Problems with 2005 Ford Freestar POWER TRAIN

While driving in traffic the van just slipped out of gear. hitting the gas only made the engine rev up. i coasted to a stop. the van would still start and run but would not go into drive or reverse. the gear shift moves but nothing happens. after having it towed we replaced the transmission sensor but it did not fix the issue. do not know what to do at this point. *tr

While been stop waiting in a red light the motor feels like accelerated (rpm increase too high by itself) then reduced to normal and then (when light turns green) the car do not respond to accelerator. the car do not move, do not react to the pedal. you can select reverse, drive l1, l2 or any other option, but it do not react to anyone (just parking status was enable). the car was stuck so we need to get towed to home. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated was driving 20 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who performed a diagnostic that located the failure at the transmission and advised the transmission be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that they would contact the dealer on the contact's behalf. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 93,000.

Have a 2005 ford freestar with 64000 miles on it. while driving down a highway with my husband and 5 children in the car, it just revved up without warning and started to slow down. no drive, reverse, low... nothing. the transmission just took a vacation. lucky aaa was close by and got the car towed to our home and our family home safe. the next morning we decided to go out and try to start it again and see if anything changed. now the car not only has no transmission but the car wont even turn over. everything else works. its not the battery, which is new. have had regular maintenance on it and not had many problems until now,. have a call into ford right now waiting for a tech to call me back with options. seeing so many people with the exact same issue , seems to me ford should be taking care of this issue. *tr

2005 ford freestar 36,000 miles was driving home on surface road along a 2 mile straight away vehicle bucked, (surged and slowed) while driving 40 miles an hour put it in neutral and revved the engine just fine put it back into gear and it drove about another mile did it again... same response on my part and was able to limp it back to my house which was 3 miles from original place of the problem. i parked it and after a short google of the problem found hundreds after hundreds of people with the same problem. i've not repaired it yet.pending finding out what my options are. *tr

The transmission in my 2005 ford freestar stopped working without wringing or prior indication that something was wrong. my wife backed out of the drive and then put the van in drive and it would not move forward. also tried reverse and it no longer works either. this needs to be a recall based on what i am reviewing on several web sites. this type of repair (that could have been avoided with a better design) is costing approximately $2500 for each vehicle - with some owners experiencing this issue multiple times! *tr

I have the same problem that everyone else is complaining about. driving along at 30 mph. all of a sudden complete power loss and revving. towed the vehicle to the mechanic and also stated i needed a new torque converter. mileage only 66,600. seems to be an ongoing problem with this vehicle! *tr

The car lost power as i was trying to drive it. it took several seconds to go from 0 to 20mph. this is every day. once it gets to 20mph the car drives normally. also sometimes the car wont move when put in drive or reverse. i have to put it back in park, and then in drive or reverse for it to move. also, when i stop at a stop sign or a red light, the car drives very slow until it reaches 20mph. my car is on recall but i was told by ford that the part is not yet in stock. i have been waiting and having problems and spending money on this car since i purchased it. i've been waiting more than 8 months for the part from ford. they say the car is not dangerous to drive. i disagree but i need my car for work. i feel that they should give me a replacement. i am still making payments. *tr updated 08-09-12 *bf the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. it has been traded in. updated 08/09/2012 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 65 mph, the contact stated the rpms would increase and shift into neutral and slowly decrease. the dealer was not notified of the failure. the manufacturer was contacted, but denied any assistance to the vehicle failure. a local mechanic diagnosed a transmission failure. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the failure and current mileage was 66,300 updated 08/31/11 *bf the consumer stated the engine revved up and then the vehicle slipped out of gear and the vehicle lost all power to go forward. there was no warning of any kind that something was wrong. updated 09/0/11

Complete loss of movement power on i-85 s about 20 miles north of atlanta, ga. had vehicle towed to mall of georgia ford in sugar hill, ga. diagnosed as complete transmission failure. no injury or accident caused by failure. i understand this is a common failure for freestars in model years 2004 and 2005. *tr

Last saturday, july 23, 2011, my husband was driving our 2005 ford freestar (just over 86,000 miles) in reverse. he stopped, put it into drive and it would not go into gear. not reverse, not drive, not first or third--nothing. fortunately he was able to get it pushed into a parking stall and out of the road. upon looking online to find out information regarding a transmission warranty, he discovered that many, many other people have had this same problem with '04 and '05 freestars and that ford's only response is to replace the defective part with another same, defective part. we were not hurt in any way, but it won't be long before someone is on a freeway or in an intersection and is involved in a serious--maybe even fatal--accident because their transmission is suddenly no longer functional. ford needs to recognize this oversight and recall all '04 and '05 ford freestars. we have not been able to get the vehicle to a mechanic as of yet, but will be doing so this week. cost of repair: unknown. *tr

My 2005 ford freestar has stop driving.it starts but when i shift into gears the car does nothing. it won't drive or go in reverse. i had a mechanic look at it and they said water got into the pcm. and would cost about $1200 to fix.i have notice many other 2005 ford freestars with the same problem. many have repaired the problem out of pocket because ford won't pay for the problem.we didn't design the vechile so why is it we have to pay for the problem.i was lucky that i was pulling into my house when my car cut off.but many other stories with the same water on the pcm problem have been on highways or busy streets when their car dies so is ford waiting for someone or a group of people to die in order to recall this problem and take resposibility and repair it so the consumer don't have to pay with thier money or thier lives.i swear had i known that ford has ignored serious lifethreating problem like the water on the pcm or transmission problem i would have never gotten a van from ford or any vehicle from them. ford clearly stands for found on road dead and soon its not going to be just the vehicle but someone life as well if they drive a ford.and ford doesn't give a crap. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle independently decelerated to 30 mph. the contact applied the brakes for a traffic stop but as he accelerated from the stop, the transmission failed to operate with a rapid increase in engine rpms. the vehicle was towed to an independent transmission center. the mechanic stated that the failure was related to the torque converter. the transmission was rebuilt by the mechanic. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number 12v006000 (power train) however, the vin was not included in the recall campaign. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 96,780.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving approximately 65 mph, the transmission began to hesitate in a jerking motion. the failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. the failure had not been diagnosed. there was recall related to the defect under nhtsa campaign id number 12v006000 (power train:automatic transmission:torque converter). the part was currently unavailable and has been for three months. the technician was unable to provide a date when the part would become available. an authorized dealer was unable to provide a date when the part would become available. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 59,000. the vin was unavailable.

Torque converter failed on 2005 freestar. *kb

Moving on interstate at 65 mph in high gear. transmission suddenly fails without warning resulting in sudden complete loss of power. tachometer rises to 6000 rpm's. able to pull onto shoulder. transmission repaired at ford dealer for $3400. *tr

I have a 05 ford freestar in the garage with transmission problems described by many on the internet. my wife was going to work and the van loss all power from the transmission. she was in heavy traffic and it just quit. after coasting to a stop she called me. we had to call a wrecker and had it towed to the garage close to home. after calling ford, (their price over three thousand) i had it towed to aamco for an estimate, 2,500.00. i've been told this could happen again, this is dangerous and we are beside ourselves that this could happen. my wife is 70 years old and the van only has 66,000 miles. p.s i've been told this could be an electronics problem that ford knows about. [xxx]. if there's a class action lawsuit outthere, i'm in!!!!!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

November of 2010 we were coming off of an exit ramp and the van died. no warning, no lights, not a thing. the transmission had been a little sluggish coming from 2nd to 3rd gear the day before but fine that day. had to replace the transmission. july 2012. transmission began to jerk when going into or out of any gear. power train light kept coming on. had to replace the transmission. 3600 and some change later, it still jerks coming out of 1st to 2nd. we now know that this is a common problem with the vehicle that ford knows about. *tt

I have not had any problem with my 2005 ford freestar in the past. i was driving along on an interstate and experienced a loss of power. the vehicle slowed down and would not accelerate anymore. *tr

My transmission just failed. luckily my wife was driving on a local street and was able to safely pull into a bus stop. the car had to be towed and just found out that the transmission has to be rebuilt. we still have payments left and we only one vehicle. it could take upto a week to fix. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 45 mph, the contact stated that she attempted to accelerate forward when the vehicle stalled without warning. the dealer advised the contact that there was no valid warranty and offered no further assistance. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the transmission pump failed and needed to be replaced. the contact was awaiting repairs. the current and failure mileage was 77,000.

Driving from abilene, tx to padre island, on ih-10 between junction and kerrville, tx. cruise set for 70-71. toped a grade in road, instead of returning to regualr gear transmission quit, speedometer started droping and tachometer reved up to 6,000 rpm. engine ran normally before incident and runs normally after incident; when transmission put in any gear vehicle acts like there is no transmission in it. there was no noise, no fluid leaks spoted, no warning indicators on instrument panel. park position does work will hold vehicle as designed. cost (so far) $640.00 for towing from ih-10 to abilene, tx. estimated cost of repair $750 - $1600. refer to nhtsa case no.'s pe09033 and ea09016 found on the nhtsa web-site. suspect either torque convertor failure or splines on shaft striped. towed in today june 20, 2100 for repairs, so actual cause not known at this time. *tt

On interstate going 70mph with cruise control on when instantly engine started racing then immediately stopped. the engine was still on but the van would not move. we had to push it out of the highway. the engine would start, but it would not engage into any gear. it went from cruising at 70mph to a dead stop, without any warning, within seconds. we had five children in a van with us.....we could have all been killed. we have since found out that many similar complaints have been made on this type of vehicle, however, ford has not warned anyone.

Pcm (power train control module) has gotten wet and causes car to not drive. lose power. not start. lunge, lurch forward. won't engage in drive or reverse. i have replaced pcm 6 times. broke down 5 times. had van towed 5 times. left van at repair shop for months at a time to diagnose problem. finally moved the pcm to the inside of van so that it won't be effected by water. ford has refused to acknowledge problem despite a tsb being issued. furthermore, i replaced the transmission and a recall has been issued but ford will not review my receipts for the transmission until letters go out. total stonewalling by ford. *tr

I had taken my 2005 ford freestar van to be checked for a problem with the transmission because it wasn't shifting properly. then later i had taken it to a ford dealer for the check engine light to be diagnosed - they claimed that it couldn't be diagnosed because it didn't write the code properly. transmission still not shifting properly. a month later the transaxle light came on, the engine wasn't running properly and in the rain the check engine light would blink on and off. i took it to a transmission specialist who actually took the time with the van to diagnose it. he had to let the engine warm up long enough for the lights to start coming on. then he diagnosed the problem to be the 2nd gear in the transmission. once the transmission was removed he said that it couldn't be fixed so i had to install a new transmission - $2700 later and had to borrow a vehicle from family to go on vacation. i also had to replace the air compressor for the air conditioner - $500 later but now it seems to be giving me problems again. i have had numerous issues with the tires - they don't hold air because of the rims that don't allow them to properly seal. i had the dealer put on the last set of tires and told them to fix the issue - so far i haven't had an issue. but for 60000 miles i have had issues. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated as she was driving away from a traffic light at 5 mph the torque converted failed. the failure caused the vehicle to stall in the middle of the road. the vehicle was pushed to the side of the road and then towed to a mechanic. after inspection they replaced the torque converter for $1459 at the contacts expense. the dealer was contacted and offered no assistance. the manufacturer was contacted, stated there was no recall and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 74,912.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact was driving 50 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact drove in neutral to a local mechanic who advised that the fuel filter would need replacing. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred two weeks later. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the power control module was replaced but the failure persisted. the vehicle was towed back for inspection and the contact was advised by the mechanic that the transmission needed replacing. the transmission was replaced bu the failure was not corrected. it was then found that waster was entering the vehicle through the windshield and contacting the wiring for the power control. the mechanic removed the water from the tubes of the power control module and added caulk to prevent water intrusion. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: pe10033 (vehicle speed control power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm, pcm)) that could possibly have been related to the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 97,950.

2005 ford freestar. driving normally, stopped at traffic light, when light changed to proceed van stalled. started vehicle but would stall once shifted into gear. managed to drive in reverse into a parking lot until tow truck arrived. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that at approximately 68,000 miles the vehicle had problems with the transmission. the contact was traveling 60 mph on the highway when the rpms started to increase. the contact disengaged the cruise control when the vehicle came to a stop. the contact spoke to the dealer and was told that the splines were stripping on the torque converter. the failure and current mileage was 68,000. updated 07/08/11 *bf updated 07/18/11

Driving in the far left lane of i-75 at approximately 70 mph when the engine rpm's rose and i had to coast across two lanes of traffic to the right shoulder of i-l75. my transmission had went out. i could put the transmission in gear but it would not engage. i could have been injured or could have injured someone else. the transmission went out without any kind of warning. at this time i have been told that i need to replace the transmission with a new one from the ford dealer because my mechanic said that you cannot rebuild it because you can't get parts for it. *tr

2005 ford freestar. consumer writes in regards to reimbursement for replacement of torque converter in compliance with safety recall *tgw

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact was driving 75 mph when the vehicle gradually decelerated and would not longer accelerate. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where they diagnosed that the torque inverter and transmission failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 66,000.

I was along the expressway about 55mph ,then all unsudden the van made a jerk and begin to lose power and slowed pressed the gas pedal and it would not pick up speed so i managed to let it roll to the side of the road and stopped cut the motor off ,and then cranked it back up put it into drive would not move then reverse would not move so cut it off and called for a tow truck. *tt

On sat. may 7, 2011 my 2005 ford freestar quit while driving 55 mph on an open highway. i lost speed while motor continued running.i pulled off to the side of the road turned off engine restarted fine, but would not move in either drive or reverse. i was stranded going to work. we think it might be the transmission. after reading all the complaints online there are hundreds i want ford to do something about this. someone please do something about this. we don't have the money to fix or even buy another vehicle. now how do i get to work? support a family? after all the complaints why isn't there a recall yet? *tr

2005 ford freestar 3.9l 130,000 mile. while driving down major state route with my 6 year old in the car my engine just stopped, lost power steering, brakes but was able to pull over on side of road. had to wait two hours for a tow truck to come. after shop inspected, they found the pcm was full of water and had to be replaced. due to the complete loss of power this could have caused a tragic accident if my son and i would not have been able to get off the road. *tr

2005 ford freestar, 94,000 miles. transmission slips slightly and engages hard when shifting from park to reverse and also from neutral into drive. this problem is intermittent. occurs mostly when backing out of garage and then pulling forward onto street. *tr

per ford service: water in pcm 5/03/11 similar problem 7/15/10 although at the time ford service was unable to find the cause. at about 20 miles per hour while making a right hand turn the engine stalled, the power steering and power brakes failed causing me to temporarily lose control and swerve into the on-coming lane. luckily there was no traffic or pedestrians there at the time. ford service found the cause to be water in the powertrain control module (pcm).

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 30 mph, the engine exhibited an abnormal increase in rpms. the contact attempted to shift the gear into drive but gear failed. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and the dealer was contacted. the dealer stated that they were not aware of the failure and offered no further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 133,000.

2005 ford freestar required transmission rebuild due to torque converter splines damaging clutches and gears. *tr

The brunswick county department of social services owns a 2005 ford freestar van. on april 20, 2011 five agency staff traveling on interstate 95 north to a meeting traveling at a speed of 75mph experienced a sudden failure of power causing the vehicle to slow down eventually stopping. the driver immediately move to the shoulder at which the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle has been transported via tow truck to a local automotive repair shop for transmission failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who performed a diagnostic and determined that the transmission failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer advised the contact that the failure was not recall related and they would not assist with the repair. the failure and current mileage was 26,000. updated 06/01/11*lj updated 07/08/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that the vehicle would shift into neutral abnormally while driving at any speed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that there was water in the power train control module and that it would need replacing. the manufacturer was contacted who filed a claim but provided no further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 96,000. updated 06/01/11*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. updated 07/29/11

I own a 2005 ford freestar with 55,000 miles on it that i bought new . but on april 15 2011 as i drove down the road at about 30pmh i suddenly had no power of forward motion. i was heading to a hill . not knowing what was happening a hit the brakes to stop and pull over to the side of the road. the car behind me was forced to go around me in the other lane. thankfully nobody was coming up the hill. i tried to put the van into reverse to see if it worked but it was like being in neutral. the van started rolling down the hill again. the motor would race no matter what gear i put the van in. i had the van towed to transmission shop were i was told that they had heard of this problem. he asked if where were any signs of a problem prior to this. which there were not. he told me that the torque converter output splines were sheared off and the transmission had to be rebuilt. that would cost about 2,300.00 and take a week. now he is going to save the parts for me so i can see what happenedto them. i would like to see if ford will take responsibility for this defect because it doesn't happen on every van made but is happening on a select few years. maybe it was a bad match of parts ,but i don't think that we should have to pay for that problem. *tr

Driving at 25 miles per hour and i turned the corner and lost all motive power. the motor ran fine but the van had no gears forward or reverse. there was no indication of a problem, i didn't see or hear anything and no check engine light came on. this is the first time it has happened. a mechanic told me the torque converter output shaft would need to be replaced and the transmission rebuilt. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. the contact stated that the transmission indicator light illuminated and the vehicle began to lose power. the contact stated that the vehicle would eventually stall and immediately restart but the vehicle would not go into drive or reverse. the vehicle was repaired by having the transmission rebuilt. the failure and current mileage was 74,000. updated 06/16/11*lj the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. updated 06/27/11

Hello, while driving my 2005 ford freestar on the nys thruway at 65mph the engine started revving and the car was not moving forward. i became frightened as cars and trucks began flying by as i was unable to move. fortunately i was able to slip into an opening in the traffic and pulled my car onto the shoulder. it scares me to think of the various situations that a terrible accident could have occurred had i not been lucky enough to move the car off the road. i had to have the car towed to a shop and unable to repair at that shop have the car moved to my house where it now sits. i just had a mechanic look at the vehicle with his computer and i was given a 3 choice range of options from $1100 for torque converter and shaft to $3100 for a transmission replacement. when i make a decision i would be able to arrange to have the parts saved. *tr

2005 ford freestar pcm problems. symptoms include intermittent incidences including vehicle's failure to start, running rough, improperly accelerating, refusing to move forward/backward, and other random problems. the fuel system components/camshaft sensor/etc, as well as the transmission have been replaced on the vehicle, but all of these issues still exist. codes do not show up on mechanic's diagnostic computers unless the car is actively having the problem, which seems to rarely happen. mechanics, including the local ford dealership, has not been able to confirm the problem with the pcm; however, our mechanic did find water in the computer module. he dried it out and resealed it, in hopes of resolving the issues we were having. the problems have continued though and despite lack of codes, all indications are that the computer is no longer good. another problem is the fact that getting a replacement pcm is nearly impossible. the demand for freestar reconditioned computers is so high that we've not been able to find one to replace the bad unit in the van. (apparently, new pcm's are not available at all.) after seeing the massive number of on-line complaints which are so similar to ours, i cannot believe that ford shut the case regarding the computer problem. if the diagnosis of failed pcm's is almost impossible to achieve, ford simply chooses to ignore the obvious. (read all of the complaints on nhtsa.dot.gov.) poor placement of the pcm on the back of the vehicle wall has allowed water to run off of the windshield into the unit, but ford will not take ownership in this problem. how many people have to risk having a wreck and possibly dying due to water-damaged components? it is unfortunate and unnecessary. one last question... is it possible that the transmission problems (currently on recall) be related to the water-damaged pcm's? *tr

While traveling on i-94, going 70 mph, i attempted to accelerate and the vehicle did not respond. the transmission was completely gone. i had to pull over to a safe location on the side of the busy highway without the use of a transmission. my husband and 2 small children were in the van with me at the time. it was very unnerving and dangerous. we had the van towed to a local ford dealership and they stated that it needed a new torque converter. they quoted $1400 for the repair but we were able to get them down to $1100. the van has only 66000 miles on it. this is not acceptable. ford needs to recognize that this is common problem and a recall needs to be made.

Vehicle was operating in normal manner in traffic. suddenly all drive power to the wheels was lost. there was no warning at all from a sound to any shudder from the vehicle. sudden loss of propulsion very dangerous in traffic moving 50 mph. engine never stalled or died. driver was able to maneuver vehicle from fast lane to a parking lot entrance and stop vehicle. engine runs fine, brakes no issue; however, the van will not move in any gear. the transmission never engages while shifting on the steering column. there is absolutely no fluid leakage or smoke from the transmission. van was towed to a transmission repair facility. torque converter and pump were replaced. total charges of about $1000 for the work. service manager at bill collins ford denied knowing of any issues with the transmission. while i was talking to him two customers arrived to pick up vehicle with exactly the same problem and similar occurrence of loss of power in traffic. his explanation was coincidence, yet this torque converter / transmission is stocked at a much higher than normal level in the parts department due to high demand per the service desk tech. *tr

The vehicle starts fine, but as soon as i get to about 20mph, the vehicle stalls. i have taken the vehicle to the ford dealership atleast four times. at first they said it was something in the transmission, then they said it was the torque converter, finally they decided it was the pcm getting wet. they said they sealed the pcm to keep it from getting wet, but all they did was caulk around the brackets that fastens the wiper cow on. finally after getting tired of taking the van back to the dealership, i decided to pull everything apart myself. what i discovered was the pcm is located in a place that it shouldn't be. it is located on the passenger side of the firewall under the wiper cow. water runs behind the wiper cow directly on the pcm. i have contacted the dealership about it, but all they say is, " we cant do anything about it because there is no recall". i looked online to see if other people are having problems, and to no surprise, there are literally hundreds of consumers with the exact same issues. i feel that this could potentially be unsafe to motorists, simply because the entire vehicle shuts down as you are driving. when the vehicle shuts down, there is no longer power steering or power brakes, which makes it difficult to safely control the vehicle. please do what you can. *tr