Problems with 2004 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

At highway speed drive to tires was lost. torque converter moth vanes and spindle were destroyed upon removal and inspection. *tr

I was driving yesterday and all of a sudden my 2004 ford freestar sel lost power, transmission would not engage. i was lucky to move to the right-hand side of the road and was able to get away from heavy traffic. this is a dangerous and awful situation, someone can get run-over or get injured when you lose mobility in a highway. my engine is functioning well; transmission is dead.... *tr

2004 ford freestar w/89,000 miles had torque converter /transmission failure at 65mph on major highway with no advance warning. *tr

Transmission is starting to slip. i read thousands and thousands of complaints regarding this car and transmission problems, yet ford refused to take any responsibility. *tr

There was no evidence nor warning that the transmission would stop shifting gears. i was leaving home heading to work when the vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating. i was able to pull over to a somewhat safe location only to find out that when i turned my van off and then back on it would not shift gears. it sounds like its stuck in neutral all the time. i live in north texas and with the temp being over 105 today i was just a bit upset that this happened out of nowhere. i have not at this time had a repair man look at it, because i can not afford one. i did make sure that all the wiring was connected properly. *tr

Transmission failure, out of the clear blue. no earlier indication. 2004 ford freestar. 105000 miles. *tr

2004 ford freestar 4.2 engine. traveling down the highway with the kids in the car no response to the accelerator, i was passing a truck which almost took me and the kids completely off the road due to the power loss. the truck driver stopped to help and knew there was something wrong. the transmission went out engine running great, but no torque. no drive, reverse nothing but a winning sound. the vehicle is at 79,000 miles. have not got it fixed yet due to finance. truck driver said he had a freestar that did the same thing. when i went online to see if other people had the same problem i read for hours. if so many people have the same problem there should be a recall. staff sergeant us army active duty. *tr

Traveling with my 3 children in my ford freestar 2004 minivan (~70k miles on it) at freeway speeds and lost all motive power to the wheels. engine running fine, but no apparent connection to the wheels- as if engine power became unplugged from wheels. was able to coast to shoulder and stop vehicle. tested all gears, no forward or reverse gears tested would move the vehicle. needed to call for tow and rental vehicle. ford dealership removed transmission assembly and they said the fins of the torque converter had stripped out and would not pump transmission fluid. they had to replace the torque converter for total cost of $1400. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving approximately 70 mph the vehicle would no longer accelerate. the vehicle decelerated and stopped and it was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the transmission failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 62,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact was driving approximately 58 mph, when applying the accelerator pedal the engine revved with no power response. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the technician informed that the torque converter assembly and shaft pump drive would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the failures. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that when driving at a low speed, the vehicle suddenly stalled completely. the contact was able to restart the vehicle until stalling a second time. in addition, the contact stated that when shifting into reverse, the vehicle would not respond. she then shifted into drive and the vehicle would not accelerate before stalling a third time. she was able to restart the vehicle and when shifting into neutral, there was an abnormal increase in engine rpms. the vehicle was towed to a repair facility where the mechanic advised that the torque converter would need to be replaced. the mechanic also stated he would inspect the gear shifts for any failure. the manufacturer would not provide any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 70,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving at 25 mph, the vehicle began losing power but the engine did not shut off. the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and there was an abnormal noise. the vehicle would not respond. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated the problem was the automatic transmission. the vehicle was left with the dealer where the contact was awaiting a formal diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileage was 93,000.

Transmission failed in my 2004 ford freestar sel with 56,000 miles. had to pay ford $3,000 to replace it. also had rotor problems and had to replace brake calibers. *tr

Pulling away from a stop, there was a sudden lose of power to the wheels (the rpms started to climb, but there was no power to the wheels). after coming to a stop, tried to move the van in any gear ( forward, reverse or any lower gear), in any direction, but there was no movement. while there was one sound at the lose of power (a thump), there was no warning sounds, vibrations or other indicators of this coming problem. torque converter was replaced by maker dealership (at owners expense).

I had just pulled up to a traffic light. when the light changed, i tried to go but all the engine did was rev up. i had no warning that it quit. i put the shift lever in all the gears, but nothing happened. it is being towed home as i type this. it only has 75,000 miles on it, with regular service that is required. *tr

Traveling steady at highway speed on interstate highway, vehicle suddenly stopped moving. safely pulled to side. unable to get van to move forward or backward. no other symptoms or failures. transmission shop found metal shavings throughout transmission and rebuilt torque converter for total cost of $2236.47. experienced the same failure under same conditions on january 25, 2012 with approximately 189,700 miles. ford dealer verified torque converter output shaft is stripped and torque converter is again filled with metal shavings. they are working with ford for authorization to repair at ford's cost under the forthcoming torque converter output shaft recall. *tr

How long will it be before nhtsa holds ford company responsible for the costs of repairs to ford freestar minivans experiencing torque converter and subsequent transmission defects. this is a dangerous defect. do we need to wait until a child, mother or father is killed. this is primarily a family vehicle or handicapped accessible vehicle, therefore it is an urgent matter, my daughters 2004 freestar lost gear engagement while she was leaving for work. thankfully she was only in the driveway. 2 miles further and she would have been on a major interstate and traveling at speeds of 55-65 mph with other vehicles. her van suddenly stopped moving forward, and instead the engine revved as she was accelerating. the van rolled backward as if in neutral. we were unable to engage any gears. only park engaged. it was towed to a ford dealership for diagnosis. we were told it needed a new transmission and there were "pieces" all over the inside of the transmission. there was no explanation as to what those pieces were. after reading all the complaints on freestar torque converters and transmissions, i am convinced those pieces are the splies from the torque converter. there were no warnings, no prior operational issues or performance symptoms typical of transmission problems - no slipping, no slamming. this sudden loss of momentum is a serious, life threatening problem. if it occurs on a highway, there is the potential of another vehicle slamming into the back of it at a high rate of speed. ford needs to be responsible for this defect by issuing an immediate recall and replacing all torque converters and transmissions on these vehicles and reimbursement for those already replaced. unfortunately until the source of the torque converter problem is addressed, those who have already replaced them face the possibility of future failure.they are being replaced with the same poor quality part. step up nhtsa and address this immediately with ford before a life is lost. *tr

1. no event leading up to failure. 2. transmission (all gears) failed while traveling on highway approaching busy intersection. 3. torque converter, filter kit, front seal replaced by certified transmission company. vehicle operated for 35 days, and then the transmission failed again while traveling up a street incline within city almost causing a crash. old torque converter not available. the transmission on this vehicle has severe defects and must be recalled! *tr

While driving my daughters 2004 ford freestar in wet conditions, its like the transmission slipped out and would no longer engage any gears. this was quite dangerous as we were in rush hour coasting to a stop on a busy road. *tr

2004 ford freestar van transmission failed without warning. cruising at 50mph and started up incline, no noises, no warning and transmission failed leaving me without power. luckily was able to coast to a safe spot. *tr

I have a 2004 ford freestar with 57,000 miles on it. after driving on the thruway and paying a toll the car just started to roll and not go into gear. luckily i was able to get to the side of the road. i had my two children in the car with me. there was no warning at all that there was anything wrong with my vehicle. i was an hour away from home. i had to have my van towed to the dealer where i am waiting to hear how much the torque converter is going to be to fix. *tr

2004 ford freestar transmission failure. mileage at around 69000. while on an entrance ramp to highway, transmission totally failed. had to quickly pull over to avoid getting rearended. had vehicle towed to dealership. torque converter had gone out. vehicle was used as family passenger van, never towed anything and had current maintenance. only grateful wife and family was not operating vehicle at the time. please look into this as i understand many people have had problems with this part being defective. thank you *tr

I have a 2004 ford freestar sel minivan. the original transmission was replaced at approx. 56k miles due to torque converter failure (so i was told by the dealer service advisor). now the van has 123k miles on it and the transmission light came on again. the fault code is p0732 gear 2 incorrect ratio. the transmission will hold 1st gear and not shift unless forced to. the problem is intermittent, at this time, but when the ambient temp is above 85f, the problem occurs. ford has advised me that 2nd gear has failed. i do not tow with this vehicle. it is used specially for transporting my family and is not abused. i find this performance very unacceptable!! a transmission should last a lot longer than 60k miles!! i have read multiple complaints with the same characteristics. i would like to know if this problem is under investigation and if ford is being forced to address this. is ford issuing a recall? currently my van is operable until the transmission failure light illuminates. i can tell the problem is getting worse and i'm sure it will be inoperable soon. *tr

2004 freestar with a 4.2 liter engine. transmission failed without warning ie dashboard light, noises, etc. failure applied to all forward gears as well as reverse. the engine would rev when gas applied but no pull whatsoever. this happened at 39k while the vehicle was still under warrant and again at 112 k. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving approximately 65 mph up hill he heard a noise as if the vehicle was in neutral gear. he stated that the vehicle lost power. the contact took the vehicle to a local repair shop. the local repair shop stated that the vehicle needed a transmission. the contact stated that fluid spilled onto the manifold he stopped. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to another repair shop near his home. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileages were 75,000. updated 9/22/10 *cn the consumer stated a fire erupted and fire trucks were called to the scene.. updated 09/24/10

While driving home from a family wedding at 10:00 at night, in the pouring rain, on a dark, busy main road, the transmission of my 2004 ford freestar gave out with no warning. this left us, with our two year old stranded at the side of the road until help came. i am just glad we were not on the highway traveling at 65 mph as we had been moments before this happened. after doing some research on this, i am disgusted at the number of people that the same exact thing has happened to. even once i get this van fixed (which will not be right away because we have two children and cannot afford to fix it right now, yet we will have to continue to make payments on a van we can't drive) i will never feel safe again. if this is a known problem, which, from what i understand the nhtsa is investigating, it needs to be rectified now! *tr

Driving to an appointment when the transmission failed unexpectedly. fortunately, i was not driving very fast, and the brakes worked. the repair facility sent a tow truck to pick up the van. the transmission and torque converter will have to be replaced. *tr

I purchased a used 2004 ford freestar in february of 2010. the van ran fine for the first 90 days. as soon as it hit 100 days, my check engine light went on and the van has been repair 3 times since then, misfired cylinder, replaced fuel injector. now the mechanic told me that the transmission needs to be replace and this will cost more that the van is worth. i know that i am not the only freestar owner to have such problems and cannot believe ford has not taken steps to rectify these issues. i will never purchase a ford vehicle again. *tr

2004 ford freestar sudden loss of power while pulling into traffic. appears to be related to power train failure. car would not move forward or backward under its own power after the failure although the engine continued to run. *tr

My wife was driving our 2004 ford freestar with 62000 miles on it when it all of a sudden stopped going forward. i towed it to a transmission shop and they replaced the torque converter for $2200. according to the forums and consumers digest this has been a continual failure with these vehicles. are you going to wait until someone gets killed before putting pressure on ford to recall these vehicles. *tr

Our 2004 ford freestar transmission failed while driving down the road at 45 mph. luckily we were able to 'coast' to the side of the road without getting hit by traffic. apparent torque converter failure. we need tc and transmission replaced at an estimated $3000 for the repair. *tr

My wife was driving down the highway at appx 60 mph. the engine suddenly, without warning, revved the rpms and lost power to the wheels. she coasted the van to the shoulder and called for help. the transmission would not engage into any gear, it would only rev. checked fluid and it was fine. luckily, no one was injured and cars were able to swerve around her as she took the shoulder. had van towed to shop who told us transmission is shot. options are: new transmission will cost $2800, rebuilding the old will cost $1700. van is a 2004 ford freestar with only 75,000 miles. *tr

2004 ford freestar transmission going with less that 56000 miles on van ...my wife was driving on a main road when the transmission just stopped working... in research this problem is happening due to cheap material used in the torque converters. *tr

While driving up a very steep hill my power train/ tourqe converter let go. i know this because i had it towed to my local ford dealer and it had to be replaced. at this time there was not a recall. now its 2012 and there is a recall notice. i paid over $1500.00 to repair and replace. i think that the ford dealer that repaired my 2004 ford freestar se should pay me back. *js

Driving down the road at 15 mph, the transmission fails. cost $3700 to fix. the new transmission stinks. nothing is right about this car. one piece falls off after another. nickel and diming me to death! *tr

04 ford freestar 80, 000 miles lost tranny going up hill state rt 14 coming out of washingtonville in ohio. van just stopped on a busy 55mph highway two lanes. had to back down 500 ft or so and swing into a driveway where i called a tow truck.van had no for. or rev. gears at all! if my wife was driving the van i don't think she could have backed down the hill with on coming traffic coming at her.she would have just sat on the side of the hill and waited 1 1/2 hr for the tow truck. i was told that the torque converters go out at anytime with out any warning. and ford knows about the problem and has not informed owners that it could happen at anytime at any speed. not a safe thing to have happen! *tr

This weekend, we were driving the 2004 ford freestar (w/ about 75,000 miles), and the transmission completely failed without warning. we were able to coast to the side of the road safely, but this could have been very dangerous if there had been more traffic. the car had its annual safety inspection less than a month earlier, and no problems were found. *tr

Water seems to find its way into the transmission . when this occurs it destroys the transmission. *js

2004 ford freestar. the transmission just went out all of a sudden. i was driving down the road and all of a sudden the gas wouldn't move the car, it just kept revving up. this is the first problem ever and i love my car, but this is ridiculous. *tr

2004 ford freestar. while leaving a parking lot, the van had trouble finding reverse. after getting backed up enough to turn out going forward, my wife experienced high revving, jerky movements going forward until the van wouldn't move anymore. i had to call my mother to watch the kids while i went to my wife and gave her the truck while i stayed and had the van towed to my independent mechanic. all this happened with no warning. he then had it taken to his transmission specialist, where it was determined that the torque converter failed. the transmission and torque converter had to be rebuilt and it also needed a new transmission range sensor. the vehicle only had 80,586km and was purchased from a ford dealer with 56,605 km on it. *tr

My 2004 freestar suddenly quit running last week. there was very little forward power and no reverse power. it also began sitting and sputtering terribly and would not start. i made it to the edge of traffic. it had been wet and rainy all week. now that the weather is dry the van starts. this is an ongoing issue. i have already replaced the transmission once. *tr

I have a 2004 ford freestar and without notice the transmission suddenly stopped working while driving. a mechanic evaluated the problem and found the torque converter had failed. the mechanic had to remove the transmission and replaced the torque converter. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, she felt the transmission slip while attempting to accelerate. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they did not have the necessary parts to perform service on the vehicle. in addition, the contact was advised that the recall had not yet begun and was advised that recall repairs would begin in the near future (nhtsa campaign id number: 12v006000 -power train:automatic transmission:torque converter). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000.

Many issues with the van & they continue. purchased from 1 previous owner, jan '09 around 60k may 2010, 74k miles- replaced spark plugs & wires, fuel system cleaner: rough idle $432.23 dec 2010, 83k miles - replaced front axle & sway bar links: $822.89 april 2011, ? miles, - replaced plugs & wires, coil pack: rough idle $700.85 jan 2012, 100k miles - replaced pvc evap hose, r&r fuel filter, fuel injector cleaner: rough idle $228.40 aug 15 2012, 106k miles - recall, torque converter replaced: costing me $162.14 to replace seals & transmission filter aug 16 2012, 106k miles - replaced egr valve: rough idle & engine light on after recall fix $135.95 (dealership was kind enough to only charge for labor) aug 31, 2012, 107k miles - engine is still running rough, piercing noise while driving, sometimes it goes away when i am turning. *tr

2004 ford freestar - transmission went out without any warning - i was turning a corner and heard a loud noise - the check transaxle light came on and i could not get the car to move - took to auto garage and they said they would have to replace but that they have seen this over and over with the 04 freestar. this went out in the middle of an intersection on a busy street with my 3 kids in the car. this is a dangerous problem that ford should address! *tr

We recently purchased a 2004 ford freestar and have had nothing but problems with it. let it be clear from the start that i am in fact a ford guy! but what has transpired is absolutely ridiculous and i am to the point where i do not know if i will purchase another ford. so a week after purchasing the vehicle, the transmission + computer went out. my wife tried starting it and it would not go anywhere. i towed it to macke ford and had them fix it. paid $3800 for them to fix these two things. a week later it rained extremely hard and the van failed on my wife as she was driving and was luckily on a gravel road with no one around her. she was able to coast to a complete stop but again the van would not go into reverse or drive. had it towed to macke ford in coon rapids, ia again and they thought it was a bad pcm. i made it clear to the service dept that i thought water was getting into the pcm compartment due to other people complaining about this on the internet and the fact that it had rained extremely hard that morning. they did not think this was the case and put another pcm in and sent the other one back to ford as they thought they received a bad pcm. took it home and the next morning it would not start and the battery was dead. tested and found that the radio was turning on by itself and draining the battery...even w/out the key in the ignition. macke tried fixing it for the next 2 months and even after denying water was getting into it..finally called and said they found water in the pcm compartment and it was a ford engineering problem. they wanted me to pay for the computer this time since ford would not cover the water damage!! another 700.00. with all the internet complaints about there about water getting into the computer this should be recalled and our money returned! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop and the transmission was rebuilt. the failure recurred approximately two years later. the vehicle was taken back to the independent repair shop and the contact was informed that water was leaking into the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 64,000.

2004 ford freestar. going down the road and the van ran fine but could not go any more. had to get towed and find it is the transmission and will be at least 1600 dollars to fix. no warning or slipping or anything and i see on the forums that ford is having way too much trouble with these vans. what are we to do for there problem. it is crippling families like ours with big bills. *tr

2004 ford freestar, going down road fine, engine rev, speed declined and would not move. transmission locked due to bad torque converter. had to replace transmission. *tr

While driving on busy highway rt 76 near akron ohio my 2004 ford freestar which only had 79,279 miles began losing speed and black smoke was coming out the back and engulfed the entire van which had my 2 children and wife in. we managed to pull off to the side of highway and called for tow , we had to replace the transmission at a cost of $3,002.07 dollars and wait a week for repair to bec completed. i had van at preston ford dealership in sharon pa previously because transaxle light would sometimes come on after driving more than 20 miles but it would go off after turned off and restarted. dealership was not able to determine the cause. *tr