Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 602 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
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Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 144 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

42 crash reports10 fire reports10 injury reports

Service Brakes, Electric complaints

1 reports

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20,123 miles · Feb 24, 2009

Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainService Brakes, Electric

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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

NHTSA ODI #10259820

Official recalls

06V383000 · 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.

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

PE11018 · 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