2006 Ford Freestyle

HELLO, I WAS DRIVING 60 MPH ON US HIGHWAY 2, DRIVING FROM SNOHOMISH, WA TO MONROE, WA, WHICH IS A 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO MEDIAN (DEATH HIGHWAY) SUDDENLY, THE CAR SEEMED TO LUNGE AND I LOST ACCELERATION WITH THE YELLOW SERVICE WRENCH DASH LIGHT COMING ON. MY SPEED SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AND THE CAR PULLED AT THE SAME TIME. RPM'S JUMPED TO 5000+ BUT I WAS DROPPING SPEED. I AVOIDED THE CAR COMING UP BEHIND ME AND THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC BY QUICKLY PULLING INTO AN AREA ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE THAT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT VERY BADLY IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND AND PUSHED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I SAT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, STUNNED FOR 5-10 MINUTES, NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED. IT HAD ALSO HAPPENED ONCE EARLIER THAT DAY AT MUCH LOWER SPEEDS AND THEN SEEMED TO RESET ITSELF. AGAIN THE WRENCH LIGHT RESET AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVE TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. AS OF NOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE DAMAGE MAY BE OTHER THAN I'M BEING TOLD IT'S A BAD TRANSMISSION AND THAT I NEED A NEW ONE, WITH REALLY NO GUARANTEE THAT THE SAME THING WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SINCE THIS INCIDENT I HAVE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH ON THIS CAR AND SPECIFICALLY THE 05-07 FORD FREESTYLE WITH THIS CVT. IT IS NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS HOW CAN FORD GET AWAY THIS AND WHY HASN'T THIS TRANSMISSION BEEN RECALLED AND FORD MADE TO FINALLY RESOLVE THE ISSUE SAFELY OR MADE TO REIMBURSE ALL AFFECTED PARTIES THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE SEVERELY UNSAFE VEHICLE. I AM THANKFUL THAT I HAD A PLACE TO TURN OFF, RATHER THAN THE POTENTIAL OF AN ACCIDENT ON THAT HIGHWAY!! NO PHYSICAL INJURY, BUT DEFINITELY AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED EVENT!! THANK YOU. (XXXX) PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. JOE MACHENS CAPITAL CITY FORD (LOCATED AT 807 SOUTHWEST BLVD, JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65109, (855) 929-5900) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 194,000.

MY CAR SURGES AND THE RPMS MOVE WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS. IT TRIES TO THROW ME INTO TRAFFIC WHEN AT STOPLIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS. IT TRIES TO THROW ME AT PEOPLE WHEN DRIVING SLOWLY THROUGH PARKING LOTS. I HAVE TO PUT MY CAR INTO NEUTRAL WHILE AT STOPS SO THAT MY FAMILY OR OTHER FAMILY'S DON'T DIE BECAUSE OF A MALFUNCTION THAT FORD HAD WITH THE CAR WHEN THEY SOLD IT. I WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE MALFUNCTION AND THEY SAY I'M YEARS PAST THE WARENTY AND 20000 MILES PAST THE WARENTY MILAGE. SO BECAUSE MY CAR IS 20000 OVER I GUESS IT'S OKAY FOR MY CAR TO KILL ME AND MY CHILDREN OR OTHER PEOPLE?

UPON UTILIZING THE DRIVE THROUGH OF A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT, THE BREAKS WERE BEING FEATHERED TO CREEP UP TO THE WINDOW; THE 2006 FORD FREESTYLE LUNGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY AND ALMOST HIT A WOMEN AND HER KID CROSSING IN FRONT OF THE CAR; I MOVED THE CAR FROM THE DRIVE THROUGH AND STOPPED AT THE EDGE OF THE PARKING LOT BEFORE CONTINUING ONTO THE SIDE STREET; AT THIS TIME WHEN I MOVED MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK THE CAR AGAIN UNEXPECTEDLY LUNGED FORWARD STICKING THE NOSE OF MY CAR OUT INTO TRAFFIC, CARS SWERVED INTO THE FAR LANE TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH THE FRONT OF MY CAR. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE FORD SERVICE DEALER. UPON ARRIVING AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS FAILING, ADDITIONAL RESEARCH REVEALED THAT FORD ISSUE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR A CLEANING OF THE THROTTLE BODY; HOWEVER THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS IT IS FAULTY, THE CLEANING WOULDN'T SUFFICE.

LONG STORY SHORT....MY VEHICLE WILL INCREASE THROTTLE ON IT'S OWN WHEN SITTING AT A LIGHT IN TRAFFIC OR WITHOUT TRAFFIC. SOMETIMES WHEN I RELEASE THE BRAKE TO TAKE OFF IT WILL THROTTLE UP JUST BEFORE AND THEN STALL OUT. I AM ONLY ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR IF I TURN OF THE AIR CONDITIONING. TODAY AS WITH MANY OTHER DAYS, THE THROTTLE INCREASED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOWLY BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO GET THE CAR TO STOP AS THE THROTTLE CONTIUED TO INCREASE AND THEN STALL OUT. I HAVE NOTICED SEVERELY INCREASING INCIDENTS OF THIS HAPPENING AND AM SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR. I HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS ISSUE. I DON'T WANT TO DIE OR KILL SOMEONE ELSE BECAUSE THE CAR SEEMS TO HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN AND MY EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE CAR ARE FUTILE AT TIMES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO INDEPENDENTLY SURGE FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TOWARDS THE MEDIAN TO AVOID CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE STALLED, BUT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

THIS MAKES THE SECOND TIME I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT FORD HAS NO PLANS TO RECTIFY THE "THROTTLE BODY" ISSUE ALTHOUGH THERE ARE MANY THAT HAVE VOICED THE SAME CONCERN WITH THEIR VEHICLES. THIS ISSUE IS A SEVERE SAFETY RISK. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENCES, ALL INVOLVING SURGING, FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN INSTANCES OF SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER UPON ACCELERATION AFTER IDLING AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND THERE IS NO WARNING BEFOREHAND. ONCE, I WAS PASSING A TRUCK AND PULLED INTO THE PASSING LANE AND THE FREESTYLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER. I WAS "HANGING" IN THE PASSING LANE WITH NO POWER AND NO WAY TO AVERT A COLLISION HAD THERE BEEN ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. THANK GOODNESS, I HAD TIME TO BRAKE AND FORCE THE FREESTYLE ONTO THE SHOULDER. THIS ALSO HAPPENES AT STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS WHEN I ACCELERATE. VERY DANGEROUS.