2006 Ford Freestyle

IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING WHEN I'M BACKING UP OR PULLING FORWARD IT MANY TIMES WILL UNEXPECTEDLY LUNGE. I'VE ALMOST HIT PEOPLE AND KIDS, CARS, CURBS, BUILDINGS, ETC. MANY OF THE TIMES THAT IT LUNGES IT WILL STALL OR BEGIN TO RUN VERY ROUGH. WE HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND CUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART. MANY OF THOSE TIMES IT WILL BEGIN TO RUN NORMAL BUT HAVE A INDICATOR LIGHT THAT IT NEEDS MECHANICAL ATTENTION. ONCE THE CAR IS PARKED AND SITS FOR A WHILE WHEN IT IS STARTED THE MECHANICAL ATTENTION LIGHT WILL DISCONTINUE. YET EVERY TIME THE A/C IS RUNNING ESPECIALLY ON HIGH IT WILL LUNGE ALMOST EVERY TIME. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS IN THAT IF MY FOOT WOULD NOT BE ON THE BRAKE HARD ENOUGH WHEN IT LUNGES AND A KID OR PERSON WOULD BE IN THE LINE OF THE LUNGING CAR. DANGEROUS! *TR

WHILE PULLING INTO OUR GARAGE, CREEPING UP TO THE FRONT WALL OF THE GARAGE WITH FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKES, THE FREESTYLE LUNGED FORWARD 2-3 FEET. IT ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CAR STRUCK THE FRONT WALL OF THE GARAGE, CRUSHING THE DRYWALL, BREAKING 3 STUDS, AND BREAKING THE BRICK ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GARAGE. THE ACCIDENT CAUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE CAR HAS LUNGED LIKE THIS BUT IT IS THE FIRST ACCIDENT. PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WORSE AT LOW SPEEDS, WHILE HOT, AND MOVING VERY SLOWLY SUCH AS IN THE GARAGE OUT BACKING IN/OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. A/C ON MAKES IT WORSE. THE FORD CAR DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR HAS HAD THE CAR NOW FOR A WEEK, TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. . *JS

FREQUENTLY DURING VEHICLE HISTORY AT IDLE THE VEHICLE'S MOTOR WILL SURGE TO APPROXIMATELY 2000 RPM AND LUNGE FORWARD AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA ACTION ITEM PE11018. I HAVE HAD FORD REPLACE MY THROTTLE BODY AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES, WHICH FIXED THIS ISSUE FOR A WHILE, BUT IT HAS NOW STARTED THIS AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM HAS NEVER RESULTED IN A COLLISION OR INJURY, IN MY CASE, BUT I HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISS INCIDENTS EACH OF WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE OR INJURY IF THE BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE ALSO RESEARCHED AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS BLOGS AND WEBSITES OF IDENTICAL MALFUNCTIONS. *TR

EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE SURGE AND LUNGE WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. PANEL LAMP (WRENCH) CAME ON. THEN WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE THROUGH INTERSECTION COULD NOT INCREASE VELOCITY, AS IF I WAS SORT OF STUCK IN "LOW GEAR." I PULLED OFF OF ROADWAY AND STOPPED THE ENGINE. AFTER RESTART, PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE RECURRING BUT BEGAN TO FUNCTION MORE NORMALLY. ON THE NEXT RESTART (TRYING TO DRIVE TO REPAIR SHOP) THERE WAS ANOTHER EPISODE OF LUNGING WHEN TRYING TO STOP (FOOT ON BRAKE, NOT ACCELERATOR.) PRETTY SCARY. MY SHOP FOUND CODES, DID RESEARCH, AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED THROTTLE-BODY AND A BROKEN UPPER ENGINE MOUNT. THEY ALSO RE-FLASHED THE COMPUTER. 1 MONTH AGO THEY HAD REPLACED THE BATTERY. DROVE HOME OK, AND NO ISSUES IN LAST FEW DAYS, BUT HAVE READ ANECDOTES THAT THESE PROBLEMS CONTINUE ONCE THEY START. DON'T KNOW WHAT % OF FREESTYLES DO THIS, BUT IT IS A REAL AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM ON THOSE THAT DO. I'M AFRAID TO PUT MY WIFE BACK INTO THIS VEHICLE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY HEAVY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON ALL THREE OCCASIONS, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

AFTER STARTING ENGINE, PLACED IN REVERSE AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED BACKWARD WHILE MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. LATER, ENGINE WAS PERIODICALLY SURGING FORWARD AS I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHILE IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC UNTIL THE "WRENCH" LIGHT CAME ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AT WHICH TIME THE ENGINE DIED. RESTARTED ENGINE AND IDLED SMOOTHLY UNTIL I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND STARTED LURCHING FORWARD AGAIN AS "WRENCH" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. IDLE RPM WAS FLUCTUATING BETWEEN 400 TO 1,000 RPM WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. HAD TO KEEP LEFT FOOT ON BRAKE WITH RIGHT FOOT ON ACCELERATOR TO KEEP ENGINE RUNNING WITHOUT BUCKING. MOVED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND TURNED OFF ENGINE TO WAIT OUT TRAFFIC. RESTARTED ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER AND DROVE HOME WITH NO MORE PROBLEMS, BUT NOTICED THAT IT PERIODICALLY BUCKS WHEN IDLING SO HAD CAR SERVICED AND THEY SAID THAT THE COMPUTER HAD RESET ITSELF. STILL DOES IT PERIODICALLY. *TR

THE CAR OCCASIONALLY SURGES FORWARD ON ITS OWN WHEN OPERATED AT A SLOW SPEED, LESS THAN 10 MPH. IT HAS DONE IT ON OCCASION SINCE 30,000 MILES AND IT NOW HAS 110,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS HAPPENED WHEN THE AC HAS BEEN ON AND OFF, AND WHILE ACCELERATING AS WELL AS DECELERATING. I CONSIDER IT TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT A RECALL. *TR