Problems with 2005 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

2005 ford freestar, with 49,000 miles, suddenly loss transmission power while driving. after safely pulling over to the side of road (with kids in car), could not engage the transmission in any gear (drive, reverse, 1, 2). no axel or transmission noise was observed when shifting into any of the gears. *tr

Vehicle has 88k miles and has run just fine until today. this morning i was driving in to work, stopped for a light, when light changed i pressed the accelerator, the engine responded but i didn't move. no warning, no lights came on, no movement in any gear selection, only "park" works. as a teenager i 100% disassembled and rebuilt several engines so i know a little something beyond which end of the wrench to hold. this was sudden and unexpected! my wife has e-mailed me several blogs on this matter and it seems quite prevalent. my experience exactly matches that on several others and that is uncanny in my opinion. the blogs claim the torque converter or the torque converter output shaft; they also claim the transmission is for the taurus which is about 1000 pounds lighter, thus the failure. i've had the vehicle towed to my mechanic, but after reading the blogs i don't need him to tell me what is wrong. if this happens as others have attested then this is a very serious safety issue. it is too late for a recall to help me - i'm trading the vehicle this weekend! i was going to west texas this weekend - thank god it happened in san antonio, otherwise i could be broken-down in a real 'middle of no where'. by the way, the vehicle has relatively easy miles even though i live in a metro area. virtually all the miles are on this vehicle are high speed and constant as most is on the interstate or like roadways; very little has been slow stop and go city street type traffic; no steep grades to climb either. *tr

Transmission failed without warning while driving down a city street. had to coast to a safe place to park the car until we can get it towed. dealership is now saying $3200 to replace the apparently defective transmission. *tr

I was driving at 10:30pm preparing to enter the interstate when the engine revved and the motion of the car going forward began to stop. there was a sudden and complete loss of power to the wheels. being on the inside lane of a 4 lane street, there was no way to make it to the rt lane or shoulder. the street was very busy and several times we were almost hit by screeching cars. we called 911 and got police help. upon calling the ford dealership i was told it was the torque converter and it would be a minimum of 3,500.00 to fix even though my van only has 52,000 miles on it. i am disabled and a single parent. i thank god my 2 young children were not with me. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 35 mph the vehicle stalled without any prior warnings. the transmission was in the process of being repaired at a local facility, at an expense of $2500.00. the failure and current mileages were 86000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving approximately 25 mph and proceeding to make a right turn, pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal, followed by a no power response. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the failure was contributed to the torque converter. the vehicle was repaired. the contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. the failure and current mileages were 61,500.

We have a 2005 ford freestar van bought new in 2006 with 62,000 miles on it in heavy traffic complete transmission failure. talked to dealer they know about the problem that the torque converters fail with out warning and ford is not recalling? this is a safety hazard and an expensive repair for the consumer. *tr

There were no symptoms leading up to the failure of the transmission on my 2005 ford freestar, it simply stopped working. at first i thought it was water in my fuel due to the recent rains in albuquerque, nm and the fact i had just put 15 gallons of gas in the vehicle the night before. at the time of the failure the van would not fully engage into drive, it moved forward slowly and would not engage reverse, after restarting it went into drive and i proceeded down my street, it seemed like it was going to be ok and then it stalled, i restarted it went forward about 20 yards and it died again, and again, this process brought me back to my driveway where it sits until i can get the money together to have the torque converter replaced, which is what i was told had failed, this bothers me because it was no surprise to the mechanics or the dealership that i had talked with. the van has 77,565 miles and was purchased used last year, i still owe over $10,000.00 dollars and have no other vehicles to drive while this clunker is broke down. *tr

While driving 70 mph on an interstate with cruise control engaged, the tachometer shot up to 6000 rpm. i tapped the brakes and then depressed the accelerator and the vehicle would not accelerate. as i pulled over to the side of the road, i tried to shift the transmission into a lower gear and none of them would engage. when i stopped, i tried all of the gears and none of them would work, including reverse. i had no warning of the failure and am currently looking for a mechanic to diagnose. i have found numerous failures exactly like mine reported on the internet. the vehicle has 111,999 miles on it. *tr

Wife and young sons riding in our ford freestar on highway when suddenly and without warning freestar loses acceleration and begins to slow down in the passing lane .no prior indication,warning light, or noise to alert my wife of this catastrophic failure. fortunately wife was able to drift van through three lanes of high speed traffic and coast van to far right hand lane of highway. spouse unable to get van to accelerate or move at all. van had to be towed by a professional after checking all fluid levels, filters, pedals, brakes, for possible problems. none found. upon investigation through forums found out that this is most likely the same problem many others have had with the ford freestar catastrophic engine failure. van has less than 70,000 miles, has been well maintained and cared for. also, van has other issues found to be specific to make and model. van cannot be driven since date of incident and we are just now starting to investigate quotes for repair. we like many others hope that this incident will lead to a recall before someone loses a life as a result of this defect. *tr

Failure of the transmission of the 2005 ford freestar van at 69,544 miles with no warning. *tr

While driving on the highway at approximately 75 mph our 2005 ford freestar suddenly lost momentum. the engine increased rpm's but continued to lose speed, none of the gears would engage. i had it towed to a auto repair shop and am awaiting the diagnosis. until this point the transmission never showed signs of a problem. *tr

After stopping at a traffic signal, i was accelerating onto the ramp for the 70 mph dallas north tollway in frisco, texas. with absolutely no warning sign(s) before failure, i lost all drive power. fortunately, i had enough momentum that i was able to coast to the side of the ramp, and was just barely able to avoid becoming a traffic hazard. i could rev my engine, but there was no power transferred to the wheels, no matter which gears i tried... forward or reverse. it was like being in neutral. i later learned that my fluid levels and seals were ok, but that the torque converter had completely failed, and required replacement, and that the transmission required complete rebuilding. total cost = $2484. ford should be ashamed of themselves for knowing this problem exists, and not repairing such a dangerous condition, or even notifying vehicle owners of the potential for sudden, unannounced failure. *tr

While my wife was driving our 2005 ford freestar limited 4.2l with several kids, the vehicle stopped moving leaving her stranded in the middle of a busy intersection. the vehicle had to towed to the local ford dealer where were told the torque converter had failed causing extensive transmission damage. the van was out of commission for almost a week while the transmission was rebuilt. many of these same vehicles have had this exact issue. *tr

I was driving my 2005 ford freestar down 6 mile rd in livonia, mi and the vehicle suddenly lost power and slowed down to a stop. the vehicle remained running but the transmission would not shift. the vehicle has 82,000 miles and i had to have the vehicle towed. i am glad i was not on the highway - who knows what could have happened ( i am 86 years old). i have numerous reports of this on the internet. *tr

05' ford freestar. on 8-27-09 my wife was driving the vehicle after picking up our daughter from daycare and was traveling about 55 mph when she lost all power to the tires. she was able to pull over onto a gravel road as it happened on a county road with no shoulders and heaving semi traffic. we towed the vehicle the following day and then this morning, 8-31-09 was given the diagnosis of a failed spline. our transmission repairman stated he's seen several of these over the past two years not only in freestars but 04-05 taurus' as they share the same transmissions. he used the word spline, not sure if that is also the torque converter?? our vehicle only has 85,000 miles on it and is less than 5 years old. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly slowed down. the engine was on and the rpms were very high while the vehicle was in neutral. a local mechanic stated that the transmission caused the failure and there was an investigation for ford freestar 2004-2005, component : power train:automatic transmission power train:automatic transmission:torque converters. the dealer was not notified and is concerned about the safety hazard. the current and failure mileages were 96,000. updated 11/12/09 *cn the vehicle was repaired. updated 11/16/09

On august 18,2008 was driving my 2005 ford freestar on the highway home from vacation when suddenly the rpm's shot up and then the car slowed down so we could pull over to side of road. then car stopped and would not move when in gear. no warning what so ever,had the car towed to repair shop who stated it was something in transmission, had to have car towed again to transmission shop who stated that the torque converter had went. the car only has 58000k miles on the car... *tr

The transmission on our 2005 freestar will not engage either r, d, 3 or 1. there were no warnings whatsoever and the incident took place at a crossing which left my wife & my kids with no power to cross to the other side of the two lane road. this is a serious safety issue that most be address and corrected by the manufacturer. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 70 mph, the engine began to rev. when the contact shifted into neutral, the revving decreased. the contact pulled over and noticed that the vehicle would not shift into any gear. the vehicle was towed to his destination. he is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for further inspection and notifying the ford manufacturer. the vehicle has not been repaired or inspected. the current and failure mileages were 41,154. updated 08/28/09. *lj the consumer stated while driving, the tachometer began to act erratic. it was determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced.updated 08/31/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 65 mph, the rpms suddenly stopped and the vehicle lost power. the contact noticed that the vehicle could not be placed back into drive. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 81,000. updated 9/1/09 *cn the consumer stated the rpm's revved up and the vehicle would not move. the consumer lost speed rapidly. updated 09/04/09.*jb

I have a 2005 ford freestar. the van stopped accelerating while driving at 70mph. i drifted off the side of the highway, and it would not move forward or backward. there was no warning sign of transmission problems prior to this incident. *tr

The transmission fail without warning. the engine revved up and the transmission was gone. fortunately this happen at a very low speed in our residential neighborhood and the van was safely pulled to the side of the road. the van was towed to the ford dealership and they said the torque converter output shaft had fail and the cost would be $1,900 to fix. *tr

Vehicle shut off while driving down a residential street, luckily in a 25mph zone. my wife was driving with my two children (infant and 3 year old). vehicle would start in park, but as soon as a gear was engaged, it would stall. dealer ended up replacing the tcm (transmission control module) stating that water "shorted" it out due to a faulty seal. the service manager himself stated that ford will not honor the warranty on this part, even though there seem to be countless claims on the same issue, because the part was damaged by water, not as a fault of the part itself. they will also not take responsibility of the faulty seal. *tr

Driving my 2005 ford freestar taking a right turn when suddenly lost all ability to go forward. pulled over to the side of the road, engine would rev and idle, but no movement forward or back. pushed car (in neutral) to a safer location and towed to dealer who has determined that the problem is the failure of the torque converter in the transmission. estimated cost of $1400 to repair(warranty is expired), but may be more when they remove the transmission. no warning lights, no symptoms, just sudden failure to be able to move forward while driving. luckily was not going very fast and was able to pull over relatively safely. car is 4 years old and has just under 29,000 miles on it. dealer says has not seen a lot of this problem but that they also do not get a lot of freestars in for service at his dealership. ford corporate had heard of the problem, i started to say torque problem and he corrected me to say it was the torque converter. cannot believe with the issues found online regarding this that ford won't do anything. this is a major safety issue. i cannot imagine how this would have turned out if i had been going any faster or on a busier street. my children were in the car with me. luckily i was coming from a stop and making a turn, so could not have been going faster than a few mph. ford implied to me that if i purchased the extended warranty on the car for an additional $1650 that they would maybe be willing to negotiate on the cost of the repair. we may have to buy it if this is going to be a repeat problem. something needs to be done about this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar which was purchased brand new in 2005. while accelerating at a stop sign, the transmission failed without warning. the engine shut off and vehicle lost power in the middle of a busy intersection. there were no warning lights that illuminated on the instrument panel. there were no recalls; however, the contact stated he found over 700 complaints online regarding the same failure. the current and failure mileages were approximately 75,000.

Complaint for 2nd transmission incident: on july 31, 2009, while crossing an intersection in a residential section of santa fe, texas, the transmission of my 2005 ford freestar failed. the engine of the car was working but the van seemed to suddenly be in neutral. i guided the car to a safe stop and tried the various gears, but drive and reverse were not functioning at all. i had 3 passengers (my husband and two 12-year old girls) along with 4 large dogs. i called for a tow and had the vehicle taken to mcree ford in dickinson, texas. the service agent related that they believed the damage was in the torque converter and that the transmission had probably been damaged as well. further inspection would require $400. this was the second time the torque converter went out and it was no longer covered by the initial warranty on the vehicle or the 12 month-12,000 mile warranty from the service in november 2007. i chose to have it repaired by someone besides ford who would have a better warranty. mr. transmission informed me that the torque converter had gone out and damaged the transmission. i had the transmission rebuilt and the car was returned on august 11, 2009. *tr duplicate to 10279211*smch

Our 2005 ford freestar suddenly quit working on the highway july 26, 2009 with only 65,000 miles on it. it was in cruise control and the rpms started revving up but would no longer go forward or into reverse when we tried that. it is currently in the shop and we haven't had the complete diagnosis yet. *tr

I was driving my 2005 ford freestar se w/3.9l v6 engine on mi hwy m-29 just north of algonac, michigan. i was driving about 45 mph, and at one point, i was pressing the accelerator and the van was slowing down. i coasted over to the shoulder and stopped my freestar safely, without any damage to property. i tried shifting into reverse, but no engagement of the transmission took place. there was also no engagement in forward gears 1 or 3. i was "found off road dead". :-) i had van towed home to saint clair shores (37 miles) at a cost of $50 to allstate road service and $116.25 out-of-my-pocket. i had my van towed again (covered under allstate's $50 limit) to my selling dealer, roy o'brien ford, also in saint clair shores. i was informed late the next day that to diagnose the problem would cost $850. then the tech gave more info to my service writer that he thought the torque converter splines were stripped. revised estimate was $1525 to remove the transmission, pull the torque converter and replace same and reinstall the transmission. the transmission pan was "dropped' for examination, screen and gasket change, and new trans fluid was added to fill the system again. actual outlay today was $1524.72. i had no warning that i was about to lose power to the wheels. i'm glad i was on a quiet semi-rural road with homes around. one homeowner checked on my wife and i to see if we were ok. he even offered to let me use his lavatory. at least there is some kindness left. the phone call to allstate was exasperating, as the call center staffer was using a paper map of michigan and had no idea where we were. being stuck on a sunday evening after business hours could have been very eerie. everything turned out ok, but at a substantial cost. *tr

On saturday, july 18, 2009, my family and i were traveling on hwy 9a (in jacksonville, fl just off of i95). we were traveling at approximately 70mph when our 2005 ford freestar simply stopped accelerating. my husband attempted to shift from drive to neutral and back to drive but nothing happened. the transmission simply lost power. we coasted as far as we could off the busy highway and contacted roadside assistance. today we finally got an estimate from our repairman. he says it is the torque converter and pump and it is going to cost $1100 to replace them. we are a family of 7. my husband is in the navy and deploying soon. i need reliable transportation! my van has 128000 miles on it and has been cared for very regularly. upon researching the issue, i see that this is a very common problem with 2005 ford freestars and it has been reported numerous times here. supposedly there is an investigation going on by odi in regards to this same problem. the old part can possibly be available depending on how soon i hear that you need it. *tr

I was running an errand at about 1pm edt in my 2005 ford freestar limited minivan. i was stopped at a traffic light and proceeded to go when all of a sudden my transmission went out. i had no forward or reverse gears. i only have 61k miles on the car which was purchased brand new back in 2006. luckily i was able to coast onto a dirt road off the main road. it was also very lucky that my wife and kids were not in the car or i was not on a highway when this happened. i had to have it towed to a lincoln/mercury dealer in the area and have now been informed by the service dept. that it will cost me about $3,000 to have a rebuilt trans installed to fix the problem. this is totally ridiculous for a car with only 61k miles on it. plus this is a serious issue that it happened all of a sudden w/o any previous warning. had no previous transmission issues with my vehicle and take great care to have it serviced regularly. i've filed a complaint with ford and have seen all the other numerous complaints on this web site and other sites about the same problem affecting my vehicle and its mercury cousin the monterrey. not only my model year but also previous model years and other ford vehicles which share the same transmission ford needs to own up to this serious issue, which could have caused me and/or my wife and kids harm due to the suddenness it just quit and all i could do was coast to safety. *tr

I was stranded with my family on the way to st. louis by my 2005 ford freestar. it's at a shop in springfield, il (thanks to my insurance company). the said it was a transmission failure. the cost was $1300 thanks ford. *tr

While my wife and daughter were driving down i-24, the engine started revving. the vehicle started to loose speed and she coasted off the intestate and stopped in a lane of traffic. had it towed to local mechanic for diagnosis. they stated it was the torque converter and would run 2500+ to fix. van has 113,000+/- miles on it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving uphill at 25 mph, the vehicle began to roll backwards halfway up the hill. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced at 39,000 miles. the manufacturer stated that he was out of luck and would have to pay for the repair. the contact was given a $500 rebate towards a new vehicle. the failure mileage was 39,000.

Transmission stop working crossing an avenue traffic light. it was like going neutral. *tr

My wife and daughter were driving down interstate when the torque converter went out, losing the ability to maintain any speed. torque converter went out and transmission as well. now ford only wants to replace the torque converter. *tr

I was driving my 2005 ford freestar when i pushed on the gas it would not accelerate it felt like the car was in neutral. thank god my kids were not in the car at the time this is going to cause a serious accident or even a death due to this issue. it is scary when you go to merge onto the highway and you do not accelerate with cars coming up on you fast. i coasted off to the side of the road. my van has 47,000 miles on it and never had no problems not even gave any type of warning there was something wrong. had it towed to bob townsend ford on colerain ave. cin, ohio. they informed me that is was my torque converter and it was going to cost 1475 to fix it. needless to say i am a mother of 4 kids and don't have that type of money at this time. i am trying to save to get it fixed. this happened on fathers day june 21,2009. please help. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving between 45-50 mph, the contact attempted to merge and the vehicle shut off without warning. she managed to pull the vehicle over to the shoulder of the road. in addition, the vehicle will not operate in drive or reverse. the dealer stated that the input shaft torque converter failed. the estimated cost for repair was $3,300. the current and failure mileages were 45,000.

While driving on a highway at approximately 55mph the car suddenly lost all power to the transmission and began to coast. after drifting the vehicle off of the roadway we discovered that none of the gears on the automatic transmission were responding. the engine was revving normally but no power was making it to the transmission. we had to have the vehicle towed and a mechanic believes that the issue is the shaft on the torque converter. we have not been able to afford the repair yet so we cannot say for certain that is the issue. *tr

We lost torque as the engine revved. lost all gears, even reverse. there was no warning. *tr

My 2005 freestar fails to accelerate when entering the highway, i had this problem when i bought the van in 2005, the van seems to do fine once its up to spend. the danger comes in when i enter traffic press the gas and the van doesn't respond, i lift up off the gas try it a couple of times before the van respond and go. *tr

Freestar stalled out and would not go into gear while i was driving. i almost got rear ended by a transport truck. *tr

On 5/26/09 we took our 2005 ford freestar in for an oil change, fluid, belt and filter checks and front brakes. on 6/12/09 we left nw oh for washington, d.c. we were 18 miles east of cumberland, md, on rt. 68, going downhill when the van suddenly and without warning, went out of gear. the tachometer raced as if the van had been put in neutral, but we still had the van in drive and my husband had his foot on the gas pedal. after it went out of gear, the master lighting switch icon came on. we coasted over 3 miles to the nearest exit as it was not safe to pull over on the side of the road because we were going downhill. when we got onto the exit ramp and stopped, we turned the engine off and restarted it. the van would go into park, but reverse, neutral and all 3 drives would not engage and the van would roll freely. we checked the transmission fluid and it was still full and clean. it was towed to hagerstown ford in md on 6/13/09. on 6/15/09 while we were in virginia beach, we got a call from the service dept. saying that the transmission was shot and it would cost $3100 to replace it with a brand new transmission. when we asked what inside the transmission was broken, all we were told was that it was shot. we didn't pick it up until 6/19/09 because we were in virginia beach until that date. on 6/22/09 we took the van to our local ford service shop and explained what had happened. after giving the details of the break down to one of the mechanics, he came back out with a rod with rings ground into it. he told us this part was probably all that was wrong with the transmission and that we probably didn't need to have the entire transmission replaced. *tr

While driving our 2005 ford freestar home from greenwich, ct to wilton, cton i-95 the van suddenly lost speed. the rpms were still up but the speed decreased to 20mph. my wife was able to make it to the ford dealership they informed her that we needed a new transmission. as the van has only 42,000 miles on it and there was no hint of transmission problems before this incident, this surprised us. it is out of warranty and will cost approx. $3500. as of this posting, the work has not been completed by the dealer. i have since discovered that this is a relatively common problem for ford freestars and there mercury cousins.*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle did not respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the engine revved excessively high. the driver managed to pull the vehicle over and called roadside assistance. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for inspection and the technician stated that the automatic transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle is currently being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 68,000.

2005 ford freestar transmission died. *tr

I have a 2005 freestar sport van. when it is relatively hot outside and i've driven for about an hour or so, there is this loud squealing noise coming from the front of my van. it is very annoying and gets louder with time traveled. i've taken this van back to the dealer from where it was purchased. they've replaced the brake pads saying that this could be the problem. it didn't change, the squealing kept coming. the mechanic said that he had done some form of research through the internet and thinks it could be the wheel bearing. what a scare this is!!!!! has anyone had this same problem?? the garage will not do anything about it until i can bring it in while it is still squealing so they can take it for a roadtest. it's been a year since i've bought this van from a reputable garage in cambridge, ontario. i'm scared to go anywhere with it especially with my grandchildren in the van when we go on holidays. is there a great concern here????----------please email me back with some info to [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 67 mph with the cruise control activated, the amp displayed 6,000. the contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and had it towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the input shaft failed and caused the torque converter to fail as well. the dealer replaced the transmission with a rebuilt transmission at the cost of $3,609.14. the manufacturer stated that the warranty expired in november of 2007; therefore, they would not assist. the failure and current mileages were 35,850.

My complaint is regarding the transmission in my ford freestar. i commute to work daily, and one morning while on the highway my vehicle stalled. luckily, the traffic was not heavy at the time but i was still upset about this incident. my transmission is gone. i am a single mother making payments on a vehicle that is currently sitting in my driveway because i can not afford to repair the transmission. i am grateful my children were not in the vehicle with me at the time my vehicle decided to die in the middle of the highway. i have researched this issue online and have found that i am one of many who have difficulties with their vehicle giving out on them while driving due to the transmission and pcm. the main reason i am lodging this complaint is in hopes that maybe if enough people complain about this issue, then maybe a recall would be issued. i am sure i am not the first and nor will i be the last to complain about ford's freestar. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 65 mph, the transmission failed on the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop and the ford manufacturer stated that there were no recalls. the failure mileage was 82,000. updated 07/28/09. *lj the consumer stated the problem was with the splines in the torque converter. updated 07/30/09