Problems with 2004 Ford Freestar SEATS

The third row drivers side seat anchor no longer holds the seat in the upright position. the plate in the wheel well that the anchor attaches to has rusted loose. i brought the van to my dealer and they said they could not repair the problem. *tr

I was rotating my tires and noticed that inside each rear wheel well there was a panel patched in from the factory that was rusting terribly, with the drivers side being much worse and almost completely falling off the body. with some further investigation i discovered that the panel actually holds the anchors for the rearmost folding seat. as i stated, the drivers side is almost rusted off the car and there is a giant hole that is letting water and snow inside the van and ruining the carpet and padding. i frequently carry multiple children,some in child safety seats, and could not imagine what would happen during a collision if the rear seat anchor were to separate from the van. i seriously hope that there is some kind of recall, as this vehicle is not yet 10 years old and the rest of the body is still in great shape. this is not just a surface rust issue, it is a safety hazard to anyone owning this type of van and the manufacturer should be held responsible for fixing it as i'm sure the repair is not easy or cheap. *tr

Left rear seat anchor was loose, so we looked. a large hole had rusted out of the inner fender causing the anchor to completely detach from the body. we took it in to get checked out and they agreed it had completely rusted through and the right side is also rusting out, although not the point of completely rusting through, yet. we are just thankful this was noticed when we were parked and not driving 65 mph causing an accident. *tr

Drivers side rear passenger seat bracket failure. the bracket is mounted through the wheel well. the weld around the bracket had severe rusting, no where similar to other parts of the car. the plate holding the bracket rusted through completely dropping the seat. the plate and bracket began rubbing against the tire. if i had not stopped and found the problem and secured the bracket, the tire could have blown causing an accident. accident was prevented, but serious body failure occurred. this needs to be addressed. as is this seat should no longer be used until it can be fixed, there is no cost effective fix. *tr

The third row seat was loose when locked in the upright position. when i looked underneath from the driver side rear tire i noticed the metal plate was loose. i put down the third row seat and looked through the plastic to see that all around the metal plate rotted away. since the third row seat was not locked in place when i touched the bracket on the metal plate, the entire plate fell out onto the rear tire. the metal all around the plate inside the rear quarter panel is rotted and there is nothing to weld the plate back to. there is also a large opening into the vehicle because that plate is no longer there. my seven seat van can only hold four people safely. *tr

The drivers side rear (third row) seat anchor will no longer hold the seat in place. it appears the metal plate the anchor attaches to has rusted free from the car, due to excessive corrosion in the drivers side rear wheel well creating an opening to the outside. the seat cannot be properly latched to the van when in the upright position. *tr

On 08/13/2012 tried to engage the third row folding seat to the full upright position. the drivers side latch for the third row seat would not engage. after further inspection i found the seat anchor to be loose. after i looked at the outside of the wheel well the plate that the anchor mounts to was completely corroded all the way around and the plate and anchor is detached from the vehicle and falling into the wheel well. there is now a big hole from the outside of the wheel well directly into the interior of the rear of the vehicle. the interior of the vehicle becomes soaked when driven in the rain. safety issue as our kids ride in the third row seat and there is no way to latch the seat safely now. *tr

Driver's side seat mount on third row seat failed side panel in wheel well corroded and failed displacing panel into tire sidewall. passenger side panel showing signs of failure. ford dealership bodyshop refuses to work on issue for fear of future liability. dealership states that corrosion issues beyond normal. *tr

We had the 3rd row seat folded down for cargo space. upon pulling the seat back up, the left side of the seat wouldn't latch and the seat moved when someone was sitting on it. when my husband tried to secure the latch by folding the seat back down and then back up again - the entire left side latch and plate it's attached to fell into the wheel well. he had to reach up over the left rear wheel to remove the part and saw that there is now a hole in the wheel well that goes right into the van - you can literally see in the van! the latch unit: the plate it's bolted to and the metal section of the wheel well that the plate is welded to were completely rusted out. we can no longer use the back seat due to safety reasons. we are having a hard time finding someone to repair it. one person said we'd have to replace the entire wheel well. we read on line that ford has responded that there are no replacement "parts" for this issue because it wasn't manufactured to be replaced. now we have a van we can't get fixed, we can't use the 3rd row seats (we haul the neighbor's 2 kids in addition to our 2 kids to and from school), and gets wet on the inside when it's raining because of the open hole in the wheel well. *tr

Third row seat no longer latches securely, caused by corrosion from left rear wheel well area ruining body latching holding seat in place. *tr

The rear left metal u-shaped post that is used to secure the front of the rear bench seat and is attached through the body by a metal plate in the rear wheel well fell out of the vehicle as the vehicle was moving at a speed of 10 miles per hour. the rear seat was folded into the floor at the time of the incident. the post and the attached plate fell out into the wheel well and then fell to the roadway. upon inspection, the edge of the metal plate, and much of the surrounding wheel well had rusted away causing the incident. the incident resulted in a large hole in the wheel well that goes clear though to the interior of the van. we brought the van to a local ford dealer for repair. they acknowledged seeing this issue recently in the same make, model, and year of van. they said they were unable to make a repair. they suggested taking the issue to a body shop. two local body shops were unable to make the repair. as it stands, the rear bench seat is unusable as it can't be secured in the upright position, and there is a hole near the exhaust system that makes the van unsafe to drive. it is frustrating that the same issue has been seen by ford, yet no suitable repair or solution has been provided. *tr

When attempting to reattach the third-row seat from the flat position, the driver's side latch on third-row seat popped off - the part was rusted at the attachment point on the interior and it fell onto the ground through a hole above the rear left tire. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the third row seating anchor failed due to corrosion penetrating the rear wheel well on the driver's side. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 78,507.

The rearmost seat in my minivan will not latch down on the rear drivers side. the rear axle 'moans' at times and makes a rotational shimming sound. upon inspection, i am told there is severe rust in the wheel well where it locates to the seat attachment. the dealership says it is unusual, although i understand your agency is investigating just this thing in 2004 freestars. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle was used as a taxi and a customer complained that the rear seats were loose. the contact then noticed that the rear seats were out of place and the rear driver's side wheel well was rusted. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repair shop for repair. the manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to nhtsa. the failure and current mileages were 269,359.

3rd row seat would not latch on the driver side of the vehicle. upon inspection, it was determined that the anchor used to attach the seat has completely rusted and is no longer functioning. the rust is from the tire well and the tire is visible from inside the vehicle. the 3rd row seat is now unusable and unsafe. *tr

inability to latch the rear seat, entire driver side anchor plate completely detached from the vehicle. *tr

We were returning home from weekend trip when i noticed rubbing noise and hot rubber smell coming from rear of van. two children in rear seat said seat was vibrating badly. i am a state certified master mechanic so i pulled over to investigate. i found that both rear seat strikers had rusted loose and the seat pushed the metal and striker against the left rear tire. i feel this could have been a very dangerous situation if the metal rubbing on the tire had caused a blowout. the children in the rear seat could have been seriously injured from the tire and from the seat not being secured. *tr

While turning a corner we heard a loud noise coming from the left rear tire. after getting home we pulled the left rear tire off to inspect the brakes, which were fine. we did notice that the wheel well was rusting out around the third row seat latch. the latch was loose and upon further inspection did not lock the third row seat into place. when carrying passengers in the back seat the latch is pushed out far enough that it actually rubs on the rear tire, which could result in tire failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle was being examined by an independent repair shop when the contact was informed that third row seating was detached from the floor mounts. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 92,865.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the floor mounts for the rear seating rusted and rendered the rear seating inoperable. the dealer was not notified. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 89,000.

Open investigation pe11039. the third row front seat anchor is secured to the rear wheel well. on the driver side, the area of the wheel well where the seat anchor is located completely rusted out of our van and detached, leaving a gaping hole in the wheel well. on the passenger side, rust is apparent in the same area, though the anchor has not yet separated. *tr

Rear 3rd row seat latch is completely rusted through making the rear seat completely unsafe and unusable. could cause serious injuries in a accident if rust goes undetected, vehicle is kept in garages and well maintained. *tr updated 05/31/12*lj

Noticed inside carpet was wet on the rear left side, removed the inside rear wheel panel and found the third row seat latch had completely rusted through to the outside of the car allowing water to enter the cab space and now the third row seat is unsafe due to the seat not being able to latch. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while parked, the contact noticed that the third row rear seat would not latch in place. the contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the seat anchor in the third row seat was corroded and bore a hole into the seat anchor. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician advised that there was not a repair available for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

Son commented that rear seat was not properly latched down. inspection showed that driver-side rear seat anchor was latched to the seat, but the anchor was no longer attached to the vehicle body. had also been noticing that during right hand turns, driver side rear wheel makes loud rubbing sound. had son shift weight to the right (to push seat away from loose anchor) and sound stopped. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the third row seat latch would not latch properly due to corrosion. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who advised the contact that the latch would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised her that the part needed for the repair was not made for replacement. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Tl - the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that the hook that held the rear driver side convertible bench seat in place was completely corroded. the contact mentioned that the damage was so severe that it rusted through the body of the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 137,000. kmj

Upon opening the folding third row seat, the bottom latch failed to engage with the seat. further inspection showed that the entire latch panel had rusted away from the body of the car and was sitting in the wheel well. there is now a hole in the side of the van and the third row seat is unusable. at 7 years old, this level of rust is very premature. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while the vehicle was parked the contact lowered the third row seating to the floor when he noticed the safety latch attached to the rear wheel wells was corroded from the inside out and were fractured. the contact stated the third row seat could not be used because it would be unsafe in the event of a rear end collision. the dealer was made aware of the failure and refused to inspect the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 92,300. updated 12/20/11*lj updated 01/19/12

Letter from senator grassley on behalf of constituent problem with the locking mechanism for rear seat of his 2004 ford freestar *tgw the locking mechanism for the rear seat rusted from the inside.*jb

Left rear seat no longer latches making it unsafe. the seat no longer latches because latch that was fastened to the left rear wheel well has rusted completely off the wheel well. *tr

Bought van in june 2007 nothing but problems since. replaced battery within 2 months of purchase. replace o2 sensors 3 times and need done again. replaced transmission, radiator, egr valve, brakes 4 times, tie rod 2 times, calibers 2 times, rotors 3 times, fuel line, you name it, we have had to fix it. nothing but problems. we have spent close to 8k since feb 2008 on this vehicle and we can not get ford to help us at all. now the axles need replaced as well as sensors again. the dvd player quit working after 4 months, driver side heated seats quit working after 4 months. back passenger door sometimes won't open or unlock and sometimes it won't close when you try to close it. this vehicle has put my family in serious harm and we almost got into major accident do to most of the issues ie transmission stalled on interstate and had no warning at all. worst vehicle of all times. i can not trade in becasue i owe over 11k on this piece of crap. ford needs to refund me all of my money and suffering as well. i have thought about suing them for damages and selling this crap to us especially with 3 small children and having to travel to see family due to husband being a marine and always being deployed. almost missed seeing my grandpa for the last time before he did back in sept because of the transmission. this vehicle needs to be off of the roads forever. all of them. everyone that we know that has these vehicles have the same problems as us.

Was cleaning my 2005 ford freestar and pulled the lever that releases the back of the bench seat directly behind the drivers seat. the back of the seat came down so hard that it cut the end of my thumb off, including the entire nail. i had to go to the emergency room for treatment and followup with an orthopedic surgeon. so far, to my knowledge, nothing to date has been done to correct this.