Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 03/27/2010 | 24000 | 1 | |
| I was idling in a parking lot in my parking spot and the car surged so strong i almost drove into the building in front of me. the wrench warning light came on and the car drove poorly for a few miles. it was jumpy and not very much power. we called ford and he recommended pulling the battery cable off the battery to reset it and bring it in as soon as we got back from our vacation. it seemed to do ok for a while then randomly it would surge while idling.( in 2011 maybe once a month. in 2012 probably every other day.) brought it to ford a few times and they didn't know what to do because it didn't do it while they had it. also the air conditioner will randomly shut off for a minute or two then suddenly come back on. the lights in the car will do the same thing. also the dash warning lights sometimes all come on at once and then all go out for a while. ( i cant see my speed so i have to pull over). i was scared to let my daughter or strangers drive my car. i am afraid they will get hurt or hurt some one. i have to always hold my brake all the way down and quickly let off and put the brakes back on to pull into parking spaces so i don't run into the vehicle in front of me. *tr | |||
| 03/27/2010 | 24000 | ||
| I was idling in a parking lot in my parking spot and the car surged so strong i almost drove into the building in front of me. the wrench warning light came on and the car drove poorly for a few miles. it was jumpy and not very much power. we called ford and he recommended pulling the battery cable off the battery to reset it and bring it in as soon as we got back from our vacation. it seemed to do ok for a while then randomly it would surge while idling.( in 2011 maybe once a month. in 2012 probably every other day.) brought it to ford a few times and they didn't know what to do because it didn't do it while they had it. also the air conditioner will randomly shut off for a minute or two then suddenly come back on. the lights in the car will do the same thing. also the dash warning lights sometimes all come on at once and then all go out for a while. ( i cant see my speed so i have to pull over). i was scared to let my daughter or strangers drive my car. i am afraid they will get hurt or hurt some one. i have to always hold my brake all the way down and quickly let off and put the brakes back on to pull into parking spaces so i don't run into the vehicle in front of me. | |||
| 01/03/2011 | 72000 | 1 | |
| While at a signal completely stopped, the vehicle motor revved and excelled acted forward. this caused the engine to die and all dash lights came on. the engine light stayed on after restarting. this has happened several time almost causing several accidents. we have had our transmission replaced because of it. the amount of times it happened and torque it produced caused damage in transmission. we have had several mechanics refuse to work on this issue because they say this model is know to do this and no one knows how to fix it. i am out $7000 and a unreliable car that is unsafe to put my wife and kids in. ford has said they would look at it and would cost me another $5000, and we're not sure if they themselves could fix it. they are not sure what the issue is, but would be willing to research if i pay for it. *tr | |||
| 01/03/2011 | 72000 | ||
| While at a signal completely stopped, the vehicle motor reved and excelled acted forward. this caused the engine to die and all dash lights came on. the engine light stayed on after restarting. this has happened several time almost causing several accidents. we have had our transmission replaced because of it. the amount of times it happened and torque it produced caused damage in transmission. we have had several mechanics refuse to work on this issue because they say this model is know to do this and no one knows how to fix it. i am out $7000 and a unrealiable car that is unsafe to put my wife and kids in. ford has said they would look at it and would cost me another $5000, and we're not sure if they themselves could fix it. they are not sure what the issue is, but would be willing to research if i pay for it. | |||
| 08/11/2011 | 1 | ||
| While attempting to park the vehicle, it lunged forward. the failure also occurred while at a stop light. the vehicle stalled various times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the throttle body was cleaned; yet, the failure continued to occur. the vehicle was repaired the cvt transmission, but fix the problem. *tr | |||
| 08/11/2011 | |||
| While attempting to park the vehicle, it lunged forward. the failure also occurred while at a stop light. the vehicle stalled various times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the throttle body was cleaned; yet, the failure continued to occur. the vehicle was repaired the cvt trannsmition, but fix the problem. | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Not long after i purchased the 2007 ford freestyle, summer came and i was using the air conditioner a lot. i noticed that when the ac was running, especially at high, the car would lurch forward at low speeds (probably 5 mph or less ). when i was parking the car, rolling into a parking space, with my foot hovering over the brake pedal, as soon as i got to the proper spot, the car would lurch. when i would back out of a parking space with my foot hovering above the brake, it would lurch. this proved to be a scary situation many times as there were cars passing in the parking lot. many times, i could have hit another car. even in the drive through of fast food restaurants with other cars in line, many times i have almost hit the car in front of me. many times, my car has lurched and stalled. the wrench light comes on, and if i don't turn the car all the way off in park, the car does not behave properly (as in no acceleration) nor does the wrench light go off. in the beginning, i thought it was something to do with the air conditioner being on high. the problem stopped in the winter when the ac wasn't being used. however, in the summer of 2011, it all started again. my ac went out, so i had it worked on. the problem continued. today, the problem continues. i almost hit a child in a parking lot the other day because my car lurched. i began searching and found that others are having the same scary problem with their ford freestyles. it sounds as if i am maybe lazy or not too concerned since i haven't had this checked earlier, but frankly, i don't have the money to spend on repairs, so i keep hoping it won't cause a disastrous situation. please investigate this issue before it does become deadly. | |||
| 06/06/2012 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Parked in parking garage. when backing up, car lurched and ran into another vehicle that was backing up. i was in reverse when the other car backed up. foot on brake and car lurched into other car. no personal injuries than goodness. *tr since that time, it has lurched in both forward and reverse. i originally thought that somehow my foot hit the gas pedal and could not figure out how i was doing this. i also thought that maybe the floor mat had somehow bound the gas pedal, but, i checked and it is not the problem. sensor replaced on car as mechanic thought that this might be causing the problem. it was fine after that for about 1,500 miles and problem has started again. the problem seems to be made worse if the temperature is over 90 outside or if the car is sitting and idling or operating at low speeds. i have been lucky that no other property damage and/or personal injuries. | |||
| 06/06/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Parked in parking garage. when backing up, car lurched and ran into another vehicle that was backing up. i was in reverse when the other car backed up. foot on brake and car lurched into other car. no personal injuries than goodness. since that time, it has lurched in both forward and reverse. i originally thought that somehow my foot hit the gas pedal and could not figure out how i was doing this. i also thought that maybe the floor mat had somehow bound the gas pedal, but, i checked and it is not the problem. sensor replaced on car as mechanic thought that this might be causing the problem. it was fine after that for about 1,500 miles and problem has started again. the problem seems to be made worse if the temperature is over 90 outside or if the car is sitting and idling or operating at low speeds. i have been lucky that no other property damage and/or personal injuries. | |||
| 07/16/2012 | 77400 | 3 | |
| After several hours of sitting in the heat (90+ f) the car failed to start. the engine never turned over, or made any sound indicating the starter was even doing anything. after closing the drivers door and turning off the a/c, the engine started up as it would normally. this has happened on 3 separate occasions. *tr | |||
| 07/16/2012 | 77400 | ||
| After several hours of sitting in the heat (90+ f) the car failed to start. the engine never turned over, or made any sound indicating the starter was even doing anything. after closing the drivers door and turning off the a/c, the engine started up as it would normally. this has happened on 3 separate occasions. | |||
| 07/08/2011 | 63000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle surges forward whether the vehicle is in drive or reverse. i have had the throttle body replaced in 2011. i have had to replace brakes at 30,000 miles. the driver side back door will not lock with the key remote. on july 6 2012 with ac on driving slowly out of a parking lot car would not go. it started up and i went about 20ft and car just died. on july 10, 2012 took it to dealer in virginia beach, va. on tuesday, july 12, 2012 i was told it was something to do with the powertrain and the cost would be $1600. i went ballastic and asked to speak to manager and then asked for number to ford company. i talked with someone there explained my financial situation and was given a claim number and said someone would get back to me in four (4) days about financial assistance, which is not what i was looking for. i told the ford rep, that i had been looking on the internet about all the complaints about my 2007 freestyle and asked why there was not a recall on this car. on wednesday, july 11, 2012 dealer called and said the problem was not the $1600.00 deal but a pigtail (whatever that is) at the tune of $600.00. i am afraid of this car and i am looking to get rid of it as soon as possible. *tr | |||
| 07/16/2012 | 77400 | ||
| After several hours of sitting in the heat (90+ f) the car failed to start. the engine never turned over, or made any sound indicating the starter was even doing anything. after closing the drivers door and turning off the a/c, the engine started up as it would normally. this has happened on 3 separate occasions. | |||
| 07/08/2011 | 63000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle surges forward whether the vehicle is in drive or reverse. i have had the throttle body replaced in 2011. i have had to replace brakes at 30,000 miles. the driver side back door will not lock with the key remote. on july 6 2012 with ac on driving slowly out of a parking lot car would not go. it started up and i went about 20ft and car just died. on july 10, 2012 took it to dealer in virginia beach, va. on tuesday, july 12, 2012 i was told it was something to do with the powertrain and the cost would be $1600. i went ballastic and asked to speak to manager and then asked for number to ford company. i talked with someone there explained my financial situation and was given a claim number and said someone would get back to me in four (4) days about financial assistance, which is not what i was looking for. i told the ford rep, that i had been looking on the internet about all the complaints about my 2007 freestyle and asked why there was not a recall on this car. on wednesday, july 11, 2012 dealer called and said the problem was not the $1600.00 deal but a pigtail (whatever that is) at the tune of $600.00. i am afraid of this car and i am looking to get rid of it as soon as possible. *tr | |||
| 07/08/2011 | 63000 | ||
| Vehicle surges forward whether the vehicle is in drive or reverse. i have had the throttle body replaced in 2011. i have had to replace brakes at 30,000 miles. the driver side back door will not lock with the key remote. on july 6 2012 with ac on driving slowly out of a parking lot car would not go. it started up and i went about 20ft and car just died. on july 10, 2012 took it to dealer in virginia beach, va. on tuesday, july 12, 2012 i was told it was something to do with the powertrain and the cost would be $1600. i went ballastic and asked to speak to manager and then asked for number to ford company. i talked with someone there explained my financial situation and was given a claim number and said someone would get back to me in four (4) days about financial assistance, which is not what i was looking for. i told the ford rep, that i had been looking on the internet about all the complaints about my 2007 freestyle and asked why there was not a recall on this car. on wednesday, july 11, 2012 dealer called and said the problem was not the $1600.00 deal but a pigtail (whatever that is) at the tune of $600.00. i am afraid of this car and i am looking to get rid of it as soon as possible. | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 80000 | ||
| When attempting to enter a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and lurched forward necessitating a very quick change of foot position from gas pedal to brake pedal. after bringing vehicle to a complete stop and again attempting to move forward into parking space, vehicle repeated lurching movements, and again necessitated rapid change of foot position to brake. vehicle continues to exhibit problem, not only when moving forward, but also when vehicle is in reverse. it has been inspected several times at a certified ford dealership, with no obvious defects detected. online defects search lists numerous reports of similar problems with solution being to replace throttle body, a very costly repair. | |||
| 11/30/2010 | 5 | 12/30/2009 | |
| 2007 ford freestyle. consumer states vehicle had a burning smell and stopped running while driving *tgw the consumer stated the catalytic converter was replaced. a few days later, the burning smell returned and the vehicle stopped running. the dealer replaced the catalytic converter again. the consumer stated the catalytic converter was replaced three times. also, the manifold, gasket and seals had to be replaced because they melted due to heat. three months later. the oil light illuminated. the service mechanic informed the consumer there was no oil in the engine and he was unable to see any type of leak. the consumer was informed the entire exhaust system needed to be replaced as well as the ignition coil and fans, because the vehicle would probably overheat. *jb | |||
| 11/02/2011 | 63866 | ||
| The first incident occurred while i was at the store with my children. we were leaving the store as i put the freestyle in reverse, the engine made a loud dropping noise and would not reverse. i put the car back into park and looked around the outside to check for anything visible that would have caused the noise or lack of movement. i noticed the car idling at a high rpm. i got back in the car to try again with no luck. this is when the car surged forward. i then became scared and turned the car off. when i turned it back on everything was normal again. i drove it straight to the ford dealership. they were unable to duplicate the problems and told me to continuing driving it again until i got a light on my dash to prove to them i was having problems. they serviced my transmission at that time as well to find no issues. unfortunately, this was not covered with the warrenty so i had to pay out of pocket. since the first incident, i have experienced this issue 5 more times, mostly while in parking lots while idle. however the last incident was 1/10/12. this surge put my vehicle in the intersection. i took the car again to the dealership. this incident had the same issues with the engine sounding like it was dropping when switching into different gears and idling high. the car would not switch out of 2nd gear while the tech test drove it with me. there was a new issue that appeared with this incident. it is a grinding noise when the gas was applied. the grind is similar to the sound the brake would make when the anti-lock were to kick in, except the brakes are not being applied. this has caused the anti-skid light and abs light to kick on. i have maintained my car religiously since i purchased it so i do not believe this is a maintance issue. ford has been unable to solve these issues, charge customers for unnessasary repairs, and allow the vehicles to be driven. | |||
| 06/08/2011 | 80000 | ||
| The car stalls out and i get the wrench on my dashboard. the car will restart after a few minutes and runs fine at that point. this apparently means that there is a powertrain fault detected. when the diagnostics were ran they pulled the code u0401 and the dealer told me that there were alot of freestyles and mercury's with this code and that it would be $280.00 to diagnose the problem. | |||
| 08/20/2010 | 83000 | ||
| For the past year, when the car is at idle, but not in park, with foot off accelerator, the car will suddenly, and without driver action, surge or lurch forward. or if in reverse, it will surge backward. if foot is firmly on brake, the lurch will not cause movement of tires, just body of car as the brakes restrain movement. but if it occurs in the instant the driver is moving the foot from accelarator to brake, or without the brake being firmly depressed beyond what is needed to restrain movement while at idle, the surge can be 2-5 feet before the driver is able to apply the brake and cease the movement. we have almost hit a pedestrian coming out of a fast food restaurant crossing in front of car as we were going through drive-through. we were at a stop to receive food with foot on brake enough to stop forward movement while at idle but not enough to stop when surge occurred. we have almost hit numerous cars while trying to park, especially during parallel parking attempts. the condition comes and goes. at times when it is acting up the car also loses its ability to properly accelerate in response to demand for gas and speed. push on accelerator but the car will not respond except at only a very slow rate, taking many seconds to reach a top speed of 25-30 mph. this has caused safety issues when it occurs while pulling out in front of on-coming traffic, even though doing so at what should be a safe distance. my wife is now refusing to drive the car when the condition is occurring due to her fear of it acting on its own. it started in the 80,000 mile range. our car now has about 102,000 miles. | |||
| 08/26/2011 | 71722 | ||
| Vehicle surges forward when releasing brake pedal. any time car comes to complete stop, upon release of brake pedal, vehicle surges forward involuntarily. especially noticeable when air conditioning is engaged and more pronounced at higher blower settings. dangerous to drive while picking up kids at school. have not experienced surge when a/c off. recently had a/c problem and while a/c not working-no surge, the first day a/c fixed-surge back. a/c problem fixed with a scroll compressor relief valve. we feel the a/c and the surge problem are directly connected and are very weary of driving vehicle except for it is the only family vehicle we own. this has been an ongoing problem, especially when the weather is warm and we must use the a/c. several times have come close to hitting other vehicles or pedestrians. this is a regularly occurring problem that is getting worse. today, numerous warning lights came on together and we had to stop, turn off vehicle and re-start. sometimes engine will die when we push rapidly on brake to prevent surge. vehicle must then be allowed to sit for 30-60 seconds then be restarted. unsure source of problem from a/c to transmission to fuel system but all are electronically controlled. this vehicle is getting dangerous to drive. | |||
| 06/12/2010 | 50000 | ||
| While slowing down, backing up or parking, with the ac on, the engine suddenly surges 500-800 rpm's. it has not happened with the ac off. the dealer claimed it was normal operation, because of the type of auto it is; automatic. updated 07/05/11 *bf | |||
| 06/12/2010 | 50000 | ||
| While slowing down, backing up or parking, with the ac on, the engine suddenly surges 500-800 rpm's. it has not happened with the ac off. the dealer claimed it was normal operation, because of the type of auto it is; automatic. | |||
| 04/01/2010 | 36000 | ||
| This started last year, when warm weather started, tried to back up after vehicle had been idling for awhile, freestyle stalled out and tried to jump, about three times in a row, before we could get in drive. this seems to be an on going intermittent problem that happens in warm weather. took a friend to the hospital on 05/25/11. drove to east gate from my house to pick her up, stopped at fast food place, had to wait for food, noticed gauge needles all jumped up and then fell back down while waiting w/a/c and engine running in park. pulled out, went to downtown cincinnati, got into parking garage, vehicle started to lurch when i took my foot from the brake. i slammed both feet on brake, to keep from hitting anyone, or anything, vehicle stalled. i restarted, and kept both feet on the brake, the vehicle again tried to lurch out, and then died. this happen 3 or 4 times in succession, finally got vehicle under control, and parked it. it was parked about 30 minutes, drove back to eastgate, and then home. wrench and transmission light came on at time of incident. it was still on when i got home. it went off after a couple of days. on 5/30/11, dropped off friend from work, on my way home, talked in car for awhile with engine and a/c running while in park. upon driving to main road, vehicle stalled, restarted no acceleration, when i hit the gas, vehicle stalled again. pulled over to side, turned everything off, removed key, restarted and drove home. dealership called today, said it was the throttle body and will cost me about $600.00 to install a new throttle body. this is a safety issue that many people are having, after reading info on edmunds.com updated 06/0/8/11*bf | |||
| 05/14/2011 | 53267 | ||
| We own a 2007 ford freestyle. it has roughly 51,000 miles on it which have been all city/highway miles. we have never towed with this vehicle. we have been experiencing problems with surging followed by lack of power for about a month. to get power back, you must put the gas pedal to the floor and wait for it the power to kick back in. we took our vehicle in to lithia ford in boise, id where we reside and where we purchased the vehicle and have had it maintained. they informed us that the throttle body needs to be replaced. of course, this is not covered under the powertrain warranty, even though it is required for the vehicle to drive. the estimated cost is $954! i guess we are lucky that it has not failed on us yet as there have been numerous frightening stories about this type of failure. we will need to have it replaced within the week and will be retaining the old part. however, this appears to be a systemic issue with ford freestyles and certainly a safety issue. i have owned a ford all of my driving life and, for the first time, am regretting buying this one. we would ask that you take note of the overwhelming number of complaints from other freestyle owners, especially for the 2007, and immediately open an investigation on behalf of us consumers. thank you! | |||
| 12/12/2010 | 50000 | ||
| 2007 freestyle sel awd w/50,000 miles surges at low speeds and stalls at high speeds. the wrench light comes on and the vehicle enters limp mode until vehicle is restarted. the dealership was unable to recover error codes when i took it in for diagnostics. however, based on my verbal description of the problem alone he suggested replacement of the entire throttle body assembly, saying this is a very common issue for the freestyle, 500, and edge. i am still deciding whether to spend the $1000 they quoted me for replacement (a firestone service center quoted me $750). for one, i can't understand how such a dangerous malfunction is allowed to go unaddressed. two, how can the throttle body assembly, which controls the entire powertrain, not be covered by a powertrain warranty? and three, if it is such a common problem that by verbal description alone, a dealer knows a major component needs replacement, why is this not being addressed by ford at a national level? here's my vote of no confidence. | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 1 | ||
| The 2007 ford freestyle we bought allows exhaust fumes from other vehicles to enter the vehicle at overwhelming quantities. we live in a rural area in new mexico and are grateful we don't have this car in a busy city. the exhaust that enters our car is very dangerous luckily we have clean air and can open windows almost year round. turning off the heat or air conditioning is mostly helpful, but in some weather that | |||
| 07/31/2007 | 14000 | 6 | 08/16/2006 |
| Engine began stuttering, jerking and seemed about to stall. a/c went sporadically wish, wish, etc. as if a person breathing hard. lights dimmed and brightened alternately, lights on dash went black, all dials went to zero or off, check brakes light came on and off with the same pace as lights. car stalled. restarted right away but went through same routine again. engine light, abs light and skid light went on and off at same time. no other dash warning lights came on. condition was checked at dealer but no problem found; no codes displayed. drove another 2500 miles and no problem. just started again 9/4/2007 and worse this time with very rapid and frequent lights going out, stuttering of and failure of engine momentarily. seems like an electrical or computer breakdown. *jb *updated 12/12/07 *bf update 12/12/07 | |||