Problems with 2007 Ford Freestyle VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Thankfully to date there have not been any crashes or injuries to discuss. however, we have a 2007 ford freestyle. it is a great and safe car to carry our family. it has been great on long road trips. about 1 or so years ago, we noticed these small 'surges' that the car would do when slowing into a parking spot, pulling into the driveway, or parked at a traffic light. like any good american, we ignored it, thinking it was nothing. we keep the car well maintained, and just 'chalked' it up to chance. over the past 4 months or so it has gotten much worse. just two days ago i was driving the car and pulling slowly into a parking spot. there was a cement median in front of me. i wasn't talking the phone, texting, listening to loud music, in fact i was going to a yoga class. i had my foot over the brake, as i was pulling in slowly, and the car surged. i had to really press my foot really hard into the brake. this same thing happened to me when i was as i approached a stop light. i was slowing down, going less than 5 mph and had my foot over the brake. all of a sudden the car surges and i find myself slamming on the break pedal. it is 'unnerving' to say the least. my husband spoke with my father in law, and he sent us a link. as it turns out, this has been an issue. the symptoms that are described online are exactly what is happening to us. i called my local fordland dealer in lakewood, colorado, and he said he never heard of this. i have also called ford customer service and they have 'escalated' the case. i hope this is helpful. thank you! *tr

I have a 2007 ford freestyle that lunges without touching the gas , when i park and sit for a moment as soon as i put it in drive it lunges forward, sometimes when im going to park in a parking lot and stop and let off the gas it lunges forward , i do not know why it does this but some one will get hurt if this is not fixed and ford dealer cant tell me why it does this . *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated while the engine was idle the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated in reverse and drive although his foot was not on the accelerator or brake pedal. the dealer was contacted and they stated the vehicle was functioning properly. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 41,000 and the current mileage was 42,000.

On a hot summer day in the chicago, il suburban area (7/21/2011, outside air temperature of 100 degrees f), i was completely stopped at a red traffic light. i was the first car in the lane of traffic awaiting the light to transition to green in order to proceed safely through the intersection. suddenly and while my foot was completely depressing the brake pedal of the automatic transmission 2007 ford freestyle (with approximately 44,000 miles), the vehicle jumped forward (i.e., lunged) approximately 10-feet. while there was no other vehicle in front of my freestyle, no collision was experienced. however, the lunge was significant enough that had another party's vehicle been in front of my freestyle, i am very confident that a collision would have been experienced. the vehicle dashboard "wrench" symbol then illuminated. i was able to drive the vehicle to the ford authorized service and sales dealer. the vehicle was slow to respond to acceleration in-route to the repair center. in other words, the vehicle "limped" to the service center. the ford service representatives reported their diagnostic code readings were indicative of the need for a new throttle body assembly. once replaced on 7/22/2011, the vehicle is performing as expected in a normal fashion. i have the defective part in my possession, and i am working to provide the unit to a nhtsa representative. *tr

Started my 2007 ford freestyle in a parking lot put it in reverse and all of a sudden it lunged backwards almost hitting a pedestrian. it has been doing this for about 6 months now but this is the first time someone was almost hit. it usually does it when shifting into forward or reverse from neutral took it into dealership it first started and they did some sort of software update ( they claim) but it has never fixed the problem. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tt

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

When my ford freestyle idles (it seems mostly in hot weather) for more than even 2 minutes when i put it in gear forward and reverse the car lunges even if my foot is on the brake. it does this every time the weather is hot or if my car idles for any period of time. i have just began researching what the problem could be and see many people have the same issue. i have not yet replaced any parts. most of what i read stated transmission trouble or throttle body problems is the cause. *kb

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

My car has began lunging forward at random times while i am driving. it has also died several times. this problem does seem to be worse while going slow and with the air conditioner on. *tt

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

We purchased a 2007 ford freestyle on july 18, 2011 from a reputable dealership in little rock, ar. on july 19,2011 we experienced three unexpected "lunges" of the car, all at slow speeds or stopped. it has happened at least one more time within the past 10 days. it was/is quite unnerving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact was driving 25 mph with the air conditioner active when the vehicle lunged forward abnormally. the contact stated that the failure would recur when the air conditioner was activated and the vehicle would lunge either forward or in reverse without warning. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic where the throttle body was replaced but the failure persisted. the throttle was replaced a second time in an attempt to correct the failure. the contact stated she did not feel safe operating the vehicle. the failure mileage was 49,900. the consumer stated the vehicle is currently at the dealership updated 08/24/11*jb updated 08/24/11 *bf

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle would surge forward. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop, who diagnosed that the throttle body was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 44,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while reversing with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle surged forward and stalled without warning. the vehicle would not accelerate over 35 mph. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where they stated that the vehicle's safety mode was activated, but they were not sure if that caused the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 130,000.

My 2007 ford freestyle is currently at shamaley ford dealership due to the vehicle increasing gas speed on its own. this problem was first noticed in 2008 and the vehicle was serviced by the shamaley ford dealership. in 2008 the vehicle increased gas speed on its own and almost struck my child. the dealership identified the throttle body as the problem, but it was not replaced. we continued to operate the vehicle with the vehicle increasing speed normally during the summer months when its hot outside. i continued to report this problem to the local dealership but they said there has not been a recall. in july 2011 i was operating the vehicle during noon time and the vehicle lunged forward as i attempted to park the vehicle and i almost struck some pedestrians. the shamaley ford dealership has informed me that the throttle body on the vehicle needs to be replaced at my own expense. i researched your website and noticed that their is currently other complaints made against the same type of ford vehicle. during the summer months the engine speed increases unexpectedly on a daily basis. i believe their should be a recall on this defective part before someone gets hurt or possibly killed. ford stopped making this type of vehicle because they know that there are some defective parts and several mechanical and engineering flaws. please help us make ford motor co. understand the seriousness of this problem with the ford freestyles'. customers should not be responsible for defective parts. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle suddenly lunged forward. the failure occurred while in reverse and while coming to a stop. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. there was an investigation open under nhtsa action number: pe11018 (vehicle speed control) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph with the air conditioner on, the vehicle began to surge forward and the tachometer began to display a very high reading. excessive pressure was applied to the brake pedal to slow the vehicle down. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the throttle body was replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 58,592. the consumer submitted the invoices for the repairs. updated 08/30/11

2007 ford freestyle when vehicle is idling it has a tendency to lurch. this occurs when the air conditioning is on, or when both a/c is on and turning the wheel. this issue is not consistent and is unpredictable when it will occur. *tt

My car has been lunging for the last few weeks, and i almost hit another car. last week, when i got in, the wrench light came on. i immediately started driving to the dealer. i lost power for a few seconds and then my car would hardly shift. the lunging was the really scary thing, and now they are saying my transmission needs to be replaced, and it is out of warranty by one month. *kb

In july of 2011 we started experiencing lurching. when you press the brake to put the car into reverse or drive, the car lunges when letting off of the brake. then the wrench light came on and lost all power. after turning the car off and then back on the light went away but not the lunging problem. we took it to the dealership where we bought the car and they did a computer update. it kind of fixed the problem. now one year later in june of 2012 the car is lurching again, but worse than ever. while sitting in a drive through line, i released my foot off the brake and the car suddenly lunged forward. after reading the many reports online from other ford freestyle owners, this is not an isolated incident. and the there seems to be no fix for the problem. dealerships are throwing parts at cars hoping to fix the problem but none seem to be working. while car owners are paying exorbitant fees to not have a problem fixed. *jb

My 2007 ford freestyle lunges in both forward and reverse occasionally. usually heavily applying the break will stop the car. this typically happens at very low speeds when i am parking the car or getting out of a parking space (at the grocery store, ect...). the instances occur more often in the summer time, in hot weather and when the a/c is on. it is a very dangerous defect, especially since it occurs often in parking lots or at school when i am dropping my kids off, as there are lots of pedestrians. i have submitted a previous complaint on this issue, but have heard nothing. this problem has occurred for the past 3 years. *kb

On several occasions my 2007 ford freestyle has lurched forward without me stepping on the gas. typically it happens as i am idling and i go to step on the brake (forcing me to break hard), or when i am easing up on the break (i.e., instead of slowly moving, the car lunges forward). *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated the vehicle surged forward whether it was is in drive or reverse. the contact stated the failure had occurred for over a year. the contact was forced to put the vehicle in park while at a traffic light due to the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the throttle body was removed and cleaned. the dealer stated the throttle body did not need to be replaced. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 75,923.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph and when the brake pedal was engaged, the vehicle suddenly lunged forward. the failure recurred four times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 70, 000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. the failure would also occur when the gear was in the reverse position. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the failure was contributed to the throttle body. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 61,000.

The first time the problem occurred, i was waiting in a line to exit a parking lot so i was idling when the car surged forward. i slammed on the brakes and the car stalled out. i was able to re-start but then it would surge again. i put the car in neutral and was able to make it out. the car chugged a bit but when i got going it worked fine. a few days later, when idling, the car would either chug and stall or surge. the problem was particularly bad one day and had been doing it a few times. we then were entering the highway and it was like the car wasn't getting any gas, it took awhile to get the car over 25 mph. we took it to the ford dealership and they said they weren't sure what they problem was but the readout said it was the throttle body but they weren't familiar with anyone else having the problem. it seems the problem occurs when it is very hot and the air conditioning is running. *kb

Our 2007 ford freestyle has begun to display an issue with surging which appears related to incidents where the wrench dash board warning light comes on shortly there after. it does seem to occur on very hot days when the air conditioner is running. during one incident the car had been restarted after being parked, was idling in gear for several minutes, while my foot was on the brake, the vehicle lurched forward, then stalled. upon restart the wrench dash board light stayed on. the engine lacked power and would go a maximum of 40 mph even with the gas petal fully depressed. once at home, turned the vehicle off and let it sit for an hour. it restarted fine, without the wrench warning light, and drove fine for several days. both unexpected surging and loss of power events have recurred on multiple occasions, with multiple drivers. recently the check engine light came on and has stayed on. the vehicle drives but seems to lack its usually level of power and will sometimes stall out while idling at a red light. car restarts and drives fine for a while when another stall out occurs at some other light (unpredictable). took the vehicle in for service 08/08/11 because it feels unsafe to drive. ford dealer reports the throttle body needs to be replaced along with the mass air sensor (quoted $1,250 total). in the shop waiting on parts.

2005 and 2007 ford freestyle. in warm weather the car will suddenly surge when stopped with the brake applied, slowing with the break, or reversing with the brake pressed. believed to be the throttle body and confirmed by auto repair shop. research has revealed tons of owners with similar problems with the throttle body on these vehicles. seems quite dangerous to have your car lurch out into an intersection. *tr

My 2007 ford freestyle sel has a lunging action when the car is in drive. this has been happening since i purchased the vehicle last october. the lunging would have caused an accident sunday if there wasn't ample space between me and the car in front of me. i didn't see a recall on the vehicle, but i have seen complaints and decided to submit this. hopefully, this problem will be evaluated before it causes a fatality. *tr

2007 ford freestyle crossover - the car will suddenly lunge forward, sometimes the motor shuts down and the "red wrench" light comes on. this has been happening frequently in the last month. i have called the dealership and they say they think it may be due to throttle problems. although i have not done an extensive investigation into when the above happens, i have noticed when the air conditioner is on high, it happens. this may be coincidental but nevertheless i have noticed the surge when the air condition is on. i have researched the internet for others with this problem and there certainly seems to be many people with the exact same problem. there is definitely a safety issue with this in that if you do not currently have your foot on the brake, the car will lunge forward (possibly hitting another car, a pedestrian or have even having a deadly accident). this problem needs to be considered a recall by ford and repaired free of charge by ford. this should be done before someone is seriously harmed. *kb

I have also experienced unexpected vehicle movement when my foot was not on the accelerator. my vehicle has moved as much as 1-2 feet when the brake was not applied or lightly applied. i describe the movement as a "lunge". also, as others have reported,, the lunging has occured when my foot was not on the accelerator and was either firmly on the brake pedal or lightly on the brake pedal. i have only noticed this condition while in "drive". lunges have been sudden and unexpected, and generally are of brief duration. the condition seems worse with the air-conditioning in operation and/or when the steering wheel is turned. *tr

We are experiencing the lunging and sudden acceleration at idle speed on our 2007 ford freestyle. when moving in a parking lot, it is very apparent, particularly as you change from reverse to forward. you really need to pay attention, and keep your foot on the brake because the vehicle does lunge. we recently have had another issue with this vehicle while driving on vacation. the little "wrench" appeared near the end of our trip and the vehicle appeared to be losing "power" to the wheels. after the vehicle cooled down, it operated normally and the wrench did not appear again, yet. *tr

When traveling at low speeds in forward and reverse the car lunges even when not pressing the accelerator. it has happened multiple times continuously over the past year or more. today alone the lunging has happened four times. at least two times in the last two months the engine has stalled in conjunction with the lunging. while no accidents have occurred yet, there have been some close calls in parking situations. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that upon shifting out of park with the brakes engaged, the vehicle would intermittently lunge forward and stall. upon restart, the check engine light would illuminate on the instrument panel. the vehicle was in the process of being taken to an authorized dealer to have the failure diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 82,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle would lunge forward and stall at any time. the dealer diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage is 48,469 updated 08/24/11*lj the throttle body was replaced and the pcm was reprogrammed. updated 08/29/11

Vehicle lunges when stopped. check engine light goes off and comes on. vehicle losses all power. when vehicle restarts it operates okay for awhile and then problem repeats itself. *tr

About three months ago i bought a 2007 ford freestyle. one day when me, my daughter, and my granddaughter went shopping , in warner robins georgia my car stopped right in the middle of traffic and cut off . we just about had people hit us in all different directions. so i turned the car off and turned it back on and drove into the parking lot and called the people i bought the car from. they told us to bring the car too them. well a couple days later when i was suppose to take the car to them it turned off two times in one day! i had bought all of the available warranty i could buy when i bought the car, but today the dealership called me back and said that it is the throttle body, and that no matter if you fix it, it can continue to mess up (and it is not on the warranty!!!) , and the cost of the part to fix it is 670.00. i am unsatisfied and scared to drive it and i feel like its a big safety risk!!! i don't want to continue driving it with it turning off in the middle of traffic. it makes me scared and i am nervous for my family!! i have read on the internet that alot of people have had problems with the throttle body for there 2007 ford freestyle!! *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. while the contact was driving into parking space with her foot on the brake, the vehicle suddenly lunged forward. the contact continued to depress the brake pedal and was able to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: pe11018 (vehicle speed control) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

Tl* the contact owns 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and turning the steering wheel to the left, it surged forward while the brakes were engaged. the vehicle continued to surge until stalling. the failure occurred on numerous occasions in the past while attempting to park or accelerate from a stop. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on two occasions where they were unable to duplicate the failure. the failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileage was 75,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated while driving 45 mph and the air condition was on the throttle body would cause the vehicle to accelerate. each time the vehicle would accelerate the brake was depress and the vehicle would slowed down. after the vehicle slowed down she started to park put the gear in reversed it jump back at least three feet. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the throttle body needed to be replaced. they replace the throttle body with an "a" kit-throttle control body and reprogram it. this was a cost of $877 there was no recall or warranty for this failure. the manufacturer was contacted who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 44,100. updated 08/01/11*lj updated 08/08/11

Vehicle lunges when brake is released. vehicle will move forward or reverse once vehicle is put in gear and the brake is released and also when stopping for example at a red light, once brake is released the vehicle will jerk forward without stepping on the accelerator. *kb

I just purchased a ford freestyle 2007 and took it to a tach day after the purchase due to the fact that the car surges and cuts of and then will loose power. tech advised me he couldn't find anything wrong test drove it several times and it never happened after we got home with the car it being to do it a few more times this seems to be something that will get you killed or your family killed i sure hope ford realizes if someone does get hurt but the car surging like this that the company will be at fault and i hope they fix the issue soon for good. *tr

My 2007 ford freestyle has been having unexpected acceleration while at very low speeds in either forward or reverse. the acceleration can be stopped by the brake, but happens unexpectedly. i have previously reported this to the ford dealership where i purchased the vehicle, however, they were unable to replicate the problem, so no action was taken. the problem has been occurring with increasing frequency over the past year. it is worse when the car has been running for a long time, or in hot weather it seems with air conditioning running. the lunging will sometimes happen repeatedly in the course of trying to park the car, then the car will sometimes stall. i have serious safety concerns while driving in parking lots as it is difficult to control the vehicle. the problem is exactly as described in nhtsa investigation pe11018. *tr

The wrench lights come on and the vehicle idles up when at stop light or just stopping vehicle lunges forward with use of brake. can't use a/c vehicle will lunge also and then shut off completely. very unsafe... *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle lunged forward and the throttle control light illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact also stated that the failure occurred when the vehicle was in reverse. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics. the vehicle was not repaired. there was an investigation open under nhtsa action number: pe11018 (vehicle speed control) that may be related to the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

My ford 2007 freestyle was positively, certainly accelerating on it's own. it was at times terrifying. it kept getting worse. it happened in different degrees of severity and length of time. it also happened in two different ways. the first way was when i was either simply driving but predominantly when i began to slow down for a red light or to park. at that very second, the car would literally jump ahead in a sudden, mortifying tremendous acceleration. i would try to restrain it by stepping on the breaks as hard as i could. the car would not respond to the breaks, the thrust was as strong or at times, stronger. most times it kept going for a bit, but with my heart pounding in fear that i would hit another car or a pedestrian, i would find myself truly off my seat, solely on the break with all my possible strength; and the car would die. when i was at a light and the green came on, i was having to restart the car quickly to keep with traffic flow.many times, after restarting the car and driving slowly and trying to stay away from other cars, the car would go on, but with a hiccup on and off.then things would seem normal, but i never knew for how long. the second way in which the car self accelerated, was when i turned it on to start driving.again the acceleration would be so sudden and i never knew how strongly. some times i was very close to hitting the car behind me in a parking lot, or anywhere i was parked. i had to take extra, precautions to make absolutely sure, more than usual, than no persons would be even remotely in range of my car when i turned it on, because i never knew, depending on the acceleration force, how far the "jump" would be. this problem kept me in anxiety and uncertainty. i took my car twice to my regular car shop, had to take it to ford dealer, only place to find the equipment needed. person there knew about same problem in other fords. *tr

Repeatedly car surges forward from a stop when at idle and air conditioning is running. if foot is lightly on brake, car will surge forward into intersection. *tr

The car lurched/revved forward a few feet while brake was fully depressed. it would do it in both forward, reverse and park it got worse over a 2 and half month period. the lurching was once in a while and then became more frequent with it eventually happening everytime i placed my foot on the brake, put it in park or reverse. the throttle body was replaced but i have heard this is only a temporary solution, that dirty air passing over the part will make it too dirty to perform properly in the future. we were lucky that it was covered under our used car warranty and we only had to pay $100 deductible. most likely if the part gets too dirty to function again, we will have to pay for it out of pocket unless ford creates a solution for the problem. *tr

Car lunges or surges forward or backward unexpectedly, especially when air conditioning unit is operating. can occur with or without having the brake pedal applied.