IllustrationTHE FORD FREESTYLE SURGES AND ACCELERATES WHILE IDLING IN PARKING SPOT OR WHILE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT. SOMETIMES WHEN IT SURGES, THE CAR LOSES POWER AND GOES INTO "ENGINE FAILSAFE MODE". *TR
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
What owners actually said
1,459 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA …
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V515000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING). IN ADDITION, THE REPRESENTATIVE ADDED THAT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLACE THE COMPONENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT FAILS EVERY 2 FILL UPS. *TR
COMPONENT: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DETAILS: 2005 FORD FREESTYLE - I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER 5 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE, WHEN MOVING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE WRENCH LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON AND WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS, THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE. FINALLY, AFTER "FLOORING IT", THE CAR MOVED SLOWLY UNTIL A…
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COMPONENT: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DETAILS: 2005 FORD FREESTYLE - I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER 5 TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE, WHEN MOVING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE, THE WRENCH LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES ON AND WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS, THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE. FINALLY, AFTER "FLOORING IT", THE CAR MOVED SLOWLY UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR APPROXIMATELY EVERY 6 MONTHS OR 8000-10000 MILES. FORD HAS CHANGED THE SAME PARTS EVERY TIME AND THE PROBLEM STILL RECURS. IT IS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER 2 WEEKS AGAIN. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT FORD REFUSES TO CHANGE OUT THE TRANSMISSION, ONLY REPLACE THE SAME PARTS EVERY TIME. I'M BEWILDERED AND DISAPPOINTED IN FORDS CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE INABILITY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH SNOW AND SLUSHY STREETS, THE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME STOPPED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE ABS ACTIVATED FOR ABOUT 1 SECOND AND THEN I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE WAS NO ABS ACTIVITY AND NO BRAKES. FORTUNATELY I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 MPH. I STRUCK THE …
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WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WITH SNOW AND SLUSHY STREETS, THE TRAFFIC AHEAD OF ME STOPPED. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE ABS ACTIVATED FOR ABOUT 1 SECOND AND THEN I HAD NO BRAKES AT ALL. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE WAS NO ABS ACTIVITY AND NO BRAKES. FORTUNATELY I WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 MPH. I STRUCK THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. IT HAD NO DAMAGE BUT I HAD A BROKEN BUMPER COVER ($1300 TO REPAIR). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM TO HAVE THE ABS AND BRAKES CHECKED. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I WROTE A LETTER TO FORD, EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAID THEY WERE FORWARDING MY LETTER TO THEIR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOR EVALUATION. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM YET. *TR
WHEN THE WEATHER HERE DROPPED TO THE TEENS, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. YOU COULD OPEN IT, GET IN, THEN NOT BE ABLE TO CLOSE IT. *TR
WE GET A "AWD MALFUNCTION" SHOWING UP ON THE DASH. THEY WANT OVER $5,000 FOR THE REPAIR. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND VALUE IS ONLY ABOUT $11,000. AS I READ ONLINE, THERE COULD BE MORE WRONG PAST THIS BECAUSE SOME HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND NEXT THE TRANSMISSION HAS TO GET REPLACED ALSO. SO THE FIST "FIX" COST US $500+ AND THEN …
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WE GET A "AWD MALFUNCTION" SHOWING UP ON THE DASH. THEY WANT OVER $5,000 FOR THE REPAIR. THE CAR IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND VALUE IS ONLY ABOUT $11,000. AS I READ ONLINE, THERE COULD BE MORE WRONG PAST THIS BECAUSE SOME HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND NEXT THE TRANSMISSION HAS TO GET REPLACED ALSO. SO THE FIST "FIX" COST US $500+ AND THEN THEY SAID IT WOULD BE ANOTHER $5,000+. *TR
2005 FORD FREESTYLE_- BOUGHT IN 2007 HAS APPROX 19,000 MILES ON IT BOUGHT EXTENDED SERVICE WARRANTY FOR UPTO 100,000- APPROXIMATELY JUNE 2008 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND INFORMATION CENTER SAID "HALF FUEL LIFE OP" TOOK TO DEALER THEY CHANGED OUT THE FUEL PUMP AND THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER WHILE ON VACATION. T…
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2005 FORD FREESTYLE_- BOUGHT IN 2007 HAS APPROX 19,000 MILES ON IT BOUGHT EXTENDED SERVICE WARRANTY FOR UPTO 100,000- APPROXIMATELY JUNE 2008 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND INFORMATION CENTER SAID "HALF FUEL LIFE OP" TOOK TO DEALER THEY CHANGED OUT THE FUEL PUMP AND THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON ABOUT 1 WEEK LATER WHILE ON VACATION. TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP THEY CHANGED OUT THE OTHER FUEL PUMP AS IT HAS 2. IT DID IT AGAIN SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. THEY HAVE CHANGED THE SENDING UNIT AND THEN THE FUEL GAUGE STARTED FREAKING OUT- SHOWING HALF A TAKE WHEN FULL AND GOING UP INSTEAD OF DOWN AFTER DRIVING IT. IT HAS HAD THE SOFTWARE REDOWNLOADED IN THE COMPUTER AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT ALL. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP WELL OVER 30 DAYS AND IS IN THERE AGAIN FOR THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
IN COLD WEATHER FRONT DOORS DO NOT LATCH . NOT ABLE TO CLOSE AND DOORS OPEN WHILE DRIVING. THIS ITEM WAS A FORD RECALL WORKED FOR ONE SEASON . FORD CLAIMS ITEM THE LATCH WERE REPAIRED AND RECALL WAS HONORED. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE HELP! *TR
I OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE WHICH HAVE REAR BRAKE ISSUES, I RECEIVED A LETTER IN JULY 07 TELLING ME OF A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH MY REAR BRAKE PADS THAT THEY MAY HAVE GOTTEN WET AND EXPANDED WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE PADS TO DRAG ON ROTORS AND WEAR OUT SOONER. SO I TOOK INTO A FORD DEALER THEY REPLACED MY PADS AND ROTORS FOR THE REAR…
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I OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE WHICH HAVE REAR BRAKE ISSUES, I RECEIVED A LETTER IN JULY 07 TELLING ME OF A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH MY REAR BRAKE PADS THAT THEY MAY HAVE GOTTEN WET AND EXPANDED WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE PADS TO DRAG ON ROTORS AND WEAR OUT SOONER. SO I TOOK INTO A FORD DEALER THEY REPLACED MY PADS AND ROTORS FOR THE REAR BRAKES ONLY, THIS WAS AT AROUND 30000 MILES. I NOW HAVE 48900 MILES ON THE CAR AND MY REAR BRAKES ARE COMPLETELY WORN TO THE METAL ON THE PAD. I TRIED TO TALK WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT WAS SENT RIGHT BACK TO THE DEALER WHICH SAID THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME WITH THE REPLACEMENT THE REAR BRAKE PADS. I UNDERSTAND BY READING YOUR WEBSITE THAT BRAKE PADS ARE NOT CONSIDERED SAFETY RELATE ISSUE BUT SEARCHING THE INTERNET RELATE TO FORD FREE STYLE REAR BRAKE ISSUES I WAS VERY SURPRISE TO FIND OTHERS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THEY ARE EVEN TALKING ABOUT REAR CALIPERS THAT ARE LOCKING UP AND NOT ALLOWING THE PADS TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE ROTORS, SO THERE NOT DRAGGING AND WEARING OUT WHICH IS WHAT I BELIEF HAS HAPPEN IN MY CASE. I AM TRYING TO FIND HELP IN RESOLVING THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE OF ALL THE COST RELATED TO THIS REPAIR HAVING TO BE DONE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF MILES BETWEEN REPAIRS AND BEFORE IT DOES BECOME A FAILURE AND DOES CAUSE SOMEONE TO LOSE THERE LIFE. OH I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT MY FRONT BRAKES WHICH TAKE MOST OF THE BRAKING HAS 48900 MILES ON THEM AND I AM JUST REPLACING THEM. THROUGH MY OWN RESEARCH I UNDERSTAND THAT GM ESCAPED THIS REAR BRAKE DESIGN THAT THE 2005 FORD FREESTYLE HAS BECAUSE OF ALL THE ISSUES AND PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ITS DESIGN. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN GIVE USE FORD FREESTYLE OWNERS. *TR
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.