Problems with 2005 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

Water gets into the transmission fluid and the transmission went out - had to be rebuilt for $2656.76. my mechanic and his tranny repairman found the cause of the water entering the fluid and has now fixed the problem. ford needs to recall these vehicles and have this issue fixed. i was lucky not to have been in an accident when the transmission failed. this is a definite safety issue and ford needs to stand behind of their product and the safety of all occupants in the 2005 ford freestar sel. *tr

While drive the car will stall out and shut off with no warning. in a normal city block it happened at least two times b. *tr

Replaced the converter through ford recall. i was so impressed with the way this vehicle drove and how comfortable it was i sought to purchase another. however, in my search these vehicles are being sold at private dealers may or may not know about this recall. they are considered "incomplete" running the vin through nhtsa safecar.com which means all buyers are being sold a defective vehicle with this safety recall waiting to catch up to them if it ever does??? why, why why is this not mandatory to recall and repair rather then allow the poor unsuspected buyer to later have to pay because they never knew. why is there not a disclosure clause like in real estate that if you failed to inform the buyer your responsible to pay for it!!! common sense is all anyone wants even from the govt. *tr

Transmission problems again. there was a torque converter replace on it in 2011 and then a transmission and converter again in 2012. all under a previous owner . i bought it from that owner and now its doing the same stuff again. my local ford dealership said there is nothing that they can do. if it still has the same problem , why wont the fix it again because it was not fixed right like it should be. they just put a bad converter in it twice and said forget it. not fair to us that they wont fix it. this will be the third time. *tr

After starting vehicle normally, i put it in drive, but the vehicle would not move forward. it would go in reverse. mechanic: torque converter, camshaft synchronizer, oil filter. 2nd incident same as 1st. mechanic: oil pressure switch, engine brain box (programmed at ford dealership). 3rd incident same. mechanic: replaced alternator. 4th incident same. mechanic currently has it. computer is telling him it's the wiring harness. *tr

Ford tsb 6-14-10, issued july 24, 2006 (wet pcm /connectors) parked in driveway in a rain/windstorm.. vehicle wouldn't start. or stay running.. engine codes with code reader p0340 camshaft sensor malfunction.. water intrusion evidence visible on the pcm connector area.... this issuer has been known to happen to many people while driving with complete engine failure.. *js

Driving home van starting shuttering violently then shut off while still rolling lost all power, was safely able to get to side of road . told issue cost 1500 to fix seen ford service bulletin on defect of water getting to pcm on internet. *tr

Received 3 vehicle service bulletins mfgr campaign #: 11s25 . made appointment for 07/08/14 @ 10:00am with duval ford 32210 and drove my van there. duval ford rented me a hertz vehicle because they could not finish the recall repair. on 07/11/14 duval ford called me to say my van is ready. mileage on my van in on 07/08 was 47322, mileage out on 07/11 was 47324 . 08/25/14 mileage 47597 called duval ford my van keeps stalling and shuts off in drive also chugs up on inclines. i had aaa tow in. duval ford did in place next morning start up, no road test did say 1 code in system p21 07 rev limiter. i drove home approximately 15 miles no stalling. 09/05/14 mileage 47598 ? as written on service order called duval ford my complaint upon accelerating van shudders called aaa towed in to duval ford roadtested found bad shutter, no acceleration, found #3 cyl not firing #5 misfiring, replaced coil pack, spark plugs and wires removed upper intake to service. charge $780.25 09/25/14 mileage 47834 called duval ford, aaa towed in,check engine light on and not driving right diagnosis water in the pcm connector resealed top engine cowl, numerous transmission and engine codes on. 10/21/14 mileage 47968 called duval ford aaa towed in van stalling and won't move when in reverse gear. diagnosis trans codes in memory u1039,po713,p1502 voltage spikes when trans upshifts. etc.. 01/21/15 mileage48536 called duval ford aaa towed in van stalling shuts off won't move when in reverse. diagnosis cannot find any problem. driver returned van to my driveway. no work service order. 01/23/15 mileage 48549 started van would not move when in reverse played with shifter, did go in reverse backed into street shifted into drive, engine lt on, shudders. drove 50 ft turned around parked it in driveway. same original problem after recall fix. time line 197 days and 1225 miles no previous problems. *tr

Traction control warning light intermittant, with awd malfunction on. mechanic says code 1889. said lots of problems on freestyles, ford 500 and mercuty models with awd. apparent service bulletins. loss of power, if service bull issued there is a known problem. why no recall? *js

After 2 hours of driving, i tried to pass a car on the turnpike, the car made a loud noise and it looked like it went into neutral. took the car to the shop, they say that the transmission is broken, ford replaced the torque converter due to the recall on january of 2014, but now they are saying that the issue is not the torque converted, they state that the transmission needs to be rebuilt. *js

In 06/2014 my van transmission light came on then went out. i thought it was nothing as time progress i notice that my van was slow and hard shifting. i took it to the nearest transmission auto shop and they told me it was my internal transmission failing. i put it in the shop and the repair cost 1200.00 to fix. it got it out worked fine for a few days then started back slow and hard shifting again. took it back to mechanic they said they don't see anything wrong with it. i did this several and had no luck with it. 08/2014 i started having more noticeable electrical problems like dash board lights come on now and then radio resets it self sometimes it wont work at not even the dvd player. the doors wont lock alarm goes off when it wants to and power sliding wont close. so i only drove the van around time limiting my trips contacted ford no help there. then winter comes in all of sudden my van works great dash board lights working dvd and radio working fine most importantly my van transmission was shifting properly but then on warmer days it starts to act up again.on 02/16/20015 my children and i was on our way to get groceries for the winter storm that was coming,the lost power and died luckily was close to home that i could pull over start it again and make it home safely. then today it will not start up at all. im a single mother of five young daughters and my oldest daughter and i are both disabled. we depend on this vehicle to get back and forth to our doctors appt. im planning have a mechanic check my pcm and to see if its water damage. but i've notice several fellow ford owners are going through similar problems. i don't know why ford not willing to own up to their life threatening mistakes. *tr

After wet weather the night before, vehicle running rough (to the point of near stall), hesitating to burn fuel properly to get up to speed and not shifting properly. vehicle was then parked, re-started and acted normally. within the past week, each day after rain the car reproduces this issue and only after exposure to rain. yesterday i noted gap in cowl to sheet metal above pcm as well and also noted that a body seal next to the pcm was soaked. it is consistent with the internet complaints about pcm being exposed/flooded with water. this is a serious concern as to the damage it can do to the vehicle's most expensive components (engine, transmission, etc) as well as potentially produce an accident on the road should other anomalous behavior surface. it is also important to note that as this vehicle ages, more of the population of produced vehicles would be exposed to this concern as gaskets lose effectiveness due to compression set, deterioration of seal, the plastic the seal is attached to warps, etc. *tr

In the beginning (5/21/14), our 2005 ford freestar van decelerated to about 35 mph, then stalled 3 times, then wouldn't go in reverse or drive, hard to start after sitting in rain. at first, was told transmission by repair shop, who had rebuilt 6 mos earlier, then said pcm.. after research, found pcm gets wet, had replaced & still at ford dealer almost 2 mos later..they replaced torque converter (recall), throttle position sensor (6/19/14) & cam sensor (6/12/14) because "pcm" told them they were bad after we paid for another pcm to be installed..dealer ordered shield which we have to pay for. this occurs intermittently, and, noticed after it rains. service manager now said this morning (7/16/14) he thinks fuses in fuse box by battery on driver side (after we called to let him know wouldn't go in reverse)..he came to our home & couldn't get van to start, after starting, wouldn't go into reverse or drive, stalled again, wouldn't start. we have given him a lot of information, including a you tube video explaining the problem & how to fix, but he does not believe us. ford needs to recall these as this is a manufacturing defect before someone is killed or injured when vehicle stalls going 70 mph on expressway or maybe they already have, they just weren't aware of the problem. if it stalls on the expressway or going down a hill, the power steering and brakes go out..ford issued a tsb in 2004... date reported: december 13 2004 nhtsa reference: #10014086 tsb reference: #042107 description: general (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt repair information for nhtsa #10014086 date reported: november 01 2004 nhtsa reference: #10013369 tsb reference: #04217 *tr

i would like to report the failure of a company and a van. i recently purchased a 2005 ford freestar for my family of five that has been the worst decision of my life. a month after i experienced what too many other owner have also experienced. water in the pcm, this almost resulted in a crash and injury to me and my family. stalling out without warning at any speed. this known issue has gone on too long without any response from ford company. i am not a believer in someone has to die for there to be change. also don't appreciate the cost of this job over $1000. i was fortunate to not be on the highway and crash. although then we might get our money back. this has also led to other issues that has become a chain reaction of failure. i will keep my receipt for as long as i have to. *tr

Last couple of years since the warranty went out, the vehicle seems to be slipping when accelerating from a stop. dealership won't do anything without us paying a large sum of money to fix it. we have had the torque converter replaced three times. the last time was by the ford dealership due to the recall. i have seen many similar issues with same make, model, and year on blogs and forums. would love for ford to remedy this issue without us having to spend money that we don't have. this is a serious safety issue!!! at a busy intersection, the tranny slipping could easily put one in harms way. *js

After having the torque converter recall repair done, the vehicle started having minor transmission problems (though i did not recognize them as that at the time). it would be sluggish in shifting, for example. however, eventually this reached the point that at times i could not place the transmission in reverse. i would be stuck until after going back and forth through the transmission, or turning off and restarting the vehicle, it would eventually engage in reverse. then this started happening in forward gears also. i assumed it was part of the same transmission issues as in the recall (nhtsa engineering analysis #ea09016), but the dealer said no, it was water in the transmission and a separate issue altogether. no-one can explain why this should happen at 70,000 miles. i think this is related to the original issue or the recall repair and should be covered. it seems nhtsa has two other investigations going on this: nhtsa preliminary evaluation #pe09033 and nhtsa preliminary evaluation #pe10033. i want to add this to the data collection, since i think ford is responsible. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, there was a sudden loss of engine power and the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure and current mileage was 127,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle independently decelerated without warning. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa recall campaign id number: 12v006000 (power train). the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 212,000.

I attempted to start vehicle and the engine was difficult to turn over. when it did start the rpms were going up and down . when i tried to put car in reverse it would not engage causing vehicle to roll forward. ( i was parked on a slight declined driveway). after reading about similar problems i checked the pcm (power control module. it was filled with water !!! after unplugging the pcm and allowing it to dry out i plugged it back in and the problem was corrected. it appears to me that the pcm is located in a bad location causing it to have problems when it rains or snows. i made a temporary fix by putting silicone caulking around the cowling where i believe the water is getting in.... *tr

The light for the powertrain malfunction started flashing after we had the alternator changed. do not know if it was just a coincidence but the speedometer also stopped working. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact had experienced difficulty with the gears shifting intermittently and had heard a grinding noise multiple times. the contact stated while traveling 60 mph, the vehicle had jerked violently and the transmission was slipping more than once. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop who diagnosed and replaced the torque converver. the vehilce was repaired and the failure recurred. the contact was included in 12v006000 (power train) but had been told more than once by the local dealer that the part was not available for the recall repair. the contact had experienced the failure multiple times while waiting for the part for the repair. tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle jerked violently. the failure was recurring. additionally, the gear shifter would often become resistant when the contact was attempting to shift gears and the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal grinding noise. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the torque converter was replaced however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v006000 (power train) but was constantly told that the part was not available for the recall repair. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

I was driving along the road with my children in the car when my car just lost the gear. the car was still on but when i pressed on the gas pedal it would do nothing but stall. i had to roll to a stop in the middle of the highway. i found out after this problem that my van had a recall in jan 2012 for the torque converter which needed to be replaced. i got the van in oct 2012 and i had no idea that was one of the recalls on this vehicle until i had this problem. i took it in to the ford dealership and they told me that would not solve the problem the bad torque converter, but when taken to another shop they said the bad torque converter caused the problem and now there are pieces of metal in the transmission which they are calling internal transmission failure. *tr

My wife had just left work. on a very busy street the van up and died. restarted it and had no power to get up to speed. kept shutting down. managed to get in to a parking lot. had it towed to the dealership. at first was told it was the transmission. now, they say it is the pcm. pcm has been on back order for some time. ford said it was shipped on nov. 13 2013. called the dealership on the following friday and no part. no was told that there is an even longer wait time for the pcm. having a aftermarket pcm installed. two weeks without our van is long enough. hope to have it back on friday the 22nd of 2013. have talked to ford customer care, they know there is a problem. have read that the seal under the cowling lets go and water will drip down onto the pcm connection and mess up the pcm. *tr

I have a 2005 ford freestar that i have had for 2 long long years. i am on my 3rd transmission, i have had the recall work done to it for the torque converter but its not the issue. its the transmission. i don't have time nor money to keep putting into this car and work two jobs as it is and i need a car. just cant do it anymore and i know a lot of others who are having to go threw the same thing and also so tired of being stranded on the side of the road. please just fix it already. i am going to file a law suite against them soon. *tr

My freestar was recalled for a problem with the torque converter,( my vehicle never really had good pick-up) anyway the trans went and a ford dealer in ny state (watkins glen) repaired it it still didnt have any pick -up now about 1.5 years later im having same problem my vans been sitting now for a year could they have installed another faulty torque converter? what can i do?08

I had the torque converter recall work done on my van, since then problems in forward motion began to happen. i have taken the van to the dealership to find out what was wrong and every time was told they could not duplicate the problem so it could be fixed. the problem continued to become worse to the point it became a danger to drive because of loss of forward motion. i had no choice but to take it to a transmission shop that duplicated the problem and also received a code . i instructed the transmission be inspected and found contamination of metallic material in the transmission. i called every one at the dealership and ford to find out why the transmission filter was not replaced when the recall work was done and was told ford did not include replacing the filter even when the recall was because of improperly hardened part. no help. *tr

Using an on ramp from s.r. 87 south to highway 98 west in navarre fl. and suddenly lost the vehicle drive train. i was able to coast out of traffic to safety to await towing. *tr

I have had two incidents with this van. the first incident i was driving and heard a clicking sound and then lost all power to my vehicle. i called a tow truck and took it to a mechanic who said it was the transmission which had shavings from my torque converter of my van. he stated that he had fixed transmission and torque converter in ford 2005 freestars vehicles. this was in march 2012. i had it fixed with an expenses of 1, 985, but after checking on freestars it was in the process of being evaluated. i could not wait for the resolving of this by ford. i fixed my vehicle and assumed the cost. i received a recall notice for the torque converter/transmission. i also received a recall for the back seat. before i had a chance to take it in for repairs. on, july 30, 2013 while driving on the highway to work my van went from 65 to 20 within a matter of seconds. i placed my hazards and looked for the access road. i then drove my van into the nearest dealer. i told the dealer rep that the symbol indicated that my power train was having problems he offered to do a diagnostic for $106. i agreed and mentioned the recalls. when i received the diagnostic results stating that the fuel pump, the eg valve, and the fuel rail pressure sensor needed to be replaced. *tr

While traveling on the highway with no warning the vehicle lost all acceleration. once able to get to a safe area to pull over the vehicle started to respond. since this occurrence this situation has happened intermittently for the past year. i have brought the vehicle to the ford dealer and 2 different mechanics, all of whom have changed many different items ranging from a tune up to a new coil and multiple cam shaft sensors. all 3 have performed many diagnostics but to date have been unable to locate the problem which still exists but with more regularity. i am no longer able to drive the vehicle due to its performance and i am scared to put my wife and children in the vehicle. when i did do some research on the internet i came across hundreds if not thousands of the very same complaints, someone has to force ford to address this safety issue. mini vans are most commonly used for transporting our most precious passengers, children. will it take a car full of children dying for ford to acknowledge this problem exists and that they need to do the right thing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle was included and repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v006000 (power train). however, after the repair was performed the vehicle would not accelerate and stalled sporadically. the contact stated that prior to the recall repair he had not experienced a failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the technician found that the pcm would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000. *tr

After rain all night on wed.6/4/2013 went to take van to pittsburgh started hesitating and vibrating while on highway could not speed up and tried to get in slow lane lot of traffic almost collision . tried to go up small hill no power vibrating trying to stall, turned off wouldn't startfor 15 minutes very scary. looked online bulletin for pcm gets wet and causes this,someone could have been killed. *tr

I became aware of other customer complaints about the transmission/pcm related concerns in 2011 when experiencing a vibration when shifting from 2nd to 3rd (it seemed) and researched my vehicle and possible related concerns. i also discussed with a local dealer and i followed a dealers recommendation by having my transmission fluid changed as recommended to ford specs. the vibration seemed to calm somewhat. around this same time i noticed my cruise control would work only off and on at different speeds and times. no check engine light ever came on. i sent my an email to ford of canada at which time i was advised that a torque converter recall was coming and that i should contact the dealer. i was advised to wait for the formal recall which i received and booked my recall and it was completed in approximately late 2012. i also had another recall done for a seat concern just in may 2013. while driving to the us may 19th 2013 at 100km/hr my vehicles cruise was acting suspicious (hard shift up) and i disengaged it for this reason. i then noticed my vehicle was at 3000rpms so seemed to be stuck in 3rd gear or something. it then failed (was like i was in neutral) and i was barely able to get off at an exit and had to push my vehicle into a spot at a service station. i was very concerned for my safety and my family at this time. i was in total shock that there was no real warning and if i know if i was in the fast lane i hate to think of the end result. i checked the dipstick for the tranny and there seemed to be enough fluid however slight amounts of smoke came from the dipstick reservoir. no signs of leaking below the vehicle whatsoever. it was towed to a ford dealer and i was left with no real option other than replace the tranny for $3200. my home dealer in canada was closed for the holiday. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that the transmission and torque converter would have to be replaced. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 12v006000 (power train) but was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 66,000. *tr

Engine light came on car stalled several times, would not shift. you people know what the problem is fix it or i will go buy something other than a ford. i took it to a ford dealership service and found out that water got into the pmc module and terminals were corroded. mechanic blow dried interior of pmc best he could silicon to seal the best he could and told me it was a temporary fix. water keeps getting into the module. why doesn't ford stand behind their mistakes and resolve the problem? i love my freestar but why should i pay for the manufacture engineering mistakes? *tr

I have had my van back for three days since having the recall repairs done on the torque (which i filled a complaint about after being told mine wasn't recalled by the dealership, which it actually was) and seats. it has been raining heavily for a couple of days here. while driving down the road, and coming to yet another stop sign, my van stalls out and completely dies with no warning. i had no control over brakes, steering wheel, nothing. my husband comes and gets me, our daughter, and the van. the van started right up when he got there after approximately 15 min after i had repeatedly tried to get it start with no success. we let it idle for a bit because he thinks i'm crazy, and it dies again. same problem with it getting it to start. come to find out, the computer and pcm are getting wet, causing total power failure... ugh! is there anything on this van that was made right?! very dangerous van! *tr

Traveling on highway at 70 mph when without any warning lost all power. coasted to stop and had no gears forward or reverse. no prior noises, warning lights or any indication of problems. very dangerous situation. had i been passing it could have been tragic. torque converter is covered under recall but dealership i had vehicle towed to stated from their diagnostics and discussions with factory the problem was not the torque converter. i am having them install rebuilt transmission for $4,185. there are many similar complaints on various websites, including this one. *tr

2005 ford freestar was recalled for torque convertor, third row seat latch. less than one year later (march 2014) the same problem occurred with the torque convertor. *js

I was driving my car, the same as any other day. i came to a stop light and my car wouldn't go, as if i had it in neutral. there was some vibration and it was extremely hard to turn my car. i nearly hit a business that was on the corner of the turn. then, it started working again, just to soon quit working again. i had my mechanic look at it to discover it was the torque. i am having the same issues as the other ford freestars that were recalled, but mine specific van was not for some reason but showing the exact same issues as the recalled ones. *tr

Driving down the road in heavy traffic, without warning suddenly had no power, at 40mph, put it in neutral and restarted only to die again 3 more times. i thought i was out of gas but the gage said 1/8th of a tank. pulled off the road and had friends bring gas. started up fine and drove maybe a block when it started sputtering and bucking. the check engine idiot light came on so i pulled over again. i reset the battery connection and light went off. i pulled off to drive around in the parking lot and it died when i cranked the wheel turning every corner. started again, this time it was hard to turn over, and it sputtered and the transaxle idiot light started flashing, the radio came on by itself and the eve player ejected. interior lights were on but switch was turned off. checked the tranny fluid, it looked a little low in the dark(midnight) so put in half a quart. light went out but the van refused to go forward. i dropped it manually into 1st and it slowly moved. parked it and tried other gears, all unresponsive but when shifting into neutral the engine jumped and the rpms revved up to 3000!! afraid it would jump into gear and run over my friend, i cut off the ignition while in neutral. i waited until midnight for no traffic, then drove the van home, keeping the emergency flashers on. was able to travel about 25 feet per restart, each time the van would die when speed exceeded 15mph or 2000rpms. took an hour to get the 1.5 miles home. this van had just gotten a full service oil change/lube/filter service and i had the transmission serviced at sears upon purchasing it just 6 months ago and had no other issues at all. upon researching, this is a known issue that ford published but refuses to fix/recall. there is a recall on my van's torque converter, this is a serious safety issue and a major defect that will get someone killed or serious injured. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the rpm in the tachometer fluctuated rapidly and the engine revved. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair for nhtsa campaign id 12v006000 (power train: torque converter malfunctions) was performed. the failure recurred every time the contact drove the vehicle. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 149,000. the current mileage was 150,000.

Took van in to transmission repair shop because even though ford replaced the torque converter on the recall the transmission still slipped. when repair was completed we went and picked up our van on the way home it died and all the lights were going crazy. shop towed back to their shop. they went through van and found the computer was saturated with water. we were told need a new computer and new wiring harness and this has been a known issue with ford with their computers getting wet. now we are out 2600 and still don't have a car. if this is a known issue why isn't ford doing anything to fix the issue? *tr

After years of problems, previous postings on this site, and 3 pcms later... the story continues: our van has been in the shop 5 times within ~ 4-5 weeks, and the dealership keeps working to seal the pcm unit. the unit was sealed by ford with standard module seals, green expandable foam, etc., but water still got into the computer housing. during research on the freestar's computer problems, i read about the clip slots (where the pcm fits into the van) providing a means of water intrusion also, so they took it out again and sealed those. i got the van out of the shop, and the next day the check engine light came on. we took it by an auto parts place for a scan, and it showed a pcm problem. (the guy at the auto parts store said he had a 2005 freestar, and his pcm had shorted out also from water damage.) at least, this time a code was given! generally, codes are not generated since the malfunctioning computer is the code generator. i don't know if another pcm has shorted out in our van, or if water has once again seeped into the unit. the wet winter in georgia has practically rendered my van useless for the past couple of months. the van is truly a "fair weather" vehicle. to find more information on this issue, google "2005 ford freestar pcm water intrusion" or visit any of the auto safety sites on-line such as nhtsa or arfc.org. i am currently seeking legal counsel regarding this issue, since ford has failed to take responsibility for the problems. unfortunately, pcm issues have often remained undetected due to the lack of code indications. (it took almost 2 years for one of many mechanics to diagnose our freestar's issues, and that was a result of on-line research.) pcm water intrusion problems usually are manifested as transmission or engine issues such as no reverse, erratic gear changes, rpm "revs", or other unexplained occurrences. *tr

The vehicle stalled in the middle of the road with my wife driving and two children in the car. luckily no one was injured, my wife was able to coast the vehicle out of harms way. this could have been so much worse had she been pulling out into traffic or merging on to the interstate. the problem is the pcm module has been getting wet, ford knows of this problem and even created a service bulletin about it. at the very, very least i would have thought ford would have contacted the vehicle owners to make them aware that a serious issue like this existed. this has the potential to have grave consequences for innocent families owning these vehicles. it is my opinion that vans in particular should be scrutinized a little more closely due to their intended audience, soccer moms hauling around the most valuable possession of that family, their children. it is beyond me how automakers can put unsafe vehicles like this on the road and they are not forced to repair issues like these when the owners and their families are at risk. this is my second but separate complaint i lodged against ford about this vehicle. the first one was in 2008 or 2009 when the torque converter failed without warning, leaving the vehicle lifeless in the middle of the road. this vehicle should be deemed unsafe for the roads and ford should be forced to have a fair buy back program for these vehicles. *tr

My vehicle was in the park position and when i proceeded to drive it started hesitating and would not pick up speed. *tr

Engine stays in third gear on highway ,windshield wiper fluid won't spray and power locks don't work with button on doors or key fob. getting 11 miles a gallon because won't shift into fourth gear and that's a highway trip! *tr

2005 ford freestar. consumer writes in regards to recall notice of vehicle losing power while driving and after repairs problem still exists. *smd the consumer stated on january 13, 2013, he took the vehicle to the dealer, because it would regularly jerk forward and backward and then it would continue to move. also, the vehicle would skip a cycle and would completely stop. on february 19, 2013, the consumer returned to the dealer, because the vehicle continued to exhibit the same symptoms. the dealer informed the consumer, the converter was replaced on the previous visit, and it had nothing to do with the current problem.

Trying to back out of my driveway, van will not go into reverse. restart van, put it into reverse & it falters & stalls. restart &got van into drive,but it will not accelerate until 3000 rpms, then jerks into drive & stalls again. had it towed to a local mechanic i have used for over 20 yrs. van shows no codes.replace battery, have throttle body cleaned, cam sensor is tested, shows not problems. van starts & runs for one day. same exact issue happens again. have it towed a second time. again, no codes come up.mechanic flushes out the tranny,& van runs again for 50 miles w/o incident. but again, trying to leave for work next day, van displays the exact same issues. no torque to move the van, constant stalling as soon as it is taken out of drive. will not move at all or starts & moves very hesitantly into reverse, catches gear & jerks, stalls once again. tow again to a ford dealer. told the prob is the recalled torque converter. have it replaced, and van doesn't make it the 12 miles home. the van lost complete power on a highway & i was almost hit by oncoming traffic. tow back, now being told the transmission needs replacement, over $3,000 because metal from the recalled part has dislogged into tranny. i am now finding thru my own research that this is a common problem relating to the pcm, which replacing tranny doesn't solve the issues. ford is offering no help or compensation am a single mom of 2 kids, 1 is disabled,& now been fired from my job because i can't get there 28 miles away. the van is stranded at the dealer, because i have no money to fix or tow again. i am at my wits end. ford needs to step up to the plate &replace this van!!!! repairing the torque converter, cam sensor, or transmission will not solve the pcm problem, which is not sealed properly, & after numerous repairs, will malfunction again> my q to ford is:does someone have to die for u to do something? *tr

recalled torque converter replaced in 2005 freestar by dealer . ( no warranty paperwork given for this part.) 5 months later, while driving 40 mph, experienced total power loss including power steering and power brakes. struggled to pull car off the main road. towed to often used and nearby repair facility. trusted mechanic pulled car apart and replaced transmission ( including new torque converter) for total of $2225.00. van had been carefully maintained and had 83,000 miles on it. ford dealership ( tom's ford of keyport, nj) refused to reimburse just for cost of 2nd torque converter that failed since "the work was not done at ford dealership." ( how would i know this was required w/out ever receiving warranty paperwork? and i remembered the original recall form from ford stated part replacement by outside mechanics would be reimbursed???) local dealership "couldn't help." notice, i did not even try to get ford to acknowledge transmission failure caused by recalled part or to cover the new transmission costs. followup through ford's consumer division also denied reimbursement for 2nd failed torque converter. interesting quotes from them: "we have not received many complaints about transmission failure for that vehicle" and " the failure of the torque converter does not cause transmission failure." hmmm beware of total loss of power with this minivan when the transmission fails!!! dangerous and ford is playing dumb. unfortunately, lives at risk with this denial strategy. i used to be a "ford" man. drove only fords for decades: f150 truck + $$$ ford rv + explorer + escape, etc. no longer. *tr

I am having transmission issues with high revving, soft shifting and what feels like slipping. and then today when i drove the van there was smoke coming out from under the dash board along with the other issues. after doing some research on line it seems as though it is the control module and as it gets wet things start to go wrong with the van. the design is faulty and needs to be fixed as water gets into the module and the connector. i have included a video link from youtube for you to look over regarding this problem and how bad design is leading to all these small complaints and problems. i am taking the van to my local dealer or shop to see if this could be the cause of my problems. this is the youtube video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhjevbmuxjw *tr

This vehicle has a continuing problem with the pcm shorting out due to water entering the wiring harness through the windshield wipers. once the pcm short circuits the transmission does not function causing the car to loose its' motion. this occurs without warning and places the occupants of the vehicle at greater risk of being involved in an accident as the car simple ceases to work. the company has currently recalled this make and model to replace a defective torque converter. although this seems to solve the problem initially, the long term problem of water seeping into the pcm will cause the transmission to fail time and time again. *tr