2007 Ford Freestyle

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME MY 2007 FREESTYLE HAS STARTED LUNGING. IT WILL LUNGE IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. STARTS OUT WITH SMALL LUNGES BUT THE LUNGES GET BIGGER. THEN I FIND THAT IT WILL LUNGE SO HARD I NEED TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES. THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE UPON RESTART. FIRST EXPERIENCED THE LUNGE PROBLEM IN MAY, 2009. TOOK TO DEALER MECHANIC NEXT DAY AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY THROTTLE. REPLACED THE THROTTLE AND NOW I ONCE AGAIN HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. REPLACING THE THROTTLE BOTTLE DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE HAD AN ISSUE WITH MY A/C AND A BROKEN ENGINE MOUNT. NOT TRUSTING THE FORD DEALER MECHANIC, I TOOK IT TO A THIRD PARTY. THE PARTS ALONE WERE $1000.00 BECAUSE THEY COULD GET THEM FROM FORD ONLY. TOTAL COST TO REPLACE COMPRESSOR AND FIX ENGINE MOUNT $2200. YOU CAN'T DRIVE IN THE HOT ARIZONA SUMMERS WITHOUT AC. THE LUNGING SEEMS TO GET WORSE WITH THE AC ON AND WHEN TURNING THE WHEELS. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE IN 2009 AND THIS ONE HAPPENED WHILE STARTING TO BACK OUT OF PARKING SPOT. HAD AC ON AND CRAMPED WHEELS TO BACK OUT. AS I EASED BY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR JUST SHOT BACK ALMOST HITTING THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME. SLAMMED ON BRAKES, CAR STILL TRIED TO BACK UP THEN STALLED. THE ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE I HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND GAS AT THE SAME TIME. RACING AND HIGH RPMS. TAKING BACK TO DEALER TODAY. *TR

WHILE STARTING 2007 FREESTYLE THERE WAS A VERY SUDDEN REVVING ENGINE SOUND FOLLOWED BY THE CAR LUNGING FORWARD. THE CAR WAS STILL ENGAGED IN PARK POSITION, MY RIGHT FOOT POSITIONED OVER BRAKE BUT NOT ON IT AS I WAS ABOUT TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THE REVVING & LUNGE STOPPED AS SUDDENLY AS IT HAD STARTED & I WENT ON TO BACK UP WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. THE INCIDENT CONCERNED ME BECAUSE THE CAR DID MOVE FORWARD SOME..INCHES, MAYBE A FOOT. IT MOVED ENOUGH THAT MY BUSHES IN FRONT OF MY BEDROOM WINDOW WERE TOUCHING THE FRONT RIM/BUMPER OF CAR. I HAVE HAD MANY MORE INCIDENCES LIKE THIS ONE IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS. ALL ARE UNPREDICTABLE. CAR HAS LUNGED WHILE IN DRIVE AND REVERSE AS WELL. IT HAS ALSO "SPED OFF" IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENGAGED IN DRIVE. IT WILL ACCELERATE WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. IT WILL STOP WHEN I BRAKE BUT BY THEN IT HAS ALREADY COVERED SOME GROUND. THE CAR IS HAVING DIFFERENT/OPPOSITE ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WHEN I STOP AT SIGNS/LIGHTS. THE CAR WON'T ACCELERATE AT ALL WITH THE PEDAL PUSHED ALL THE WAY. THEN IT WILL EVENTUALLY CATCH AND ACCELERATE.I HAVE HAD WHAT I THINK IS THE POWER GO ON & OFF WHILE ACCELERATING & SLOWING DOWN, WITH PANEL LIGHTS GO OUT THEN ON. THE STEERING ISN'T EFFECTED. THE ENGINE ITSELF SOUNDS AS NORMAL AS ANY DAY. MY CAR HAS 29,329 MILES. I HAD TO REPLACE ALL BRAKES LAST WEEK. BROUGHT CAR TO SHOP & WAS REDIRECTED TO THE FORD DEALER. MECHANIC GAVE ME CODE P0701 ALONG WITH BRIEF EXPLANATION OF PROBLEM. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. IT'S NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HOWEVER BRIEF THE INCIDENCES ARE, THE DRIVER IS STILL WITHOUT ANY CONTROL OVER WHERE THE CAR GOES FOR THAT TIME. THE LUNGING ITSELF COULD CAUSE INJURY TO DRIVER. I HAD MY FREESTYLE TAKEN TO DEALER THIS MORNING. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM SERVICE DEPT. YET. I HAVE SEEN HUGE COST INCURRED BY OTHERS. THE SERVICE DEPT. GOT DEFENSIVE & ABRUPT SO I AM GLAD THAT THESE FORD ISSUES ARE BEING INVESTIGATED. *TR

VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES HAS LURCHED FORWARD AND BACKWARD WHEN PUT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE SOMETIMES STALLS & SHUTS OFF AT LOW SPEEDS BACKING OR PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS WITH VEHICLES & PEDESTRIANS REALLY WISH FORD WOULD RECALL PART & FIX PROBLEM. COULD NOT FIND RECALL BUT FOUND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER FREESTYLE OWNERS WISH FORD WOULD INVESTIGATE & FIX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70, 000.

FOR THE PAST YEAR, WHEN THE CAR IS AT IDLE, BUT NOT IN PARK, WITH FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT DRIVER ACTION, SURGE OR LURCH FORWARD. OR IF IN REVERSE, IT WILL SURGE BACKWARD. IF FOOT IS FIRMLY ON BRAKE, THE LURCH WILL NOT CAUSE MOVEMENT OF TIRES, JUST BODY OF CAR AS THE BRAKES RESTRAIN MOVEMENT. BUT IF IT OCCURS IN THE INSTANT THE DRIVER IS MOVING THE FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR TO BRAKE, OR WITHOUT THE BRAKE BEING FIRMLY DEPRESSED BEYOND WHAT IS NEEDED TO RESTRAIN MOVEMENT WHILE AT IDLE, THE SURGE CAN BE 2-5 FEET BEFORE THE DRIVER IS ABLE TO APPLY THE BRAKE AND CEASE THE MOVEMENT. WE HAVE ALMOST HIT A PEDESTRIAN COMING OUT OF A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT CROSSING IN FRONT OF CAR AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH DRIVE-THROUGH. WE WERE AT A STOP TO RECEIVE FOOD WITH FOOT ON BRAKE ENOUGH TO STOP FORWARD MOVEMENT WHILE AT IDLE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO STOP WHEN SURGE OCCURRED. WE HAVE ALMOST HIT NUMEROUS CARS WHILE TRYING TO PARK, ESPECIALLY DURING PARALLEL PARKING ATTEMPTS. THE CONDITION COMES AND GOES. AT TIMES WHEN IT IS "ACTING UP" THE CAR ALSO LOSES ITS ABILITY TO PROPERLY ACCELERATE IN RESPONSE TO DEMAND FOR GAS AND SPEED. PUSH ON ACCELERATOR BUT THE CAR WILL NOT RESPOND EXCEPT AT ONLY A VERY SLOW RATE, TAKING MANY SECONDS TO REACH A TOP SPEED OF 25-30 MPH. THIS HAS CAUSED SAFETY ISSUES WHEN IT OCCURS WHILE PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF ON-COMING TRAFFIC, EVEN THOUGH DOING SO AT WHAT SHOULD BE A SAFE DISTANCE. MY WIFE IS NOW REFUSING TO DRIVE THE CAR WHEN THE CONDITION IS OCCURRING DUE TO HER FEAR OF IT ACTING ON ITS OWN. IT STARTED IN THE 80,000 MILE RANGE. OUR CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 102,000 MILES. *TR

AT A SLOW SPEED IN EITHER FORWARD OR REVERSE WHEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE ENGINE SPEEDS UP AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD OR BACKWARDS AND I HAVE TO HIT THE BRAKE HARD TO STOP IT. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN NOW. A COUPLE OF TIMES THE ENGINE SEEDED UP WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK I SEE WHERE FORD BRUSHES THE PROBLEM OFF AS BEING MINOR.I THINK THIS IS A DANGEROUS THING AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. IF IT HAPPENS WHILE YOU ARE PARALLEL PARKING IT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT . ALSO WHEN BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE YOU COULD GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. WITH OVER 200 COMPLAINTS I THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED FROM THIS DEFECT BY FORD. *TR

AT FIRST OCCURRENCE, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND PLACED IT ON THE BRAKE MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS UNEXPECTED LURCHING HAS INCREASED IN FREQUENCY AND HAPPENS BOTH IN DRIVE AND REVERSE. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN INCIDENTS WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK AND IT REVS, AS IF I AM PUSHING ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT WILL REV LIKE THAT AND IDLE DOWN A FEW TIMES AND THEN THE ENGINE WILL STALL. *TR

WHILE IDLING IN A FAST FOOD LINE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET. AFTER APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 10 MINUTES IDLING IN THE LINE, I GOT MY ORDER AND WAS SLOWLY EXITING THE DRIVE THRU LANE, WHEN I HAD TO STOP TO LET 3 PEDESTRIANS PASS BY. WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, IT LUNGED FORWARD ANOTHER TIME APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET, NARROWLY MISSING THE LAST PEDESTRIAN. THE CAR THEN STALLED. AFTER RESTARTING IT, IT TOOK OVER 1 MILE OF ROADWAY TO GET THE SPEED UP FROM 0 TO 65, WITH THE GAS PEDAL COMPLETELY DEPRESSED THE ENTIRE TIME. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD ALSO NOT WORK. THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON AND THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 DEGREES. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WHEN THE LUNGING OCCURRED, HOWEVER, THE WRENCH ICON LIT UP AFTER I RESTARTED THE CAR AND REMAINED ON FOR THE 26 MILE DRIVE HOME. ONCE AT HOME, I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT AND THE WRENCH ICON WAS NO LONGER LIT UP. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE THIS INCIDENT FOR FEAR OF INJURING MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE. *TR

AT FIRST OCCURRENCE, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND PLACED IT ON THE BRAKE MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS UNEXPECTED LURCHING HAS INCREASED IN FREQUENCY AND HAPPENS BOTH IN DRIVE AND REVERSE. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN INCIDENTS WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK AND IT REVS, AS IF I AM PUSHING ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT WILL REV LIKE THAT AND IDLE DOWN A FEW TIMES AND THEN THE ENGINE WILL STALL. *TR

THE CAR LURCHED/REVVED FORWARD A FEW FEET WHILE BRAKE WAS FULLY DEPRESSED. IT WOULD DO IT IN BOTH FORWARD, REVERSE AND PARK IT GOT WORSE OVER A 2 AND HALF MONTH PERIOD. THE LURCHING WAS ONCE IN A WHILE AND THEN BECAME MORE FREQUENT WITH IT EVENTUALLY HAPPENING EVERYTIME I PLACED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, PUT IT IN PARK OR REVERSE. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED BUT I HAVE HEARD THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, THAT DIRTY AIR PASSING OVER THE PART WILL MAKE IT TOO DIRTY TO PERFORM PROPERLY IN THE FUTURE. WE WERE LUCKY THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER OUR USED CAR WARRANTY AND WE ONLY HAD TO PAY $100 DEDUCTIBLE. MOST LIKELY IF THE PART GETS TOO DIRTY TO FUNCTION AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF POCKET UNLESS FORD CREATES A SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR