2005 Ford Freestyle

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MY CAR HAD AN UNEXPECTED LURCHING/LUNGING PROBLEM WHENEVER I WAS PULLING IN & OUT OF PARKING SPACES. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS, SINCE I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY SLAM ON MY BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. I NOTICED ON SEVERAL FORUMS THAT THE SUGGESTED FIX WAS TO HAVE THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED, SO ON 9/17/12, I HAD MY REGULAR MECHANIC PERFORM THIS REPAIR. IN DEC 2012, I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM FORD STATING THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE THROTTLE BODY OR REIMBURSE ME IF I HAD ALREADY HAD IT DONE. THIS LETTER WAS APPARENTLY A RESULT OF COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS WITH NHTSA AND A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT FILED OVER 2 YEARS AGO. NO SOONER HAD I APPLIED FOR THE REFUND WHEN THE SECOND ISSUE (THAT THE FORUMS ALL DESCRIBE) STARTING OCCURRING - I.E. A LOUD WHINE WHENEVER I HAVE THE CAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. THE SOUND GOES AWAY ONCE IN DRIVE, BUT I'VE HAD 3 GARAGES TELL ME THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. THE REPAIR COSTS ANYWHERE FROM $4,000 TO $7,000. NUMEROUS DOCUMENTATION EXISTS THAT THESE CVT TRANSMISSIONS ARE FAILING AROUND 100,000 MILES AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE PART NO LONGER MAKES IT, SO ONLY REBUILT TRANSMISSIONS CAN BE USED. APPARENTLY FORD HAS THE MARKET CORNERED ON THOSE AND THERE IS A HUGE BACK-ORDER PROBLEM TO EVEN GET THE WORK NONE. ALL THIS INDICATES A PROBLEM ON FORD'S PART, BUT A LACK OF RESPONSE UNTIL ANOTHER CLASS ACTION IS THROWN AT THEM WHICH IS ALREADY IN THE WORKS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING MY CAR, SINCE IT SEEMS INEVITABLE THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ABOUT TO DIE. I DO NOT WANT TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, BUT I DO WANT THE NHTSA TO PUT PRESSURE ON FORD TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM SINCE MOST OF THESE VEHICLES ARE REACHING THE MILEAGE POINT WHERE THE FAILURE IS BOUND TO OCCUR AND AN ACCIDENT WILL HAPPEN. THE THROTTLE-BODY PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY RELATED TO THE CVT PROBLEM SO PLEASE HAVE THEM FIX IT. *TR

ISSUE 1: THE CAR LUNGES PERIODICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IT IS VERY STARTLING AND CAUSES PANIC-REACTIONS TO SLAM THE BRAKE TO STOP. I DON'T BELIEVE THE COUNTER-MEASURES I'VE BEEN USING ARE A VERY GOOD LONG-TERM "DEFENSIVE-DRIVING" STRATEGY ESPECIALLY IF IT GETS WORSE NOR DO I FEEL ITS A SITUATION A DRIVER WITH A FAMILY SHOULD HAVE TO FACE ON A REPEAT AND REGULAR BASIS. IT USUALLY OCCURS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS LIKE MOVING IN OR OUT OF A PARKING POSITION (I'VE ALMOST DRIVEN THROUGH MY GARAGE DOOR AND INSIDE GARAGE WALL OR HIT PARKED CARS IN PARKING LOTS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS), APPROACHING OR LEAVING STOP SIGNS AND LIGHTS (I NOW SLOW DOWN TRIPLE WHAT I WOULD IN ANOTHER VEHICLE TO AVOID GETTING CLOSE TO OTHER VEHICLES IN CASE IT LUNGES), AND USUALLY MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS RUNNING. THIS HAS BEEN ON-GOING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS MY IMAGINATION. FINALLY WHEN I RESEARCHED RECALLS, I NOTICED OTHER COMPLAINTS AND FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN IF ITS HAPPENING TO OTHERS AS WELL AND SHOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. MY BIGGEST FEAR IS NEEDING TO STOP SUDDENLY TO AVOID SOMETHING LIKE A CAR OR PERSON AND THE CAR LUNGING AND STRIKING IT ANYWAY. ISSUE 2: THE CAR IS LOSING ABOUT 100 MILES PER GALLON OF GAS COMPARED TO 1 YEAR AGO AND 150 MILES PER GALLON OF GAS COMPARED TO 2 YEARS AGO. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN DEC 2010 IT GOT ABOUT 430 MILES PER TANK. NOW IT GETS ABOUT 280 MILES PER TANK. *TR

THE VEHICLE 'S ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF. AFTER PULLING OFF THE ROAD I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO START THE VEHICLE, TO NO AVAIL. I WAITED APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES BEFORE TRYING AGAIN. THE ENGINE STARTED, BUT WOULD NOT GO IN GEAR. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF TRYING TO PUT IT IN GEAR, IT SUDDENLY WORKED! KNOWING I HAD A 250 MILE TRIP BACK HOME, I WAS VERY LEERY ABOUT TAKING A CHANCE WITH IT. FORTUNATELY, I MADE IT. I CONTACTED MY MECHANIC AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP THE NEXT DAY. THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE WAS USED AND IT "THREW" SEVERAL DIFFERENT CODES, RENDERING IT UNDIAGNOSABLE? THE MECHANIC CALLED FORD MOTOR CORP. AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH HIM. AFTER 2 WEEKS OF WAITING, I CALLED FORD MYSELF AND WAS TREATED EXTREMELY RUDE AND ALSO WAS TOLD MY MECHANIC WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM! TWO MONTHS LATER, I GET A LETTER SAYING THE 'THROTTLE BODY" NEEDED TO BE "CLEANED OUT"...AT THEIR EXPENSE. THIS PROCEDURE WAS DONE AND I AM CONTINUOUSLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT GETS COLD (AROUND 32 DEGREES). THE VEHICLE WILL RUN AFTER WARMING THE ENGINE (SHUTTING IT DOWN/RESTARTING REPEATEDLY) BEFORE IT DECIDES TO FINALLY RUN "NORMAL". I WAS TOLD THIS RESETS THE CODE??? I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD, THEY DO NOT BACK THEIR PRODUCT OR THEIR NAME! FORD HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CVT TRANSMISSION AND THEY NEED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND WE, THE CONSUMER, NEED HELP WITH THIS ON GOING ISSUE. MOST CAN NOT AFFORD TO HANDLE THIS REPAIR AND THOSE WHO DID, HAD NOT RESOLVED THIS ISSUE AFTER SPENDING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! I BELIEVE, WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE (USED) IN 2007, FORD KNEW OF THIS ISSUE, BUT GAVE NO KNOWLEDGE TO ME. I DID ASK ABOUT THIS CVT TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS THE GREATEST TRANSMISSION EVER...REALLY!!!! *TR

I FILED A COMPLAINT ON JANUARY 3RD, 2012 AND NEVER HEARD BACK FROM ANYONE REGARDING THIS. IT IS STILL HAPPENING AND IS STILL AN ISSUE. MY ORIGINAL COMPLAINT NUMBER IS 10442220. I OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. I WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO CLOSE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY CONFIRMED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN DID NOT QUALIFY FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V383000(LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000. *TR

WELL AFTER I RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER FOR CLEANING OF THE THROTTLE BODY, THE FOLLOWING WEEK I BEGAN HEARING A NOISE AS IF I WAS IN AN AIRPLANE WHEN BEFORE THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE I WAS HEADED TO WORK ONE MORNING AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 40 MPH AND MY TRUCK STARTED JERKING SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND TURNED MY TRUCK OFF. I STARTED BACK UP HEADING STRAIGHT TO FORD SERVICE DEPT. AS I'M DRIVING THE WRENCH SYMBOL CAME ON WHICH I HAD SEEN BUT WHEN I BROUGHT IT UP TO THE SERVICE MAN THE DAY THEY DID THE RECALL, HE INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOTHING. YET, THIS PARTICULAR DAY WHEN I GOT TO THEM I JUST LEFT MY TRUCK RUNNING TO MAKE SURE HE SEES AND HEARS WHAT I AM JUST FOR HIM TO TELL ME THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY AND I NOW NEED A TRANSMISSION OVER 5900 DOLLARS THAT I DIDN'T THINK WAS FAIR. THEN HE GOES ON TELLING ME THAT AFTER THIS RECALL THEY ALWAYS HAVE TROUBLE WITH ACCELERATION AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. SO, I ASKED HIM WHY HE DIDN'T INFORM ME ? HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY ONLY DO WHAT FORD MANUFACTURER TELLS THEM.. SO THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE CONSIDERING THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS CVT PROBLEM. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION OF THIS VEHICLE IS BAD. FORD KNOWS IT AND THEY IT BUT DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AS WE ARE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY GOING 75 / 80 MILES AN HOUR THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO TO WHAT THEY CALL A SAFE MODE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT GOES DOWN TO 40 MILES AN HOUR. IF YOU ARE ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT COULD CREATE A PROBLEM, CRASH AND THUS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP; NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS (I WOULD REAR END SOMEONE IF I DIDN'T ALLOW MORE SPACE BETWEEN THE OTHER VEHICLE AND MINE THAN LEGALLY ALLOWED.). WHEN YOU TRY TO RUN THE AIR CONDITIONING THE CAR SHUTS OFF IMMEDIATELY, NO MATTER WHAT SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING AT. THE CAR MAKES NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR 4 MONTHS AGO AND AM NOW BEING TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, THE AIR COMPRESSOR AND A VALVE. I NOTICED THE LUNGING IMMEDIATELY AND WAS ABLE TO ALLOW MYSELF MORE SPACE TO MAKE UP FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL, HOWEVER OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD ARE NOT AWARE OF MY ISSUES WITH LUNGING AND WHEN THEY PULL IN FRONT OF ME, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SLOW MYSELF. I AM HIGHLY PERTURBED BY THE CONTINUING ISSUES. IN LOOKING ONLINE I FIND THAT I AM JUST ONE OF MANY PEOPLE WITH THESE VERY SAME ISSUES WITH THE FREESTYLE. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR AND QUITE FRANKLY I HAVE 3 MORE YEARS OF PAYING FOR IT BUT I NEED IT TO RUN PROPERLY. I HAVE 2 YOUNG CHILDREN THAT I HAUL IN MY CAR AS WELL AS THEIR FRIENDS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND IT'S SCARY. MY SON IS ASTHMATIC AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAND THE CAR COME SUMMER SINCE I AM UNABLE TO RUN THE AIR CONDITIONING UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO REPLACE THE AIR COMPRESSOR. I JUST WISH THAT I HAD KNOWN THAT THE CAR WAS NOT THE "STEAL" I THOUGHT IT TO BE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. I EVEN SPENT $2000 MORE THAN I HAD PLANNED TO BECAUSE I LIKED THIS CAR SO MUCH. . *TR

CAR STALLS DAILY THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING, DEALER CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY STILL STALLS, ANOTHER DEALER CLEANED THE MAF AND CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS AND CHANGE CVT TRANSMISSION FLUID, STILL STALLING. NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY IT IS A COMMON DEFECT WITH FORD AND VERY DANGEROUS SOME ONE WILL GET KILLED BECAUSE OF IT. MY CVT TRANSMISSION START TO SLIP AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY SURGED FORWARD. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT CONTINUALLY APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL UNTIL THE VEHICLE RESPONDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.