IllustrationI PURCHASED MY 2006 FORD FREESTYLE AWD NEW, AND AT 22,388 MILES, THE REAR BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOW, AT 30,495 MILES, THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED AND A PINT OF BRAKE FLUID NEEDED TO BE ADDED. I FIND THIS TOTALLY EXCESSIVE. *AK
2006 Ford Freestyle
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2006 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
630–25K
15325–50K
37450–75K
29975–100K
241100–150K
57150K+
1,187 reports with mileage · 113 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 602 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 484 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- 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, Hydraulic complaints
49 reportsREAR BRAKES/ROTORS WORN WITH ONLY 21800 MILES ON CAR.*AK
MY WIFE AND I TOOK OUR 2006 FORD FREESTYLE INTO THE DEALER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND CHECKUP. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE REAR BREAK PADS WERE DOWN TO 3 PERCENT. I EXPRESSED SURPRISE, SINCE WE HAD THE CAR ONLY FOR ONE YEAR (18,800 MILES), AND ASKED HOW THAT COULD BE. THE SERVICE REP ONLY INDICATED THAT IT WOULD BE DUE TO HOW…
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MY WIFE AND I TOOK OUR 2006 FORD FREESTYLE INTO THE DEALER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND CHECKUP. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE REAR BREAK PADS WERE DOWN TO 3 PERCENT. I EXPRESSED SURPRISE, SINCE WE HAD THE CAR ONLY FOR ONE YEAR (18,800 MILES), AND ASKED HOW THAT COULD BE. THE SERVICE REP ONLY INDICATED THAT IT WOULD BE DUE TO HOW WE DRIVE. LATER THAT DAY, I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A TSB ISSUED ON THAT VERY PROBLEM.
I HAVE A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE WITH 16,000 MILES AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NOT ONLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE PADS BUT THE ROTORS AS WELL. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS FOR THIS PARTICULAR CAR. THIS IS WAY TOO EARLY FOR BRAKE PADS TO BE WEARING OUT AND IF IT WAS "NORMAL WEAR AND T…
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I HAVE A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE WITH 16,000 MILES AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NOT ONLY HAVE TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKE PADS BUT THE ROTORS AS WELL. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS FOR THIS PARTICULAR CAR. THIS IS WAY TOO EARLY FOR BRAKE PADS TO BE WEARING OUT AND IF IT WAS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" THE FRONT PADS SHOULD NEED REPLACED SINCE 70% OF THE BRAKING OCCURS THERE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE FORD IS UNWILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE. *JB
PREMATURE WEARING DOWN OF REAR BRAKES ON 2005 FORD FREESTYLE, VEHICLE ONLY HAS 14K MILES. BRAKING PERFORMANCE WAS DIMINISHED. FORD DEALER REPLACED ROTORS AND PADS FREE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. ALSO NOTICED EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST ON REAR WHEELS. *JB
FORD FRESTYLE 2006 LIMITED AWD- REAR BRAKES WORE DOWN TO METAL WITHOUT WARNING AFTER ONLY 11,000 MILES. *JB
PURCHASED A USED 2006 FORD FREESTYLE WITH ONLY 11,500 MILES AND THE VEHICLE NEEDED NEW BRAKES ALL THE WAY AROUND AT THIS EARLY MILEAGE. I BELIEVE THE BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE ON ALL FORD FREESTYLES FROM BOTH 2005 AND 2006 THE ONLY YEARS THESE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN PRODUCED, FORD NEEDS TO RECALL FOR BRAKE ISSUES. *JB
REAR BRAKES ON MY 2006 FORD FREESTYLE LIMITED AWD ARE FAILING. I HAVE EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST AND MY REAR ROTORS ARE ALREADY GROOVED AND THEY REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. I ONLY HAVE ABOUT 20K ON THIS CAR. *JB
2005 FORD FREESTYLE REAR BRAKE PADS WORN DOWN INTO BRAKE ROTORS AT 25,000 MILES. *NM
Official recalls
106V383000 · 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
1PE11018 · 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