Problems with 2004 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

I have a 2004 ford freestar. we are the original owners and just yesterday the transmission went out. we were driving and all of a sudden the car would not shift into gear. our van has 40,000 miles on it. i've been reading that this is a common problem with these vans and hope that ford will do something about it. *tr

While backing from a parking space, with no warning, my van just stop moving. i could not move back or go forward. mechanic explained that there was a major failure in the torque converter. when he drop the transmission oil pan it was full of metal shavings. we had to purchase a new transmission. *tr

Transmission failed at 80 mph in the middle of i-85 in atlanta, ga. the car was hauled garage in laurencville, ga where a new transmission was installed at great expense. the old transmission was left at nobody's garage in laurenceville, ga. *tr

My ford freestar 2004 suddenly stopped as i was driving. the car was revving but car seemed to be in neutral. luckily i was driving slow on a quiet suburban street when it occurred and i was able to pull into a side street. obviously, i was very shaken up. i called the ford service center, but instead of acknowledging that this is an incident that they have been aware of, they told me that i should get it towed into service and get a diagnostic for $115.00. then he told me that most likely i needed a new transmission for anywhere between $3000 - 4000. the guys from ford were not only playing dumb, but were also trying to take advantage of their defective transmission by making even more money. no wonder they were the only car manufacturer that didn't ask for a government loan. they just steal what they need from the consumer. how easy is that. now i want to know how smart they would be if indeed someone died from this deficiency. perhaps mr. ford would like to call mr. toyota to ask for some advice in advance. with all the complaints just on this one site, this is proof that they have been ignoring this problem. they are well aware of the situation. this makes for more evidence when there is a class action lawsuit. *tr

Bought van with 68,000 miles and a week later with 68,500 miles the vehicle lost power while driving with no warning...had to replace transmission $2900.00.......i would like all of that back....and so would everyone else that has had this happen to them....thanks *tr

The transmission just gave out. no prior symptoms or warning. i was driving with my foot on the gas and the car felt like it went into neutral. good thing i wasn't on the highway because what is more dangerous than the brake not working is the gas not working when you are going on the highway. *tr

Transmission bucks when in overdrive,delays engagement in reverse, took van to trans shop and was told codes showed defective torque converter. i'm in the process of having it fixed. *tr

I own a 2004 ford freestar. without warning or any other previous problems, the transmission stopped working and would not respond in any gear. the vehicle continues to not respond and subsequently had to be towed to a garage. currently, the ford garage (purvis ford, fredericksburg va) has the vehicle and they are telling me that they need to break open the case to investigate further. there are no outer signs of the problem. *tr

Hello, i am another victim of the 2004 ford freestar transmission (torque converter) failures. i had no warning at all that something was wrong, there was not lights or sounds even when it completely failed there were still not a single light or noise. i am very concerned about this because i have seen where a whole lot of other people have had the same problem and i do not understand why ford is not recalling this. are they waiting for someone to get killed if it has not already happened. i had my 3 sons in the van and was on our way home when all of a sudden when we turned the corner the van would not move anymore, the engine would just rev like we were in neutral. i was almost rear ended by three different cars and my children were scared to death. as of right now my van is at glen burnie transmissions (who knew exactly what the problem was when i told them the type of vehicle) getting fixed and is going to cost me anywhere from $1500 to 2500 dollars. when i had it towed to the shop they (glen burnie transmissions) had stated that they have seen so many of these vans with the same problem. i am not understanding why this has not been recalled because everyone who drives a 2004 freestar are not doing something wrong to cause this to happen. i just like to see something done before someone really gets hurt if it has not happened yet. *tr

Vehicle stopped in middle of road. engine revved and would not go into gear, forward or reverse. had to have towed home. mechanic says its the torque converter. we previously had the transmission rebuilt back in 2008 when it went out. *tr

I own a 2004 ford freestar. in april 2010 with just over 70k miles the entire transmission failed. the vehicle suddenly lost all power after making a loud high pitched noise. the engine would start but would not go into gear. this resulted in the entire transmission having to be replaced at the cost of $2800. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving at approximately 35 mph, the contact attempted to depress the accelerator pedal when the vehicle stalled; however, the engine was still on. the vehicle was taken to a local service station where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 72,000.

Sudden transmission failure due to torque converter. driving home from out of state vacation. traveling 60 mph in passing lane when vehicle began to rapidly decelerate. coasted across inside lane through traffic to shoulder of highway. transmission fluid level was good. towed to transmission shop and family and i waited several days for transmission to be repaired and rebuilt at cost exceeding $2600. *tr

2004 ford freestar minivan - drove minivan to a relatives house, was running fine, no noises or slipping of the transmission at all, got in to leave and had no power in the transmission. transmission arms will engage but appears torque converter is not operable. the vehicle still won't run and it's going to cost me $3000 to fix!! there are many many complaints of this type and also an open investigation. many many complaints. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated upon starting the vehicle would not shift gears. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop where the contact was awaiting a diagnostic of the failure. neither the dealer nor manufacturer was contacted in regards to the failure. the failure and current mileage was 76,185.

Vehicle stalled, would not stay running, bucked violently. after taking to my mechanic, diagnosed it to be water entering the pcm module. ford has a tsb for the issue, tsb 06-14-10. ford would not stand behind vehicle as it was out of warranty. only has 48,500 miles. this incident could kill someone if the the right driving conditions are met when the failure happens. only a matter of time, if it has not already happened and it is undetected. still at the shop to be repaired at this time with the mechanics i trust, not ford.

2004 ford freestar: vehicle would not go into reverse on march 26 and also had problems going forward. vehicle would not go over 20 mph. did not drive vehicle after this event and had towed to ford dealer on april 6. pcm was replaced. picked car up on april 19. delay in pickup due to vacation. a week later (april 26), same problem returned after driving a total of about 110 miles. while driving in traffic, vehicle dropped to under 20 mph without warning. vehicle failed at a busy intersection. this was a frightening experience and there was a child in the car. pcm was replaced a second time. picked up repaired vehicle at ford dealer on may 1 and on the way home from ford dealer, drove vehicle 18 miles, when vehicle failed again. vehicle shut down in traffic, no power steering or brakes available, barely missed hitting a house. vehicle towed back to ford dealer for 3rd time. vehicle would not go in reverse when unloaded from tow truck. we were fortunate that no one got hurt in either of these incidents and we are very concerned that we will not be so fortunate the next time. we are afraid to drive this car. *tr

Pulling into parking lot and transmission went out. only has 89,000 miles on it. had to be rebuilt. cost 1897.70 to fix. 2004 ford freestar. *tr

Driving our van on the highway, it suddenly made a revving noise but did not accelerate. this happened again, and then when my husband pushed the gas pedal, the van did not respond. luckily he was able to steer it to the side of the highway. no warning, no engine light, and the transmission was suddenly not working at all. very scary and we feel lucky it didn't cause an accident, with our two children in the van. this very thing has happened to hundreds of other people according to internet reports. ford dealership estimates repair at $2500-3000 to repair or replace the transmission. for a van with only 64,000 miles on it? this puts us in financial hardship and i am scared it will happen again. *tr

I experienced a sudden loss of power after accelerating from a stop light on the morning. i coasted to the side of the road, called my husband, did i mention it was 445 am, he came and towed me out of the way of traffic and had it towed to lithia ford dealership when they opened. we were told by the service adviser that a new transmission is needed, but they couldn't take it apart because to warranty company would not allow it. *dt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle began to lunge forward and the transmission would not shift gears. the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the contacts home where the dealer was contacted. he stated that there were no recalls on the vehicle and any repairs would be at the owners expense. the contact was concerned with the numerous complaints related to the transmission failures in his model vehicle. the failure mileage was 159,966.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving at approximate speeds of 20 mph the vehicle exhibited transmission failure. a passerby assisted with moving the vehicle from the highway. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed and it was verified that the transmission needed to be replaced. the approximate failure and current mileages were 76,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph. the accelerator pedal was engaged, followed by a delay in the response time. the vehicle has not been diagnosed at this time. the current and failure mileages were 105,000.

I was driving my 2004 freestar van down a main highway when all at once it would no longer go. i pulled off the road to see if i could see was wrong that when i found out that it would not got into any gears at all. i called the dealer where i bought the van and they took it in just to call me and tell me it was the tranny. i bought this va with 73000 miles on it just to have it a half a month and the tranny to go out on it. to this day they still have the van and can not get another tranny for it. i think you really need to get this fix cause somebody could rally get hurt or killed one day. just thank god that this highway i was on the was no trucks coming at that time cause this is there one main road they use. i also hate to be still paying on a van that i cant even drive. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact was driving at approximately 5 mph when he noticed that the transmission felt as if it were slipping. the contact then took the vehicle to a local mechanic who test drove the vehicle and experienced no problems. the next day when attempting to pull out of his driveway, the vehicle would not shift into drive or reverse. the contact called the dealership and the dealer informed him that the pcm had gotten wet and was the cause for the failure. the dealer instructed him on how to perform the repair for the vehicle and the contact noticed no more problems after the repair. the contact had not spoken with the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 65,100. the failure mileage was approximately 64,800.

I was driving my 2004 ford freestar when it stopped accelerating. i was on the highway and it just reved. when i pulled over the car would not go into gear. i had to have the transmission replaced which cost me $2500. this seems to be a trend with this year and model.

My wife was driving our 2004 ford freestar home with the kids on board. without any warnings, she suddenly realized that even though she was giving the engine gas, the van was unresponsive and was simply coasting down the road. unfortunately, there were no side streets or a shoulder to pull off onto, so the van eventually came to a stop mostly in a traffic lane. it had to be towed to a transmission repair service, where it was shown to have a faulty torque converter, with a repair costing about $2200. upon doing some internet research, it seems that this is a common problem with this model. fortunately, the road my wife was driving on was not particularly busy at the time. i con only imagine what might have happened if she was driving on the freeway in heavier traffic. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the transmission failed. the contact was able to maneuver to the side of the road and have the vehicle towed to a local repair shop. the mechanic confirmed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the current and failure mileages were approximately 60,000.

I have a 2004 ford freestar. we keep it up properly with all the oil changes and such. on march the 3rd i went to pull away as the light turned green, i barely got into the middle of the road when the van suddenly lost all power. the motor was running but the van would not move. thank god i did not get hit. we had it taken to the repair shop. they don't know whats wrong with it, no lights or warnings came on but it had to have a new transmission.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving approximately 20 mph on wet road conditions, the engine stalled without warning. he was able to coast onto the emergency lane until the vehicle came to a stop. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but the technician recommended that the vehicle be inspected by an authorized dealer. the dealer stated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced and also advised the contact to replace the transmission. there were no repairs made to the transmission and the failure persisted. the current mileage was unknown and the failure mileage was 72,000.

Twice driving heavy rain my 2004 free star staled out leaving a stop light. upon restart would buck and stop running. would not go into reverse without being put into park. both times was towed to the dealer, was told the computer was water logged. the first time they took care or it this time they told me it is 825 plus tax and what ever time it took to find water leak. this same van also stop running in heavy rain around 58,000 miles with my wife driving and she almost was rear ended that time is was a transmission failure. *tr

My husband and i just purchased a 2004 ford freestar. granted it is used with 94,000 miles, but we had it for exactly one week and the transmission went out as my husband, myself and our four children were going 70 mph down an interstate. no warnings or anything....lord only knows how much its going to cost to replace and no money to really fix it. we were traveling down interstate 71 in ohio going to my father's. i had the cruise control set and hit the accelerator button on the steering wheel to speed up a bit. once i did that, my rpm's shot up and i lost "control". i turned off my cruise control but was unable to accelerate using the gas pedal. *tr

I noticed the nhtsa may have opened a probe on the 2004 ford freestar transmission issue. the transmission has failed twice at 65,000 miles , once with my wife driving alone at night at highway speed, and the second time with my 17 year old daughter driving at night with friends. both times created extremely dangerous situations to the occupants and fellow drivers on the road around them. the first the transmission failed at 65 mph, lost power completely. at the time i had the van towed to lindsay ford in wheaton, md and the torque converter replaced for $2,200. two months later the incident occurred again with my daughter driving and we had it towed to the dealer again and they "could not duplicate the problem and saw no codes"- paid another $300 for "camshaft sensor replacement" this is an extremely dangerous situation. i have heard this issue has occurred repeatedly and numerous times. *tr

I bought a 2004 ford freestar van and three weeks after i bought it while driving down the road i went to accelerate and the van just revved, come to find out the transmission has went out and now we have been without a car since february of 2010 and we have three small children and i wish there was something that could be done about this defect in the van. *tr

Without warning, our 2004 ford freestar lost all forward and reverse power in rush-hour traffic. i was traveling about 25 mph when engine seemed to surge. coasted to a stop and tried all gears. nothing. mechanic says torque converter spun itself loose inside transmission; quoted a repair price of $2,100. also called it the freestar's achilles heel. *tr

Vehicle driving normally, speeds up to 60mph. stopped at traffic signal. at green, began to accelerate -- vehicle reaches almost 30mph when the engine revs and the vehicle ceases to engage in a forward motion. the vehicle was able to coast onto the shoulder and barely into a parking lot. no sign of problem, nothing to indicate the vehicle would cease moving. towed to ford repair. result was a complete rebuild of the transmission. though no one was hurt (amazing for end-of-day rush traffic) it might have been quite the opposite as the next day i was to travel on major highways. i am still shuddering at the idea this could happen at anytime without any warning - perhaps with my 4 children in the car while passing a semi-truck on the highway. as it is, we are without our family vehicle. at this time it appears we will be without the vehicle for perhaps 2 - 3 weeks. *tr

2004 ford freestar transmission failure. after talking with ford service they didn't seem surprised by this. now i'm stuck with replacing the transmission in my vehicle for something that it appears ford and many other people are aware of. i would appreciate action be taken against ford to get me and other consumers money back. *tr

There are 2 incidences of transmission failure with our 2004 ford freestar, first time in march,2008, 2nd time in february, 2010. *tr

I have a 2004 ford freestar. i recently had my transmission replaced at 89,900 miles. we were on the highway at night time with an 8 year old and 7 year old when the vehicle just started stopping. there no warning lights that came on for the transmission no signs. the rpms would go high / vehicle went would barely move. it was awful. *tr

My wife was driving our 2004 ford freestar with only 84,000 when the transmission failed while she was driving. luckily she was on a quiet road and not the highway and she was able to pull over with no problems. this happened to a friend of ours who also bought a 2004 ford freestar and his transmission went out with only 80,000 miles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while the contact was driving 25 mph she noticed that the vehicle had suddenly stopped accelerating while the vehicle remained on. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by a dealership and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 53100.

2004 ford free star,van was in drive but failed to move on highway. took to shop they said it is the transmission. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the rpms suddenly increased, the accelerator pedal depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle suddenly decelerated. she was able to exit the freeway and the vehicle continued slowing down until it came to a complete stop. the vehicle was towed to an automotive center where the contact was informed that the torque converter had exploded into little pieces. the vehicle was repaired at that time. after the repair, the contact noticed that the vehicle began "stuttering" while she was driving at 50 mph. she took it to the repair shop where it was at the time of the complaint awaiting diagnosis. the contact had not spoken with the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 114,000. the failure mileage was approximately 105,000. updated 02/10/11 *bf updated 04/21/11

2004 ford freestar 'died' completely unexpectedly and without warning on the freeway (i-94 eastbound, clinton twp. mi). my husband was very fortunate to have been so near an off ramp that he could coast down. the problem was the transmission, which we've had to have rebuilt after only 62,000 miles. i have since found out that there have been hundreds of complaints about this problem, as it seems to be an issue with the 2004 freestar. it cost us $2000 to have repaired...a hardship in this tough economy. i do not have the old parts. *tr

My wife was driving her 2004 ford freestar on a rainy morning. it happened to be during rush hour. while waiting for traffic to start flowing, the van failed to move, leaving her and my daughters in the middle of the highway. after being pushed off the highway by a sapd officer, and waiting for a tow truck, we found out the transmission was bad. there was no prior indication of transmission problems or trouble. the transmission had to be rebuilt along with replacement of torque converter and other internal parts. *tr

Backed 2004 freestar out of driveway. shifted into drive and went forward about two feet. van redlined. tried reverse, drive and lower gears. none will work. *tr

2004 freestar transmission failed. the transmission just stopped working without warning. will not shift into gear. read approx. 100's of other complaints stating the same thing on edmunds. *tr

2004 ford freestar torque converter failure. *tr

While driving on a state highway our ford freestar van just stopped working. after consulting with a mechanic it is the transmission. we have under 60,000 miles on the vehicle. after searching the web i am running across numerous cases of the same thing happening to other people. we have small children who could have easily been in the car traveling on the highway when this vehicle just stopped working. this is a potentially life threatening, common occurrence with ford freestars and i believe they should be recalled. *tr the consumer stated ford has since issued a recall. updated 10/10/12

2004 ford freestar - put in reverse, then forward and lost all gears. dealer going to replace transmission at cost of $3500. *tr