2005 Ford Freestyle

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CAR (2005 FORD FREESTYLE) WOULD NOT ACCELERATE/MAINTAIN SPEED AND QUICKLY DECELERATED AND HAD TO BE PULLED INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CAR HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TRAVELING THE 3 HOURS LEFT IN THE 9 HOUR TRIP BACK HOME. THE FORD SERVICE SHOP SAID THE THROTTLE BODY ($900), AC COMPRESSOR ($1,300), AND TOP ENGINE MOUNT ($330) NEED TO BE REPLACED. BASED ON WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO READ ON THE INTERNET, THIS APPEARS TO BE A RECURRING AND DANGEROUS THEME WITH THIS FORD VEHICLE. *TR

VEHICLE LUNGES WHEN STARTING OUT FROM PARKED, LUNGES IN FORWARD GEAR, AND IN REVERSE GEAR. I SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. I HAD THIS PROBLEM MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE AND HAVE NEARLY INJURED SOMEONE WHEN HE STEPPED BEHIND MY VEHICLE AS I PUT IT INTO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING PLACE. THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF, FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP. HOWEVER THE BRAKING IS NOT SUFFICIENT WHEN BACKING IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THIS DESERVES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR FOR 40+YRS. AND ASSURE YOU THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR FORDS NOT HANDLING THIS. THEY ARE WELL AWARE THAT THIS EXISTS AND ARE IGNORING A SERIOUS HAZARD. ANY FORD SERVICE WILL ADMIT THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A RECALL. I SEE NOW THAT THERE IS A REDESIGN DUE TO THE PROBLEM. YOUR POWER CAN FORCE THEM TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM, AND SAVE SERIOUS INJURY FROM THIS POINT ON. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED AND SOMEONE HAS BEEN INJURED SERIOUSLY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DURING HOTTER WEATHER IF THE CAR IDLES AT A STOP LIGHT OR IN TRAFFIC, IT STARTS SURGING UNCONTROLLABLY UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED VERY FIRMLY. USUALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE FAIL SAFE MODE ENGAGE. THE ENGINE SPEED SURGES UP AND DOWN AND TRIES TO MOVE THE CAR. IF THE BRAKE IS NOT DEPRESSED VERY FIRMLY CAR HAS HIT CURB AND TRIED TO CLIMB ONTO THE SIDEWALK. *TR

CAR WAS PARKED WITH OUT SIDE AIR TEMPERATURE 100+, STARTED CAR AND PUT IT INTO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF ANGLE PARKING STALL, CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT THROTTLE PEDAL NOT YET BEING PRESSED AND I APPLIED RAPID BRAKE STOPPING CAR. ENGINE WRENCH ICON APPEARED ON DASH DISPLAY WITH ENGINE FAILSAFE MESSAGE SHOWING. SHUT OFF KEY, RESTARTED AND ICONS DID NOT REAPPEAR. SAME THING OCCURRED TWO MORE TIMES AND I GOT CAR TO DEALER WITH THROTTLE CONTROL (BODY) FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED BY DEALER FOR $938.32. PROBLEM CAME BACK ON 07/24/2011 WITH MILEAGE AT 121216, AIR TEMPERATURE 104 AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK ON CITY STREET WITH FAILSAFE MESSAGE SHOWING. SHUT OFF KEY AND RESTARTED CAR WITH NO MESSAGE REAPPEARING. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND CODE FOR DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY FOUND WITH A REPLACEMENT COST OF $623.05 SUGGESTED. CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH CONCERN THAT FIX WAS SHORT LIVED AND PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS AND COULD COME BACK ANYTIME. FORD ADVISED THEY HAVE NO RECALL IN EFFECT AND ENGINEERING WOULD BE ADVISED AND MY REQUEST FOR A CALL BACK COULD HAPPEN OR NOT. *TR

WHILE STOPPED OR AT LOW SPEEDS THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD SUDDENLY. ONLY A QUICK APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PREVENTED AN ACCIDENT. WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES LAST SUMMER ALSO AS IT SEEMS TO BE AGGRAVATED BY VERY HOT WEATHER AND THE USE OF THE AIR CONDITIONER. WE GOT A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A "THROTTLE BODY UPDATE" AND WANTS $945 BUT ACKNOWLEDGED THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM OR NOT. I SEE THIS AS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT RISK POTENTIAL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE IF OTHER FREESTYLE OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

I WAS IN THE DRIVE THREW OF A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY PLUNGED FORWARD ,I HAD TO PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP FROM HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME,AND THEN THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE WENT INTO A FAILSAFE MODE. THE MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO INFORMED ME THAT MOST OF THESE MODELS WERE DOING THAT BUT FORD WOULDN'T DO A RECALL BECAUSE A LAWSUIT WAS CHEAPER. JUST THE PARTS TO TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM IS OVER 450 DOLLARS AND THEN THERE IS THE LABOR TO PAY FOR. *TR

VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITH GREAT SPEED LURCHES IN BOTH FORWARD AND REVERSE. I NOTICE THE ISSUE MOST OFTEN WHEN PULLING INTO OR OUT OF A PARKING SPOT OR JUST AFTER USING THE BRAKE. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WITHOUT WARNING FORCING ME TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES SO THAT I DO NOT HIT OTHER VEHICLES OR UNINTENTIONALLY ENTER TRAFFIC. THE ISSUE IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE IS NO FOREWARNING AND HAS APPEARED TO BE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN AND WITH GREATER FORCE. *TR

MY CAR STARTED LUNGING WHEN MOVING AT SLOW SPEEDS, AND I'D HAVE TO JAM ON BRAKES TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING ANOTHER CAR, BUILDING, ETC. HAPPENS PRIMARILY WHEN A/C IS ON ALSO. LOSES POWER ON ACCELERATION, BUT LUNGES WHEN APPLYING SLIGHT GAS IN BOTH REVERSE AND FORWARD. SCARY BEYOND BELIEF. I HAVE A HEART CONDITION, AND NEARLY FAINTED WHEN IT HAPPENED LAST TIME, AT AN INTERSECTION WITH WILD TRAFFIC, AND I HAD TO JAM THE BRAKES TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING INTO TRAFFIC. SEEN ENOUGH SIMILAR REPORTS ONLINE THAT MY NEXT STOP WILL BE NEWS MEDIA. PLEASE HELP US! *TR

STARTED CAR AND WAS LEAVING RESTAURANT PARKING SPACE. ENGINE REVVED UP SEVERAL HUNDRED RPM AND CAR WAS LURCHING FORWARD AS I TRIED TO HOLD IT BACK WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL. PEOPLE WERE WALKING IN FRONT OF CAR HEADING TOWARD RESTAURANT. CAR WAS LURCHING FORWARD TOWARD THEM AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP CAR FROM MOVING FORWARD. THE RPM'S WOULD GO HIGH ENOUGH TO MAKE THE FRONT TIRES SPIN A LITTLE BIT ON THE PAVED PARKING LOT. I KILLED THE IGNITION TO MAKE CAR STOP. THE PEOPLE THOUGHT I HAD BEEN TRYING TO ASSAULT THEM WITH THE CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO WAIT ON THEM TO WALK ACROSS THE PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF ME. MECHANIC CHECKED CAR OUT AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THIS HAPPENS PRETTY FREQUENTLY. IT IS WORSE WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS ON AND IS MOST COMMON WHEN IN PARKING LOTS OR DRIVEWAY WHEN NOT EVEN USING THE ACCELERATOR. *TR

WHEN PARKING, DRIVING VERY SLOW (UNDER 10MPH) OR BACKING UP MY CAR LUNGES FORWARD WITH SURGE OF POWER AND FOOT ON BRAKE NOT GAS. SOMETIMES IT DIES AND GAVE ERROR CODE ENGINE FAILSAFE MODE. WORSE WHEN ACON, DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING AN ISSUE IN THE WINTER. TOOK TO DOBBS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS MY THROTTLE BODY AND MY COMPUTER WOULD NEED RESET. CLEANED THROTTLE BODY TO SEE IF THAT WOULD CORRECT ISSUE. IMPROVED, BUT DID NOT CORRECT. VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC, APPROACHING STOP SIGNS, ESPECIALLY IF PEDESTRIANS NEARBY. FEAR COULD LUNGE AT THEM. *TT