2005 Ford Freestyle

MY LEFT REAR BRAKE HEATS UP AND SMOKES. I HAVE TAKEN RIDES OF LESS THEN 10 MILES. I WILL BE REPLACING THE BRAKE SHOES FOR THE 4TH TIME. I HAVE ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I'M AFRAID THAT ON A LONG TRIP THE WHEEL WILL LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. 2005 FORD FREESTYLE VIN#[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2005 FORD FREESTYLE SURGES AND LUNGES FORWARD WHILE FOOT IS BRAKE. SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES THE RPMS SURGE AND THE CAR STARTS LUNGING FORWARD PULLING ME OUT INTO THE INTERSECTION. THE CAR THEN SHUTDOWN FOR A SECOND AND WENT INTO LIMP HOME MODE. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKUP BEFORE I WAS HIT BY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BUT THE PART WAS ON A 3 MONTH BACK ORDER. DEALER WOULD NOT ADVISE ME THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE! *TR

WE OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. OVER THE LAST 4-5 MONTHS WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE INSTRUMENTATION PANEL "GOING BLACK". THIS HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLES REVERSE LIGHTS TO COME ON AND STAY ON. IT WAS HAPPENING ABOUT ONCE EVERY FEW WEEKS AND HAS INCREASED TO A WEEKLY ISSUE. WE HAVE TO UNHOOK AND REHOOK THE BATTERY TO TEMPORILY FIX THE PROBLEM EACH TIME. A MECHANIC INDICATED IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRONIC CLUSTER CONTROLLING THE INSTRUMENTATION PANEL. UPON SEARCHING MULTIPLE SITES THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST FREQUENT NON-RECALL ISSUE FOR THIS YEAR/MAKE/MODEL CAR. WHEN IT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE INSTRUMENTATION GOES CRAZY, THE CAR BUCKS, AND THE REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS A COMPONENT PROBLEM WITH THE MOTHER BOARD WHICH IS A DEFECT AND EVEN REPLACING IT WILL NOT NECESSARILY FIX THE PROBLEM IN THE LONG TERM AS THIS COULD OCCUR WITH THE NEW ELECTRONIC CLUSTER AS WELL. *TR

FIRST TIME IN MYRTLE BEACH, SC. CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. FOOT ON BRAKE MADE NO DIFFERENCE. WRENCH SYMBOL CAME ON DASHBOARD INDICATING IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY VALVE TO GO TO A DEALER IMMEDIATELY. CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER INDICATED THROTTLE BODY VALVES WERE ON BACK ORDER AND RECOMMENDED NOT DRIVING CAR. AFTER RETURNING TO PENNSYLVANIA VEHICLE DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. DEALER CHECKED THE COMPUTER INDICATING THROTTLE BODY VALVE WAS THE PROBLEM. BACK ORDER ABOUT 3 MONTHS BEFORE REPAIRS WERE MADE. DEALER RECOMMENDED NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY $500 LATER VEHICLE IS SUPPOSEDLY SAFE. *TR

REQUEST TO RE-OPEN NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATION #PE07058 - INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL THE NHTSA SHOULD RE-OPEN THE NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATION #PE07058 BECAUSE THE CAR'S REVERSE LIGHTS INCORRECTLY TURN ON DURING THIS PROBLEM AND SEEM TO BE RELATED THIS ISSUE. FORD'S OWN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS (TSB #0662 AND TSB #06179) EVEN STATE THAT THE REVERSE LIGHTS ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM FIRST HAND. MY FORD 2005 FREESTYLE IS EXPERIENCING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE PROBLEM RESEARCHED IN NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATION #PE07058 AND CAUSES THE CAR'S REVERSE LIGHTS TO COME ON WHILE CAR IS DRIVING FORWARD OR IN PARK. WE HAVE WITNESSED THE REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON WHILE THE CAR IS IN PARK AND ALSO WHEN THE CAR IS DRIVING FORWARD. THIS IS IN CONTRADICTION TO THE DEFECT INVESTIGATION THAT SAID THE EXTERIOR LIGHTS WERE NOT AFFECTED. QUOTE FROM #PE07058: "... 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. HERE ARE FORD'S TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS THAT CONTRADICT YOUR RESEARCH FINDINGS: TSB #0662 -- INTERMITTENT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGE SWEEP/RESET - MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ON - REVERSE LIGHTS ON - VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 2/17/2006. *TT (NHTSA ID #10019951, JANUARY 01 2006) TSB #06179 -- INTERMITTENT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OPERATION - INCLUDING GAUGES SWEEP/RESET - MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND/OR REVERSE LIGHTS STAY ON. THIS APPLIES TO VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 02-17-06. *KB (NHTSA ID #10021037, NO DATE PROVIDED). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. HE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND MAKING A TURN THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL STOPPED WORKING. THE RPM NEEDLE BEGAN MOVING RAPIDLY, YET THE PANEL DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE A DAY ON A DAILY BASIS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,222. UPDATED 11/16/10*BF THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS RAN OUT OF GAS SEVERAL TIMES, BECAUSE THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOT ACCURATE. ALSO, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD BECOME DARK. UPDATED 11/23/10

2005 FORD FREESTYLE W/87,213 MI., PURCHASED USED WITH 87090 MILES. DRIVING APPROX 40 MPH, SLOWING TO STOP, PUT TURN SIGNALS ON, NO TURN SIGNALS. NOTICED CHECK TRANSMISSION & AIR BAG LAMPS LIT. PULLED OVER, SHUT THE ENGINE OFF & TOOK KEY OUT, SPEED STILL REGISTERING A SPEED OF 40 MPH. CYCLED THE CAR ON & OFF 3 TIMES & THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IN TRANSIT TO DEALER & THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS, THEN SWEEPS THRU ALL THE WARNING LAMPS, THE REVERSE GEAR TAILLIGHTS & THE BRAKE LIGHTS LIGHT, THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LAMP LIGHTS & NO GAUGES REGISTER, INCL SPEED!! DANGEROUS!! THIS CYCLE REPEATED APPROX 3 TIMES BEFORE CHECK ENGINE CAME ON STEADY. CALLED DEALER & TOLD TO PUT ON HAZARD LIGHTS & BRING CAR IN ASAP. WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL MUST BE REPLACED, BUT THAT THIS IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PROBLEM WON'T OCCUR AGAIN. WEATHER AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS DRY, TEMPS IN UPPER 40'S. *TR

CAR WOULD HESITATE WHEN PUSHING ON GAS PEDAL, THEN SUDDENLY CATCH AND ACCELERATE AFTER SOME TIME PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR. HAD IT CHECKED PREVIOUSLY WITH THE SUGGESTION TO REPLACE FUEL FILTER. AFTER A FEW MONTHS, PROBLEM GOT WORSE, ANOTHER SERVICE STATION FOUND THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS BAD. HAD IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $672.33 PARTS AND LABOR. FOUND OUT THIS PROBLEM IS SHARED BY MANY FORD FREESTYLE OWNERS, CHECKED WITH LOCAL FORD DEALER IF A RECALL HAD BEEN DONE OR A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, WAS TOLD NOT AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME ABOUT IT. *TR