possibility that a crash could occur. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were under 41,000.
08/26/2009495001
 I was driving the veh normal and all of a sudden the rmp jumps really high following this my veh shuts down, wrench light comes, and the fail safe engine mode displays. also, when the veh is put in park and shut off, then back on again the light disappears, and everything appears normal. today would be twice this has happened so after reading other reviews with same issue found out its throttle body that needs replaced. i will call dealer tomorrow to find out more, but why isn't this part on recall. hope its covered under powertrain :( *tr
07/17/2009833581
 Instrument panel went dead. *tr
04/10/2009520001
 The dashboard instrument panel fails regularly and all gauges (speed, gas, temp, etc.) fall to zero. the dashboard and other interior lights also do not work when this happens. at first, it happened intermittently and would work most of the time, but not all. now, it happens regularly and i have driven several times without knowing my speed or fuel level. sometimes the computer resets. at times, the gauges resume working within a minute, other times, they do not work for the entire drive, leaving me with no way of knowing my speed or fuel level and now way of seeing inside the car when it is dark. i did some research and found a tsb on the issue at ford, but it is expensive to fix and really is a safety issue that should be covered because of the lack of knowing the speed and fuel levels. i brought it in yesterday and it will cost $750.00 to fix. *tr
05/25/2009400001
 We recently purchased a 2005 ford freestyle. the dashboard gauges will randomly all bottom out for a few seconds, and then come back on. this happens at least once nearly everytime we drive. occasionally the gauges will 'freeze' where they are and the dashboard lights (including odometer) will go out. this lasts for a few seconds, and when the lights come back on, all of the gauges bottom out for a few seconds and then come back on. while trying to figure out what the problem is, we discovered that there is a common defect in the gauge cluster and an online search reveals hundreds of complaints about this. there is an open investigation, but no recall to date. this is a safety hazard despite what ford says, not knowing how fast you are going (even if it is just for a few seconds) is dangerous, but the worst part is the distraction when you see your gauges going crazy out of the corner of your eye. distracted drivers are not safe drivers. the dealer tells us they've changed dozens of these, and the cost is nearly $900! for and the nhtsa know this is a problem, ford should take responsibility and make it right. *tr
03/15/2009800001
 While driving the instrument cluster and lights would randomly go on and off and engine would shut down. this occurs on a regular basis, making the vehicle unsafe. the problem is a cold solder joint on the crystal located next to the four sided processor chip on the printed circuit board. ford is aware of this problem and sent out a tsb to all of it dealers in feb 2006. there is currently a 6 month backlog of the part to repair this problem due to so many occurrences. the problem also locks out the shift locking mechanism preventing the vehicle once placed in park to going into gear or neutral for towing. the problem starts out with just the dash instruments flickering but progresses to the problem i have outlined above. *tr
06/01/2008520751
 2005 ford freestyle_- bought in 2007 has approx 19,000 miles on it bought extended service warranty for upto 100,000- approximately june 2008 check engine light came on and information center said half fuel life op took to dealer they changed out the fuel pump and the light came back on about 1 week later while on vacation. took it back to the shop they changed out the other fuel pump as it has 2. it did it again shortly afterwards. they have changed the sending unit and then the fuel gauge started freaking out- showing half a take when full and going up instead of down after driving it. it has had the software redownloaded in the computer and i don't even know what all. it has been in the shop well over 30 days and is in there again for the same issue. *tr
05/22/2008565001
 While driving my car the instrument gauges will loose power and all read zero for approx 10 seconds. the air bag light will also come on. this has happened approx 20 times in the last 4 weeks. the car as a result of this has stalled 2 times. *tr
05/15/2008420001
 Instrument cluster had several power interruptions - all gauges momentarily went to zero several times and the check engine light illuminated. vehicle would surge until instrument cluster power returned to normal. dealership replaced instrument cluster - not under factory warranty. *tr
09/10/200715000603/11/2006
 2005 ford freestyle. intermittently turns off (engine stops, loss of electrical power) while the vehicle is being driven. most often occurs while turning. reported to ford dealer, they state they cannot fix because they cannot duplicate the event. corporate and got same response. i requested that ford dealer install video-data recorder and assign vehicle to service technician to drive daily, so that event data can be recorded and analyzed. service manager stated that he would not place the life of his service technician in jeopardy by driving a vehicle that looses operational power while driving. evidently, ford does not have a problem placing my life or the lives of my family in jeopardy, however. *jb updated 01-14-08. *kb
11/01/200643000803/15/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle stalls intermittently. while idling, driving at high speeds, or turning at low speeds, the vehicle shuts off. the instrument panel lights illuminate when the failure occurs. on three occasions, the vehicle was towed because it failed to restart. while driving 60 mph, the safe mode engine indicator light illuminates. the dealer has performed multiple diagnostics and cannot duplicate the failure. the current mileage is 49,000 and failure mileage was 43,000.
04/04/200748000102/17/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle shut off completely and had to be restarted. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who stated that the vehicle had several error codes. the contact stated that the vehicle was now repaired. the current and failure mileage were 48,000.*ak
12/25/2006805/12/2006
 My 2005 ford freestyle was purchased used, under factory warranty in may of 2006. since that time it has been in the shop eight times for the same problem. it started right after the purchase of the vehicle. after the car had been parked and the engine turned off, when trying to restart the vehicle it would click when the key was turned but not start. it would take two or three tries to get the car to start. the dealer was unable to determine the problem. then after the car would not start on the first try, when it did start the oil light was on, the parking brake light was on, the back-up lights were on when the car was in drive, the left blinker light was on and could not be turned off, the air conditioner would not work and once the car was turned off the battery would drain and the car would not start. the dealership witnessed the problem on multiple occasions, had someone from corporate come down to work on the car and it seemed fine for about two months. then on christmas morning we started the car and the same thing happened. it was towed to the dealership and they replaced the battery but were unable to duplicate the problem. they are now flying in a technical engineer to work on the car. *nm
01/31/2006150109/09/2005
 Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was modified to allow the driver to be seated in a wheel chair. shortly after the modification a problem began while attempting to open the door to lower the ramp. the door does not open automatically to engage the ramp for exit or entry. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer were the mother board was replaced. the replacement of the part did not remedy the problem. the vehicle was returned to the local dealer where the keyless entry remotes were replaced. the replacement of the remotes did not remedy the problem. the vehicle was taken to the original modification dealer were it was inspected and was determined the remotes were obstructed by a foreign body which was removed. this did not remedy the problem. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mobility dealer who determined the entire flooring materials needed to be removed in order to secure the lock down for the front seat wheel chair. this procedure was completed to remedy a second problem the contact was unaware existed. additionally, the independent mobility dealer recommended replacing the mother board because of unpredictability. the dealer determined the original and replacement boards were not the appropriate application for use in the conversion. the dealer recommended the use of a completely different brand of mother board. the dealer ordered the new mother board and is awaiting shipment. currently the only way the door and ramp can be used is by someone manually opening the door and pulling out the ramp. this process renders the vehicle impossible to use by the contact alone.
08/09/2005500808/05/2005
 Dt: 2005 ford freestyle - the vehicle stalled while driving. this usually happened when driving up hill. also, it happened while trying to take off from a red light. after leaving the red light it happened three more times in a span of two miles. this happened seven times to consumer, and once for the dealer. it has been to the dealership four times for repairs. the dealer was able to duplicate the problem only once, and they were unable to tell what was the cause the problem. therefore, they were unable to fix the problem. the dealer said it might be a problem with the computer in the car. the dealership has been in contact with the manufacture , and they were unsure what the problem was. the dealer told the consumer to contact the manufacturer and consider this car a lemon. had not contacted the manufacturer yet, but i planned to do so. *ak
03/01/20051002/04/2005
 I am leasing a ford freestyle. we have found that with the child lock off, that the rear passanger doors will not open unless the driver or passange unlocks the doors with the electronic switch at any time - with the mortor running, the car in park, or the motor off and the car in park. if there should be a crash or both the front dseat driver and passanger be unable to open the door, the rear seat passangers would not be able to get out. the windows are electric which with the motoor and key in off are inoperable. we have taken the car to the local ford dealer. they tell us that they are unable to do any thing about this issue. they claim to have been into the computer and can not find any way to change the way the rear doors open. this is a definite safety issue, especially in a front end or front side crash. i have sent a description of the issue to ford through their web site.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
02/22/20058900110/31/2004
 Consumer was able to pull the vehicle off the road until the local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the consumer that the cause of the fire was the alternator. *ak
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY
11/17/200642000211/01/2005
 Dt*: the contact stated after the vehicle was shut off, intermittently it would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer on several occasions, however the problem could not be duplicated. according to the service papers there was a short in the starter. the consumer also experienced hesitation upon acceleration. updated 12/28/06. *jb
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD
10/20/2005110/01/2005
 When vehicle is unoccupied at night, the headlamps blink on and off, the headlamps illuminate for milliseconds and then shut off. all power is off in the vehicle and no key or person is in the car. this happens about 10 times a minute. the battery in the morning is weak. *jb
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK
03/01/20051002/04/2005
 I am leasing a ford freestyle. we have found that with the child lock off, that the rear passanger doors will not open unless the driver or passange unlocks the doors with the electronic switch at any time - with the mortor running, the car in park, or the motor off and the car in park. if there should be a crash or both the front dseat driver and passanger be unable to open the door, the rear seat passangers would not be able to get out. the windows are electric which with the motoor and key in off are inoperable. we have taken the car to the local ford dealer. they tell us that they are unable to do any thing about this issue. they claim to have been into the computer and can not find any way to change the way the rear doors open. this is a definite safety issue, especially in a front end or front side crash. i have sent a description of the issue to ford through their web site.