2005 Ford Freestyle

DURING SAFETY INSPECTION, FRONT ENGINE SUBFRAME RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR WHERE STEERING GEAR IS ATTACHED. DICK MASHETER FORD IN COLUMBUS OHIO PROVIDED DIAGNOSIS WHEN PERFORMING OTHER REPAIRS. REPLACEMENT FRAME IS UNAVAILABLE FROM FORD DIRECTLY; THE ONLY ALTERNATIVES ARE GETTING A USED SUBFRAME OR HAVING A NEW PIECE OF STEEL WELDED IN. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION.

WHILE DRIVING 80MPH (POSTED 80 SPEED LIMIT) THE CAR STARTED TO GLIDE LEFT AND RIGHT WITH LITTLE TURNING OF THE WHEEL. IT ALSO HAPPENS WHILE GOING 15-25MPH. THE FEELING IS A COASTING FEELING, LIKE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF CORRECTING IT WITH THE STEERING. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ONLINE ALREADY OF THE SAME FORD OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE A HUMMING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE DRIVER SIDE. THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER WHEN DRIVING OVER 10 MPH. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND LEFT VOICE MESSAGES, BUT NO ONE RETURNED THE CALLS. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND REMAINED INOPERABLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW MY CAR HAS BEEN MAKING THIS LOUD "HELICOPTER" NOISE. WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR SO I HAD THAT CHANGED, THOUGHT IT WAS THE WATER PUMP AND COOLING FAN, HAD THAT CHANGED. THE MECHANIC BELIEVES IT'S THE TORQUE CONVERTER WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I SEE THIS IS A VERY VERY COMMON AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION. THANKFULLY MY CAR HAS NOT LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING BUT HAS GONE INTO SAFE MODE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE. A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS TRYING TO BACKUP AND I PUT THE CAR IN GEAR AND IT WOULDN'T MOVE. I REVVED THE ENGINE BUT INSTEAD OF REVVING UP THE RPM'S WENT DOWN...IT HAD HAPPENED AGAIN TWICE LAST WEEK. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND LET IT SIT FOR AWHILE AND IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT AND IT FEELS LIKE IT COULD STOP AT ANY MOMENT. I CONTACTED FORD TODAY BUT THEY SAY IT'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO BEING THERE IS NO RECALL AND MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY (I BOUGHT IT USED 4 YEARS AGO). I HAD THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED ABOUT A YEAR AGO BECAUSE OF THE SURGING ISSUES AND HAD THE MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED A MONTH AGO. TOO MANY ISSUES WITH THE 2005-2007 MODELS. I FIND IT FUNNY THEY STOPPED MAKING THEM, THEN STARTED AGAIN UNDER THE NAME TAURUS X WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRANSMISSION. SEEMS THEY KNOW THEY MESSED UP. I GOOGLED MY ISSUES AND FOUND A LAWSUIT PLUS MANY MANY MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE AS THESE TRANSMISSIONS ARE NO LONGER BEING MADE AND YOU RUN THE RISK OF HAVING THE SAME ISSUE IF YOU "FIX IT" OR REBUILD IT. NOT SAFE AT ALL AND FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE! NOW I EITHER HAVE TO FIX IT OR SAVE FOR A NEW CAR. WE HAVE 4 KIDS AND NEED SOMETHING SAFE. *TR

2005 FORD FREESTYLE SEL FWD - 116K MILES, VERY GOOD CONDITION, 2ND OWNER. ON 11/1, I REQUESTED MECHANIC TO DO A FULL INSPECTION ON THE CAR, NO KNOW ISSUES, BUT JUST TO CHECK IT OVER BEFORE WINTER. UPON INSPECTION, MECHANIC FOUND THE ENGINE CRADLE SUBFRAME TO BE RUSTED/ROTTED BEYOND REPAIR, AND SAID CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. ONLY THIS CRADLE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT RUST, IN FACT THE ORIGINAL EXHAUST SYSTEM IS STILL ON THE CAR (THAT IS MOST SHOCKING, THE EXHAUST OUT LASTED THIS SUBFRAME). AS I STATED THE CAR IS IN FANTASTIC SHAPE, AND RUNS GREAT. WE EITHER HAD TO FIX OR SCRAP THE CAR AS IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ESTIMATES FROM DEALERS TO REPLACE WERE AROUND $3000. WE ENDED UP USING A LOCAL BODY SHOP WE TRUST TO REPLACE THE SUBFRAME WITH A USED / RUST FREE ONE FOR $1150. I RETAINED THE SUBFRAME AND CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE ALSO TO ISSUE A COMPLAINT. I REALIZE THE CAR IS 10 YEARS OLD WITH OVER 100K MILES ON IT, BUT GIVEN ITS GREAT CONDITION (IF YOU SAW PICTURES YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND) THERE IS NO ACCEPTABLE REASON FOR A SUBFRAME, THAT HOLDS ALL THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING TO BE RUSTED/ROTTED TO THE POINT OF BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING ON A SIDE STREET AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR.. I STOPPED THE CAR AND GOT OUT TO CHECK THE CAUSE. THE RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE VEHICLE STRUCTURE. THE ATTACHMENT BOLT AND BUSHING IS CONNECTED TO THE CONTROL ARM. THE ATTACHMENT BRACKET THAT IS WELDED TO THE SUB-FRAME IS DETERIORATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AS THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VEER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT THE REAR CONTROL ARM WAS FRACTURED AND BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THERE WAS CORROSION OF THE REAR SUB-FRAME, CAUSING IT TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 176,690.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 FORD FREESTYLE ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 72 MPH. WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF HIGHWAY AND WITH BOTH OF MY HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY WENT COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL. I TRIED DESPERATELY TO STRAIGHTEN UP AND TO CONTROL THE CAR BUT IT WAS USELESS. THE VEHICLE WENT SIDEWAYS AND THEN STARTED TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL. THE VEHICLE ENDED UP IN A BERM ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. ONLY BY THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD WAS OUR VEHICLE NOT STRUCK BY A PASSING VEHICLE OR DID OUR VEHICLE ROLL. WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT WITH NO INJURIES JUST THANKFUL HEARTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION AND THE TECHNICIAN QUICKLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BROKEN LOWER LEFT REAR CONTROL ARM SUPPORT BRACKET. THE CONTROL ARM IS WHAT KEEPS THE REAR WHEELS FROM TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SUPPORT BRACKET IS WHAT HELPS TO KEEP THE CONTROL ARM IN PLACE. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION AFTER THE ACCIDENT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE PART IS CONSTRUCTED WITH AN INEXPENSIVE AND WEAK GRADE OF STEEL AND IS SUBJECT TO DAMAGE. *TR...UPDATED 08/31/2012 *BF UPDATED 09/05/2012 *JS