Problems with 2004 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

Automatic transmission failed when vehicle was just 3 years old, 70,000 miles. automatic transmission failed again after just another 13,000 miles, less than one year later. *tr

Van had 38,000 miles at time of incident. traveling on vacation with family and had been driving non-stop for about five hours. weather was cool and dry, night time, and cruise set on 65 mph. dropped out of overdrive to pass a vehicle and transmission felt like it slipped into neutral. coasted to stop and could not shift into any forward or reverse gears. towed vehicle to ford dealer and replaced (what i was told) entire transmission. service advisor told me that transmission pan was full of metal shavings and torque converter had sheered all the blades. problem recurred almost two years later at 70,000 miles when shifting to reverse while parked in driveway... but that's another complaint. *tr dupliate to 10262072*smch

Bought a 2004 ford freestar with 25,000 miles on it. drove fine until 86,000 miles when without warning and at 55 mph the transmission just went out and had to coast to the edge of the highway. had the vehicle towed to transmission shop and paid 1,800.00 to have it overhauled. then 70,000 miles later it went out again, only this time it was in the driveway. i was told it was the torque converter and 600.00 later it was replaced. then about 3000 miles later the transmission again went out on the highway and i coasted to a stop and had it towed and again was told it was a complete overhaul needed. told that there was water in the transmission. paid 1,800.00 again and about 1500 miles later having hard shifting issues and the mechanic cannot figure it out. says that he has gone through the transmission and it is good. but still hard shifts and transaxle light flashes. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle would violently jerk when attempting to up shift or downshift between gears. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact to replace the transmission. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 77,000 and the approximate failure mileage was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. when the vehicle was started, the rpm's constantly accelerated to 2,000. while driving 40 mph, the transmission shifts gears and the rpm fluctuates between 25,000-35,000. there is also significant loss of power. the dealer stated that the failure was a normal occurrence; however, they informed the contact that the wheel hubs needed to be replaced two weeks later. the parts for the repair will not be available until april of 2008, but the vehicle is safe to drive in the interim. the failure mileage was 47,550 and current mileage was 47,600.

Tl*- the contact stated that the 2004 ford freestar's transmission failed at 79,000 miles while driving at 40 mph and going up a hill, the engine revved, and the vehicle wouldn't accelerate at the normal speed, but she did get to the top of the hill. the contact stated that the engine continued to run ,but once she got to the top of the hill the vehicle wouldn't accelerate. the contact stated that some men pushed her to side the side of the road. the contact stated she had the vehicle towed to the dealership, and they informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced or reworked on. she was still under the 3 year warranty but had exceeded the miles under the warranty. the contact stated that the dealership replaced the transmission. she contacted the manufacturer, filed a complaint and was given case# 0417400577. the failure mileage was 78830 ,and the current mileage was 79000.*ak the front and rear brake lining and circuit breaker were replaced, the rear wiper was loose. updated 04/12/07. *jb

04 ford freestar tranny went out at 32000 miles. then again at 69000 miles. there are almost 400 people with the same mini van that are having the same problem. see link below: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0fb94a/267. *tr

Wife's van. reported that in cold weather it would start hard. recently while driving to work it bucked several times. was able to get to work. informed me of the problem where i went to check van. it wouldn't start after 5 attempts, then it started up but was a hard start. at the same time check engine light came on. decided to tow it to dealer. flat bed came but couldn't get to van. to assist in positioning van for flatbed; van started on first try but now when it was put into gear, it didn't move. either forward or reverse. we pushed it into position. took to dealer where now it went into gear to offload it from flat bed. dealer stated when they depressed the brake, all dash lights lit up. stated it was a dead short they had to trace the wiring. received call 2 days later, dealer telling me they have to drop the transmission. which they did, i saw it on a stand, stripped of all inner components. was told since it's under warranty (26,000 miles), they are going to replace everything that looks remotely wrong. been a week and still waiting for answers. *jb

I bought my 2004 ford freestar used in february of 2006 from eastern motors and had nothing but problems with it. first it needed a tune-up then the coil pack went bad and now needs brakes and tires. but my main concern is my trans-axle light coming on. i am a mechanic so i scanned it on obd-ii scanner,it told me that my torque-converter was stuck in the open position. so it needed to be replaced. i called ford because i cant get it aftermarket and they said it would cost me 300.00 for it. but the problem is i can't afford it and its on back order for who knows how long .ford cant get until they get some in. its 2007 and the problem is still there it bucks around while driving and it doesn't go into gear right away. also when you turn the wheel while driving it makes a squeaking noise at the front wheels and the whole front end shakes wile driving 45 + mph. according to my vin there is nothing wrong (yeah right bs) if i didn't owe so much on this van i would get rid of it or better yet( set it on fire my self) so i wouldn't have to deal with it any more. i have seen the other complaints that people wrote and i agree this is (bs )and ford sucks because they don't want to take care of their customer. *jb

Does anyone read these? my daughter posted a complaint over a year ago. i just read through a number of complaints about the 2004 ford freestar's transmission problems. my son-in-law purchased this van for my daughter for mother's day of 2006 because they were expecting another son and outgrowing their jeep grand cherokee. in the winter of 2006 it started acting up. we had to go get them on christmas eve as they were broke down on the side of a country road on their way to our house for christmas. it was diagnosed a crank shaft sensor. after coming up with the money to replace that, it worked fine for a while. started again. they were told they most have got a faulty crank shaft sensor and replaced it again. some time later, it started again. they took it to a transmission specialist that replaced some more sensors. it ran fine all summer. winter of 2007 started again. replacing more sensors. again this winter, it is doing the same thing. this time it was diagnosed as the abs box on the undercarriage of the van. $400 for the part alone. my daughter was so excited because it ran better than it ever had and they thought they figured out the problem. now it is doing it again. it sometimes will not go in reverse. acts like it is taking off in 3rd gear. stalls out. this is their only vehicle. he is laid off. she is on the verge of losing her job due to attendance as a result of transportation issues. they are struggling like the rest of us to keep their home our foreclosure and their utilities on. the sad thing, they are still paying payments on this van! someone have a heart here! do something! it is the first ford they have ever owned. my son-in-law says he will buy foreign from now on. i own a ford also, i will never own another one either. they have contacted the ford dealership as well as the manufacturer and got no response. this is how they treat their customers. i guess they deserve to go in bankrupt in this economy! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled numerous times. the transmission was replaced several times but the failure would recur. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v006000 (power train:automatic transmission), but was advised that the parts needed for the repair were not available. the manufacturer was notified, but denied any assistance with repair to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 179,000.

Drove the vehicle 100 miles, got gas, started the car, would not shift into any gears. you can move the gear in to gear but the transmission will not shift into gear. i was left stranded with 3 kids 100 miles from home, this happened without warning. *nm

In oct. my two year old and i were in a left lane on the expressway in flint during rush hour when the transmission went out. somehow i made it to the side of the road. cars were swerving around us. people helping me push the car said they can't believe we weren't hit. it was terrifying. the car only had 79,000 miles. this was just the beginning of our journey. we already had numerous problems with the back tailgate (a design flaw i'm told), sliding doors to the power steering. after a couple months because of arranging funding and getting a new trans the car was back. i drove my husbands lease on my 4 days 50 mile each way a week commute putting us way over the miles on his lease. 4 weeks later the light was on and the trans shop had it for about 3 weeks while they kept replacing parts to get it working. we got it back and within a month had it back in for service. my son and i spent the day at the shop. the light was back on within a month. on 6/21/07 we dropped it off. we got it back the end of august. the trans shop got ford involved and the trans shop replaced several parts of the transmission. the torque converter, which i read complaints about, was one of the things replaced - i don't know how many times. i contacted ford long before this and got nowhere with them. we got the car back and a month later the light came on. the trans shop decided to start over and get another complete transmission and replace it. they ordered it and the van went in again for a couple of weeks. for the last two months we haven't had any problems. ford absolutely, 100%, has not stood behind this vehicle. it's a miracle my son and i weren't injured or killed when it first went out. it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed. i was surprised when i saw on edmunds all the people complaining about this same problem. i bought this vehicle because i wanted a safe and reliable car ...

2004 ford freestar. backing out of the drive-way i put the van in park and left it idle in the street to see if i accidently ran over a gabage can. while standing outside of the van talking to my husband i notice the van was in reverse. i tried to get back into the van and i fell out of the van trapped between the frame and the door of the van. while still rolling i could hear my bones breaking. i suffered 2 broken ribs and nerve and muscle damage - to this day i am still not totally healed and i have been in the emergency room twice. i have notified ford. they will not call me only have written me a letter. when i call the customer service they will not release any phone numbers to me. i have have responded and had not return reply. luckly my husband was able to stop the vehicle before it hit a neighbors house. in addition the van turned before running me over. when you take you foot off the brake while in reverse the van immediately roll backwards. there is no way i could gotten out of the van while in reverse. i feel there was either a false park or the van gear was stuck between park and reverse and the slightest movement cause the van to slip back to reverse. the vehicle has been inspected by the ford dealership.

2004 ford freestar.........splines on transmission shattered and ruined transmission...ford made me so angry with "non-response" i had local shop fix it. i would not pay ford any $$$$ for anything....van had 80000 miles on it when trans went out.....many stories on-line with similar issues. *tr

On april 28th 2006 i was on my way to work, stopped at a red light, proceeded to make a left turn, my van would not move forward of backward. i had to call for a tow to take my van to a dealership. the dealership told me i had to pay $75.00 in order for them to tell me what was wrong with my van. they diagnosed the problem and told me it was my transmission, that the torque converter had played out.the total charge was $2817.38 + 75.00 dollars.i made a call to ford motor co. to see if there was a recall on the transmission of the ford free-star , they told me no. *tr

When putting the vehicle into drive from reverse it rolls quite a bit. it happens often. i have taken it to the dealership and they say it's normal and they have received no other complaints like this. i almost hit another car that was behind me in a bank line due to this. *jb

2004 freestar will not shift out of park and cruise control is hard to disengage. *ts initially this was an intermittent problem but recently it had been more frequent. this problem only occurred during very damp and/or cool weather. the dealer was unable to determine if this was an electrical or brake problem. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact started the ignition and placed the gear shifter into drive. the engine began to rev and the transmission immediately locked up. the contact had to make several attempts before the vehicle would operate. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician repaired the vehicle. in addition, the rear brake assembly failed, which was not covered under the warranty. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repairs. on a separate occasion, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for identical failures. the vehicle also experienced electrical failures relating to the exterior lighting. the technician recommended that the transmission be rebuilt or replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 250 and current mileage was 52,000.

We were travelling from pigeon forge, tn to greensboro, nc through ashville, nc on i-40. when we reached the vicinity of greensboro we noticed while trying to pass a truck on a slight upgrade the transmission failed to get power to the road. the engine would eventually "catch" and we were able to make it another 8 miles to our destination. after sitting for several hours we started the car again and the same problems occured (engine revving but transmission would not catch). we managed to drive the van to bob dunn ford in greensboro where it was diagnosed as an internal transmission failure and parts had to be ordered. on the work order it stated: transmission is slipping. verified complaint. removed transmission and disassemble, found forward clutchs burnt. overhaul transmission. replace clutches, seals, filter and fluid. parts listed: 3f2z-7902-acrm converter asy 4f1z-7a100-aa control asy f5dz-7a098-aa screen asy xt-5-qm fluid transm 4f1z-7153-aa kit gasket xf2z-7b164-ca plate asy dr 4f1z-7b164-ca plate 4f1z-7b164-aa plate asy dr xf2z-75164-ca plate asy dr 4f1z-7b164-ba plate asy dr xf2z-75442-ba driven plate xf1z-7b442-ea driven plate xf1z-7b442-ba driven plate xf2z-7b442-aa driven plate all was covered under warrenty. i would like to commend both dealerships involved in the incident: bob dunn ford, greensboro, nc and jack kain ford in versailles, ky for their help in reclaiming money on transportation due to loss of family member while car was down. ford should be aware of this issue but we are also going write a written complaint directly to them to let them know our dissatisfaction with their product.

For the first 16 months of ownership my ford 2004 freestar sel was in the shop 15 times for electrical failures. even the dealership tried to get the van returned under the lemon law and ford refused. i had also complained about vibration at highway speeds, and told all was normal until i demanded they check the front brake and then was told they were bad. at about 65,000 miles my transmission suddenly and without any warning went out. i was just leaving the intersection and fortunately i was not rear ended. now just last month, december 2009 it was discovered my right rear brake caliber has been dragging for some time as the inside brake pad was worn down to the metal. left side was fine. *tr

Dt: bought 2004 ford freestar van, everytime puts van in drive it will roll backwards if it is an on the slightest grade and it is an automatic. if put in reveres it rolls forward. have notified dealer and ford, stated this is a liquid problem and what you see is what you get-you have to live with it. there is no way to repair this, nothing they could do. have driven 2005 and noted this did the same thing.

2004 ford freestar van developed a problem with the automatic transmission. when the vehicle is in drive it rolls back and in reverse it rolls forward.***no answer required***. *mr the dealer told the consumer there is a sealed gear box in the vehicle which doesn't have enough fluid to keep the vehicle idle at 800 rpms. *jb

2004 ford freestar developed a problem with the automatic transmission; when in drive the vehicle rolls backwards. *mr *sc also while in reverse the vehicle will roll forward. service dealer stated that the sealed gear box did not have enough fluid to keep the van idled at 800 rpms and that there was nothing further they could do about the problem. *tt

Problems with engine since 2005 with jerking, sputtering, engine lockup. transmission locks and jerks, airconditioner stopped cooling and won't hold freon. electrical issues also......has a mind of its own! several trip to the ford dealership, was told "could not diagnose, bring it back if it does it again, we can't find anything wrong with it". the issues are sporadic. drives fine one minute, next thing you know you are stalled on busy hwy. not enough space to list "expensive" problems. extended warranty? that's a joke, waste of $. scariest issue is when it locked up while driving. lost complete control of steering, acceleration, etc. was stranded in middle of road. have disability, very scary & frustrating especially since my husband bought it only a year old so kids and i would have a "safe" vehicle. did not take back to dealership since they'd probably say " can't diagnose". purchased a rebuilt engine had small town mechanic put it in. problems still going on. since there are still so many problems with engine, transmission, electrical, and no air conditioning, i'm afraid to drive it more than 5 miles. it is a very expensive lawn ornament. fyi, my husband had just had to replace the engine in his ford vehicle a month before mine went out, had to sell his vacation time for 2 years in a row just to keep those fords running for our family...he's a public safety officer. ford sold be ashamed. (dates are approximate, paperwork packed up from a move....sorry:-) ) *tr

After shifting the gear into reverse vehicle accelerated and lurched backwards. consumer was able to slam on brake, and switch off the ignition switch to stop the vehicle. *ak after the vehicle was restarted it worked fine. *tc

While driving on a slight incline vehicle rolled backwards when brakes were applied. consumer took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic claimed that the vehicle was operating as designed. *ak

Our van only has 2200 miles, however while performing a u-turn the vehicles front axle broke. the dealership repaired the axle but could not find any cause. *ak

About six months ago our 2004 ford freestar had the water getting into the pcm. my mechanic said they new about a service notice/alert, whatever you might call it, stating that ford knew this was and issue and that it was not a recall. they actually poured water out of the module. he stated that it did not drip out, it "poured out". he explained to me that the water was getting in between the windshield and hood. he showed me the spot. it took them 5 days to dry out the pcm and they sealed it, the best they could. sunday, july 3rd, the "sprocket with an exclamation point" light came on in the bottom left corner of the dash as i was driving home from church with my wife and four children...12, 8, 6, and 1. then the transmission just disengaged. we were stranded on one of the busier roads in buffalo, new york. we called a friend to take my wife and family home. my wife got our 1998 pickup and brought it back and we towed the van to our shop. i called today, and they have not started working on it yet, but now i know what it is!!! we were supposed to leave for vacation from july 8th through july 17th in virginia. my kids were looking forward to spending the week with their grandmother for the week. i can take a broken down car, but not my family being put in danger and my children being crushed for the loss of a vacation to their grandmothers. i will file a complaint with the nhtsa, as you suggest. i doubt ford will do anything. unfortunately our 1998 pickup is a ford with a leaking break line in the right rear. i was just about to put it in the shop. no more fords for me. "found on road dead" truly fits my opinion of ford now. *tr

Was driving my 2004 ford mini van freestar when transmission just up and quit working. *tr