Problems with 2006 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

Driving on a 2 lane road started up the side of a mountain. drove approx. .5 miles up hill. without warning the engine rev'ed. vehicle lost all power to the wheels. engine running fine, no abnormal noises. vehicle slowed quickly due to uphill grade. vehicles behind me, including several large tractor-trailers had swerve into the on-coming lane due to no shoulder. thankfully there was no traffic coming down the mountain. there could have easily been a fatal accident because of this failure.... just happened to be no traffic coming down the mountain in the on-coming lane. blocked one lane of traffic on a steep grade for over an hour waiting on a tow truck. torque converter failed. sent debris into the transmission. vehicle needs torque converter and transmission replaced.... i have seen many people have this same complaint... please nhtsa help us... *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle restarted and was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

The ford freestar was exiting the highway when it lost all power without warning while coming down the off-ramp. the engine was still running. the mini van was able to coast off the road and into an auto shop parking lot that happened to be there. appears to be another torque converter failure. *tr

While driving 60 down 2 lane road with family of four, light in distance was red so i started to brake. quickly light turned green so i tried to accelerate but rpms shot up without speed going up. transmission completely disabled. will not even go into park. all this with no warning. i barely made it through the intersection. i think it's clear this is yet another 06 ford freestar torque converter failure. *tr

I went through an automatic car wash around 315pm. the van was driving fine up to this point. immediately after i left the carwash, the van started acting like it was going to stall out and the engine light was blinking. i've had one other situation like this with this van when we went away for a weekend and it rained a lot where we were staying. the van acted like it was going to stall but we had no idea why. i went online to see if anyone else had problems with their van that was attributed to water. i was shocked to see how many others have had the same thing happen. i also found an investigation that stated there is a defect and it's a safety concern but that they weren't going to issue any recalls at this time because there haven't been enough complaints. the diagnosis from the ford dealership is as follows-water has leaked into the pcm. they would need to clean that out and seal it so water can't leak into it anymore. water has also leaked into my spark plugs and corroded them. they would need to replace the spark plugs and wiring. water has also leaked into my fuel lines so they want to clean out my fuel line. all of this for over $700.00. when i contacted ford motors because this happened due to a manufacturing defect, they told me that they can't help me because there aren't any recalls. i can't say i'm surprised by that since they haven't taken responsibility for this defect with others and don't sound like they ever will. i'm not paying ford to fix it because this isn't normal wear and tear and it's not caused by anything that i have done. i'm going to take my chances with the vehicle while i try to pursue this another way. i no longer feel safe in my van and will not be transporting my children in it until something is done about this issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. while driving at 25 mph, the transmission would not engage into gear and the service engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the mechanic diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 113,000.

The vehicle, without warning, shut down while in mid-drive (50+ mph). we were fortunate to be able to safely coast out of harms way. it started back up but continued to do this many more times until we finally got the van home. the ford dealership confirmed it was a bad transmission. more specifically, the torque converter. this issue has been well documented and a recall has been issued for the 04 and 05 models. unfortunately not for the 2006. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, there was a sudden loss of acceleration and the vehicle failed to move forward without warning. the vehicle was towed to the contact's resident. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Replacement torque converters continued to fail after replacing original transmission and failed torque converter at 97k miles. replaced torque converter four times in 37k miles under warranty for "shudder". ford dealership refused to diagnose or determine the continued failures. independent diagnosis stated failures were due to the introduction of debris from the original failure, during the installation of the replacement transmission, or the replacement was defective when installed. ford dealer and company would not replace the transmission. ford warranty ended on 12/12/15 and the situation remains unresolved. fortunately shudder failures occurred on the road, but vehicle could be driven to dealership for repair. the first original failure occurred on a off ramp and other motorist's assisted in pushing it to the side, avoiding a possible rear end collision! the newest torque converter can fail at any time and could result in a serious accident. vehicle is used only in local driving as safety considerations have to be considered first. ford customer service in detroit refused any consideration of the situation. you cannot contact anyone with authority at ford as they are shielded by customer service. the consumer has to consider legal options at what cost to them? there is also a problem with hard shifts from into a drive gear(r,od,d, 1) from "n" or "p". this is an indication of failure of the internal neutral to drive accumulator. resulting from a stuck piston or seals, or springs damaged or missing. when demonstrated to the dealership service manager and mechanic they ignored it and refused to accept it and properly diagnosis the situation. the independent diagnosis said the transmission had to be replaced and the installation done under proper clean conditions and flushing of the cooler and lines. if not done properly the the situation would reoccur .

Going down a small hill and was picking up speed, let off the gas pedal to slow down. starting up the next hill and when the gas pedal was pushed i ended up going backward and there were 4 vehicles right behind me. they all were stopping and each turned in a different direction not to hit the other person in front of them. it could have been worse if i had taken the interstate. this happened at about 6 a.m. so there was not a lot of traffic like there is at 7 a.m. in the morning. but if i had not forgotten my billfold, this would happened at a very high traffic time of day when i would have been going home. *tr

Power train just went out while driving on a major roadway. no warning lights on the dash, no indication of slipping, hard shifts, or skipping of gears. i just left a traffic light and it started to go in a forward motion, i came off the gas for a second or two pressed on the gas and the rpm's shot up and no power to the power train. i had to cross over three lanes of traffic to safety. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. while driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the transmission torque converter shaft failed. the manufacturer was notified. the vin provided was invalid. the failure mileage was 96,000.

I was driving down a country road and had just dropped my kids off thank goodness. nothing seemed to be wrong when all of a sudden the engine revved high. i was try'n to look to see what was go'n on when i wrecked into the ditch about 60mph. out of nowhere the transmission failed and was stuck n a ditch and no one to help. *tr

Engine running and vehicle moving. all of a sudden rpms go up to 3000+ and vehicle is coasting. no power to drive wheels. coasted to a safe place. luckily, we weren't on the interstate yet. vehicle acted as in neutral. no movement in reverse or drive. had it towed to mechanic and he is 99% sure that the torque converter is the problem. 2004 and 2005 have been recalled for this same problem. maybe ford should include the 2006's? bought this vehicle new and have never had a problem. have had only fords since 1987, and no problems with any of them. might be rethinking my next purchase. *tr

Accelerating from stop light, acceleration stopped while engine continued at same rpm. no prior indication of potential problem. car rolled to a stop in center lane of road. put on flashers, put car in park (car started to roll) and engaged parking brake. police and tow truck called. pushed car out of traffic lane. very fortunate this occurred during a light traffic time or a rear end collision to my car could have resulted. car towed to dealer for evaluation and repair. dealer diagnosed torque converter or transmission failure. torque converter replaced. *tr

Stopped at a stop sign pulled off and van acted like it went into neutral gave it gas all it does is the rpms go up the van does not move. it will not move in any gear. it gave us no warning it was working just fine.very disappointed. *tr

Water intrusion from the cowl shorted out the pcm and led to premature failure of torque converter. ford had a tsb on the water issue but never recalled and now that has led me to having big money spent on repairs that i feel ford should correct and pay for! *tr

I have a 2006 ford freestar. i was driving down the interstate with my three children in the back driving about 75 mph, started to go uphill and all of a sudden the van acted like it was in neutral and wouldn't go when i gave it gas. the interstate was extremely packed and i'm sitting in a van with my kids ages 3-12 and my van is almost stopping. it was very hard to get it off the road and it was very scary! i was about 2 hours from home with no money for a tow truck, so i turned it off and waited a few minutes, and started it back up. it was still jerking and not catching gears on the way home. was about 20 minutes away from home when the wrench light came on and it started doing it again. made it home, got online and started looking up what might be wrong and found hundreds and hundreds of complaints about this van. it is the torque converter going out. ford has a recall on the 2004 and 2005, and even thought the transmissions are the same and the issue is the same, they won't do a recall on the 2006. is it going to take someone getting killed for them tpo issue a recall???? *tr

We were driving in the middle of no where with my family (2 children - 9mos and 3 years old) in the back seat and out of no where the van will not go forward and will not go back. it was like it was simply thrown into neutral. we had to wait over an hour on the side of the road with my small children to get a tow truck as well as wait for someone to come get us! the van was driving just fine, no issues, no warning the transmission just failed. *tr

While out of town on an extended business trip, my older kids used our 2006 freestar to get around town. on june 22, 2014, my son dropped off his sister across town and when he attempted to put the gear into drive, vehicle would not go into forward nor backwards in reverse gear, it was simply stuck on the side of the road.this occurred without any warning. the car was then towed to a ford dealer and they stated the transmission failed. after some research, i found this problem is a very common occurrence for this transmission and there are an abundance of published complaints. had our transmission failed in a tunnel or on a bridge, it could have been catastrophic possibly triggering a major pile up. this transmission is a potential death trap. in 2012 ford motor company submitted a defect information report affecting the 2004 and 2005 freestar and monterey minivans (nhtsa action number ea09016). it is regarding a defect in the performance of the 4f50n transmission. however 2006 and 2007 also has this same transmission. why is this action not extended to these newer models? *tr

On returning home from an errand in our 2006 freestar, my son attempted to put the gear into drive, but vehicle would not move into forward, nor backwards in reverse gear. this occurred suddenly without any warning. the car was then towed to porter ford in newark, delaware and it is my understanding from the service department the transmission simply failed. after some research, i found this to be a very common characteristic of 4f50n transmission failures and there are an abundance of published complaints. had our transmission failed in a tunnel or on bridge, it could have been catastrophic possibly triggering a major pile up. clearly such a failure presents a risk to motor vehicle safety. in 2012 ford motor company submitted a defect information report affecting the 2004 and 2005 freestar (nhtsa action number ea09016). it is regarding a defect in the performance of the 4f50n transmission. this same transmission is also in 2006 and 2007. why is this action not extended to other vehicles with this defective transmission? *tr

Accelerated away from a stop sign within a walmart parking lot and after about fifteen feet the vehicle began to slow down while depressing the accelerator. attempted to accelerate and the rpm's went up with no propulsion. allowed vehicle to stop then pushed in a parking space. there was never any indication that the transmission would fail via warning light nor was there a noise/bang/clunk etc associated. vehicle just stopped accelerating. had vehicle towed to shop and they said there were no codes indicating the failure and a transmission rebuild would be in order for $2000. *tr

I was driving with my wife and 4 small children. we had just crossed a 4 lane highway, and just crested a hill, when i immediately lost power. the engine revved and the tachometer shot up. we were on a small 2 lane highway with a very small shoulder. it was extremely dangerous, as vehicles were coming over the hill, and we were still slightly on the road. i had it towed to a shop, and they explained it was the torque converter. i did some research and discovered that ford recalled the torque converter in the 2004 & 2005 ford freestars due to safety. i also discovered that the 2006 freestars used the same torque converter. i don't understand how the same torque converter used in the 2004, 2005 & 2006, but the 2006 is not a safety issue. i called ford and the "customer service reps" were extremely unhelpful and rude. they couldn't explain to me the why this was not included in the recall, and when she couldn't answer me, she hung up on me. unbelievable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that while traveling 40 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration power. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

While traveling on the highway on a curve we lost all power to the wheels. the engine would rev but the vehicle would not. we ended up coasting to a stop in the middle of traffic. this caused several cars behind us to lock u their brakes and two of them collided. we were lucky in that a nice person had a tow strap and pulled us out of the road and to the off ramp. my wife and i and our 4 year old son was in the vehicle at the time and we all could have been killed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who informed us that the 2004 and 2005 freestars had been recalled for the torque converter splines which will strip and cause loss of power. our vehicle however has not been recalled and in addition to almost dying we paid $1918.32 to have the vehicle repaired! and we were without a car for almost a month. this defect is going to kill someone it is only a matter of time! i don't understand why it gets fixed in the earlier models but the owners of the 2006 are stuck with the possible death trap. *tr

Started out of an intersection and van stalled in the middle of the road. coasted to the side of the road. no forward or reverse gear. transmission gone. when i had a new one put in after $4000.00 bill the mechanic told me that the one he replaced was not the original one. so this makes the second transmission failure for this vehicle. i have driven fords all my life and have never had a transmission to go out. if i had been driving down the interstate at 70 mph i might have been killed. ford should be willing to replace these transmissions or reimburse their customers for such shoddy transmissions. *tr

As i was pulling out into traffic then accelerating the vehicle all of a sudden just wouldn't move almost hit by several cars n having 5kids plus now a premie due in a few weeks due to high risk it is a huge issue! due to the torque converter failure & being a ford owner since 16 yrs old as well as working for them this is an even bigger issue for me!! *tt

I was travelling on interstate when there was a sudden loss of motive power with out any warning. sudden loss of power to the drivetrain increased the risk of an accdent. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and they stated that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). the failure mileage was 61,791. updated 12/2/14*cn the consumer stated the vehicle did not stall. it would not accelerate. it coasted to the parking spot. updated 5/7/2015 *js

My family had stopped to let pedestrians cross and when my husband pushed the gas pedal down to accelerate but it did not in gauge the drive. the van acted as if it was in neutral. the only gear that worked was reverse. i looked on-line to find that the freestar '04 and '05 where both recalled for the same problem. ford should take responsibility and issue a recall. my family( 4 children all under 5 years old) was lucky that it happened in a safe area. we where on our way home which requires us to use the freeway. i thank god we where not on the freeway, it could have been a different out come. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph the transmission failed. there were no warning indicator lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed to amoco. the mechanic diagnosed that the gear shift inside the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 84,000. updated 05/28/14*lj updated 05/29/2014 *js

Hello - i am wondering if the 2006 & 2007 ford freestar vehicles have been recognized for the serious safety hazard they present, and for recall as their 2004 & 2005 predecessors have? "2004-'05 ford freestar, mercury monterey recalled for loss of power without warning ford is recalling 205,896 2004-'05 ford freestars and mercury montereys because the torque converter output shaft may fail, resulting in sudden loss of power with no warning, according to the national highway traffic safety administration. ford will replace the torque converter on the affected vehicles. the recall is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2012. ford is recalling 205,896 2004-'05 ford freestars and mercury montereys "the torque converter output shaft may fail," said nhtsa in its recalls summary of the problem. "this condition results in a sudden loss of motive power with no warning, increasing the risk of a crash." ford told the federal safety agency that the supplier of the torque converter manufactured converters containing a pump shaft spline that did not consistently meet the specified heat treat requirements. as a result, some of the torque converters may experience worn pump shaft splines. nhtsa opened a probe into the issue in 2009. ford dealers will replace the torque converter. if you own a 2004-'05 ford freestar or mercury monterey, be aware that a recall is in the works." my 2006 ford freestar experienced this very same loss of power due to a torque converter failure on the highway, placing myself and my entire family in grave danger as i was forced to extricate the vehicle from the highway in heavy traffic with a complete & sudden loss of motive power. the 2006 & 2007 ford freestar & mercury monterey vehicles clearly suffer form this same torque converter spline failure and should be recalled by ford. *tr

Driving on the interstate and the van started to jerk and lose power. if the previous 3 years of the van are recalled for the transmission. and mine went out does the recall need to be expanded? based on some google searches alot of people have lost there transmission do to the torque converter. *tr

We stopped at stop sign, took off and went about 30 feet and it quit pulling. luckily the car coming down the highway slowed down before he rearended us. we pushed it off the side of the road and had to call the wrecker to bring it home. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that upon inspection, the output shaft torque converter was found to be destroyed. the contact also mentioned that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle exhibited a loss of power when the contact was attempting to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the torque converter would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle was personally inspected by the contact who noticed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated abnormally while sitting idle at a traffic stop. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 69,350.

Torque converter failed without previous signs of problems--was advised that same part on 2004 and 2005 may have been recalled--looking at websites 2006 model seems to be a problem for a lot of people. *tr

I was notified of a safety recall on my mini van, called the local dealer was told that i would get a call back as they did not have the part to fix it yet. never got the call back, finally got to take it in and after the dealer having it for 4 days i get a call and am informed of "internal failure of transmission" , was told the cost to repair the transmission. i did some checking and ford has known about this issue since 2005, my van is a 2005. there have been complaints about getting the torque convertor replaced and shortly thereafter the consumer is informed of the "internal failure of transmission". seems to me that this falls under the "cause and effect" syndrome , ie the torque convertor fingers break loose (tiny fragments) and follow the fluid down into the tranny and presto your tranny goes out. ford should cover this repair, i have the extended coverage but it is gonna be close on the expiration of coverage. i think someone should gather all of the injured consumers and sue ford. i called ford at 1-800-565-3673 and made a consumer complaint. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that while traveling approximately 60 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost acceleration power. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 109,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). the approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

I was driving down interstate 295, in nj mile mark 33 when the vehicle started smelling and smoking. i pulled over and the transmission fluid came out from the bottom of the car. i had it towed to the repair shop and they told me that the transmission was shot and needed replaced and it would cost me $3,500.00. from what i have been reading online they recalled the 2004 - 2005 transmission for the same problem. i also read that the same transmission is used from the 2004 - 2007 models, so why would it fail for the 2004 - 2005 but not for the 2006 - 2007. i just made my last payment on this vehicle in august of 2013 and the transmission went on sept 2013. i am upset with this especially having a van full of children returning from a trip. it seems like this is a problem that should have been recalled a long time ago and not still allow for the problem to continue. *jb

My daughter and i were traveling home from columbus ohio, we were traveling on sr 53. when our 2006 ford freestar engine started increasing rpm's. without any warning the transmission just acted like it was in neural. we were able to get off road but was almost hit by semi behind us. we were stranded on a country road at 3 am. i finally contacted a towing servive and $120.00 later we made it home. i contacted our local ford dealer and they said yes, we no whats wrong what is your vin number? i gave them my vin number and was told that it wasn't on their list????? it the same problem they know they have but since it wasn't on their recall list it was my respondsability. thsi van only has 36,000 miles, ford knows they have a problemand won't own up to it financially. they are going to get someone killed if this problem isn't fixed. how can a company know they have a safety problem and not be liable for their pooly designed transmission.

Driving down road at 40 mph. vehicle suddenly lost all drive power. no forward, or reverse available when transmission shifted between all gear positions. engine would rev normally and engine running fine. transmission when out. no drive power. this vehicle should have been included in the torque converter/transmission recall that was done on the 2005 and 2006 freestar. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the vehicle lost power without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the torque converter was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 79,000. updated 9/4/13 *cn the vehicle was reapired at a cost of $ 1,550.

After stopping at a stop sign, i accelerated to proceed, and as my vehicle started to go it just as quickly died. with traffic behind me and coming at me from the left and right, i was lucky enough that those cars were able to stop in time and not broadside me or rear end me, and i was able to coast to the side of the road. long story short, it was the torque converter! i see that there was a recall on the 04 and 05 models but not the 2006. having researched thoroughly online for this problem, clearly, mine is not an isolated incident, as there are numerous other 2006 ford freestar owners who have experienced the same torque converter failure between 120k and 150k miles, complaints stated in many ford forums and other internet venues. of the 75+ i read, about 50% had registered a complaint about the torque converter failure in the 06 freestars with nhtsa. clearly, ford needs to address this problem in the 2006 as well. thank you for taking the time to read my info and complaint?? and for your prompt response. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the rpm reading increased and the vehicle would not accelerate. the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. *tr

I was accelerating down the street at approximately 35 miles an hour in a 55mph zone. when all of a sudden it was like the transmission was thrown in neutral. when the vehicle slowed down so fast with no power, i was almost rearended by a vehicle from behind traveling at approx 55 mph. when i coasted to a stop the vechile would not go forward or backward. i havine been driving fords for 46 years and never had a transmission to go out on me. i could have been hurt if rearended. it cost me over $3000 to have the transmission rebuilt. ford should have a recall and pay me for the problem as the same failure is going on everywhere in the us. the 2005's had the same problem. ford should be ashamed of there selfs for making the junk.

While driving, coming to a stop sign, i stopped, when commencing to go through the stop sign, vehicle would not move forward. i tried putting vehicle in reverse, i moved approx 2 feet and could not move anymore in any gear. i received help to push into a parking space away from traffic until i was able to have vehicle towed to repair shop. after researching, i found that a recall exists on the faulty torque converters which could affect the transmission also on the 2004 and 2005 ford freestar and it is the same exact faulty part as on my vehicle. frustratingly my vehicle the 2006 freestar was not included in fords recall program, but it should be. fortunately this did not occur on the highway in a more dangerous situation. i am currently on dialysis and my wife with parkinson's this is adding to our overall declining health with this additional stress. now i found out we may have to spend an additional $3000 to fix our vehicle. i have been a loyal ford customer for 45 years. *tr