Problems with 2005 Ford Freestyle POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle independently surged forward. additionally, the contact stated while at a complete stop, she attempted to accelerate but the vehicle would not respond. the contact continually applied pressure to the accelerator pedal until the vehicle responded. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Engine went idle during rush hr on i95 center lane traffic flying by rpms soaring and im at a coast trying to get over scared the bleep out of several other drivers. dash says engine fail safe mode and as i brake the car is lurching and jerking. i shut it off. i breathe in and out and then start her back up and i limp along the shoulder to the exit ramp. arrange a day off and take it to ford (went idle twice on the way) and they "clean out the deposits" in the throttle body free as part of a recall. so monday back on the highway it happens again.omg so i take it to the local guy and he replaces the throttle body assembly for about $700. car is running great, acceleration is back she feels like new and it made me realize that the throttle had been acting weird for a while - occasionally things like starting the car and that initial acceleration when pulling forward or back but it never just went idle like that - that's just dangerous. i think it is unfair that ford did not replace this part - i left ford confident that they knew what they were doing especially because i told them of my near miss on the highway. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would lunge forward and the transmission warning lamp illuminated. the contact mentioned that the vehicle would fail to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician stated that the throttle body was malfunctioning. the technician cleaned the throttle body however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 123,187 and the current mileage was 130,500.

For several years, my car had an unexpected lurching/lunging problem whenever i was pulling in & out of parking spaces. this was very dangerous, since i had to immediately slam on my brakes to avoid hitting something or someone. i noticed on several forums that the suggested fix was to have the throttle body cleaned, so on 9/17/12, i had my regular mechanic perform this repair. in dec 2012, i received a recall letter from ford stating that they would repair the throttle body or reimburse me if i had already had it done. this letter was apparently a result of complaints like this with nhtsa and a class-action lawsuit filed over 2 years ago. no sooner had i applied for the refund when the second issue (that the forums all describe) starting occurring - i.e. a loud whine whenever i have the car in park or neutral. the sound goes away once in drive, but i've had 3 garages tell me this is a sign that the cvt transmission is failing. the repair costs anywhere from $4,000 to $7,000. numerous documentation exists that these cvt transmissions are failing around 100,000 miles and that the manufacturer of the part no longer makes it, so only rebuilt transmissions can be used. apparently ford has the market cornered on those and there is a huge back-order problem to even get the work none. all this indicates a problem on ford's part, but a lack of response until another class action is thrown at them which is already in the works. needless to say, i have not been driving my car, since it seems inevitable that the transmission is about to die. i do not want to cause an accident, but i do want the nhtsa to put pressure on ford to correct this problem since most of these vehicles are reaching the mileage point where the failure is bound to occur and an accident will happen. the throttle-body problem is apparently related to the cvt problem so please have them fix it. *tr

Started the car, headed out and "check transmission" came on. took to the dealer they came up with 2 codes, possible transmission, possible mechatronics. dealer recommended take home and if/when error messages appear bring the car back. car was fine for few miles then "check transmission" followed by "check engine" and immediate loss of power. took car back to dealer (used scanner to clear so i could drive). left at dealer for them to drive and get some answers. was told need a new transmission parts + labor around $6500-$7000. with a four month wait due to production back log. before this happened i loved this car.. hoping the dealer will work with me on trade in, can not afford a new car! *tr

My awd malfunction light is on and the all wheel drive does not work. *tr

Total transmission failure... *tr

Engine sputter then failure. then computer error states, fail safe engine mode. diagnostic reveals throttle body failure. common problem according to service department recall pending, why won't u act. web full of this complaint. *tr

Engine sputter then failure. then computer error states, fail safe engine mode. diagnostic reveals throttle body failure. common problem according to service department recall pending, why won't u act. web full of this complaint. *tr

The weather was below freezing and the wrench light came on. i taken it to the local for dealer and he mentioned that it was the crv transmission, but no additional error codes. the problems along with the wrench light was the motor would not accelerate and the was no indication on what was going on. when the temperatures were above freezing the wrench light was out and everything seemed to be ok. but now after several of the wrench lights, now i have a check engine light and it seams like i have lost engine power. the local dealer has told me that if it persists i will need a new transmission and that will be in access of $4,750.00. i believe after reading the online messages in edmunds.com and reading that this is over 170,000 ford freestyles there has to be a definite problem here. will the lemon law cover this problem since i have under 60,000 miles. *tr

Ford has not issued a recall on their cvt transmission. there were over 54 pages of complaints on one website. ford has also decided not to make a replacement part. therefore, the consumer is faced with a $6000.00 repair bill. there is no doubt the transmission is faulty as ford changed to a more reliable 6speed automatic. those of who have a nice vehicle are faced with oversized yard art as the common man can buy another car for the repair. trying to trade resulted in "what will we do with it?" nice answer. *tr

When it gets below freezing, i get a wrench light and then there is no throttle response. a few weeks ago i was stuck in a snow storm with this problem. i ended up purchasing a carmd device and found out that it is a transmission valve body, but the local ford motor company insists that it is the complete transmission and wants to charge for something that i think that this should be a recall because of all of the complaints and listings on the web for the same problem. after reading further into the information i have found out that the cvt transmission is attached to a 3.5l six cylinder engine that is pushing more horsepower than the transmission can handle. therefore this is a deliberate neglect on the ford motor company and should make appropriate corrections to resolve the problem. *tr

I started my car backed out of the driveway and put the car in drive. when i went to press on the gas pedal it seemed like it wasn't in drive. i looked and it was in drive and then i looked and my engine fail safe mode light was on. i drove slowly to service station and they said that i need a new throttle body after putting it on there testing machine. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated while driving 55 mph, the vehicle repair warning lamp illuminated and failed to maintain or increase speed. the vehicle was not repaired but was diagnosed as a problem with the converter. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

While maneuvering my vehicle in a small space (forward, reverse, turning the wheel) the car began to surge and lunge (has occurred before, but mostly in reverse.) there was loud whining when i turned the steering wheel (that began recently and is almost constant.) the engine began to rev loudly, the car trying to lunge even with the brake applied. i reversed the car several feet from the road for fear it would lunge into traffic. the engine light (1st time ever) and the wrench symbol came on. car went into limp mode, would not accelerate or exceed 30mph. (4th or 5th time this has happened in the one year i've owned the car.) diagnostic codes given by autozone on 9/19/12: p2106 (throttle actuator control system) & p061b (internal control module torque calculation performance error.) upon restart, engine light off. dealer was contacted, and on 9/26/12 i drove the car to repair shop. they said smart junction box melted, must replace (electronic chassis control module )before doing repairs to the throttle body, cvt and suddenly non-working a/c (was working prior). no repairs have been made to the vehicle as the dealership (not ford) refuses to honor the 36,000ml warranty with car. recent problems prior to 9/26/12:*highway driving (55+mph/sometimes using cruise) car revs high rpms/will not accelerate at all/resumes later*sputters/stalls/loses power when slowing/stopping (it does restart) instrument panel brightens/dims*power locks malfunctioning (unlock function works with fob only) often while driving car locks/unlocks continuously/car randomly unlocks after being parked/turned off*cd player not working/displayed error code/2 month later working again*security system function inconsistent/disables randomly*gears not engaging right away, then a loud noise and car surges/lunges into drive/reverse* lunging (mostly reverse) and surge/lunge when in drive/brake applied. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the wrench icon and the traction control warning indicator illuminated as the vehicle exhibited an abnormal reduction in power. the contact mentioned that the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 116,000.

For the past few months my car has been lunging forward or backward when going at a low speed. for example, going into or coming out of a parking space, in a drive thru line, or waiting at a traffic light. the problem seem worse when it is hot outside and/or the air is on. yesterday the problem happen again, engine stalled and when i restarted the car the check engine light came on. i have had a few near misses with the problem, coming close to hitting a little girl in a parking lot and almost running into a car at a drive thru line just to name a couple. i remember hearing about the same problem last year and am very shocked to see that ford is taking a chance with peoples lives like this, why has there not been a recall issued to fix the problem? *tr

Vehicle lunges or surges when at idle or low speeds in forward and reverse. *tr

When hot and typically with the air conditioning on the car will surge forward during backup and slow maneuvering. occasionally it will also die. it is extremely dangerous. almost hit a couple of students while in pullman. even happens with the foot on the brake. i am really surprised there has not been a recall for this. this is putting ford and high risk for a major lawsuit. *tr

Went to start my 2005 ford freestyle - the rpms on the vehicle increased slightly, the wrench, traction control and engine light came on, when i put the car in reverse, there was a loud thunk noise. i turned the engine off and tried it again. same thing, i had to drive it approx. 2 miles, there was no power, but it got me to my class. when i came back out to my car an hour an a half later, only the engine light came on and the vehicle drove normally. since then i have had it to the dealer to diagnose. at first they said it was the transmission that would need to be replaced. this is a $4000 repair. the diagnostic codes were generic and they could not tell for sure what the problem was. this behavior usually starts after the vehicle has sat for a few hours. when all the lights first come on, it says it has had a data transmission error. i turn off the car and restart. this usually resets the computer in some way. when only the engine light comes on, it will say "check engine, check transmission". sometimes no lights come on. it drives normally. i took it back to the dealer so they could experience the whole issue first thing in the morning. they have now said that it is a short in the instrument cluster. the repair will be $1025.00, but they can not guarantee that this will resolve the issue for sure. i have also experienced where the lights will come on while i am driving. i have to turn my vehicle off in traffic to reset it. this is not real safe. i see that my year of car and newer has had several complaints for this issue and a lunging issue. i will be contacting ford tomorrow to see if i can get some help on this issue. *tr

While coming to a stop the car started making a helicopter sound, and the check transmission and check trac control lights started flashing as was the awd malfunction light. *tr

The car jump in low speed and you have to apply the brakes, this was in direct drive or reverse. *tr

My ford freestyle it raves on it's own with out me stepping on the gas. it also trys and takes off on its own it has done it various times. i just got it out the dealership on 8/7/12 due to ac compressor took the dealership a whole week to fix went to pick it up left the dealer and it started accelerating on its on and trying to take off whitout me stepping on the gas. the next day 8/8/12 i went to work when i got to our gate at my job i was getting my badge to open the gate and it started doing it again when i was parking reverse it accelerated and then it died on me it read system failure, i turned on the car again and it did it again and then it shut off again reading system failure. i took it back to the dealership after work thinking they must have did something wrong now there telling me its the throttle body and i have to pay another deductible to get it fixed. there goes 2 deductible payments back to back! they need to recall this part back i looked online and many people are having the same issue! *tr

In august 2012, my 2005 freestyle surged while in reverse with my wheels at full cut as i was backing out of my driveway, as i have been doing for the last 40 years. as i took my foot off of the gas pedal to apply the brake to switch to drive from reverse, the car surged in reverse, and the right corner of my rear bumper impacted my neighbors truck behind his front door, causing me to report the accident to my insurance company to repair his vehicle. i told the agent at my insurance company i had read about this surging problem in the freestyle forums, and asked if the accident would be contributed to mechanical failure due to defective part, rather than driver error, as i stated before i have been backing out of this driveway for 40 years with 70's lincolns and cadillacs, all cars 5 feet longer than the freestyle, without incident. her reply was that if there was a recall due to this problem, then yes, it would be attributed to mechanical failure. my question is, i know the nhtsa was investigating this last year, has there been any conclusion to this investigation? if anyone has an update, can you please contact me at fcejr55yahoo.com with the information. i know it says not to use my e-mail address, but how else will somebody be able to contact me? any help will be greatly appreciated. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Recently, my 2005 ford freestyle began lunging forward at slow speeds, and yesterday it did it twice in heavy traffic. i took it to big country ford and they are trying to tell me it is my water-pump and air conditioner compressor. they also said my motor mount was broken, which was a common problem with the freestyles and taurus x models. as i read online, the lunging problems seem to be common with these. *tr

Vehicle has been lunging forward at very slow speeds for several months, usually with foot lightly on brake. when this occurred on 8/3/12, the vehicle lost considerable power and the dash indicated "safe mode". mechanic advised throttle body needs replaced. *tr

Vehicle lunges when starting out from parked, lunges in forward gear, and in reverse gear. i see that there are many people with the same complaint this is a serious safety problem. i had this problem multiple times before and have nearly injured someone when he stepped behind my vehicle as i put it into reverse to back out of a parking place. the car accelerated by itself, fortunately i was able to stop. however the braking is not sufficient when backing it is a very dangerous problem. this deserves your immediate attention. i have been involved in automotive repair for 40+yrs. and assure you there is no excuse for fords not handling this. they are well aware that this exists and are ignoring a serious hazard. any ford service will admit that the problem exists and that they do not have a recall. i see now that there is a redesign due to the problem. your power can force them to rectify this problem, and save serious injury from this point on. i have no doubt that many accidents have occurred and someone has been injured seriously. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Vehicle lunging. this has happened to the car twice now. both times with my entire family with me. husband and two daughter of 10 and 12. while sitting in the car, with the ac running, we placed the car in either drive or reverse and the vehicle went high speed ahead without any pressure on the gas petal. instead the brake petal was applied. thank the good lord, no one was behind me or in front of me ... since i was in a busy store parking lot both times! the second time it happened, as we continued to drive, the engine would surge or lose power along with the wrench(transmission) light coming on. this went on for 3 miles down road in heavy traffic with these problems. eventually it felt back to normal. we went to a garage and they said the transmission was going in the car. this problem i see is very prevalent in this car. why is nothing being done? someone will be killed before this is resolved.. i am sorry to say! car is still at garage and not repaired. last word was that the transmission was on backorder. there are none available at this time. i have bought 5 ford vehicles and this may be the last. *tr

Sudden, sporadic lunging/surging occurs while at low speeds, i.e. parking. seems to them, especially on hot days when running a/c. last year i got the "safe mode" and wrench display, bit of course when i took it to ford they told me i had to bring it in when the message was still showing. it occurred again this year, but i didn't bother going to ford. but today, as i was trying to park, the car did it again and this time i almost rammed the car in front of me. what can i do? *tr

After coming home from a trip to the grocery store, about 5 mile total round trip; i pulled into my garage. with my foot on the brake and about to move the gear lever from drive to park, the car suddenly surged forward hitting a metal storage shelf. the car surged 5 feet forward while engine rpms increased from idle (about 800) to 2500 instantly and uncommanded with absolutely no throttle increase or input. it damaged the front of my car. our freestyle does this often. i normally can catch it. it always happens at low speed or while the car is stopped. it happens both in drive and reverse. i have since had to discontinue letting my 18 and 16 year old son and daughter drive the vehicle because of the danger involved in these uncontrolled surges. *tr

Same issues as investigation # pe11018. i was backing out of a parking space and the engine attempted to surge three separate times. i was in control with my foot on the brake. after exiting the parking lot, i drove about 400-500 feet and stopped. backed up and then as i went forward, the engine surged and then the car went into fail safe mode. i have had the engine surge in reverse over the past year that i have owned it, but this is the first time it has resulted in a "fail safe" mode. it is now in the shop and the dealer believes that it is a throttle body and/or and ecm module failure. *tr

I have experienced the "surging" problem being investigated by nhtsa. i was in a parking lot and put the vehicle into reverse, started to back out of the space and the engine surged and lurched backwards into the driving area. i put it into park and noticed the engine rpms going up and down instead of staying constant while idling, then it evened out. i tried again and the car surged again (i was ready for it this time and applied the brakes to slow the vehicle down) and was able to back out of the space and drive normally. this is not the first time that the vehicle has done this, but i am not sure how long it has been doing it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle would lunge in acceleration while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the throttle body would need replacing. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage was 67,300.

Well its been happening for awhile now my 2005 freestyle has the tendency to lung forward and in reverse in low speeds or even at stops causing the car to rattle and stall or go into engine protect mode which makes it drive very slow. but its is happening more frequent. i also notice that the tranny wines now and one of the engine mounts is broke. very unsafe to drive my wife wont even let me take my kids in the car. very frustrating that ford has not done anything about this what does it take someone to get killed????? *tr

1. pulling into parking space, vehicle surged forward, steering was turned sharply at the time and foot on brake 2. pulling in garage and vehicle surged while foot on brake. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving at a low speed and approaching a stop sign, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. multiple unknown warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was then taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable.

While stopped or at low speeds the car lunges forward suddenly. only a quick application of the brake prevented an accident. we have had this problem several times last summer also as it seems to be aggravated by very hot weather and the use of the air conditioner. we got a check engine light and the dealer recommended a "throttle body update" and wants $945 but acknowledged they didn't know if this would fix the problem or not. i see this as a serious problem that has significant risk potential. please investigate if other freestyle owners are having the same issue. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated while driving 50 mph, the transmission warning light illuminated. the contact decelerated to 40 mph as the vehicle began to lunge forward abnormally. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure recurred. the vehicle was returned to the dealer, who stated that the transmission would need to be replaced again however, they did not have the necessary parts to complete the repair. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the transmission was rebuilt however, the failure recurred. the contact was informed that there was an electrical problem that was causing the recurring transmission failure. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

While at a stop and idoling the vehicle's rpm's will go up to about 6 and the vehicle lunges forward....or going from drive to reverse the rpm's on the vehicle go up to about 6 and the vehicle will lunge. during the reverse the vehicle's dash warnings came on and the vehicle died. this is not a safe!....i could accidently hurt someone thats within a few steps of my vehicle. this has happened about 3 times now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph, there was a loud noise emitted from the power train. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the contact did not have the transmission replaced. the failure mileage was 94,000. the vin was not available.

Before saturday, our 2005 freestyle had surged forward a few (4-5) times within the last 6 months. on saturday, the cvt (transmission) died. i now have to pay an inordinate amount of money ($7000) to possibly replace it (informed this is remote). the ongoing recall investigation on the freestyle is for its lunging forward and backward, but i'd request a widening investigation on the cvt system itself. *tr

Check wrench light coming on and goes into safemode and service engine light on. vehicle shuts down while driving on road, no response. replaced throttle 2-3 years ago and need to replace once again. *tr

Car surges when at low speeds without applying pressure of gas, transmission is shifting very wierd, kicks hard then the next day works. *tr

My 2005 limited edition freestyle has a few issues that i am very concerned about. my throttle is having major issues. the car will surge forward with no warning when i am at a complete stop. it also has caused it to have a lot of difficultly accelerating when in motion and starting the ignition. i'm afraid that it will surge forward and cause me to hit something or someone. i've read online about people that have had this issue where it gets so bad that they've even lost all acceleration while driving down the highway and one person who hit something in his garage sending it flying through the garage wall. my husband has tried cleaning out the throttle with no success. we bought the car used less than a year ago with no warranty and this problem has been getting progressively worse over the last few months. *tr

On a hot day (98 degrees) when driving with the air conditioning on in my 2005 ford freestyle it surged ahead in the mall parking lot and i almost hit someone walking in front of the car. this vehicle has acted like this on hot days when the a/c is on and running in the past. you have to be very careful and aware that this will happen, if someone was to borrow my car i would be afraid that they would run someone over. it happens in both forward and reverse and usually only at slow speeds/idle speed. its dangerous in parking lots when you are both pulling into the parking spots you have to brake quickly or you'll speed up and hit a parked car in front of you, then backing out of the spot it does the same thing. this is a serious problem and needs to be taken care of. one time last year on a long drive through philadelphia this happened and the car stalled and locked up at a green light. we just want to know how to fix it. *tr

My 2005 ford freestyle has been having issues with it lunging forward or backward when i am either stopped or driving at a slow speed. it seems to happen mainly when it a hot day and the air condition is on, but it has also occurred when the air condition is off. there are times when i am backing out of a parking space and i loose power and the car says fail safe engine mode. now i have a check engine light on the dashboard that will not go away. this has occurred several times off and on for the last two years with the fail safe engine mode. this is just the latest occurrence. it seems to be getting worse. *tr

When i shift from park to drive or reverse while applying the brakes the vehicle will lung forward. recently check engine came on and had hard time stopping vehicle and stalled. luckily did not hit anything or person. took vehicle to ford dealer and they stated i had trouble codes: po61 and p2106. ford stated that i needed a new throttle body. replaced throttle body and seems to have stopped stalling and lunging. also have issues with upper motor mount and ac. *tr

The engine has begun surging, particularly at low speeds. happens most often when it is very hot outside the a/c is on and the car is in reverse. the car will suddenly surge and i have to jam on the brakes to stop the car. this has happened several times when backing out of parking spaces and once now at a stop light as i was slowing to a stop. i've found many references to this problem online that the throttle body is the problem and has to be cleaned. ford needs to alert owners of this issue and initiate a plan to remedy it before someone gets killed. *tr

Car will lurch forward and rev only when the ac is on. mostly when the car has been sitting at a light or waiting for my wife to come out of a store. if the car is in park and the ac is sitting on for a while and you put it into reverse, when you take your foot off of the brake it will lurch backwards and sometimes stall out. it is very scary and only a matter of time before someone gets hurt from it. *tr

The vehicle 's engine just shut off. after pulling off the road i tried several times to start the vehicle, to no avail. i waited approximately 20 minutes before trying again. the engine started, but would not go in gear. after several attempts of trying to put it in gear, it suddenly worked! knowing i had a 250 mile trip back home, i was very leery about taking a chance with it. fortunately, i made it. i contacted my mechanic and made an appointment to get the vehicle in the shop the next day. the diagnostic machine was used and it "threw" several different codes, rendering it undiagnosable? the mechanic called ford motor corp. and they said they would get back with him. after 2 weeks of waiting, i called ford myself and was treated extremely rude and also was told my mechanic was not qualified to diagnose this problem! two months later, i get a letter saying the 'throttle body" needed to be "cleaned out"...at their expense. this procedure was done and i am continuously having problems with the transmission, especially when it gets cold (around 32 degrees). the vehicle will run after warming the engine (shutting it down/restarting repeatedly) before it decides to finally run "normal". i was told this resets the code??? i will never buy another ford, they do not back their product or their name! ford has been made aware of these problems with this cvt transmission and they need to correct the problem there are numerous complaints and we, the consumer, need help with this on going issue. most can not afford to handle this repair and those who did, had not resolved this issue after spending thousands of dollars! i believe, when i purchased this vehicle (used) in 2007, ford knew of this issue, but gave no knowledge to me. i did ask about this cvt transmission because i had never heard of it before. they informed me that it was the greatest transmission ever...really!!!! *tr