IllustrationCar struggles to change gears. ABS, ENGINE, and THROTTLE warning lights on. Rough idle, car does not accelerate when shifted into drive.
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 complaints
16 reportsThe contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated as she was driving 5 MPH and coming to a stop, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond and the vehicle kept accelerating. The brake pedal was soft. The contact stated she continued to depress the brake pedal until it responded, and she was able to pull to the…
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The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated as she was driving 5 MPH and coming to a stop, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond and the vehicle kept accelerating. The brake pedal was soft. The contact stated she continued to depress the brake pedal until it responded, and she was able to pull to the side of the road and park the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated the dealer was made aware of the failure and advised to schedule an appointment to get the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not provide assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 175,600.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STARTED SURGING AND WAS LOSING POWER LAST WEDNESDAY 11/13/19. ANOTHER TIME, WAS WITH MY WHOLE FAMILY, THE AC, CRUISE CONTROL, AND CAR STEREO WAS ON WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ALL OF A SUDDEN. I GOT SCARED BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT PARTICULARLY …
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I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STARTED SURGING AND WAS LOSING POWER LAST WEDNESDAY 11/13/19. ANOTHER TIME, WAS WITH MY WHOLE FAMILY, THE AC, CRUISE CONTROL, AND CAR STEREO WAS ON WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE LOST POWER ALL OF A SUDDEN. I GOT SCARED BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT PARTICULARLY ON THE HIGHWAY. FORD MOTORS PLEASE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT MY VEHICLE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP WHEN IT SHOULD EVERY TIME I APPLY THE BREAKS. WHETHER ON THE STREETS, THE HIGHWAY, MAKING TURNS, AND AT A STOPLIGHT, IT ALWAYS GOES AN EXTRA DISTANCE BEFORE ACTUALLY COMING TO A FULL STOP. THE BRAKE PADS ARE ALL OEM FROM THE FORD DEALER IN MY TOWN. I'M ALWAYS WORRIED THAT MY VEHICLE WILL ONE DAY GIVE ME THE SLIP AND GET ME INTO A VEHICULAR ACCIDENT. FORD MOTORS, WE ONLY HAVE ONE VEHICLE IN MY FAMILY AND PREVENTING A POSSIBLE VEHICULAR ACCIDENT IS SOMETHING YOUR COMPANY CAN DO ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THE CAPABILITY AND THE MEANS TO DO SO.
MY CAR STALLS, AND LUNGES FORWARDS OR BACKS SUDDENLY EVEN IF I'M PRESSING THE BRAKE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAK…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,658.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TEN TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAIL…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TEN TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.
I WAS IN A RED LIGHT AND HAD A CAR IN FRONT AND ON BACK. HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED PLUNGING FORWARD AS IF I WAS PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. IT WAS VERY SCARY BECAUSE I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME AND I COULD OF HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. I PUSHED THE BREAK HARDER ALL THE WA…
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I WAS IN A RED LIGHT AND HAD A CAR IN FRONT AND ON BACK. HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED PLUNGING FORWARD AS IF I WAS PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL AND MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. IT WAS VERY SCARY BECAUSE I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME AND I COULD OF HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. I PUSHED THE BREAK HARDER ALL THE WAY DOWN AND THE CAR STOPPED PLUNGING FORWARD, THEN AS THE LIGHT WHEN GREEN I PUSHED ON THE GAS AND THE CAR STARTED ACTING WEIRD IT JUST KEEP PLUNGING FORWARD AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHING ITSELF. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IT HAPPENS WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING ON A STOP OR PARKING OR REVERSING. I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ESPECIALLY WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND THEY'RE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.. PLEASE FOR THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE PLEASE RECALL THIS CAR. IS A HUGE AND SCARY PROBLEM. *TR
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE CAR JUST STOPPED..IT WOULD NOT COME BACK ON, IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER WITH THE KEY, SO I HAD TO TOW IT HOME IT WILL MOVE 12 INCHES FORWARD AND BACKWARD. *TR
THROTTLE BODY FAILED TWICE. HAD REPAIRED BECAUSE VEHICLE LUNGED AND ALMOST HIT A LADY AT KROGER GROCERY STORE. FOOT WAS FIRM ON BRAKE. VERY DANGEROUS IN MY OPINION . I'M A FORD MOTOR COMPANY EMPLOYEE AND I'VE HEARD THIS PROBLEM FROM FRIENDS AT WORK .ALSO ENGINE RACES SOMETIMES. *TR
VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW AS EXIT OFF FREEWAY, RPMS INCREASED AGAINST BRAKING SYSTEM. VERY DANGEROUS AND WOULD NOT SLOW. ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. ALSO, CONTINUES TO WORSEN, LUNGIN FORWARD AND IN REVERSE. *TR
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