Problems with 2005 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

I was driving about 60mph and slowed down to make a left hand turn. upon completing my left hand turn i started to try to accelerate but the van didn't go any were. i immediately pulled off the side of the road and realized that i had no transmission. i tried all the gears and could not go any were. i had the van towed to my house only to call a dealer and find out that my transmission was going to have to be replaced. i asked how much and found out that the tranny was more then my van was worth. the van sat in my yard for 9 months before i could save enough to replace the tranny. i had no signs or symptoms that the transmission was going out at all. i am glad my family was not in the van with me. this seems to be a routine problem for ford. i have seen more ford tech. bulletins for this model van then any other car of theirs. how is this van considered a family vehicle if it can leave you stranded on the side of the road? looks and sounds like deceptive advertising on fords part. *tr

I was traveling on a 4 lane divided highway at approximately 55 mph with my wife and 2 daughters. i noticed the tachometer was surging, then it pegged. the van began to slow. i tried to accelerate but the tach just increased but no increase in speed. i tried different gears but the same result. luckily traffic was light because it was sunday morning. i was able to coast across two lanes of traffic and into a vacant parking lot. there i tried reverse and all other gears but the van would not move. this was the first such incident. the van had approximately 50,000 miles. i called my insurance companies roadside assistance and they had the van towed to matthews ford, which ironically just across the highway from the parking lot we stopped in. they determined the torque converter failed. it cost $1800 to repair that we paid for entirely. ford did not accept any responsibility. if this had happened on a busy highway, a serious accident could have been likely. after doing some research, this is a very common problem with this vehicle but no attempt has been made by ford to correct it or compensate those who have already paid for the repair. *tr

Transmission just dropped out of gear while driving down the road. this is the second time in 15 months. this will cost another $1500. please help. *tr

We were driving home from vacation with family in our 2005 ford freestar when the transmission failed. fortunately we were not on the interstate when it happened because we were driving down the highway when, all of a sudden, it was like the gas peddle was unplugged. we had to push it out of the road. drive nor reverse worked. had to have towed. the torque converter was replaced at a large cost after the large cost to get home in a cab and then a rental car. *tr

As with alot of freestar 2005 owners...the transmission failed at 50,000 miles. no hint of failure...just pulled up to stop sign and would not move when traffic was clear. my wife and another couple had to push the car across the intersection too reach a safe haven. lucky that other cars traveling on that road gave the pushers the right of way and nobody was injured. it was a very bad situation to be in. ford needs to address this as my cost is over $3500.00 to replace the transmission that should have lasted much, much longer. *tr

Transmission failure at 71,817 miles. transmission has no forward or reverse. complete transmission failure after great service and maintenance. *tr

The transmission on this vehicle has given out twice. from information posted by other owners, this is a common problem with this vehicle. i was in the middle of traffic when the gears disengaged and the transmission failed. i had to maneuver the car out of the way of traffic. i nearly got into an accident, because i was not able to accelerate properly.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 10 mph, the vehicle changed gears and automatically shifted into neutral without the gears being moved. the contact attempted to place the vehicle into drive, but was unsuccessful. she then placed the vehicle into reverse and was able to move the vehicle to a secure location away from the road. the vehicle failed completely and lost total power. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the transmission failed. the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $3,600. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure and current mileages were 94,000.

Transmission failure with no notice. highway speeds on i-65 rpm's go up speed goes down. coast on i 65 to a stop and call tow truck. vehicle does not go f or rev and gears. transmission is dead. transmission gives no warning prior to total failure. *tr

On my way to work the transaxle light began blinking. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where purchased. was told that a part having to do with the transmission and torque converter was bad. at first was told if we could we should get out of the vehicle now. we can not afford another vehicle!! this vehicle is only 4 years old. we are the only owners. prior to purchase the vehicle was a rental vehicle for a dealership (we presume it was the dealership we purchased it from) while it has 93000 miles we take care of our vehicles! the transmission was repaired less than 10 months ago, now we are experiencing problems with the same thing. ford needs to do something to make it right for their customers and take care of these problems. we have had older vehicles with less problems. we have experienced: liftgate problems, coil problems and transmission problems x2. *tr

I was simply driving down the road slowed down to enter the town when to put foot back on the gas pedal and nothing but the engine revving up, transmission went out. there was nothing that happened before it happened. the transmission oil looks fine and it is not locked up it is just like every gear other than park is neutral. there are several people that is having the same problem. *tr

With no warning our 2005 ford freestar van transmission failed (mileage 63,146). car was driven ~25 miles to workplace. started car to return home and nothing happened when car was put in gear. received quote stating transmission has internal problems and must be replaced. price of quote was $3506.00 - repairs have not been made at this time. found local garage that rebuilds transmissions. currently, in the process of towing to local garage. waiting for 2nd quote on rebuild. after searching forums / websites i have found an alarming number of identical incidents with the freestar minivan. i am hoping nhtsa will take action against ford motors as soon as possible before someone is seriously injured because of this design failure. *tr

Around 45,000 miles our transmission went out. no warning nothing. having my kids in the car scared to death and no one at krieger ford wanted to help and said had that no one else had these problems. i get on the computer and find hundreds of complaints.... after getting it fix a year later now it is not starting at times. no cause or reason. we are a family of 6 living check to check and scared to death to drive this car. my four kids are my life and fell if i take them some where in this van i am putting there life at risk. something need to be done and someone needs to fix these problems. *tr

2005 ford freestar sel - 90,000 miles - transmission stopped working with no warning. no prior problems whatsoever. parked car, ran errand, came back & cranked - would go into gear but not move. had towed to ford dealership who says it needs a new torque converter, for $2100 - which i don't have! apparently this is a problem with the ford freestar and ford refuses to acknowledge it. browsing the numerous complaints listed on this site alone, i cannot believe that the nhtsa is also not investigating. *tr

Purchased a 2005 freestar new from a local dealer and has been driven approximately 54,200 miles to date. all maintenance performed was by the dealer with whom we purchased the vehicle. my wife garaged the van as usual. the next morning the transmission would not engage. i contacted the dealer to have the vehicle towed and have the problem diagnosed. i was informed that a transmission fluid pump shaft broke apart requiring the transmission to be pulled for major repairs. we are extremely upset that a vehicle only 3.5 years old with less than 55,000 miles would require such major drive train repairs. we believe that there must have been an issue with this part at the time of installation. either the part had some type of defect or was installed improperly to cause this type of damage to a transmission with such low mileage. *tr

I own a 2005 ford freestar with just over 60,000 miles on it. i was driving home from work one evening when all the sudden the transmission went out with no warning at all. i have read on numerous sites that i am by far not the only ford owner this has happened to. *tr

I've a 2005 ford freestar whose transmission failed at 81,220 miles. the car was religiously maintained and was not driven roughly. it has a power steering / transmission cooler attached. i tried to back up out of my driveway and the car would not move; it acted like it was in neutral. i had a mechanic open up the transmission and learned that the splines had failed. had to spend $2,000 replacing it with a used 2007 freestar transmission with 12,000 miles on it. here's what a ford mechanic, with 25 years experience, has said about the freestar transmission: the technician wrote the following: the freestar transmission without the defect and well maintained should be able to make 200,000 km (124,000 miles) if the vehicle is driven in a normal manner and the transmission is not abused. the freestar is known for having converter failure. there is nothing you could of done to prevent the converter pump splines from stripping. ford used a metal that was not strong enough for the gear. it was defective. they should of stood behind that defect and warrantied the repair but they did not. i have replaced over 50 of these myself. the transmission is defective and should be recalled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving at speeds of 45 mph, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle would not accelerate accordingly. the vehicle was dragging as if it were in neutral gear. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who replaced the torque converter. on a separate occasion, while depressing the brake, approaching a traffic light, the vehicle downshifted and accelerated without warning. the approximate failure mileage was 94,826 and the current mileage was 127,000. the vin was not available.

Transmission stop working on i75 in rush hour traffic almost hit by large truck this is was a defect with transmission on a 2005 ford freestar vehicle no. i called ford they will not admit there is a problem with this vehicle the service manager said they have over 200 of these problems . *tr

I am an owner of 2005 ford freestar. while driving to work on morning, my van with approximately 52k miles on it stopped moving. it was like i hit the gearshift into neutral. after coasting into a parking lot and have my vehicle towed to the repair shop, i was told that it was a known ford freestar transmission issue. i contacted my ford dealership who informed me that my vehicle was out of warranty. i have had a multitude of problems with this vehicle since the day after i purchased it, starting with heating/cooling issues to a leaking hatchback. my service, or lack of service, at the dealership is inexcusable. when i purchased the vehicle in 2005, i never imagined that i would be dumping thousands of dollars into it with only 50k miles. *tr

My 2005freestar is a vey unsafe vehicle to beon the market.in the midde of driving the vehicle will just turn off,leaving you with absolutely no power,at all.no steering ,no warning of any kind.this issue needs to be recalled.unsafe vehicle being put on market.this was bought as a family vehicle,i would never again put my family in this risky,unsafe piece of crap.worst family vehicle on the market.ford needs to step up to the plate,and recall this.take care of the broke consumers in america who are the one's at a loss,not ford.again,this matter needs to be addressed,and recalled,and fixed by ford. *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving various speeds, the vehicle does not go into gear and the rpm's go up and down. when driving more than 15 mph, the vehicle begins to jerk. when driving more than 20 mph, the interior lighting illuminates and the vehicle stalls. the vehicle was towed to an auto body shop, but they could not locate the cause of the failure after approximately four diagnostic tests. currently, the vehicle is still at the repair shop. the first three repairs were at the contact's expense, but the failure still persists. the failure mileage was 20,710 and current mileage was 20,986. updated 05/05/09 *bf updated 05/06/09*jb

The torque converter in our 2005 ford freestar has gone out at 43,000 miles and now at 86,000 miles. *tr

i have a 2005 ford freestart. at 50000 miles, the torque converter failed causing the van to not move when the shifter was taken to drive or reverse. the van would not go, but the engine was running. at the time of failure, the van had been driven approx 1 hr earlier to a store, then attempted to drive home and would not move. there was no problem with the transmission prior, just sudden failure. *tr

Car is only 3 years old with 39k miles on it. the transmission failed while driving on a city street. car would no longer drive. completely lost the ability to shift or do anything. brought car to a stop at a light and it would no longer operate. i took it to ford dealer and they said it was a serious transmission failure. ford says warranty ran out at 36k miles and cost to repair is estimated at over $3,000. searched on the internet and found numerous other complaints by ford freestar owners. my research shows a clear pattern of consistent transmission failure at relatively low mileage. this points to a defect by the manufacturer and flies in the face of normal consumer expectations that when you buy a brand new car, its transmission should last longer than 30 or 40 thousand miles! i was also shocked to find that nhtsa has not yet initiated an investigation despite numerous complaints filed with the agency itself. i then called nhtsa to ask what it takes to start an investigation. i assume that the agency has a typical standard or set of guidelines that it follows to determine whether an investigation is called for, but no one at nhtsa would give me that information or would direct me to anyone else at the agency who could provide that information. essentially, i was told "just file a complaint" and go away. no other help was available to me as a consumer and a taxpayer. i'm deeply disappointed with the process and i hope that the step of filing the complaint makes the agency more responsive than it has been so far. *tr

Traveling north on i-75 in michigan, our van lost all gears at 50-60 mph with no warning or noise. by the grace of god, the van was in the right lane on a downhill stretch of road and we coasted to the shoulder. the engine would rev and there was power, but no gears. we were going skiing for the weekend and were about 2 1/2 hours away from home. we were able to get a wrecker (after sitting in the van for 1 1/2 hours with 2 younger children) and towed to the nearest dealership. after looking at the car, the service rep said the torque converter shaft was stripped and would be about $1700 to repair. we were fortunate that no one was hurt and other family members were traveling with us to take the children while we rode in the wrecker. this is defect is definitely a safety hazard! *tr

Our 2005 ford freestar just stopped one day without any warning while traveling at 45 mph! it was towed and repaired. fortunately, our extended warranty covered the cost of the new rebuilt transmission and installation of torque converter. it had 70,415 miles at the time. *tr

2005 ford freestar van. 95k miles. transmission went out with no warning traveling at 50 mph on the freeway. up until this point, everything was fine except we'd have to wait for the tranny to engage longer than normal before applying gas: forward or reverse. if we didn't, there'd be a surge accompanied by a loud clunk. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions;the engine stalled without warning. the engine restarted after several attempts. however, the vehicle failed to operate in the "drive" and "reverse" gears. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician was unable to duplicate the failures and replaced the alternator. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on three separate occasions for the identical failures in which the alternator, mother board and transmission seal were replaced. the failures continued and there were no resolutions. the failure mileage was 20,000. the vin # was not available the current mileage was 26,000. js

After turning corner and attempting to accelerate vehicle suffered transmission failure/loss of motive power. steered vehicle to side of road. vehicle was towed to transmission shop, which rebuilt transmission and replaced torque converter. 7 months later transmission began to slip again and shop found torque converter failed. as of 11/2009, vehicle has had total of approx. 5 trips to repair shop, including original incident. torque converters failed and were replaced in each subsequent repair. transmission seems to "slam" into gear when shifting from park. somewhat better after repairs but not totally resolved. vehicle in garage out of service until it can be traded in/replaced. do not believe vehicle is safe to drive. *tr

Yesterday, 12/7/08, i pulled out of a parking space, switched gear from reverse to forward and applied gas. other than revving of engine, nothing happened. it would not engage any gears. i had the vehicle towed to a repair shop today and they referred me to a transmission shop. i contacted the ford dealership where i purchased the vehicle and they were unable to help as the vehicle was out of warranty. 2005 ford freestar transmission failure at 51,000 miles (december 7, 2008) should be recognized as failure of reasonable assurance of functionality of vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled, but the engine continued to run. the vehicle was towed to an auto repair shop and they stated that the transmission failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the transmission has failed completely. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 58,000.

Transmission has malfunctioned leading to complete vehicle immobility. vehicle has developed a reputation for this failure. *tr

On tuesday nov. 11th at 5:21pm my wife and 3 of my 4 children were driving down a busy 4 lane highway in murfreesboro, tn when without any warning or strange sound the 2005 ford freestar van we own failed to propel itself forward. the engine was still running but the car acted as though it was in neutral. my wife coasted to a stop and placed van in park and killed the engine. she restarted and placed in drive position but van would not move. other drivers were swerving to miss her as no shoulder to pull onto. reverse gear non responsive as well. had van towed to transmission repair shop. total torque converter failure at 55, 500 miles. paid $751 dollars for torque converter replacement. *tr

My 2005 ford freestar minivan while backing out of a driveway stop working. the van would not go into drive or reverse. we had the van towed to the local ford dealership. the torque converter broke. this happened suddenly and with no warning. we were lucky it was in a drive way and not on a highway or in a busy intersection. i have come to find out this is a common problem with freestar minivans. the van needs to be recalled and this problem needs to be fixed on all freestars before someone is killed. the ford freestar is unsafe and ford needs to fix this problem. *tr

Transmission failed in 2005 ford freestar minivan while 375 miles away from home on vacation. had to leave it at ford dealership while being repaired. *tr

Transmission completely fails with now warning. *tr

Major transmission and electrical system failures at 50k. wiring harness/computer not housed right; open to water. 3rd time stranded by this car in 5 months. *tr

While driving down the road, the transmission of my 2005 ford freestar minivan suddenly stopped pulling. was about to safely get to the shoulder. luckily, i was not trying to merge into traffic at an on ramp or other situation where n unexpected loss of acceleration could surprise me and other drivers and cause a major accident. based on internet research, this vehicle has a history of this failure. *tr

I was driving my (2005 ford freestar 61,300 ml.) van for about 10 min. on the freeway driving at about 60 mph. i approached my exit and i drove on the city street for another 10 minutes i stopped at an intersection waiting for the light the street wasn't at a slope or a slant as far as i know it is a level highway as soon as the street light turned green i attempted to accelerate and it felt like it was in neutral the rpm's revved high i knew it was the transmission it took a few seconds for the gear to catch and i was able to drive to my destination and leave the van there. *tr

My family and i pulled into the bank to get some money then when we were pulling out across a four lane highway our van acted like it was pulled into nutrual. i coasted it back into parking lot. we called ford and they said it was not covered under warranty because it had 50,800 miles on it and the warranty ran out at 50,000 miles. i had an independent mechanic fix it. also it has been up at our local dealer 5 times since 10/1/2009 because it was shuting off in the middle of the raod whne it rained.they changed the computer and said that was what the problem was but it did it again. i was informed the next time it was the trans. again. it turned out that the fire wall was leeking water on the wiring harnes.

Was driving home with wife and kids, traveling approx 45-50 mph when van suddenly stopped pulling and rpm's went sky high. it acted like it was in neutral and was barely able to get it over to the side of the road. had it towed home ($125.00) and went out next morning and checked all fuses, all good, transmission fluid was full, no warning lights on dash, no indication of anything wrong. haven't been able to take anywhere yet to have it checked, because of labor day and my being on duty on tuesday. it sounds like the same problem numerous people on the edmonds.com site has had. i think these transmissions should be recalled before someone gets killed from their vans shutting down in traffic. *tr

My ford freestar had the transmission out for torque converter failure. driving van and suddenly lost power like it was in neutral. it was repaired then about 3-5 months later the van started to run rough and die transmission was shifting crazy had water in the pcm. the dealership repaired van under ford extended warranty van is very unreliable and i don't take it far from home but i still have to pay for a very poorly engineered car. *tr

Transmission went out while backing out of driveway . major slippage. seem stuck in neutral. *tr

2005 ford freestar auto transmission went out while backing out of driveway. fluid level ok, fluid appears clean, smells new. *tr

We have not had any prior problems with our minivan. we were driving with our 2 small children on a major highway doing at least 60 mph when our van would not go when my husband put his foot on the gas. he was able to get the van to the side of the road without any incident. the engine was running (air conditioning, radio, dvd player all working)but when he put his foot on the gas the vehicle did not move. we now have to have a rebuilt transmission put in the vehicle. *tr

After driving up to the upper peninsula, my fiance was driving our 2005 ford freestar limited back to her parent's house. she driving up the hill on the highway when suddenly, the engine's rpms increased dramatically and the vehicle began to role down the hill. she was not towing anything with the vehicle. after the vehicle came to rest, she was not able to put the vehicle into gear and drive. the vehicle was first towed to rahilly ford dealership in newberry, mi. they were unable to diagnose the problem because they do not have a transmission technician, so they outsourced the job to a company in canada called mr. transmission. after mr. transmission removed the transmission and disassembled it, they discovered the front pump and torque converter failed. mr. transmission ordered a new torque converter, pump, and seals to repair the transmission. total bill comes out to be $2600 dollars. so far, ford has been no help in the repair of the vehicle. *tr

In september of 2005 we purchased a used 05 ford freestar by that october it was in the garage the pcm without. the dealer had the van for 3 weeks went to pull out at the dealer the pcm was still not fixed after 2 or three more weeks got van back. then june of 06 went pull out of the driveway the pcm without again. ford pick the van up said they had to problem fixed. they did for a little while but now two years later the pcm is out once again. it keeps going out due to water getting the pcm. ford knows there is design problem with this model of van but refuses to recall and fix the problem. *tr

Numerous problems with this vehicle. transmission went out, replaced it and still having original problem. after exiting highway and coming to complete stop, transmission will whine out in 1st gear, will not shift unless you stop accelerating. alarm system went off and would not stop, lights would not shut off unless you disconnect the battery. consistent problems with drivers side ventilation system (heat blowing cold, air blowing hot). airbag warning light on. pass warranty, to tired to keep putting money into this vehicle. *tr

While driving at 55 mph in rush hour traffic on way home from hospital with my four year old son and wife vehicle started bucking and jerking no power. tachometer was fluctuating back and forth got vehicle back home and called ford roadside assistance to come tow it. dealer replaced sensor part # 1f1z-7m101-aa told us all okay. vehicle had 35,760 miles on it on 6/18/08. vehicle again on 6/23/08 started with same problem towed back to dealer could not duplicate problem told again all okay 35,784 miles on it. vehicle transmission again would not go into gear dealer had it for 19 days and replaced the transmission told all is okay 35,853. vehicle picked up on 7/17/08 back in shop on 7/20/2008 problem still is not fixed vehicle only has 40 miles on new transmission still will not stay in gear or drive at all as of 723/08 dealer has no answer on how to fix problem or reason for it. vehicle is very unreliable to drive don't no when transmission is going to act up or stop. *tr