2006 Ford Freestyle

WE HAVE HAD OR FREESTYLE SINCE 7-6-2006 AND NOT AN ISSUE UNTIL THE THROTTLE STARTED ACTING UP ON A ROAD TRIP THIS YEAR. THE CAR HAS ~46K MILES AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED EVERY 5K MILES WITH SYNTHETIC BLEND OIL. THE TROUBLE STARTED WHEN WE DROVE TO UTAH FROM SEATTLE AND HIT THE HEAT. IT WAS NOT BAD AT FIRST BUT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE IF THE CAR SAT WHILE RUNNING. FOR IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS ISSUED TWO TSB'S FOR DEALERS THE NUMBER ARE TSB 05-25-12 AND 06-21-1 (WWW.JUSTFORD.COM). THIS FAILURE CAUSE THE CAR TO SURGE FORWARD OR REVERSE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. FORD IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND RECOMMENDS NOT DRIVING THE CAR DUE TO THE RISK OF INJURY BUT CONTENDS IT'S NOT A "DEFECT" THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO COVER. GUESS THEY ARE WAITING UNTIL ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN OR SOMEONE IS KILLED TO OWN UP TO THE ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE THAT NEEDS A THROTTLE BODY REPLACED. I CANNOT GET THE PART BECAUSE OF A NATIONAL BACKORDER FOR THIS PART. I HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL LOCAL DEALERS THAT THIS PART IS NEEDED VERY OFTEN OF THIS VEHICLE. I AM WAITING FOR THIS PART AND HOPE THAT MY CAR WILL CONTINUE RUNNING. IF THIS PART HAS TO BE REPLACED SO OFTEN, WHY IS IT NOT ON A NATIONAL RECALL? *TR

I HAVE A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. A LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OR ACCELL. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND FOUND IT NEEDED A NEW THROTTLE ASSEMBLY. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR 6 MONTHS, THEN AFTER COMPLAINING THEY SAID THAT PART HAD BEEN DISCONTINUED AND A NEW PART WITH AN ADAPTER KIT WAS AVAILABLE. IT SEEMS THAT THE DEALERS THAT HAD THE PART DID NOT WANT TO PART WITH THEM AND WE GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS PART WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE WAS FAILING ON A LOT OF THE CARS. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ORIGINAL PART MANUFACTURE WAS NO LONGER DOING BUSINESS WITH FORD AND THAT IS WHEN THEY HAD TO FIND SOMEONE TO MAKE A REPLACEMENT. THE ORIGINAL PART HAD A COOLING TUBE TO IT AND THE NEW ONE DOES NOT. IT SEEMS FROM WHAT I HAVE BEEN HEARING THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS DUE TO THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. WE HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS VEHICLE AND WHEN WE TOOK IT IN WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS SPECIFIC PART WAS EXCLUDED WHICH MADE ME WONDER WHY UNLESS THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CASES LIKE THIS. *TR

WHEN WE DRIVE OUR 2006 FREESTYLE, MANY TIMES IT RUNS RATHER FAST AND IT'S LIKE IT WILL GET AWAY FROM US. IT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE BACKING UP AND TURNING TO THE RIGHT. THIS HAPPENED ONE TIME AND IT CHOKED OFF. WHEN THIS OCCURRED ANOTHER TIME, THE "WRENCH" LIGHT APPEARED. IT WILL RUN "FAST" AND WE NEED TO REALLY GET ON THE BRAKES TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DISAPPEAR. WE WILL BE TAKING IT INTO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED. *TR

WE HAVE A 2006 FOR FREESTYLE. AFTER COMPLETING A TURN, THE CAR MADE A LOUD PITCHED SQUEAL, AND ALL GEARS WERE LOST. FORD HAS ADVISED THAT THE CVT (TRANSMISSION), HAS FAILED. WE KEPT THE CAR MAINTAINED, AND HAD NO WARNING OTHER THAN A LIGHT WHICH CAME ON AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. WE HAD THREE CHILDREN IN THE CAR AT THE TIME, AND WERE LUCKY WE WERE ON A SIDE ROAD. FORD ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THEY HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN ON OTHER FREESTYLES. DEALER SAID THEY KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE, BUT NO RECALL. COST TO REPAIR IS CLOSE TO $6,000. *TR

EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST. WAS INFORMED THAT REAR BRAKES WERE DOWN TO METAL. ROTORS WERE SO WORN THEY COULD NOT BE TURNED.REPLACED REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS.TOOK CAR IN FOR ROUTINE CHECK AND MENTIONED THAT THE REAR BAR THAT THE 3RD ROW OF SEATS HOLDS ONTO WAS RUSTING. ASKED IF THEY COULD CHECK FOR LEAKS AND IF OTHER PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING. THEY FOUND NO LEAKS AND SAID I MUST HAVE GOTTEN THE CAR EXCESSIVELY WET ON THE INSIDE (NO!). I ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT A SOUR MOLDY SMELL COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER...AGAIN NO SOLUTION.HAD TO REPLACE TIRES BECUASE THEY WOR OUT 'PREMATURELY'. WAS TOLD IT WAS MY DRIVING. DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY OR OFFER HELP. TIRES HAD ABNORMAL WEAR ON THE INSIDE(TOEING?) THEN I WAS GETTING VERY POOR GAS MILEAGE AND NEEDED A ROUTINE CHECK AND OIL CHANGE AGAIN. I TOOK IT IN AND WAS INFORMED I HAD NO REAR BRAKES LEFT. THE REAR CALIPERS WERE FAILING TO RELEASE. ONCE AGAIN BRAKE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. TOOK CAR IN FOR AND ENGINE NOISE/WHINE 3 DIFFERENT TIMES AND HAD A TECH RIDE WITH ME. EACH TIME THEY HEARD NOTHING AND DID NOTHING. TOOK CAR IN FOR A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM REAR WHEEL ALONG WITH A BURNING SMELL. TECH RODE WITH ME AND DID NOT HEAR ANY NOISE FROM TIRE BUT DID COMMENT ABOUT THE ENGINE NOISE/WHINE. I WAS FINALLY RELIEVED THAT HE HEARD IT AND I TOLD HIM NO OTHER TECH HAS SEEMED TO HEAR IT. CAR WAS LOOKED AT AND FOUND THAT REAR DRIVER TIRE BEARINGS WERE SHOT AND WHEEL WAS LOOSE(VERY DANGEROUS THEY SAID) THEY HAD TO ORDER PARTS. WHEN I ASKED WHAT THEY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE ENGINE WHINE THAT THE TECH ALSO HEARD, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO MENTION OF IT BUT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT BEFORE I CAME TO PICK UP MY CAR. NEXT I GOT A PHONE CALL SAYING THE SHOP FOREMAN DIDN'T HEAR THE NOISE, SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO.NOW FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS MY CAR HAS STARTED REALLY ROUGH AND THEN DIED. YESTERDAY IT SURGED FORWARD AND THE WRENCH LIGHT TURNED ON. I TOOK IT IN AND NOW THEY SAY THE CODE SAYS THERE IS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE!? 45,000. *TR

HAD A FLAT TIRE ON MY 2006 FORD FREESTYLE, AWD, LTD AND INSTALLED THE SPACE SAVER TIRE. WHILE DRIVING, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO OPERATE, ALL FAULT INDICATORS ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED, AND THE TRANSMISSION PROCEEDED TO ERRATICALLY UP AND DOWN SHIFT. WENT DIRECTLY TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHEREIN TOLD BY SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL. TOLD SERVICE ADVISOR THAT I THOUGHT IT HAD TO DO WITH THE SPACE SAVER TIRE. THERE WAS NO INFORMATION IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL TO THE VEHICLES ERADICATE BEHAVIOR. LATER, SERVICE ADVISOR REPORTED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BEHAVIOR WITH THE SPACE SAVER TIRE AND THE VEHICLES ABS SENSORS. I DISAGREED ON THE NORMAL BEHAVIOR SINCE I CONSIDER MY SPEEDOMETER A SAFETY DEVICE - AND SINCE THE SPACE SAVER TIRE IS SPEED LIMITED, THIS MADE THE VEHICLE BEHAVIOR QUESTIONABLE. *TR

WHILE CURBSIDE AT THE AIRPORT MY 2006 FORD FREESTYLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE BY ITSELF. AND NEARLY PLOWED INTO THE CAR AND PEDESTRIANS IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE ACCELERATION SUBSIDED I REPOSITIONED MY FEET (LEFT FOOT BRAKE, RIGHT FOOT ON FLOOR) BECAUSE I THOUGHT MY FOOT WAS ON BOTH THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR. A MINUTE OR SO LATER THE CAR DID IT AGAIN, I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED IT OFF. WHEN MY PASSENGERS WERE RE LOADED I STARTED THE CAR AND WHILE LEAVING THE AIRPORT NOTICED THE CAR WAS VERY SLUGGISH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THAT DAY. AFTER MORE THAN TWO DAYS, LOTS OF PHONE CALLS (ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM "BUT WE'RE NOT SURE") AND A LOT OF NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE DEALER AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY "PROVIDER" IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WAS THE CULPRIT BUT "THE PART WAS ON NATIONWIDE BACK-ORDER" IN FACT "WE HAVE ANOTHER FREESTYLE OUT IN THE BACK THAT HAS BEEN WAITING FOR A MONTH". THE TUNE CHANGED CONSIDERABLY WHEN THE DEALER FOUND OUT THAT I WAS NOT ONLY CONSIDERING A LEGAL PATH FOR RESOLUTION, BUT MY WIFE WAS A "CONSUMER COP" FOR THE STATE WHERE WE LIVE. THE PARTS (2)WERE "FOUND" IN CALIFORNIA AND AIR-FREIGHTED TO OUR DEALER WHO PROMPTLY FIXED BOTH CARS THAT DAY. I WAS CHARGED $550+ FOR THE REPAIR(NEITHER FORD OR THE 100K MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY "PROVIDER" COVERED THE WORK). IT SEEMS THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM TOO, HOW MANY DOES IT TAKE? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET KILLED OR INJURED FOR SOME ONE TO FIGURE OUT THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OR CONSUMER CAUSED PROBLEM. *TR