IllustrationVEHICLES SAYS AWD MALFUNCTION AND TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR WON'T SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. THE POWER LOCKS ALSO MALFUNCTIONED SHORTLY BEFORE THE AWD MALFUNCTION, MAKING IT WHERE IT WAS UNABLE TO SHUT. THE POWER LOCK WAS UNLOCKED/LOCKED A COUPLE TIMES FIXING THE ISSUE FOR NOW.
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
Power Train complaints
447 reportsDRIVING MY 2005 FORD FREESTYLE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE STARTS TO REV FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. I SEE THE "ENGINE FAIL SAFE MODE APPEAR AND A LIT UP WRENCH ALSO APPEARS AND THE ENGINE STARTS STALLING OR SURGING, FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CHECK TRANSMISSION INDICATOR ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED AN UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED OR…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE CHECK TRANSMISSION INDICATOR ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED AN UNKNOWN LOCAL DEALER, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURES WERE NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 161,000.
WHILE REVERSING SLOWLY FROM A PARKING SPOT AND TURNING THE WHEEL, THE 2005 FORD FREESTYLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT APPLICATION OF THE GAS PEDAL. QUICKLY PRESSING THE BRAKE DID WORK TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR LAST YEAR.
2005 FORD FREESTYLE HAS A CONSTANT SCRAPING SOUND FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHEN I AM DRIVING IT. WE PAID $ 200.00 FOR FORD MECHANIC TO CHANGE OUT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WITH NEW FLUID KIT & HE DID FIND METAL & BRASS SHAVINGS FROM TRANNY IN OIL PAN. MECHANIC SAYS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW ONE BUT I CAN'T AFFORD …
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2005 FORD FREESTYLE HAS A CONSTANT SCRAPING SOUND FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHEN I AM DRIVING IT. WE PAID $ 200.00 FOR FORD MECHANIC TO CHANGE OUT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WITH NEW FLUID KIT & HE DID FIND METAL & BRASS SHAVINGS FROM TRANNY IN OIL PAN. MECHANIC SAYS THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW ONE BUT I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY $4,000.00 IT WILL TAKE TO DO IT. I FOUND OUT THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS ALL SOONER OR LATER ,BUT MOSTLY SOONER ; FAIL BECAUSE THEY ARE NOTORIOUS FOR IT . BAD DESIGN FOR THAT TRANSMISSION & THEY STILL ROBBING THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES AS I SPEAK ! MAN UP & PAY FOR YOUR MISTAKES LIKE THOSE IN SOCIETY MUST WHEN THEY HAVE ROBBED OTHERS AND GOT CAUGHT. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY IT'S LET GO THUS FAR & WHO THEN IS ACCOUNTABLE ??
WHEN PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT ONTO HIGHWAY, LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND CHECK ENGINE AND CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHTS CAME ON, WAS LUCKY THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME WERE PAYING ATTENTION AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED, WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK IN D AND R, WITH STILL NO RESPON…
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WHEN PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT ONTO HIGHWAY, LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND CHECK ENGINE AND CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHTS CAME ON, WAS LUCKY THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME WERE PAYING ATTENTION AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED, WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK IN D AND R, WITH STILL NO RESPONSE FROM THE THROTTLE. AFTER HAVING TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED HOME SO MY FAMILY AND I WERE OFF OF THE BUSY HIGHWAY, I TRIED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO TRY AND RESET THE SYSTEM, STILL NO LUCK. WE JUST HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED LAST YEAR AT A COST OF 700.00, SIMILAR TO SAME ISSUES WITH THROTTLE BUT NOTHING WITH TRANSMISSION AT THAT TIME. AFTER READING THROUGH MULTIPLE REVIEWS THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS CVT TRANSMISSION AND THERE WAS ALSO A RECALL ON THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDING TO BE CLEANED. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM OF WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED, THESE VEHICLES ARE NOT ONLY FAMILY VEHICLES BUT DEATH TRAPS! SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOME FAMILY GETS KILLED FROM A FAULTY MISTAKE THAT FORD CO. IS WELL AWARE OF!
MY VEHICLE ENTERS ENGINE FAILSAFE MODE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING, EXPERIENCES IDLE ISSUES AND THE THROTTLE BODY IS RESPONSIBLE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL PRESENT - WHEN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE YOU FIND MANY CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THE …
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MY VEHICLE ENTERS ENGINE FAILSAFE MODE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING, EXPERIENCES IDLE ISSUES AND THE THROTTLE BODY IS RESPONSIBLE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT A RECALL PRESENT - WHEN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE YOU FIND MANY CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY BUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN PUT IN SERIOUS DANGER DUE TO THE SUDDEN ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING INTERSTATE DRIVING. THE ENGINE FAILSAFE HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN, WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE, WHILE ACCELERATING, THERE IS NO WARNING OR SPECIFIC PATTERN.
CVT FAIL, THROTTLE BODY ISSUE, STARTED IN SEPTEMBER 2016. CAR NOW HAS 135,030 MILES. HAPPENS CONTINUOUSLY, WHEN IDLE AND MOVING DOWN THE ROAD. I SENT A LETTER TO FORD AND THEY RESPONDED WITH A "SORRY...WE CAN'T HELP YOU". MAKING HELICOPTER NOISE. LOSES POWER AND GOES INTO FAILSAFE MODE. I WILL ATTACH BOTH LETTERS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
AWD MALFUNCTION IS PRESENT AND IT INTERFERES WITH THE STABILITY CONTROL AND ABS. IT SOMETIMES CAUSES ABS NOT TO GET ENGAGED.
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.