2006 Ford Freestyle

THE VEHICLE WAS IDLE WHILE I WAS WAITING TO ENTER INTO TRAFFIC AND IT LUNGED FORWARD MULTIPLE TIME. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WHEN I STARTED IT AGAIN IT DID NOT RESPOND WHEN I PLACED IT IN DRIVE OR REVERSED. AFTER THAT IT SEEMS TO LUNGE FORWARD WHENEVER IT WANTS TO WITHOUT ANY REASON. I STARTED TO READ ABOUT RELATED ISSUES ON LINE AND HOW OWNERS WERE CONTACT ABOUT THIS POSSIBLE ISSUE BUT I WAS NOT. THIS IS A VERY BIG SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN OFFERED TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE AT THEIR EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,862. RETURNED BY USPS ON 9/10/2013. 2ND ATTEMPT ON 9/12/2013 FAILED. *KB

HAD GONE THRU FAST FOOD DRIVE THRU AND PARKED BRIEFLY TO EAT. LEFT VEHICLE RUNNING WITH A/C ON. PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF PARKING SPACE. VEHICLE LUNGED BACKWARDS ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY. HIT BRAKES QUICKLY AND DID NOT HIT ANYONE OR OTHER CARS. THEN WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO MAIN ROAD, VEHICLE ALTERNATELY RACED AND SPUTTERED. TOOK TO FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY REPLACED THROTTLE BODY FOR $905.30. REQUESTED REFUND OF REPAIR CHARGE UNDER CUST SAT PROGRAM 12N03. DENIED BECAUSE DEALERSHIP DID NOT NOTE 'SURGE' IN WORK ORDER OR INCLUDE ANY TROUBLE CODES ON INVOICE. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE - THE TRACTION CONTROL AND WRENCH LIGHT COME ON, THE ENGINE REVS, RPMS GO UP, CAR DECELERATES AND WON'T GO OVER 40 MPH. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT GOES OFF, WRENCH LIGHT STAYS ON. HAVE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO STOP AND RESTART THE CAR - WRENCH LIGHT GOES OFF. HAPPENED 5 TIMES WHEN I WAS DRIVING OVER THE MOUNTAIN ON I-40 FROM TENNESSEE TO NORTH CAROLINA. NOT A LOT OF ROOM TO BE STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. PUTS EVERYONE IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH THIS FOR OVER 2 YEARS. HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER FREESTYLE OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS TIME FOR FORD TO RECALL THE CAR AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 15MINS, SITTING IDLE. I SHIFTED TO REVERSE AND SLOWLY RELEASED BRAKE PEDAL. VEHICLE RPMS SURGED TO ~2000RPM AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION RAPIDLY. VEHICLE WAS HALTED BY A HARD BRAKE RESPONSE. I NEARLY COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. LEAVING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND HOLDING THE BRAKE FIRMLY, RPMS OSCILLATED BETWEEN 800-2000 REPETITIVELY (APPROXIMATELY 1-2 SECONDS PER OSCILLATION). VEHICLE EVENTUALLY STALLED. I HAVE NOTICED THIS BEHAVIOR FREQUENTLY, AND FOUND IT CAN OCCUR IN THE FORWARD OR REVERSE DIRECTIONS. FORDS CLAIM THAT RPM ONLY FLARES ~1300 IN WORST CASE IS FALSE. THE CLAIM THAT A THE VEHICLE WILL ONLY ACCELERATE TO 4 MPH IS FALSE. THE ACCELERATION EXPERIENCED BY THIS FLAW IS VERY ACUTE AND COULD EASILY RESULT IN INJURY AND/OR DEATH; ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE AGGRAVATING FACTOR THAT IT OCCURS MOST FREQUENTLY IN LOW SPEED AREAS (DRIVEWAYS, PARKING LOTS WITH PEDESTRIANS, TRAFFIC STOPS, ETC...). *TR

MY 2006 FORD FREESTYLE HAS HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE AND NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. THE CAR WILL LUNGE FORWARD AT LOW SPEEDS. WHEN THIS OCCURRED BEFORE THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT COST ABOUT $700. HERE ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER, IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN IT WILL DO IT, AND IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY TO REPLACE THIS PART EVERY OTHER YEAR. FROM READING ONLINE FORUMS, IT SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND FIND A FIX THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. YET FORD DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT!! *TR

I TURNED LEFT AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND THE CAR WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING. THEN I NOTICED THE WRENCH SYMBOL ON THE DASH BOARD LIGHT UP. ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS MOVING FORWARD IT WAS NOT DOING SO AS IT WOULD HAVE NORMALLY. WENT HOME AND TURNED IT OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME I NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY. THIS WILL BE THE SECOND REPLACEMENT OF THAT PART SINCE WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR( IT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL OF 2006). SO IT WILL BE THE THIRD THROTTLE BODY IN THAT CAR IN SEVEN YEARS. WHETHER THIS IS A PART FLAW OR A DESIGN FLAW ON THE PART OF FORD OR IT'S MANUFACTURING FACILITIES SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. I HAVE READ SO MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IT SEEMS IT WOULD BE TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND MAKE THEM PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, AS I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY. IT WAS NICE OF THE TAX PAYERS TO BAIL OUT THE AUTO INDUSTRY WHEN THEY NEEDED IT, SO WHAT ABOUT US , THE CONSUMER, DON'T WE COUNT. WE'RE THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP IT IN BUSINESS IN THE FIRST PLACE.I'M HOPING SINCE THIS IS MY SECOND REPORT TO YOU THAT PERHAPS A PATTERN IS EMERGING ENOUGH, FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR ALL OF US. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN REVERSE WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED AS THE VEHICLE JERKED IN REVERSE. THE SAME FAILURE RECURRED WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE ALSO DECELERATED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FAILURE OCCURRED MOSTLY WHEN THE WEATHER WAS WARM AND WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARD OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. *TR

AFFECTED PART: THROTTLE BODY. TWO YRS AGO WE HAD OUR CAR REPAIRED FOR A THROTTLE BODY ISSUE OUR CAR WAS LUNGING FORWARD AGGRESSIVELY AND SOMETIMES STALLED. IT WAS A TERRIBLE SAFETY ISSUE, B/C IT WAS ALSO HAPPENING WHEN MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THERE WAS NO RECALL AT THAT TIME WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR TO ONE FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY REPAIRED THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE CAR RAN FOR 2 YRS WITHOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, HERE WE ARE 2 YRS LATER, & OUR CAR IS AT ANOTHER FORD DEALERSHIP THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE SPENT SO MUCH ALREADY, AND NOW WE HAVE TO PAY $1700 TO FIX THE THROTTLE BODY & ALSO THE ALTERNATOR. THERE ARE SO MANY FORD FREESTYLE OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ISSUED? I JUST FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THERE WAS A CUSTOMER SERVICE SATISFACTION PROGRAM FOR JUST A CLEANING BACK IN NOV 2012. I DID NOT RECEIVE THIS LETTER, BUT IT WILL NOT HELP US ANYWAY SINCE THE THROTTLE BODY IS NO LONGER USABLE. *TR