Problems with 2004 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

Vehicle: 2004 ford freestar limited 66,733 miles i was driving on a highway when i had to accelerate to go up a hill. it was when i did this that, the car had no power. although the car was in drive, it seemed as though the car was in neutral. the rpm's where going up but again, there was no power. fortunately i was able to get onto a side street. i put the car in park and turned it off......in hopes that it would make a difference. no, same thing, the car would not go into gear. i had my 1 yr. old daughter in the car and began to panic because i wasn't close to home and my husband was at work. i had to have the car towed, at my expense of coarse. we have since discovered that my 66k mile car needs a new transmission along with a torque converter. how and why does this happen to a car with 66k miles. there was no notice at all and i have never had any signs of transmission problems. the cost of the repairs is $2,395.00 plus tax!! i actually find this unbelievable because this is a big problem, and a huge safety hazard, with this vehicle and i am surprised that there has not been a recall. *tr

I was driving down a very busy dangerous st rt 125 at rush hour, when all of a sudden nothing no shifting, no reverse , nothing!!!!!! i literally almost died trying to get into a parking lot off the road!!! i have owned my 2004 ford freestar aprox 5 months! i am angry and cant believe the safety issue involved with these transmission problems! if i had only found this website prior to buying this vehicle. there is a major safety issue here and someone needs to address the issue before someone ends up dead! as a mother of 4 i have children in my vehicle at all times and i depend on it to drive and keep me safe! this is going to cost me about $2000!! i just paid $5000 for it! somebody do something, recall would be nice, my vehicle has been taken care of and still here i sit with a broken transmission and a huge knot in my stomach as to getting the money for a repair!! thanks alot ford! never again will i buy a ford unless this is resolved! *tr

2004 ford freestar transmission just quit working. no problems prior to today. no warnings or signs of trouble just stopped working. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate. the contact shifted to park and the vehicle failed to shift gears. the contact mentioned there was an internal transmission leak. the failure recurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed. the vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Transmission just gave out no warning. was driving over a bridge and car acted like it went into neutral ,transmission just quit. *tr

My 11year old son was with me when i was driving my 2004 ford freestar minivan on a interstate road at 40 miles an hour perfectly fine, when i went to accelerate on the gas pedal and nothing happen i pressed the pedal to the floor and the minivan would not accelerate there was no warning on the dash board, no warning sound, nothing to warn me that this would happen, i glided to a safe area and tried different gears and it wouldn't go in any gear. i had it in the dealer 4 days before this happen they didn't say anything was wrong. i had it towed to a ford dealer, it turns out it was the torque converter-power train-automatic transmission, my minivan had 76,000 miles on it for the dealer fix it for $1,500 as i read on the internet this has happen a lot. i don't feel this van had that many miles on it for a transmission to fail and fail with out warning, my son and i could have been seriously hurt or died, it was very scary dangerous not being able to accelerate to get off the road out of other cars way. *tr

On saturday, january 8, 2010 i was slowly pulling away from a stop light at the intersection of j clyde morris and harpersville road, newport news, virginia, when i heard a mild 'ka thump' sound then the vehicle (2004 ford freestar with approx. 79, 500 miles) quit pulling and i coasted into the closet business parking lot. the vehicle would not move forward or backward at all. i had the vehicle towed back home (3 miles away) where it is still parked pending a recall of these high failures with ford freestars *tw

I own a 2004 ford freestyle mini van. while driving and without any prior warning the van came to a sudden stop in traffic and would not shift into gear. i was very lucky that an accident was barely avoided. i had it towed to a mechanic and was told that the transmission had failed and that it was unusual to have a transmission fail in a vehicle with under 100,000 miles. he also informed me that he had seen this happen in many other 2004 freestyle vans. the mechanic noted that the transmission failed due to the fuel pump working incorrectly and as well as the failure of the torque converter thus contaminating the entire transmission. the entire transmission had to be replaced. after reading about the numerous transmission failures and the road hazards they have caused i am extremely upset that ford has failed to take responsibility for the problems with there product. *tr

Was entering the freeway attempting to accelerate to 70 mph when the vehicle suddenly lost drive power. engine was running, pressing the pedal would cause the rpm's to increase, but with no power. had to pull over to the side of the road going 40mph while traffic behind me was oncoming at 70mph+. had vehicle towed to mechanic where it was determined that the torque converter had failed, there was no internal oil pressure in the transmission and that a transmission replacement was required. paid $3,000+ to replace transmission on a vehicle with about 100,000 miles. a quick google search for "freestar transmission failure" comes up with numerous results of the torque converter failing right around 100,000 miles. the mechanic i took it to made the comment that this happens with about every freestar he's worked on and it's in input shaft that fails on this specific transmission. *tr

wife traveling with family in van noticed some loss of drive power. was only a few miles from ford dealership. she was told the torque converter was slipping and needed replacing along with a solenoid. upon further investigation dealer noticed fluid started changing color and found some metal in fluid. advised us to replace entire transmission at a cost of $2500. the vehicle's transmission has been serviced every 30,000 mile per the manufacturers maintenance schedule and there are receipts for proof. this is totally unacceptable. *tr

I own 2004 ford freestar van i have had two incidents that almost was dangerous. the van on the highway was going 70 mph. when the transmission failed to keep the car moving i had a dangerous time trying to pull off the road because of no movement that was 1st time 2nd time i had the children and almost was smashed in the rear-end by a semi-truck he slammed his brakes trying to avoid us it would have been fatal and then ford would do something about the transmission we were pulling out and the trans. went no other gear would work. *tr

I have a 2004 freestar with over 100,000 miles. last night while driving home in a pretty heavy snow storm my transmission failed (i will know for sure after ford calls me). the odd thing is it went out completely no gears worked at all. i have had transmissions fail in the past but i always had a gear or two i could use, not this time the car just stopped. i was lucky along with my children that there was no traffic so we did not get hit. *tr

Purchased car in nov 08. in dec 09 had transmission rebuilt (remanufactured by ford) in june of 2013 needs transmission again!! went in to ford dealership and asked for all paperwork. found out this will be the 4th total transmission in the life of my very well maintained car! warranty history stated nov 07 overhauled transmission 43085 mi dec 09 rebuilt remanufactured transmission 64858 mi june 2013 torque converter recall done 88658 mi dealership called ford recall line, did not fix neutralizing problem with transmission. ford stated it must be an internal transmission problem not covered by recall. so i called ford motor company and they will not do anything!!!!!! recall the unsafe bad transmissions made by ford motor company!! *tr

Complete sudden transmission failure without warning - no engine lights on 2004 ford freestar. *tr

Backing out of the driveway, when i put the vehicle in drive nothing happened. the transmission would not engage. i had to wake up my neighbor and he helped me push the vehicle into the driveway. the vehicle ran fine the night before. *tr

While i was driving to pick my children up from school my vehicle began shaking violently. it had happened one other time while my wife was driving. i was able to slowly drive my ford freestar home and once we got home the vehicle would no longer shift gears. i took the vehicle into a shop and they replaced the torque converter the output shaft going to the pump and the pump. i left the old parts with the shop. *tr

Without warning, sudden loss of motion in car - like it was shifted into neutral. lost all control of forward/backwards motion. ford body shop indicated that the torque converter was broken. *tr

My 04 freestar left me on the side of a rural road, next to a swamp with 6 " of fresh snow and an unplowed road shoulder. i had my 2 and 4 year old kids with me at the time and it was 7 am. this was a dangerous situation, especially considering that i had no warning that there was anything even remotely wrong with the van. mechanic said that it's the torque converter. only 90,000 km. *tr

I was traveling 50mph on a highway, and without warning,lost total acceleration, luckily there was nobody close behind me. i was able to pull off a side road, placed the car in park and then engaged it to the drive gear, but i was not going anywhere, i was able to put it into the reverser gear,but no movement.,i only have 63,000 miles on my vehicle. my mechanic tells me it is my transmission, and will cost approximately 2400.00 i don;t have that kind of money to fix my vehicle. if i had been in heavy traffic, these might have resulted in an accident and someone could have been seriously hurt. *tr

In early december, i purchased a very well-maintained 2004 ford freestar van. this van was owned by close, lifelong friends and i can attest to the fact that the van, with 45,000 miles on its odometer, was in perfectly maintained physical and mechanical condition when purchased. on december 13, 2009, i was driving south on interstate 94 near kenosha, wisconsin when the vehicle's transmission suddenly, and without warning, failed. traveling in the left-hand lane at freeway speed, i had to maneuver the vehicle without any forward propulsion through three lanes of heavy sunday traffic. fortunately, i was able to coast without any forward propulsion onto the right shoulder of the freeway while avoiding a massive pile-up involving the dozens of automobiles and tractor-trailers surrounding me at the time of the transmission failure. *tr

Transmission in my 2004 ford freestar went out with no warning. van was driving under normal circumstances and never mistreated. all scheduled services was done on time. *tr

I have a 2004 ford freestar, i am the original owner. the van has 70,000 miles. was driving down the road and the engine revved up and the van coasted to a stop. was told i need a new transmission. this occurred on december 11, 2009. through research have found this may be a defect. i contacted ford and they are not willing to help. had no slippage or any other warning. was told will cost me 3000 dollars which i do not have. *tr

No prior transmission trouble; no warning of problem on the date of incident. driving at highway speed on the approach to a narrow four-lane highway bridge. the vehicle's engine rpm suddenly raced while the forward momentum lagged; the engine continued to run fine, but the transmission no longer provided any forward power. the vehicle slowed rapidly due to the upward grade of the bridge, and there was no shoulder to pull off onto, with traffic bearing down at 60+ mph. this dangerous situation then caused a four-car accident. defect vehicle was not badly damaged (only minor rear bumper crush) but after accident it still would not move in gear, even though engine ran fine. has not been repaired as of this date. *tr

I have a 2004 ford freestar which has had regular maintenance with no problems. i currently have 68,000 miles on it and yesterday (dec. 9, 2009) my transmission failed. the repair shop said it is completely shot with no hopes of repair. *tr

12/03/09 transmission went out on 101 freeway 5:30 pm rush hour traffic in l.a. city was towed to aamco repair shop repair coast $1,700 to $2,000 less then 85k miles on ford van 2004 freestar. *tr

Vehicle purchased used with 62,000 miles in may 2006. frequent & random dash warning lights coming on & off for no reason--including transaxle, brake, emissions system light, etc. radio will turn on & off without the keys in the vehicle. mechanic says that there was some moisture in pcm & that pcm does not look original. vehicle has lost power without warning while driving several times & then 'recovered' with no warning lights on. transmission 'went' in driveway without warning. needed approx. $1500.00 in repairs to transmission. mechanic says failing part includes pump shaft & veins. also reconditioned pump slide & seals. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle stopped accelerating. the contact safely coasted to a stop where the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the torque converter was replaced by the mechanic however, the failure recurred eleven months later. the vehicle was towed back to the mechanic where the torque converter was replaced a second time. the same failure recurred approximately one year later. the vehicle was in the process of being towed back to the mechanic for a third repair. the manufacturer was made aware and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was not available.

We have a 2004 ford freestar. it ran perfectly until december 2009 when it suddenly starting sputtering badly and seemed to be slipping. we parked it that night after driving straight home. the next day we could barely get it to move, like it didn't want to get in gear. we have left it parked since then as we can't afford to get it fixed. this is awful as i am a cancer patient, we have a 3 year old child and a baby on the way. *tr

Pulled out into a busy intersection. turned the corner and the rpm revved up but the 2004 ford freestar would not move. it goes into park but will not move in any other gear. it gave no warning and has not been abused and maintenance is up to date. had to get out and push the van onto a side road so we would not get hit. *tr

2004 ford freestar the transmission worked fine and then without any notice it does not work (11-27-09). i move the shifter to reverse or drive and nothing happens, i give it gas and the engine just revs. i am taking it in to a mechanic this coming week. *tr

I was taking my wife and two children to massachussettes for thanksgiving. we were on the new jersey turnpike traveling at 70mph when the engine revs increased dramatically and my vehicle lost power. i was able to move over to the shoulder but only after almost being hit by oncoming traffic...this was thanksgiving break. the engine remained running but the vehicle would not go into any gears. i had to wait 1.5 hours for help, then had to have the van towed back to delaware. i was researching what it could be and was surprised to find that numerous complaints were being filed for the same problem. i can not afford to have it fixed and had to borrow money to get it towed. i hope someone forces ford to man up and take care of this problem before someone gets killed. *tr

I was on my way home from dropping my son off at college about 400 miles round trip when about 1:30 a.m. on the highway without warning the car just lost all forward speed. coasting across 3 lanes of traffic to the shoulder i came to find out that the car had no forward or reverse. there was no noticeable warning or indication that there was anything wrong. i had to have the car towed in for repair by an emergency tow company called by the state police to the tune of $160.00. i had it towed to ford thinking that they have trained service people who would repair the problem insteadof just replacing it with a rebuilt trans. the next day i was called by the dealer who quoted me 2,800. to repair the transmission and torque converter shaft spline, but i would be better off with a rebuilt transmission due to the 3 year/ 36,000 mile warranty. i had the trans installed paid the bill and looked into contacting ford to complain about this problem that i thought wasn't normal for a car in good shape and miles, when i came onto a forum of other unhappy ford freestar owners with the same problem.. i had to fix the car because it wasn't worth anything broken, but getting rid of it now it isn't worth the 2 payments i have left to pay plus the repairs just done could this be due to a trans problem that everyone else knew about except me? *tr thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Experienced a sudden loss of motive power to the engine on 2004 freestar while driving in bad weather and heavy traffic. air bag light came on as well. towed to dealer. told transmission and air bag module needed to be replaced. cost $4000. freestar has 48,589 miles. extended warranty expired in august. had car in to dealer 4 times during the summer for traction control issues and failure of backup sensors. 2006 had to be towed to dealer due to engine stopped running 3 times in less than 2 miles. trade in value $5700(minus $4000 in transmission and airbag module replacement) *tr

My 2004 ford free star van quit in the middle of a busy intersection. with no warning what so ever it was like the van was in neutral. my wife and i were stranded in the middle of the intersection during heavy traffic. the local police were contacted due to the heavy traffic in the area. we are now told of the issues with ford free star and it's transmissions. the repair we were told will be upward of $3000.00. ford motor company seems to know of the issues why has a recall not been issued. this is a huge safety issue with this vehicle. *tr

We were driving along 1-70 with the cruise control on, when all of a sudden the rpm's got real high and lost power. we were very lucky it was right next to an exit where we were able to coast off and call aaa. they came to tow us to a local shop (we were 1500 miles away from home with 500 more miles to go on our trip) where they told us the transmission needed replacing. 3000 dollars later plus the cost of hotels, and car rentals we have a new transmission. not to mention the 4 plus hours i had to wait with 4 kids while hubby went with tow truck to get the rental as we were in the middle of nowhere. upon doing research online, this seems to be a consistent problem with the ford freestar. *tr

I bought a 2004 ford freestar with 16000 miles indicated on the odometer in 2005. the transmission failed at approximately 100,000 miles. i paid to have a used transmission installed at a cost of $2100 in 2009. the used transmission also failed after a period of approximately 4 months and i am left with a useless pile of parts. i have researched this situation through the internet and have found that many other owners of ford freestar minivans have experienced the same problems. is the nhtsa planning any investigation on this issue? thanks for your assistance. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while attempting to drive the transmission would not shift into any of the gears. the vehicle was towed to a transmission specialists. the technician replaced the torque converter. the current and failure mileages were 61,800. updated 01/15/10. *lj updated 01/19/10

On november 19, 2009 at 0640 in the morning. i was driving on the interstate to work around 70 mph when my 2004 ford freestar van, all of a sudden, without any prior warning, started to lose power. when i stepped on the gas the rpm would increase but the vehicle came to a stop. i tried all the different gears, but was unable to move forward or in reverse. this could have been a huge safety problem, but i was lucky. i was already in the far lane and thankfully at that time no one was directly behind me. if there would have been a semi or some trailing to close i would have been hit in the rear. it was that dramatic of a slow down. the vehicle was towed to the dealership and i was informed that it was the torque converter that needed to be replaced. ford refuses to assist in any form, the vehicle only has 39, 000 miles. i am now out over 1600 dollars to have this faulty piece of equipment replaced. i believe this to be a huge safety issue and something needs to be done. i contacted the ford corporation and they basically just ignored me and said there is nothing they can do to assist me. *tr

Going about 55 mph on highway, van revved up and then slowed down while going up a hill, similar to taking it out of gear and coasting. no lights came on the dash or warning signals of any kind. no noise, oil or smoke of any kind, just complete loss of power but the engine continued to run. van had never been serviced anywhere but dealership where it was purchased so they had full service history. no warning of van failure, it had been running without any problems up to he time it suffered the loss of power. had already been driven approximately 70 miles prior to failure on that day. was stuck on side of road and had to have van towed to dealer as it would not move at all. found it was the torque converter and was replaced at a cost to us of $1,250. had approximately 79,000 miles and no prior history of transmission problems. *tr

No one returned my call from safercar.gov. i have a 2004 freestar 4.2 liter v-6 with 61,000 miles and had a complete torque converter failure. we have always done prescribed maintenance and this failure was inexplicable. i saw on your website reference # pe 09033 and it describes our problem completely. we had the vehicle towed and repaired by a highly reputable service provider. our repair bill was $1700 plus dollars and we feel ford and/or its suppliers should be held accountable. *tr also 10295342 smch

While driving approx. 35mph, my 2004 ford freestar without warning suddenly lost power as the rpms went way up. was on an incline and able to coast to a parking lot. car is awaiting replacement of torque converter / transmission. *tr

Complete transmission failure, with no warning or any precursor problem of any kind. fortunately this occurred at low speed on a residential street. the failure could have been extremely dangerous had it occurred at high speed and heavy traffic. torque converter stripped, had to be replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving 35 to 40 mph the spline fell off of the shaft which is connected to the torque converter causing the transmission to fail. the transmission was replaced by a local mechanic. the contact is aware of the safety risk since the transmission failed without any warning and could have potentially caused a crash to occur. the current and failure mileages were 133,654.

I am the owner of a 2004 ford freestar. on nov. 13 2009 while leaving my place of employment, i pulled out of my parking spot and put the vehicle in drive,the vehicle lurched forward and the transmission quit working. i was able to coast to a stop and with some assistance was able to push it into a parking space.after speaking with the dealership they advised me that the freestars of that year had defective transmission pump and they had many coming in for repair.they also told me that ford would only replace on vehicles still under warranty at no cost. therefore the vehicle still has not been repaired due to the high price for the repair which involves rebuilding the transmission. around $2500.00. so i have a disabled vehicle sitting in my driveway that i still make monthly payment on. as of this time i have been in touch with ford regarding this matter several time and will continue my efforts until a resolution is reached. *tr

I was leaving my work and pulled out onto a very busy highway. i or my passenger did not notice any strange noises or hesitation in the engine. upon gradual acceleration to traffic speed; the vehicle began to move and then didn't. i managed to coast to the side of the road and put it in park and the engine began to whine. i then put the it back into drive and the transmission made no noise going into gear. i then tied each of the gears and again nothing. i then turned the vehicle off and waited and tried again with same results. i would think having only 57 thousand miles on a 2004 vehicle it would not be having transmission issues such as this. i have had a mechanic listen to the noises and give his best guess. he informed me that based on not going into gear and the noises that it is making and until a complete in-shop check can be made, we will have to replace the transmission. estimated cost $2500 to $3500 dollars. *tr

After accelerating around a corner noticed no power to the accelerator. we drifted to the side on the road, still in a travel lane as there was no shoulder. there was no warning or indication we were going to have a problem. just pressed on the gas and nothing. had to call the police to protect the car and our safety since we were still in a travel lane. several cars nearly ran into us. after having the van towed to the dealership we were advised it was the transmission and would need to have it replaced. this van only has 50,000 miles on it. *tr

2004 ford freestar van, replaced the transmission and torque converter. loss power and rpms increased, gears in torque converter were stripped. new certified transmission doing some of the same issues. *tr

After a day of family festivities, 2 1/2 hours away from home, i packed my husband, two daughters, son-in-law , granddaughter and myself into my 2004 ford freestar van. i was driving down a very rural two lane road, in total darkness when it started. i was leaving a very very small town and accelerated from 30 to 55. everything was fine until i reached 62 mph. the van seemed to misfire and lunged. everyone asked was it was. i had let off the gas a bit and tried not to go over 60. as we continued, the van lunged again, but now i was only going 55, and then again and again, going slower and slower. my husband assumed i had a problem with the gasoline and told me to blow it out but i told him when i pushed on the gas, there was no response. the check engine light went on and then it got bad. i could see headlights coming up in my rear view mirror. i thought about pulling off to the side, but as the van started to loose power, i realized that there was no shoulder and that there was a ravine. i was pumping the gas pedal and the van would intermittently respond by lunging forward and then pausing, just like a bucking bronco. the movement was so thrusting it woke up my granddaughter from a sound sleep. i managed to put my flashers on but i couldn't get off the road. i realized that i needed to make it to the next town, as being stranded in that area would be very dangerous for anyone getting out of the vehicle or anyone being left behind in the vehicle. i am amazed that no one got killed because the van would totally loose power and shut off. i was dropping to neutral to restart it, only to have the same thing happen again, pumping the gas, making it a little way and then the engine losing power. this happened four or five times until i made it into the next town, where i drove down hill with no engine, steering or brakes, and coasted into a gas station. it would not go into reverse and was left 2 hours from ...

I purchased a 2004 ford freestar with 28,389 miles on 6/16/08. in october 2009 my wife was driving the van and when she stopped at a stop sign & tried to turn on the next road, the van wouldn't go. the van acted as if it were in neutral. the van was still running but wouldn't go in to any gears at all. she called me & we had to have the van towed. we had bought an extended warranty/insurance policy on the car so the dealership told us which transmission shop to have the van towed to. we took the van & after almost 2 weeks, the van was repaired. we had to pay for a rental car during the time & pay the deductible for the warranty/insurance to have it repaired. the repair shop said they had to put a rebuilt transmission in the vehicle because the one in it had water. six months later, in may 2010, the transmission did the exact same thing. we contacted the repair shop that had worked on the transmission previously said the transmission appeared to have water in it and the insurance/warranty wouldn't cover it. we had to take the vehicle to another shop for repairs. we took it to a repair shop in our neighborhood that we have known the owner for a long time & know to be very trust worthy. he looked at the transmission as well & said some how there was water in the transmission. he had to put another transmission in the vehicle also. since he has put the rebuilt transmission in the vehicle, we are still having problems. the van does fine until after it has been driven for a few hours. it seems the warmer the transmission gets, the more it begins to shift hard, start jerking, & acts like it doesn't want to go. we have had 2 rebuilt transmissions put in, had to rent a vehicle twice, had to have it towed twice, still have payments for another 3 years, & aren't any better off than we were before the vehicle was fixed the first time. the vehicle only has 62, 173 miles on it. i don't know how a vehicle with such little mileage can have the same problem with 2 transmissions. *tr

My wife was driving to fairborn ohio from cincinnati in our 2004 ford freestar. this was purchased new by us. warranty was 3 year/36,000 miles. the van has 54,000 miles & while traveling on october 24th, 2009 ohio, the van would not go above 30 mph on the highway. the transaxle light came on & started flashing. we ended up getting the van towed from fairborn to our home. the technician that tested the van for codes & said the "torque converter clutch was stuck in the shut position & caused the fluid to overheat". long story short, we needed a new transmission. the transmission was serviced at 30,000 miles per the maintenance log at our dealership. this could of caused a severe accident while traveling on the highway at that slow speed. a vehicle regardless of make should not have a major mechanical failure of this with only 54,000 miles on it. the thing that rattles my cage is this is supposed to be our "reliable" vehicle. i'm thankful my kids were not in the van. so $2300 later we have a transmission & our holiday goals are shot to '!@#$%. this transmission style needs a recall !!! plain and simple. after this happened to us, i researched the issue & i am not alone. many people that have the same make, model year & transmission issues that i have. so thanks to this issue our "holiday spirit" is gone. *tr