2006 Ford Freestyle

MY FAMILY WAS SITTING IN THE CAR WHILE IT WAS PARKED IN DRIVE. IT STALLED OUT AND MADE A STRANGE SOUND THAT SOUNDED LIKE A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN IT IS HOT IT SEEMS TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT USUALLY HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS AND REVERSE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS CAR ONLINE AND HAVE READ THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO QUITE A FEW OF THESE CARS. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DEFECT HAS BEEN NOTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

BEGINNING ABOUT AUGUST OF 2011 MY CAR STARTED TO SUDDENLY "JUMP" FORWARD EVEN IF MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND EVEN WHEN MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. I WAS ABLE TO APPLY MY BRAKES HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE IT STOP AND I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CAR IN PARK. IT HAPPENED AT LEAST 2 MORE TIMES IN THE WEEK THAT FOLLOWED. I HAD A FRIEND LOOK AT THE CAR, BUT THEN IT DID NOT START TO DO IT AGAIN UNTIL THIS WEEK. SEVERAL TIMES THE CAR JOLTED FORWARD ONCE I EVEN HAD MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. I HAD TO REALLY PUSH ON THE BRAKE AS I PUT THE CAR IN PARK TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CAR IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF ME. EACH TIME I WAS ABLE TO STEP ON THE BRAKES AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. EVEN IN PARK THE ENGINE WOULD REV TO HIGHER THAN USUAL RPMS. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND STARTED IT AGAIN TO SEE IF THAT WOULD CORRECT THE ISSUE. BUT A SHORT TIME LATER IT DID THE SAME THING. THEN FINALLY, MY CAR DIED AND I HAD A HARD TIME STARTING IT AGAIN. WHEN IT DID START, I HAD A HARD TIME TRYING TO GET IT TO DRIVE. IT WAS IN GEAR, BUT IT DID NOT WANT TO GO FORWARD, ALMOST AS IF IT WAS FIGHTING THE ACCELERATION. I GOT IT HOME AND PARKED IT. I WILL BE TAKING MY CAR TO A FORD DEALER THIS WEEK TO BE LOOKED AT. BUT, WHEN I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THERE HAVE BEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE AWARE OF MINE AS WELL. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THE REPAIR THAT WILL BE REQUIRED? *TR

WE BOUGHT A USED FORD FREESTYLE IN 2008. SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE HAD RECURRING PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY. IT HAS BEEN IN-AND-OUT OF THE SHOP, WHILE VARIOUS MECHANICS TRIED TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO, I DID MY OWN RESEARCH (DISCOVERED THE COUNTLESS REPORTS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE FREESTYLE) AND SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THAT THE MECHANIC REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS WAS AFTER HAVING SURGES IN RPMS AND LURCHING OF THE CAR (WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC WITH NO FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR), AND ALSO DEAD STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM UNTIL SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. NEXT, WE REPLACED THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION LAST SPRING (THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT DOWN TO FIRST GEAR AT CRUISING SPEED, E.G., ON THE INTERSTATE, THEN GO INTO "LIMP" MODE). IN ADDITION, APPARENTLY THERE IS ALSO A SYSTEMIC ISSUE WITH THE DESIGN OF THE FORD'S SCROLL COMPRESSOR, WHICH BEGAN SHOWING SYMPTOMS THIS PAST SPRING. THANKFULLY MY (NEW) MECHANIC REPLACED A $40 VALVE IN THE COMPRESSOR, INSTEAD OF THE ENTIRE $1000 COMPRESSOR (WHICH THE FORD FOLKS RECOMMENDED). APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS LATER, WE ARE REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY FOR A SECOND TIME TODAY (IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP) BECAUSE OF ISSUES WITH SURGES IN ACCELERATION AND STALLING IN TRAFFIC AND LOSS OF POWER. THE MECHANIC JUST TOLD ME, "AS A FRIEND, I'M TELLING YOU: AS SOON AS THIS CAR IS FIXED, YOU NEED TO SELL IT. YOU WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE RECURRING PROBLEMS WITH IT." WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FOR AROUND $10,000, AND I'D ESTIMATE WE HAVE SPENT NEARLY THAT MUCH IN REPAIRS OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS. I'M JUST THANKFUL THAT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE MEANTIME. HOW CAN FORD SELL SUCH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE WITH NO RECOURSE? AS SOON AS I CAN AFFORD ANOTHER VEHICLE, I'M SELLING THIS FREESTYLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING IN TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION BY APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000. UPDATED 08/01/12*LJ UPDATED 08/02/12

AFTER FILING A COMPLAINT ON OR ABOUT 6/28/12 (ODI NUMBER 10463545) IN REGARD TO ANOTHER 2006 FORD FREESTYLE I OWN AND OPERATE, I NOW HAVE TO REPORT THE IDENTICAL DEFECT WITH MY OTHER 2006 FREESTYLE. AFTER PARKING MY FIRST FREESTYLE UNTIL REPAIRS CAN BE MADE, THIS FREESTYLE (NOW BEING REPORTED) HAS BECOME THE MAJOR TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE OF THE HOUSEHOLD. NOW THIS VEHICLE HAS BEGUN SURGING IN RPMS AND 'LUNGING' WHENEVER THE BRAKE IS RELEASED. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS IN 95 DEGREE WEATHER WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER RUNNING. I DON'T KNOW IF THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE PLAYS A ROLE IN THE DEFECT OCCURRING BUT BOTH VEHICLES WERE AT MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURES, HAD BEEN RUNNING FOR A LENGTH OF TIME WHEREAS A HIGHER 'COLD ENGINE' IDLE WOULD HAVE NO BEARING ON THE OCCURRENCES. SINCE I HAVEN'T AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE FIRST VEHICLE I REPORTED ON 6/28/12 (A RECENT PURCHASE), I HAVE ORDERED AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY W/TPS (NON-HEATED WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A FORD SUPERCESSION) AND WILL ATTEMPT TO REPLACE IT MYSELF AS A COST SAVINGS MEASURE. SINCE FILING MY ISSUE I'VE FOUND VIA THE INTERNET THAT OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM HAVE PAID UPWARD OF $1,200.00 TO HAVE THIS WORK PERFORMED. AFTER ORDERING MY PARTS I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PARTICULAR THROTTLE BODY WAS INSTALLED ON 2005-2007 FORD FREESTYLES AS WELL AS THEIR FORD FIVE HUNDRED (OF WHICH I ALSO OWN A 2007 MODEL YEAR OF WITH APPROX 20K MILES). IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THE RUMOR THAT BAD LUCK ALWAYS COMES IN THREE'S? I CERTAINLY HOPE NOT!! AS OF EARLIER THIS MORNING (7/01/12), WITH A COOL TEMPERATURE OF 75 DEGREES F., THIS DEFECT DID NOT RE-OCCUR, BUT MY OTHER VEHICLE ALSO BEGAN TO 'ACT UP' AS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT EVENTUALLY WOULDN'T GO AWAY. *TR

AFTER PURCHASING (AS A USED CAR) FOR MY DAUGHTER, VEHICLE BEGAN RAPID ACCELERATION AND 'LURCHING' UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN SHIFTING INTO FORWARD OR REVERSE. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS, THIS WAS COMPOUNDED BY OCCURRING WHEN STARTING AND STOPPING IN TRAFFIC DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. I HAD THE FILTERS REPLACED (AIR AND GAS) AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO HAVE GONE AWAY. I ASKED MY DEALERSHIP, DURING MY FIRST INSPECTION AFTER IT'S PURCHASE, WETHER THERE WAS A TSB IN REGARD TO THIS ISSUE AND WOULD THEY PLEASE CHECK IT OUT. THEY ALLEGED THAT THEY HAD NO RECORD OF ANY DEFECT REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND NO TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED. THEY DID HOWEVER REFUSE TO COMPLETE THE INSPECTION UNTIL I ALLOWED THEM TO OVERHAUL THE REAR BRAKES W/NEW ROTORS FOR QUITE A KINGLY SUM! (SO MUCH FOR A PROMOTIONAL 'FREE INSPECTION'.) LAST NIGHT I HAD TO VENTURE OUT AND RETRIEVE THE VEHICLE FROM MY LITTLE GIRL AFTER THE CAR KEPT 'LURCHING' EVERYTIME SHE USED THE BRAKE. WHILE SHE WAS WAITING IN AN INTERSECTION ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THE CAR 'LURCHED' AND STALLED IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR AN ENGINE LIGHT AND A 'WRENCH' WAS NOW VISIBLE ON THE DASH, AND THE CAR HAD ABSOLUTELY NO ACCELERATOR! DUE TO OUR FLAT TERRAIN I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR HOME ON AN IDLE AT A SPEED NO GREATER THAN 10 M.P.H. ONCE SAFELY HOME I TRIED A TRICK THAT USED TO WORK ON THE FLEET BUSSES I ONCE WORKED ON. THAT WAS RAPIDLY TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH ON-OFF, ON-OFF REPEATEDLY ABOUT 10 (TEN) TIMES, THEN LEAVE SWITCH ON AND START IT. THIS SEEMED TO HAVE CLEARED THE 'WRENCH' AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS RESTORED. THE ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT CLEAR. I'VE PUT TIRES, STRUTS, STRUT MOUNTS ETC. INTO THIS CAR TO MAKE IT SAFE FOR MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE, YET I CAN'T ALLOW HER TO USE IT. 4 OF 5 CARS I OWN ARE FORDS, 2 BEING 2006 FREESTYLES, AND THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH. WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE NOW? *TR