2007 Ford Freestyle

WE HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR JUST OVER A YEAR. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SURGING/LUNGING. IT HAPPENS WITHOUT ANY NOTICE, AND YOU HAVE TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO STOP IT. INITIALLY, I ONLY NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD. IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IT HAS STARTED LUNGING BACKWARD AND FORWARD, REGARDLESS OF HOW FAST I WAS GOING (PULLING IN, BACKING UP, OR DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT A STEADY SPEED.) ONCE, THE CAR LUNGED AS I WAS BACKING UP AND HIT ANOTHER CAR. MINOR DAMAGE. NOT REPORTED. IT IS STARTING TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN, AND THE CAR HAS ALSO BEGUN DYING IF IT HAPPENS WHOLE BACKING UP. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT SOLVES THAT. I'VE HAD TO START PARKING FURTHER BACK IN SPOTS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS HAS INDIRECTLY CAUSED COSMETIC DAMAGE (COMING OUT OF A STORE TWICE I'VE NOTICED SCRAPES THAT LOOK LIKE SOMEONE BACKED INTO ME.) I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN BE SUCH A WIDELY REPORTED AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITHOUT A RECALL OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ISSUE (IF YOU CALL FORD.) MY CAR HAS LUNGED FORWARD AT RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS TOWARD ONCOMING TRAFFIC, AS WELL AS DRIVEWAYS WITH CHILDREN NEARBY. IT MAY ONLY BE A FEW FEET, BUT EVEN THAT CAN BE DEADLY CONSIDERING WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS MOST. *TR

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, MY CAR HAS SURGED FORWARD WHEN I WAS MOVING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WHEN MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS RUNNING. ON THESE OCCASIONS, THE ENGINE SOMETIMES STALLED AND TWICE THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF AND TURNED ON AGAIN, THE WRENCH LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE CAR STARTED BUT IT SEEMED TO RUN A LITTLE ROUGH. THESE INCIDENTS SEEM TO HAPPEN MONTHS APART, BUT I HAVE LEARNED TO TURN OFF THE A/C WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS CONDITION IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN I AM CRAWLING THROUGH THE LINE TO PICK UP MY GRANDCHILDREN AT SCHOOL. ON THE LAST OCCASION BOTH THE WRENCH AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THEY DIAGNOSED A COMPUTER WIRE PROBLEM (I THINK THE COMPUTER ANALYSIS NUMBER IS 19773) AND A BROKEN "ANTI-ROLL" MOUNT. THE COST WILL BE $739.57 EVEN THOUGH IT IS STILL UNDER ORIGINAL WARRANTY TILL OCTOBER. FROM THE COMMENTS I HAVE BEEN READING ON THE INTERNET, THIS WILL STILL NOT FIX THE SURGING PROBLEM WHICH I HAD NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE UNTIL A FRIEND TOLD ME. MY HUSBAND IS A FORD RETIREE AND UNTIL NOW WE HAVE BEEN VERY PLEASED WITH OUR CAR. IT ONLY HAS 48,000 MILES. *TR

INCIDENT 1: VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD DURING A LOW SPEED TIGHT TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT. DRIVER'S RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, NOTHING WAS HIT. AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON. UNABLE TO REPEAT. INCIDENT 2: VEHICLE LUNGED BACKWARD WHILE BACKING A SMALL CAMPING TRAILER INTO A DRIVEWAY. DRIVER'S RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, NOTHING WAS HIT. STEERING WHEEL WAS STRAIGHT, AIR CONDITIONING ON. NO DAMAGE. UNABLE TO REPEAT. *TR

I WAS GOING TO PULL OUT INTO A 4 LANE ROAD AND WAS EASING UP TO SEE BETTER...OUT OF NOWHERE THE CAR BEGINS TO ACCELERATING. ONCE I GOT OUT INTO THE ROAD THE CAR JUST CUT OFF AND I HAD TO QUICKLY RESTART IT TO AVOID BEING HIT. THEN I TURNED IN TO CHIC FIL A AND WAS IN THE DRIVE THRU LINE. IT WAS A PRETTY LONG LINE SO WE WOULD EASE UP EVER FEW MINUTES. THE CAR JUMPS AND STARTS TO ACCELERATING AND I STOMP ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING SO MUCH THAT THE FORCE OF THE BRAKES STOPPING THE CAR MADE MY TIRES SQUEAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE ELECTRIC THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,286. ..UPDATED 09-21-12*BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, SHE HAD JUST MADE A RIGHT TURN OUT OF A BUSINESS, AND THE VEHICLE JUST TOOK OFF TO THE RIGHT AND HIT THE CURB. THE DEALER SAID NOTHING COULD BE AS THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. AS MORE MILES WAS PUT ON THE VEHICLE, THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION WAS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. THE DEALER KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. UPDATED 09/25/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT RECURRING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION FAILURES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS RUNNING AND WHEN THE CONTACT WAS SLOWING DECELERATING TO ATTEMPT A TURN. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 10/03/12*LJ UPDATED 10/05/2012 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY LUNGE FORWARD WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE FAILURE WOULD BECOME WORSE WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES FOUND WITHIN THE VEHICLE AND OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

THE FREESTYLE WILL REV AND SURGE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS WHEN IN GEAR AND IDLE. THIS PRIMARILY OCCURS WHEN THE A/C UNIT IS ON. I HAVE TO APPLY THE BRAKES UNTIL THE CAR GOES BACK TO NORMAL RPM. TYPICALLY THIS HAPPENS IN PARKING LOTS OR DRIVE-THRU LANES AND HAS CAUSED ME SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS FOR COLLISIONS. SOMETIMES AFTER THE SURGE HAPPENS, THE WRENCH LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON. I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE AS THE CAR FEELS UNDERPOWERED AND I CANNOT ACCELERATE WELL. TURNING OFF THE CAR, WAITING A BIT, THEN RESTARTING SEEMS TO RESET IT. DEALER SAYS IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY AND THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE PART AND IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. *TR