Problems with 2007 Ford Freestyle ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Bought this car used 2 years ago. car started making a loud noise, but when put in drive, it quiets a little. not running well at all. took it to get it looked at, 1st replaced a bad water pump (almost 700) and then was told it's the transmission. they want $6k for, which i don't have. i still owe $6k on the car. so, i am basically stuck w a car that doesn't work and i can't sell or trade in, nor can i afford to at this point. *tr

Air conditioning does not work when driving under 35 mph or especially when at an idle. air is not cool at all. then when i speed up, i have air again although occasionally car will start to die and dash lights up and then it surges and is fine again when going down the highway at higher speeds. this is mostly when it is hot outside. when cool or raining, the problem is better. *tr

I purchased a used ford freestyle 2007 model in april and after having the car that i love and felt safe with my children in, it began to act crazy!! it lunges when pulling in to park or backing out of a parking spot. it scares me now to put my kids in it!!! today after it lunged a couple different times the check engine light came on. while attempting to park at the store i almost hit a parked car and couldn't control the freestyle!! it seems to be worse if the air is on. after one of the lunging fits today a wrench light came on and then there was no power at all. i pulled over turned it off and restarted it the light went out and power came back! something really needs to be done!!! *js

Throttle body system problem. car lunging at low speeds and when the driver is not pressing the acceleration pedal; sudden and unexpected. more apparent when the vehicle's air conditioning system is on or when the steering wheel is turned sharply. past loyal ford customer. this was a brand new purchase. problem started again after the hydraulic control unit was replaced in 2008. i have had all i can take; visited dealership today (3-02-212)! please ford correct this for the sake of your customers. *tr

I was taking my two children to school turned to cross over railroad tracks and car stalled on the tracks. i tried to restart & everytime i took my foot of the accelerator the car stalled. finally i was able to get the car to move with my foot on the accelerator & brake. the car continued to stall when my car came close to a stop. i had my car checked last year for lunging & ford could not find anything, & it continues to lunge now it is stalling. i was just lucky there was not a train coming or my kids & i could have been hurt. *tr

The first incident occurred while i was at the store with my children. we were leaving the store as i put the freestyle in reverse, the engine made a loud "dropping" noise and would not reverse. i put the car back into park and looked around the outside to check for anything visible that would have caused the noise or lack of movement. i noticed the car idling at a high rpm. i got back in the car to try again with no luck. this is when the car surged forward. i then became scared and turned the car off. when i turned it back on everything was "normal" again. i drove it straight to the ford dealership. they were unable to duplicate the problems and told me to continuing driving it again until i got a light on my dash to prove to them i was having problems. they serviced my transmission at that time as well to find no issues. unfortunately, this was not covered with the warranty so i had to pay out of pocket. since the first incident, i have experienced this issue 5 more times, mostly while in parking lots while idle. however the last incident was 1/10/12. this surge put my vehicle in the intersection. i took the car again to the dealership. this incident had the same issues with the engine sounding like it was dropping when switching into different gears and idling high. the car would not switch out of 2nd gear while the tech test drove it with me. there was a new issue that appeared with this incident. it is a grinding noise when the gas was applied. the grind is similar to the sound the brake would make when the anti-lock were to kick in, except the brakes are not being applied. this has caused the anti-skid light and abs light to kick on. i have maintained my car religiously since i purchased it so i do not believe this is a maintenance issue. ford has been unable to solve these issues, charge customers for unnecessary repairs, and allow the vehicles to be driven. *tr

Car would lunge at any speed, had to immediately press on brake to keep from hitting other cars or jumping forward/backward from parking space. i took it to dealer, they cleaned the throttle body and fixed the motor mount (over $500). in addition, rotors had to be resurfaced at 30k miles and i need to have them replaced at 77k miles. *tr

The car would lurch forward when at slow speed or idling. would be very difficult to control at slow speed such as entering a parking lot, garage or turning. happened continuously for months until we were too concerned about safety or damage to the car or others. had to keep foot pressed very hard to brake to avoid having the car shoot forward. we knew many other freestyle owners had been having this very dangerous problem and hoped for a recall but when the engine light went on we could avoid it no longer and had the throttle body replaced. it cost us just over $900 plus tax to replace it. *tr

As reported in may 2011, my ford freestyle is also lunging. it happens typically when the car is starting or stopping. it happens very frequently. i was hoping to see a recall on this because ford is charging $900 to fix this. *tr

Vehicle surges when putting into drive with foot on the brake. also, surges when braking when coming to a stop. have not taken the vehicle to a dealership/mechanic yet.

Last september, at about 75,000 miles, my 2007 ford freestyle began an engine surge intermittently. the surge happened even when my foot was on the brake and in both drive and reverse. when it happened, the wrench light would come on and, occasionally, the car would shut off. when i restarted the car, it would move very slowly and the speed did not match what the accelerator was telling it to do. i took the car to my mechanic who could not identify the issue, nor could he recreate it in his shop. over the winter, the car stopped having the issue; however, during the spring, when i began using the air conditioner, the issue started again. i tried changing the oil and had fluids checked, thinking this would help but to no avail. this continued all summer and was especially problematic if i was stopped in traffic or trying to park. additionally, it was very stressful for me as a driver and frightening for my children. last tuesday evening, after it sat during my children's open house, the freestyle began surging immediately upon driving it. the wrench and check engine lights turned on and the car turned off. when we turned it back on, the check engine light remained on and the car moved very slowly. when i started the car the next morning, the check engine light was on and the air conditioner would not work. i took my freestyle to another, highly recommended mechanic, who has diagnosed (based on the codes and his experience) that the car needs a new throttle body. *tr

While pulling in to park, with foot off the gas pedal and applying brake to stop, my vehicle rpms surged. i had to sharply apply additional brake, however my vehicle struck a bollard. today's episode is another in a long string of sudden rpm surge events dating back to when the vehicle was newly purchased. i have had the vehicle checked by our local ford/lincoln dealership three times, with no corrective action taken. we have had to deal with this unsafe condition and have not received any assistance from ford. *tt

The 2007 ford freestyle will sometimes lurch forward or backwards from a stop. in all cases the car was initially at a stop with my foot on the brake and when i took my foot off the brake, but before placing my foot on the accelerator, the car lurched forward if in drive or backwards if in reverse. the car usually lurched about five feet before i was able to stop it. sometimes the lurching was followed by the vehicle stalling and in the worst case the vehicle stalled, the check engine light and the service required light both turned on and i was unable to re-start the vehicle for several minutes. the lurching seems to be more of a problem on hot days. *tt

When coming out of park into drive, sudden momentary acceleration before pressing on the accelerator. this seems to be increasing in frequency and now starting to do it in reverse.

Vehicle experiences sudden unexpected acceleration (or lurching) when idling or moving at a very slow speed. occurs in forward or reverse directions, occurs more frequently in hot weather. *kb

I have a 2007 ford freestyle and its just getting worse and worse as the mileage goes up. the car seems to have a mind of its own. i cant even use my a/c or heater as this causes the car to lunge forward hard and eventually the car cuts off causing engine and wrench light to cut on. while backing into my parking garage i ran into the building because the car lunged back by itself, this could be very dangerous, could cause me to hit someone or something very badly. im afraid to drive my vehicle but don't have any other choice, have to go to work. this is scary, i need help with this. just bought this car don't have the cash to have it checked out. *kb

At a slow speed in either forward or reverse when i put my foot on the brake the engine speeds up and the car lunges forward or backwards and i have to hit the brake hard to stop it. this has happened several times and seems to be happening more often now. a couple of times the engine seeded up while the car was in park i see where ford brushes the problem off as being minor.i think this is a dangerous thing and should be corrected. if it happens while you are parallel parking it can cause an accident . also when backing out of a parking space you could get into an accident. with over 200 complaints i think something should be done before someone is seriously injured from this defect by ford. *tr

several times my vehicle surges forward when moving at slow speeds or braking. this has happened while driving forward and reverse. more noticeable when the a/c is on. even when my foot is on the brake . i can hear the engine revving when this is happening - even though my foot is on the brake.it also loses power on the freeway and becomes very sluggish in acceleration.the vehicle would lose power unexpectedly when driving 10 mph and up. also i had a minor accident,the vehicle accelerated by itself and i hit a wall in my garage. also, it would not go forward and when put in reverse it would accelerate--this happened in the middle of traffic during rush hour. we finally took it to the dealer to have it looked at, they told us it was the throttle body and our master tech guarantee did not cover the expense. all they did was clean the throttle up (is expected to have more problems later) because the cost was over $700 and we cannot afford it at the time. so, after we took it out of the shop the car is now only accelerating to no more than 4000 rpms.

My 2007 ford freestyle will lunge in forward and reverse. it stalled last night when it was in reverse and this happened. it is happening more often. this is very frightening and could easily cause an accident. *kb

I have a 2007 ford freestyle. when the air conditioning is on the car will jump forward. the wrench light will come on and i have to turn the car off and back on to get rid of the light. yesterday it did the same thing and now the engine light is staying on and will not go off. so far i have kept from hitting anything by reacting quickly and slamming on my brakes or turning the air off or sitting with my foot on the brake but one of these days i may hit a car or a person. very dangerous situation. *kb

When i am going at a low speed the car goes dead. example being when i turn in my driveway or into a parking space. also the car surges and jumps forward or sometimes backwards when i put it in reverse or park. it is beginning to happen all the time and is dangerous! i am so frustrated i don't know what to do. i actually ran across a site where tons of others are having the same problem. i do not have 750.00 plus to pay on fixing something that ford is well aware they fouled up and did nothing about. as with all the other cases my a/c quit long ago. i feel they should be held accountable and a recall issued so they can pay for the repair of an item that should have been sold in proper working order. thank you. *kb

At first occurrence, i was pulling into a parking space. as i took my foot off the gas and placed it on the brake my car lurched forward unexpectedly. this unexpected lurching has increased in frequency and happens both in drive and reverse. there have also been incidents when the car is in park and it revs, as if i am pushing on the gas pedal. it will rev like that and idle down a few times and then the engine will stall. *tr

My car lunges on its own. it happens several times a day while driving. when backing out the driveway, pulling through a drive through, or turning from a stop. i have come very close to hitting other vehicles. i have taken it to the dealership and they found nothing wrong. *tt

The car leaped forward unexpectedly while pulling up to a stop sign. this happened on 7/02/2011 for the first time. we had this occur several more times in the next few days, always while stopping or parking the car. in one instance the car would of struck a light pole, had there not been a curb there. this seems to occur whether the car is cold or has run for awhile. we are now having to drive this car like it may leap forward at anytime. ford needs to get this taken care of before some is seriously injured.

I have the 2007 ford freestyle with the too common "surging" problem. apparently ford and the government are ignoring hundreds of reported incidents of spontaneous unintended acceleration. someone could be killed or seriously injured, if it hasn't happened already. most likely it will be an innocent pedestrian who didn't choose to buy this menace vehicle. i highly encourage the government and ford to issue a safety recall immediately. *tr

I purchased a 2007 ford freestyle on may 05 2011 and started having problems within the second month of having the car but i also heard a loud noise when you turn the wheel sharply to the right, and i told the finance person and he said ok we'll take care of that and they never did. then now we are in the third month of having this vehicle, and now it cuts off right in the middle of me backing up and the ac on and i would have to turn the car off and restart again. then the car acts as though its revving up and you could be at a stop light and it will rev up and you would have to really place your foot hard on the brake to keep it from hitting another car in front of you. took the car several times to the dealership and they said the first time they did not know. they did a diagnostic check up and said they could not find anything. the last time they tell me its the throttle body and then the gentleman proceeded to tell me that's been a big problem with these cars since they have came out. so this company knows they are selling lemons to people and they don't even care. *kb

I was going through a drive through and my freestyle lunged forward several feet before i had to slam on the brakes. the vehicle then shut off and all the lights in the dash came on. i did have the air conditioning on really high because it was 95 degrees in st. louis today. my vehicle started lunging a few months ago and it has done it 6 more times today since the worst episode, but the vehicle has not shut off again since i was in the drive through this afternoon. this is very dangerous because if a car or person had been in front of me i would have hit them very forcefully. the problem has progressively gotten worse. *tr

Several times my vehicle surges forward when moving at slow speeds or braking. this has happened while driving forward and reverse. more noticeable when the a/c is on. even when my foot is on the brake - the car accelerates on it's own and lunges forward. i can hear the engine revving when this is happening - even though my foot is on the brake.

2007 ford freestyle began surging with foot on the brake pedal a few months ago. inconsistent, most noticeable when a/c is running. also surges right when releasing brake pedal (from stopped position or moving very slowly either forward or backwards). significant risk of the condition leading to a collision with another vehicle, stationary object, or even pedestrian. please help! *tr

2007 ford freestyle that lunges forward or backward depending on what gear it is in. i saw where ford was looking into this for a possible recall, mine does this on occasion. but 5/30/11 mine did it very badly and the car died. the check engine light and transmission light both came on. i did get the car started and back into a parking spot, with it lunging forward and my foot on the brake. the car is at carmax now as i had bought the extended warranty they offer. waiting on the outcome. *tr

Vehicle surges suddenly at idle speeds in parking lots. this seems to happen more in hot weather. it also loses power on the freeway and becomes very sluggish in acceleration. this is a dangerous situatioas the surges will casue the vehicle to jump forward or backward suddenly with pedestrians around.

2007 ford freestyle lunged twice in may, 2011 while pulling into parking spot. incident happened at 55,000 miles. slammed on brakes and did not hit neighboring vehicles. early in june 2011, had our ac replaced which was not working. immediately after ac was working again, car lunged, wrench light appeared and vehicle stalled during a low speed turn. car proceeded to lunge and surge regularly when it was put in reverse or drive. with foot firmly on brake and putting the car in park, rpms would go between 3000 and 5000. then car would die. with experimenting, car would not do it when air conditioning was turned off. we researched internet and learned about surging and throttle body problems. had fuel induction service performed and have not had recurrence in 90+ days. did not replace throttle body yet but suspect it will be clogged up again with time and mileage. we can't predict when the surging will happen. we will not let our teenager drive this vehicle. it is very unsafe and needs to be recalled for this reason. *kb

Several times over the last few weeks, the vehicle will jerk forward when pulling into a parking place or jerk backward when backing out of parking place. the engine will rev on its own without having to push on the accelerator causing the jerky feeling. *tr

Just above idle the car lunges forward whether we are moving forward or in reverse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated while driving in and out of a parking space the rpms would increase and the vehicle would lunge forward or backwards. the failure also occurred while driving in reverse. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed him there was no recall or warranty for the throttle failure. the top motor mount connected to the engine was covered with rust and deteriorated which was made out of rubber. the manufacturer was contacted and stated there were no recalls and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 45,000.

The car lunges or surges at low speed. the rpm go up 1000 rpm on its own. this only happens in parking lots at very low speeds so my foot is always on the brake but this cold be a very serious defect causing potential injury to others. *tr

The transmission causes performance issues. the transmission jerks, rattles, doesn't pull, causes the engine to stop while traveling or parked in traffic. causes sudden jerking while driving, backing up and starting off. it also jerks violently when the vehicle is put in drive or reverse even before starting to drive. while driving the transmissions causes the vehicle to be slow to change speed. this is a serious safety hazard cause while driving the vehicle jerks so violently that it risk hitting another vehicle or pedestrian. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. while stopped at a light, the contact noticed that the defroster stopped emitting hot air and the windshield would not defrost. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the technician replaced the thermostat, heater core, and water pump. the failure continued after the repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the failure was a characteristic of the vehicle and there was nothing they could do to assist. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 39,688. updated 06/26/12 *bf

2007 freestyle sel awd w/50,000 miles surges at low speeds and stalls at high speeds. the wrench light comes on and the vehicle enters "limp" mode until vehicle is restarted. the dealership was unable to recover error codes when i took it in for diagnostics. however, based on my verbal description of the problem alone he suggested replacement of the entire throttle body assembly, saying "this is a very common issue for the freestyle, 500, and edge." i am still deciding whether to spend the $1000 they quoted me for replacement (a firestone service center quoted me $750). for one, i can't understand how such a dangerous malfunction is allowed to go unaddressed. two, how can the throttle body assembly, which controls the entire powertrain, not be covered by a powertrain warranty? and three, if it is such a common problem that by verbal description alone, a dealer knows a major component needs replacement, why is this not being addressed by ford at a national level? here's my vote of no confidence. *tr

2007 ford freestyle. consumer states vehicle had a burning smell and stopped running while driving *tgw the consumer stated the catalytic converter was replaced. a few days later, the burning smell returned and the vehicle stopped running. the dealer replaced the catalytic converter again. the consumer stated the catalytic converter was replaced three times. also, the manifold, gasket and seals had to be replaced because they melted due to heat. three months later. the oil light illuminated. the service mechanic informed the consumer there was no oil in the engine and he was unable to see any type of leak. the consumer was informed the entire exhaust system needed to be replaced as well as the ignition coil and fans, because the vehicle would probably overheat. *jb

Car lunges at stops and low speeds. *kb

When i come to a stop prior to pulling in the last few feet of a parking spot, my car will lunge forward (rev) with my foot not touching the gas pedal. i can stop the car with the brake. it seems to only happen when the air conditioning and/or defrost are on.

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that a check charging system light illuminated on the instrument panel. also, when she shifted into gear, the vehicle would jolt forward or backward. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the electrical throttle box and motor mount were replaced. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 47,000. the failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

Vehicle surges or lunches forward at low speeds. car also dies when going from park to drive. *tr

When shifting into drive or reverse from park or neutral, the transmission takes several seconds to engage and when it does it lurches forward or backward with no input to the gas pedal. you must have your foot on the brake and be ready to press down hard to keep the car from lunging forward or backward. also, when creeping forward in parking lots or other slow moving situations and applying a small amount of throttle, the car will lunge forward at a much greater speed than what commanded at the gas pedal. this is an especially dangerous situation because in parking lots there are other people or cars, potentially close by that could be struck. *tr

On several occassions beginning on this date while driving under 10 miles per hour, the car would lung forward and then when the brakes were applied the car would stall. this "surging" problem would occur once you took your foot off of the brake after being stopped for a period of time but would happen before you pressed the acelerator. because of the severity of the issue and after almost hitting another car while in a parking lot, we took the car to a ford dealership. they diagnoised the problem and we had to have the throttle body replaced which was a significant cost. since this issue is currently under investigation, we wanted to submit our experience to be considered and so that we would be notified in the case of recall.

I took my ford freestyle into the dealer today to have it looked at because it was lurching and not getting enough power. it was diagnosed with ...bad throttle body...and the mechanic had the nerve to suggest that it only happens to cars that aren't maintained properly by the owners. i explained that mine is well maintained and i have records to show for it, then he gave me the wonderful news that it would only cost me $1,188.93 to fix it. he acted like it was a real rarity for this to happen and that i was getting a huge deal. he even charged me $99 for the privilege of diagnosing the problem. then he came back to me and warned me that it could stop or "the engine could seize" if i drove it still. when i wouldn't take the bait, he called me later at home and suggested they could give me a small discount for the repair. then he once again warned that it's very unsafe to drive. by the way, i'm a single woman and the car has only 47k on it. i'm feeling pretty confident that the increased cost was associated with my gender...so, what others were told would cost them about $700 or so, i was informed would be almost $1,200 - guess it's more expensive to fix the problem when a woman is the primary driver!!! when i googled the freestyle name i found out that this problem is very very common with other vehicle owners. i'm seriously disgusted that ford and their representatives would try to cover up or ignore this problem and even allow drivers back on the road when this type of thing is occurring. it's an accident waiting to happen. *tr

We own a 2007 ford freestyle with a 3l engine. we are experiencing a surging of the engine when the air conditioner is on and we are turning into tight spots such as parking spots. today (13aug2010) i left the vehicle idling while i went inside a pizza store to buy a pizza (less than three minutes). when i returned to the vehicle and placed it in reverse to back out of our parking spot the vehicle surged in reverse and died. after restarting the engine it would not idle correctly and a wrench light on the dash board came on. the vehicle cut out as i put it in drive to move out of the driving lane and on the ride home the engine would cut out occasionally but never completely died. at home i checked the engine and noticed the top motor mount bushing was broken. *tr

My 2007 ford freestyle has had several problems this summer that appear to be occurring frequently all over the united states. our freestyle has just over 60,000 miles on it. a month ago, we had to replace the air compressor. then the car began lurching and one day kept dying as the check engine light came on. right now, it has been at the dealership for 2 weeks awaiting a throttle body sensor which is on backorder since so many of these models have this problem. clearly ford needs to recall this model and quickly find replacement parts for these vehicles. *tr

After being at idle for a few minutes, then when resuming driving, the car surges forward strongly and unexpectedly. it is usually after i have just braked and have just lifted my foot off the brake. the car will "jump" forward strongly and i have to quickly step on the brake again to avoid hitting something. i have not actually had a collision but have had several near misses. the surging issue was repaired on 8/6/10. the problem did not reoccur for several months. then the car spent 4 months in the dealership's repair center due to the transmission failing and there being no parts in existence for it. now that i finally have the car back, it has resumed the surging issue and is very scary to drive. sometimes the engine dies after surging a few times and sometimes the "wrench" light comes on. turning the engine off for a few minutes and restarting sometimes (but not always) makes it stop surging. turning the car off and leaving it for several hours before using it again seems to "reset" the issue, but the next time i get stuck in traffic or have to sit at idle for any reason it starts surging again. since the first time i had the car repaired, i have learned this is a common issue that you are investigating. i have spoken to ford and they are utterly indifferent and refuse to acknowledge or help with the problem at all. if your investigation leads to a recall or some other reparations from ford, please contact me. thank you.