2005 Ford Freestyle

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WHILE IN DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED WHILE THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS RUNNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR FAILED AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT RESURFACE UNTIL THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS FIXED. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE REPAIR DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 158,000. *TR

ISSUE 1: THE CAR LUNGES PERIODICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IT IS VERY STARTLING AND CAUSES PANIC-REACTIONS TO SLAM THE BRAKE TO STOP. I DON'T BELIEVE THE COUNTER-MEASURES I'VE BEEN USING ARE A VERY GOOD LONG-TERM "DEFENSIVE-DRIVING" STRATEGY ESPECIALLY IF IT GETS WORSE NOR DO I FEEL ITS A SITUATION A DRIVER WITH A FAMILY SHOULD HAVE TO FACE ON A REPEAT AND REGULAR BASIS. IT USUALLY OCCURS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS LIKE MOVING IN OR OUT OF A PARKING POSITION (I'VE ALMOST DRIVEN THROUGH MY GARAGE DOOR AND INSIDE GARAGE WALL OR HIT PARKED CARS IN PARKING LOTS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS), APPROACHING OR LEAVING STOP SIGNS AND LIGHTS (I NOW SLOW DOWN TRIPLE WHAT I WOULD IN ANOTHER VEHICLE TO AVOID GETTING CLOSE TO OTHER VEHICLES IN CASE IT LUNGES), AND USUALLY MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS RUNNING. THIS HAS BEEN ON-GOING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS MY IMAGINATION. FINALLY WHEN I RESEARCHED RECALLS, I NOTICED OTHER COMPLAINTS AND FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN IF ITS HAPPENING TO OTHERS AS WELL AND SHOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. MY BIGGEST FEAR IS NEEDING TO STOP SUDDENLY TO AVOID SOMETHING LIKE A CAR OR PERSON AND THE CAR LUNGING AND STRIKING IT ANYWAY. ISSUE 2: THE CAR IS LOSING ABOUT 100 MILES PER GALLON OF GAS COMPARED TO 1 YEAR AGO AND 150 MILES PER GALLON OF GAS COMPARED TO 2 YEARS AGO. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN DEC 2010 IT GOT ABOUT 430 MILES PER TANK. NOW IT GETS ABOUT 280 MILES PER TANK. *TR

WELL AFTER I RECEIVED THE RECALL LETTER FOR CLEANING OF THE THROTTLE BODY, THE FOLLOWING WEEK I BEGAN HEARING A NOISE AS IF I WAS IN AN AIRPLANE WHEN BEFORE THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THE I WAS HEADED TO WORK ONE MORNING AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 40 MPH AND MY TRUCK STARTED JERKING SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND TURNED MY TRUCK OFF. I STARTED BACK UP HEADING STRAIGHT TO FORD SERVICE DEPT. AS I'M DRIVING THE WRENCH SYMBOL CAME ON WHICH I HAD SEEN BUT WHEN I BROUGHT IT UP TO THE SERVICE MAN THE DAY THEY DID THE RECALL, HE INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NOTHING. YET, THIS PARTICULAR DAY WHEN I GOT TO THEM I JUST LEFT MY TRUCK RUNNING TO MAKE SURE HE SEES AND HEARS WHAT I AM JUST FOR HIM TO TELL ME THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY AND I NOW NEED A TRANSMISSION OVER 5900 DOLLARS THAT I DIDN'T THINK WAS FAIR. THEN HE GOES ON TELLING ME THAT AFTER THIS RECALL THEY ALWAYS HAVE TROUBLE WITH ACCELERATION AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. SO, I ASKED HIM WHY HE DIDN'T INFORM ME ? HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY ONLY DO WHAT FORD MANUFACTURER TELLS THEM.. SO THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE CONSIDERING THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS CVT PROBLEM. *TR

THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP; NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS (I WOULD REAR END SOMEONE IF I DIDN'T ALLOW MORE SPACE BETWEEN THE OTHER VEHICLE AND MINE THAN LEGALLY ALLOWED.). WHEN YOU TRY TO RUN THE AIR CONDITIONING THE CAR SHUTS OFF IMMEDIATELY, NO MATTER WHAT SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING AT. THE CAR MAKES NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT. I JUST PURCHASED THIS CAR 4 MONTHS AGO AND AM NOW BEING TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, THE AIR COMPRESSOR AND A VALVE. I NOTICED THE LUNGING IMMEDIATELY AND WAS ABLE TO ALLOW MYSELF MORE SPACE TO MAKE UP FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL, HOWEVER OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD ARE NOT AWARE OF MY ISSUES WITH LUNGING AND WHEN THEY PULL IN FRONT OF ME, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SLOW MYSELF. I AM HIGHLY PERTURBED BY THE CONTINUING ISSUES. IN LOOKING ONLINE I FIND THAT I AM JUST ONE OF MANY PEOPLE WITH THESE VERY SAME ISSUES WITH THE FREESTYLE. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR AND QUITE FRANKLY I HAVE 3 MORE YEARS OF PAYING FOR IT BUT I NEED IT TO RUN PROPERLY. I HAVE 2 YOUNG CHILDREN THAT I HAUL IN MY CAR AS WELL AS THEIR FRIENDS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND IT'S SCARY. MY SON IS ASTHMATIC AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAND THE CAR COME SUMMER SINCE I AM UNABLE TO RUN THE AIR CONDITIONING UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO REPLACE THE AIR COMPRESSOR. I JUST WISH THAT I HAD KNOWN THAT THE CAR WAS NOT THE "STEAL" I THOUGHT IT TO BE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. I EVEN SPENT $2000 MORE THAN I HAD PLANNED TO BECAUSE I LIKED THIS CAR SO MUCH. . *TR

CAR STALLS DAILY THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING, DEALER CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY STILL STALLS, ANOTHER DEALER CLEANED THE MAF AND CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS AND CHANGE CVT TRANSMISSION FLUID, STILL STALLING. NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY IT IS A COMMON DEFECT WITH FORD AND VERY DANGEROUS SOME ONE WILL GET KILLED BECAUSE OF IT. MY CVT TRANSMISSION START TO SLIP AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH UPHILL WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LUNGED FORWARD WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL OR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP WHEN PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THERE WAS A CONCURRENT INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE11018 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SURGE ON THE HWY. THE RPMS WOULD SURGE FORWARD AND RELAX TO NORMAL RPM SPEED. I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER A FEW DAY'S AGO. MY WORRY IS THAT I HAVE TAKEN IT TO REPAIR FACILITIES AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I AM WORRIED THAT I WILL HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE RECALL DEFECT. I HAVE READ MANY POSTS ABOUT CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURE, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I HAVE OWNED FORDS FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS AND IF THE CVT PROBLEMS ARE NOT ADDRESSED. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER, MY FAMILY WILL NOT BUY AGAIN EITHER. *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT MY FUEL GAUGE IS OFF & PRODUCING INCORRECT DATA OF GAS REMAINING IN CAR & DRIVER WINDOW WOULD ROLL UP AND DOWN WHEN TRYING TO JUST ROLL IT UP. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. ANOTHER INCIDENT I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THIRD INCIDENT I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WITH MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR MADE A LOUD REVVING UP NOISE THEN SHOT US FORWARD INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO BACK UP BEFORE THE CARS REACHED US. ANOTHER TIME I WAS DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER TAKING HER TO DAYCARE THEN GOING TO WORK AND WE WERE GOING THROUGH A SCHOOL ZONE. WE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND THERE WAS A FAMILY WITH 3 CHILDREN CROSSING AND THE CAR SHOT US FORWARD AGAIN AND WE ALMOST HIT THE FAMILY. SEVERAL TIMES WHEN PICKING UP MY DAUGHTER I WOULD PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL STILL ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR SHOT US BACK INTO THE CARS BEHIND US. THIS CAR IS VERY UNSAFE. I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS AND MY DAUGHTERS AND MY LIFE WHEN GETTING INTO THIS CAR. FORD SHOULD RECALL THIS VEHICLE AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW CAR. PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE AT RISK FOR THIS. *TR