IllustrationOur 2005 Ford Freestyle often accelerates or surges forward on its own when applying the brake or parking. It is a very dangerous malfunction that looks to be a wide spread problem for this make and model (based on online reports).
2005 Ford Freestyle
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2005 Ford Freestyle do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 893.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Freestyle years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1140–25K
15325–50K
33950–75K
31275–100K
307100–150K
74150K+
1,299 reports with mileage · 160 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 587 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 447 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
32 crash reports3 fire reports11 injury reports
What owners actually said
1,459 reportsWhen temperature get below freezing car doors will not latch shut and come back open. Car doors work fine when temp are higher. There is a recall already for this NHTSA# 06v383000 Ford# 06545. I have a Ford Case# XXX My car was not included in recall and either should be or needs to be further investigated. I don't want my kids …
Read full complaint
When temperature get below freezing car doors will not latch shut and come back open. Car doors work fine when temp are higher. There is a recall already for this NHTSA# 06v383000 Ford# 06545. I have a Ford Case# XXX My car was not included in recall and either should be or needs to be further investigated. I don't want my kids falling out while I go down the highway and I can't wait 45 min for the car to warm up. This had done this all last winter and is doing it again and Ford refuses to do anything. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V383000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver's side door independently unlatched and opened. The loc…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V383000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driver's side door independently unlatched and opened. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the parts for the repair were no longer manufactured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was filed, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
PASSANGER DOOR LATCH- DOOR OPENED WHILE DRIVING, WILL NOT STAY CLOSED CHECKED SAID RECALL WAS REPAIRED IN 2006, LATCH IN NOT CLOSING
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that all four door latches failed to latch while attempting to close the doors. The contact had to make several attempts to close and lock the doors before the doors latch and remained closed. The failure had reoccurred intermittently. The contact learned of NHTSA Campai…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that all four door latches failed to latch while attempting to close the doors. The contact had to make several attempts to close and lock the doors before the doors latch and remained closed. The failure had reoccurred intermittently. The contact learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V383000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) but was unsure if the VIN was included. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance however, the contact was informed that the motor mount torque strap needed to be replaced. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact state…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance however, the contact was informed that the motor mount torque strap needed to be replaced. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the motor mounts had been replaced four times. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle lunged forward. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle revved high. While driving at high speeds, the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that several times, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle lunged forward. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle revved high. While driving at high speeds, the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that several times, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who cleaned and replaced the throttle body. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Doors will not close in cold weather. This is a safety issue that was not resolved with prior recall.
Driving my 2005 Ford Freestyle today when I suddenly heard a loud explosion or crash sound overhead. At first I thought something had fallen from the sky and crashed into the top of our vehicle. I immediately slowed down and pulled the car off the side of the road. My husband was a passenger in the vehicle. He carefully got ou…
Read full complaint
Driving my 2005 Ford Freestyle today when I suddenly heard a loud explosion or crash sound overhead. At first I thought something had fallen from the sky and crashed into the top of our vehicle. I immediately slowed down and pulled the car off the side of the road. My husband was a passenger in the vehicle. He carefully got out of the vehicle and looked on top of and around the vehicle. That is when we discovered that the glass in the sunroof had literally exploded and blown out of the vehicle. The track was still in place and operating normally. The glass was completely blown out of the vehicle. Because the Ford Freestyle was only in production for 3 years (I believe), there probably are not many still in use. Thus, there are probably not many Ford Freestyle owners having or reporting this problem. Besides being scared, the potential for being hit by the exploding glass and suffering substantial injuries to our heads, eyes, face, shoulders, bodies, could have been tremendous, if not deadly. I reported the incident to Ford Motor Company. The vehicle has not been inspected yet by manufacturer, police, insurance, or others. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the sunroof glass failure.
Says transmission data error check engine and trac control all display and only allow me to drive 20-35 MPH some time I can turn the car off and back on and the codes will shut off but they come back on in the middle of the highway what usually takes me 30 minutes takes me an hour and a half to get to some times 2 hours I can't …
Read full complaint
Says transmission data error check engine and trac control all display and only allow me to drive 20-35 MPH some time I can turn the car off and back on and the codes will shut off but they come back on in the middle of the highway what usually takes me 30 minutes takes me an hour and a half to get to some times 2 hours I can't run my AC cuz that over does my alternator and heats my car I've only had it a year and it's been giving me problems 5 months after getting it I have kids and it gets rough going slow in the heat and hoping if I press to much on the gas please help I am broke and have nothing but this car left and I've spent $2000 for people to tell me nothing is wrong with it
Official recalls
206V383000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Oct 5, 2006
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. THE SIDE DOOR LATCH MECHANISMS MAY EXPERIENCE WATER INTRUSION ALLOWING THE LATCH MECHANISM TO FREEZE IN COLD WEATHER.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AS A RESULT, THE DOOR LATCH PAWL MAY NOT RETURN TO THE LATCH POSITION WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED, AND THE DOOR COULD OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SHIELD OVER THE FRONT LATCHES; SEAL A DRAIN HOLE IN THE REAR WINDOW TRIM MOLDING ON THE FREESTYLE REAR SIDE DOORS; AND APPLY GREASE TO ALL FRONT AND REAR SIDE-DOOR LATCH MECHANISMS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 8, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
05V515000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:mounting
Nov 9, 2005
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE STRAPS THAT SECURE THE FUEL TANK TO THE VEHICLE BODY MAY BREAK, CAUSING THE FUEL TANK AND FUEL TANK HEAT SHIELD TO DROP ON THE DRIVESHAFT (ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES) OR EXHAUST SYSTEM (FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES).
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS HAPPENS, DRIVERS MAY NOTICE A NOISE OR A FUEL LEAK. A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FUEL TANK STRAPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 1, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2PE11018 · Idle Instability
Opened May 11, 2011 · Closed Feb 7, 2013
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control
On November 29, 2012, Ford Motor Company (Ford) initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 12N03 to extend warranty coverage terms for repair of engine idle RPM surge caused by throttle body deposits in all model year (MY) 2005 through 2007 Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego vehicles.The program extends the coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle (all vehicles are eligible for the program through May 31, 2013, regardless of mileage).Dealers will repair vehicles exhibiting the condition by removing and cleaning the throttle body and reprogramming the PCM with software containing an updated idle speed control strategy.According to Ford, some of the affected vehicles may experience momentary, intermittent engine idle RPM surge (idle flare) when stopped or during low speed driving maneuvers such as in a parking lot or driveway.Unstable idle speed control (dips and flares) around the target engine speed (700 rpm) can occur in vehicles with deposit build-up in the throttle body when the system adjusts engine speed in response to changes in engine load, typically from power steering application or air-conditioner compressor cycling.Idle speed control logic is only active at vehicle speeds below 3.5 mph and when the accelerator pedal is not applied.Ford testing of a vehicle with a worst case throttle body measured a maximum idle flare of 1360 RPM lasting approximately 1 second, which Ford indicated was consistent with system design to limit vehicle speed and acceleration in idle control mode.Ford indicated that the test vehicle was held in place with normal brake effort and that vehicle speed remained under 4 mph without the brake pedal applied.In addition to throttle body deposit accumulation, symptoms associated with the condition may include Check Engine lamp illumination and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0505, P0506 or P061B.Ford attributed the surge condition to changes in idle air flow resulting from the progressive buildup of deposits in the throttle body from normal Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system operation.This condition was not adequately compensated for in the original Powertrain Control Module (PCM) calibration.Ford issued a technical service bulletin on August 15, 2011 (TSB 11-8-5), releasing an updated powertrain control calibration for vehicles with CVT transmissions.On October 19, 2011, Ford issued a second bulletin (TSB 11-10-21) superseding TSB 11-8-5 and including updated powertrain control calibration for vehicles with 6-speed transmissions.Prior to Ford issuing the TSB?s, owner?s experiencing the alleged defect either received no repairs, if dealers could not duplicate the condition, or had the throttle body cleaned or replaced, which only provided temporary correction until the throttle deposit build-up returned.Ford?s revised powertrain calibrations appear to be effective remedies for the idle instability caused by build-up of throttle body deposits.However, even after the TSB?s were released, many owners experiencing the condition continued to have difficulty with proper diagnosis and repair as dealers were often either unable to duplicate the condition or were unfamiliar with the new repair procedures.Ford's new program addresses those concerns.NHTSA's testing and complaint analysis indicate that the idle speed control issue in the subject vehicles can only occur at very low speeds, are very brief events, are easily controlled by moderate brake pedal forces and result in minor increases in vehicle speed even with no braking.This investigation is closed.The closing of this in
PE07058 · Instrument Cluster Failure
Opened Nov 16, 2007 · Closed Mar 11, 2008
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel
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.