Problems with 2004 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

I replaced the torque converter at 80,000 miles in july of 2008. the cost was $1,600. i was driving down a main street in our city at around 40 mph when the car just acted like it was in neutral. i had my 7, 6 and 3 year old children in the van along with my niece and nephew and my mother. we were lucky to coast into an apartment complex drive (blocking it) and waited over an hour on the hottest day of the year for a tow. now, 2 years and only 40,000 miles later, we are replacing it again. we yelled and screamed and got the price down to $1,200, but we shouldn't have to pay one cent for this. ford should be accountable for ripping people off. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stopped at a traffic light and when the accelerator was engaged, the rpms increased excessively but the vehicle did move. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who stated that the failure was caused by the torque converter in the transmission. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 89000.

2004 freestar lost all power driving home from errands in rush hour traffic. thank god traffic was only going 35mph. my vehicle coasted to the side of the road. i can only imagine what could have happened under different circumstances. the loss of power came from transmission failure according to ford dealer ship. vehicle only has 80,000 miles on it. looks like this is a common problem for this vehicle and ford knows it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the contact stated that the gear shift selector remained stuck. the contact called the dealer who offered no assistance. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 62,000.

While driving approx. 70 mph on the freeway with out warning the power to the wheels ceased to work. the engine would rev up but there was no power going to the wheels. we were able to coast to the side where we had to be towed. the torque converter had to be replaced at a large cost. the failure happened at approx. 100,000 miles. *tr

2004 ford freestar sel transmission problem. problems with shifting, not going into gear or banging into gear, dark fluid(which usually means burnt out).same as the other complaints. do not see a recall yet. *tr

Traveling east on interstate 80 toward lake tahoe, about 70 miles from home. rpms suddenly increased while losing forward propulsion and speed. pulled over and much smoke was coming from under engine. myself, wife & 2 children in vehicle. luckily we have aaa and were rescued. we are original owners on this regularly, and well maintained 2004 freestar - and it has only 61,000 miles! expect $3,000+ bill to fix transmission. *tr

Had torque converter replaced in 2010 before the recall for almost $2000.00 from a ford dealer. they replaced it with another defective torque converter. now ford will not give my money back and they will not replace the defective converter. it's either $1450 or a new converter, not both. ford has now sold me two recalled torque converters and will not give me what i paid and fix the problem. it's no wonder they didn't need a bailout with their shady business practices. they are stealing from their consumers. outraged and seeking legal advice. i urge others to do the same. *tr

Transmission went out without any warning! less than 70,000 miles. *tr

Transmission in 2004 ford freestar failed without warning in freeway traffic endangering my self and my young grandchildren. ford is aware of transmission defects and is choosing not to remedy the problem. this is presenting a danger to the driver/passengers of said vehicle and the other drivers on the road. *tr

2004 ford freestar ltd, took possession on 7/6/2004 and now have 70k miles. its used for my three mile commute to/from work, some longer drives to relatives every other month. on 10/30/2010 experienced torque converter failure. $1200 to replace the torque converter or $2500 for a rebuilt transmission. *tr

No events leading up to the transmission failing at about 90,000 miles on the highway. $3500. repair for radiator and full re-build of trans. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving 15 mph the vehicle failed to accelerate, as a result the vehicle lost power, and came to a complete stop. the vehicle was towed to local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission failed due to the splines truck converter being stripped. the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the vehicle was not qualified, for any recalls. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 63,640. the current mileage was 72,000.

Transmission went 82,000 miles for freestar 2004 cost for new transmission $2400 which i paid. *tr

Our 2004 ford freestar's transmission locked up while driving and we lost forward acceleration. the vehicle has 100,213 miles on it. *tr

Van suddenly lost transmission power when accelerating. no warning lights, no nothing. turned a corner accelerated and then slowly slowed to complete stop. no gears not even reverse. van has run rough in rain for a while. have had it tuned up to no avail. narrowly avoided being rear ended when this happened. *tr

2004 ford freestar van. consumer writes in regards to transmission pump failure. *tgw the consumer stated as she was driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power without warning. the transmission and a transmission switch range was replaced. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. she attempted to accelerate from a stop sign but the vehicle hesitated momentarily before accelerating. the vehicle picked up speed to approximately 45 mph when and began to lunge forward. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the transmission was replaced. the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the computer system was repaired. the failure continued to occur after the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 129,000. the vin was unavailable. updated 01/11/11*lj

Bought new, 2004 ford freestar minivan. at 60,000 miles, my wife and daughter experienced a sudden loss of power and coasted to a stop into a parking lot. no power in any of the gears including reverse. towed to dealership and found out that torque converter pump shaft broke. had to replace torque converter, pump and pump shaft. cost of $2125.00 to repair. thankfully it did not happen on the highway at high speeds. considering the number of reported occurrences at such lower mileage and nature of failure, i would like to see a refund of the repair costs from ford. this type of failure should not be the burden of the consumer. *tr

Van stopped dead in traffic and would not move. was towed into ford dealership. torque convertor replaced, on 10/13/2010. now transmission at the same dealership was diagnosed as defective, on 07/11/2011. replacement of the transmission is needed. the original repair cost was $2264.14, and this time the repair will be at least $3100. the mileage on the van on the first occurrence was 117,230 miles and now about 127,000 miles.

My van while going up an incline would not move. i pulled over and put it in park. from there it would not move. i could go into drive and reverse,but it did nothing. i had it towed to a shop and was told it was the transmission. the mechanic took it apart and found a problem with the torque converter. it was shattered. i had to pay around 1850 with tow. thank god that no one was hurt,but they could have been. *tr

2004 ford freestar. consumer writes in regards to transmission torque converter recall notice. *smd the consumer stated prior to the recall, the torque converter failed. the repair cost was $1,180.83. the consumer requested reimbursement. the consumer asked the dealer was the part installed defective, and he stated it probably was. the consumer received a refund check. however, he was concerned about the part being defective. *jb

While driving in a residential area our 2004 ford freestar the vehicle suddenly lost all driver power. i had to coast to a safe spot on the side of the road. the vehicle could not be put into any gear and had to be towed. we are facing a $3200.00 repair bill to have the transmission replaced. the vehicle has been well maintained and had less than 80,000 miles logged. the vehicle had recently been in for the 70,000 mile check-up, at which no problems were detected. *tr

I drove my ford 2004 freestar to church on saturday about 15 miles from home. after finishing services, i could not take the family home because the van refuse to move without any warning, and none of the gear selection engaged. i called technician to check, and i was told the transmission failed at 83,000 mile just like that. i checked the complaints about this problem, and it was astronomically stoning. my expenses for repairing this is estimated @ $2,250.00. i thank god it happened in the church premises. ford authorities are not going to help either, and i do not know what to do. it is absurd for all this problem in a van that conveys the whole family. what a shame! *tr

On september 29, 2010, i was driving with my wife and three children on i-75 at 70 mph (speed limit). there was a slight rev in the engine and then all power to the wheels was gone, leaving me in the middle lane of very heavy and fast moving traffic. we barely avoided getting rear ended by a large semi and feel fortunate that i was able to make it to the side of the road, both myself and my wife were terrified for the safety of our children. being far away from home, stranded in unfamiliar territory we were at the mercy of the tow truck driver and the local mechanic. upon inspecting the vehicle the mechanic stated the transmission was gone and that this was a very common problem with this vehicle and it would cost $3,000 to fix. many hours later, after finally getting my tired and weary family home, i researched this problem on line and was absolutely appalled to see so many complaints and the fact no action has been taken by ford or the nhtsa to correct or even communicate this problem to the consumers unlucky enough to own this vehicle. i seriously can not believe that so many people have been put in this extremely dangerous situation and nothing in being done, has the importance of human life become that insignificant? *tr

On sept 28, 2010 my 2004 ford freestar suddenly and with zero warning stopped 'pulling'. was in passing lane of 4 lane highway going 60mph and we barely avoided being run over and killed or seriously injured ( a less experienced driver would not have survived i am sure). ford certified garage later told us the torque converter had basically 'exploded' and transmission was ruined. repair quoted at $3961.82 cents. forced to purchase new vehicle as we were stranded 2 hours from home and could not justify spending that much for a $6,000. book value vehicle, plus would never trust replacement of transmission with same faulty system. received zero help from ford, and received zero trade in value on freestar. 89,030 miles on freestar plus i had installed all new brake system, new battery, 4 new tires, new fuel filter, new points, and a certified ford garage tune up in summer of 2010. *tr

I was driving my 2004 ford freestar without any prior problems, going about 40 mph and it just started revving up and lost power. i was lucky it wasn't hit from behind and was able to turn into a parking lot and park. it hasn't moved since. waiting for transmission business to open to get quotes. i know what the problem is though, the torque converter. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact noticed that the vehicle would not move but the engine was still running. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop where the transmission pump was replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Vehicle just stopped moving. engine running but no engagement. no drive or reverse. steering and brakes not affected. eec test no codes. replaced transmission. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact was unable to shift the vehicle in reverse or put it in drive. the vehicle would not respond. the dealer was informed of the failure and they advised the contact to replace the transmission. the vehicle was repaired at owners expense. the failure and current mileage was 72,516. updated 12/29/10 *bf updated 01/04/11*jb

While 2000 miles from home, transmission suddenly failed without warning ,(52,000 original ml.)in our 2004 ford freestar van while sitting @a busy california 4 lane intersection. as cars sped by on all sides, we had to manually push vehicle through the intersection putting ourselves in dangerous,scary situation. the results are a complete transmission failure requiring new replacement at a cost of $3500.00 for parts and labor. 7 day delay to returning home as vehicle sits in the shop waiting for parts ordered. stranded 2000 mls fr home with no vehicle. *tr

2004 ford freestar transmission failed while driving in i-85 in atlanta. *tr

Bought 2004 freestar used and have had it for almost 2 years with no problems. while traveling, i stopped at an intersection. upon acceleration, the van went about 10 yards and failed to go any further. i had to coast across oncoming traffic into the convenience store parking lot where the van has sat overnight. the van will have to be towed to my mechanic's shop. there are numerous posts regarding this same complaint. when is ford going to do a recall!!!! this is absolutely ridiculous. it is time for ford to step up and correct this before somebody gets killed and they really have a lawsuit on their hands! *tr

Slowed down while driving on interstate, went to accelerate off of interstate, and nothing. no forward or reverse gears, and i rolled out into the road with no way to pick up speed. had transmission looked at, and torque converter was bad. searched the internet, and found out that no one should own one of these vehicles, as its a common, and dangerous situation, not being able to accelerate out of a situation. *tr

2004 ford freestar. consumer states transmission and torque converter failure *tgw the consumer stated he received a recall notice stating consumers who had already paid for the repairs, would receive reimbursement in the second quarter of 2012. the consumer stated the second quarter has passed and he still has not received reimbursement. on september 8, 2010 as he accelerated to merge into traffic, the engine suddenly revved up and the vehicle started slowing down. after coasting about 2000 feet, he was able to get off at the exit ramp and was able to park the vehicle and called a tow truck.

We were on a highway and it just lost all acceleration. had it towed ($300) to shop. needed a rebuilt transmission ($2440). had that done. now, 15 months later, the transmission is slipping! *tr

2004 ford freestar. consumer writes in regards to vehicle reimbursement for torque converter failure recall. *smd the consumer stated he received a recall notice stating consumers who had already paid for the repairs, would receive reimbursement in the second quarter of 2012. the consumer stated the second quarter has passed and he still has not received reimbursement. on september 8, 2010 as he accelerated to merge into traffic, the engine suddenly revved up and the vehicle started slowing down. after coasting about 2000 feet, he was able to get off at the exit ramp and was able to park the vehicle and called a tow truck. *jb the consumer stated the denial letter stated the extended warranty should have covered the repair. the consumer stated the warranty expired on august 3, 2009 and the failure occurred on september 8, 2010. updated 11/28/12 the consumer stated the torque converter failed again in january 2012. the consumer stated the dealer used the same flawed parts to replace the torque converter. updated 02/28/13

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving at 45mph he attempted to pass a vehicle and his vehicle didnt moved forward, instead it reversed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer.the diagnostic test located the failure at the transmission. the dealer advised they could replace some parts on the transmission, the valve body, the pump shaft,and the converter, or replace the entire transmission.the transmission will be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted, they advised the contact he will received a call back from an engineer. the failure and the current mileage were 76,634.

We were driving on the highway when our 2004 ford freestar died. fortunatley we were able to get to the side of the road before the car stopped coasting, but my wife and i and ou4 4 young children were stranded on the side of a very busy highway for 45 minutes. i was told the transmission is shot and it would cost 3,000 to repair. myu brother-in-law is a mecahnic and said this is an ongoing problem with the freestar for some time. why no recall then?transmission. *tr

Put van into reverse and backed up but then when i put into drive, it would not engage. took van in for repair - required transmission rebuilding. *tr

My 2004 ford freestar was just in for service 2 days ago they said everything was good my wife got in the van today to go to work she made it to the thruway and the van lost total power the engine did not shut off but the transmission just stopped working she was lucky enough to be able to coast over to the side of the road. i had the car towed over to our local ford dealer and they told me that the torque converter output shaft was shot and i needed a transmission overhaul i do not think this is fair with the van only having 69,000 miles on it and i follow all the maintenance on the car. now i am out $3000.00 i have never abused the car or used it for towing. so i want to file a complaint there was no sign of something going wrong the car the day before ran fine. *tr

I have a 2004 ford freestar. i was heading to atlanta,my van stopped in the middle of the interstate called tow truck took it to the repair shop,guy said it was my torque converter it was going to cost me $1500.00,i didn't have the money to fix it so my dad got a car transporter picked me up and took me 8 hours back home to florida. *tr

I had arrived at my brothers house after a 8-9 hour drive, unloaded the vehicle & visited for a few hours. we decided then to go out to dinner & would take my freestar. my brother has ms so i had to pull forward & try to back in to get passenger door closest to his exit from the house. when i put it in reverse to back the van barely started to move & then wouldn't move. i then let it roll down to the street & tried forward & reverse, but the van never moved again. i had it towed to a ford dealer & was told the transmission was gone. i had them put in a form reman unit. i had to drive my brothers van back home & come back for mine the next weekend. *tr

Start vehicle, it dies. again i start it, rev. the engine and manage to keep it going so i pull out of driveway and it dies while i am driving. from the info. i gather it is the torque converter. the same problem happened to me 3 months ago and we thought it was solved. i am now reading this is common occurrence. i contacted ford and they told me there have been no reports of such things happening. no "programs" created(ongoing complaints to address the problems) or recalls in regards to the transmission or torque. i have two kids and both times they were in the vehicle with me. i am thankful we weren't hurt. i cannot believe ford is not taking any ownership in this problem!! *tr

My 2004 ford freestar van transmission slips, have replaced tranny fluid and filter, still having the same problem. eventualy going to have to replace tranny. *ln

While on interstate hwy, transmission gave out. luckily i was in the right lane of three lane interstate. had to have transmission replaced. *tr

Driving on highway and lost power pulled over once the vehicle cooled down i got to my destination. took it in to ford and it's the torque converter. 114,000 klms on van. i've heard this is very common. *tr

2004 ford freestar transmission just died while driving on the highway at 60 mph. there was no warning. the vehicle is currently in the mechanic shop being repaired. this occurred in new york city. *tr

We have a 2004 ford freestar minivan. last night, without any warning, when we tried to accelerate the car from a slowing position, the rpm revved and the engine roared, but no movement. it was as if the van had popped out of gear. we were able to use the speed that we still had to maneuver off of the road and into a yard. when we were towed, we were told that these vans had a long list of complaints regarding the torque converter and transmission. i am having it towed today to start the process of determining the exact issue and have it repaired. after seeing all the complaints online of other owners, i felt compelled to also add mine to the list. this appears to be an issue that ford needs to address before someone is killed from this happening. *tr

While driving on the highway the engine rpm raised and the vehicle lost power. after getting to the side of the road the vehicle had no transmission engagement. no reverse and no forward gears. everything happened all of a sudden and without any warning. *tr