Problems with 2005 Ford Freestyle POWER TRAIN

The cars wrench light and engine light come on while sitting on hot days with the a/c on. when this happens it goes into a fail safe mode that allows only 15mph and it surges real bad in forward or reverse with a very loud and sudden thunk when putting it in gear. there needs to be a recall on this pos transmission as i am not the only one with these issues. i know many other freestyle owners in my area alone that have the same exact problems. *tr

Only had one event before the failure of the transmission,while backing into the driveway at a low speed the vehicle lunged backward nearly running into my garage,one week later my transmission went out and had to be replaced at a cost to me of $5,000 dollars. the dealer that sold me the vehicle told me that there was a service bulletin on the problem but no recall. *tr

Transmission totally failed in cold weather, stranding me. *tr

I have experienced my second cvt transmission failure on my 2005 ford freestyle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the transmission failed. the contact was driving at a steady pace when the transmission began to fail. the vehicle also stalled and was unable to be restarted. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they informed the contact that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the failure mileage was 130,000.

This happened again today. first noticed summer 2010. have around 80,000 miles now. vehicle surges forward. rpm spikes during driving every day no matter what speed driving to 3k-4k. vehicle lurches forward at slow speeds as well. have hit the side of my garage when i took my foot off the brake while parking and banged up the bumper pretty bad as well as garage. vehicle lurched forward during summer when ac was on, almost hit another car, but seems to happen regardless of ac or heat on or off. ford dealer reported no problem during last check up. could it be the cvt. this is a serious issue and should be addressed! i don't feel safe and i'm planning to give vehicle to my son next year. please help! *ln

While going about 75mph on interstate i459, my ford freestyle slowed down according to the driver behind me and i was rear ended in heavy traffic. this may have been due to transmission problems.

I own a 2005 ford freestyle with 74k miles. a few months ago i noticed that while shifting from p to d or r with the foot on brake pedal the car would lunge forward/backward with enough force that it would move a foot or two. this has happened a few times but intermittently. the last time the wrench light also came on but disappeared after i restated the car. the problem started about 6 months ago with 65k. luckily all times i either caught the lunging on time and increased the brake pedal pressure or i was lucky that no car was in front/back. one time my friend saw the lunging while waiting for me to finish parking and was very concerned about the possibility of me hitting someone accidentally. i haven't taken it to the mechanic yet thinking that it's just an electronic mishap that would disappear upon restarting the car, but i just found out that many freestyle owners are having similar problems! *tr

While sitting idle waiting in line at a drive through christmas light display, the transmission light came on in the car. after light came on, could not drive faster than 35 mph. took car to parkway ford in winston salem where it was diagnosed that entire cvt was ruined and needed to be replaced. $5,700.00 for a refurbished cvt. based on the number of complaints now on this website, seems ford needs to take some action and recall as i am sure that there are plenty of affected owners that aren't aware of this process. *tr

My 2005 ford freestyle with 48000 miles on suddenly needs a new transmission. the dealer gave an option of spending a $1000 dollars to "possibly" fix it but cannot guarantee else we have to spend $5500 on a new transmission. something is seriously wrong with ford if after 5 years i have to spend over $5k on a new tranny and nothing is covered. basically i pay it or have no car that will drive. this is completely bogus and ford needs to do something about it. apparently i am not the only one complaining here, so what is going to be done to rectify the situation? *tr

I bought a 2005 ford freestyle used with 81,000 miles a couple months later it began to surge forward or backward with the brake on. then at 98,000 miles while driving down the four-lane the transmission completely quit. i had it towed to a ford dealership and they are saying the transmission is gone and has to be replaced (for $6000). obviously from all the complaints this is a serious problem, why isn't ford doing something about it. are they waiting on somebody to die first??? *tr

Cvt transmission failure in my freestyle 2005 at 83000 miles. the car has gone into a "safe" transmission mode or just stopped almost every month for 6 months. ford wanted $ 6500 to put in an entirely new transmission. i took it to a transmission shop and they rebuilt it. same problem is happening again. ford needs to address this with the transmission manufacturer and figure this out or put out a recall on this transmission - that is no longer being used. *tr

All wheel drive malfunction message came up. the message would not clear. remains on constantly. result is front wheel drive only, creates unsafe driving in snow or slick streets. went to the dealer and he said it was a sensor and would cost $500.00 but expect that price to snowball. price will snowball?? what kind od diagnosis is that. i will try to fix it but it will surely cost you a lot more because we can't pinpoint the exact cause. it could be this, that, that, we don't know. we will do all the work and then tell you what the bill is. it could be $7000.00. would you leave your car at this dealership??? *tr

2005 ford freestyle has "awd malfunction" message (ford diagnostic code: p1889). malfunction message comes on sporadically. no clear reason for the malfunction. happens while driving or idling. when this happens the vehicle reverts to 2wd. this can be dangerous while driving (especially in wet, snowy, icy conditions) and happens unexpectedly. have taken vehicle to ford dealer, with no success in fixing. the dealer followed what ford says to do according to the code and can't fix problem. dealer has replaced oil pressure and temp sensor with no change in issue. now wants to try to change the traction coupler at the rear differential without any guarantee that will wok either. ford does not have a clear fix for issue and will not cover costs of repairs for awd defect.

2005 ford freestyle 53,000 miles experiencing loss of power with wrench light on instrument panel illuminating while driving. first trip to dealer, the service department replaced air filter indicating that the filter had slipped out of the housing and was blocking air flow. within 2 weeks we have dropped the car off for a second visit for same power failure issue. when will ford issue a recall for this widespread mechanical problem? how many crashes, or deaths have resulted from this issue? *tr

Cvt transmission vibrating excessively and making loud noise when shifting out of park. cvt transmission failure at 67,000 miles. had to replace with a ford remanufactured transmission. *tr

Have a 2005 ford freestyle- with a throttle body issue. the part is on back order- no rental given by company. "fail safe engine mode" and check engine light is one because of it- they insist that it is safe to drive (i drive 75 miles back and forth to work everyday). i am sorry- but driving that many miles- with my children in the car as well- while the engine is failing- is never safe. because of the jolting forward and backwards while in this mode- i can't even count how many times i have almost hit another car, or a pedestrian! what happens when the engine does fail- is ford going to replace that? *tr

2005 ford freestyle lunges forward when placed in gear and sometimes when sitting at a stop sign or traffic light. also lunges backward when in reverse. this has been going on for about 5 months and seems to be getting worse. worried about the car hitting a person or another car. *tr

The vehicle would experience intermittent loss of the electrical to the gauges and interior lighting. the gauges would sweep to zero and then momentarily sweep back. the length of the loss of electrical is increasing with each intermittent failure. twice now the vehicle has also lost acceleration when pulling out of an intersection causing a potential collision condition. the last time this happened it also occurred with a loss of electrical to the instrument cluster and interior lighting. this is a potential serious condition as the vehicle may have been involved in a collision due to the loss of power. the vehicle is currently with the ford dealer undergoing diagnostics. *tr

Purchased a 2005 ford freestyle two years ago. this past year (2010) have experienced surging when placing my car in reverse- consistently happens every time i start my car and place into reverse. this past week (8.26.2010) i almost rear ended a car while waiting at a traffic light when the car started surging (rpms were going up & down) unexpectedly. it surged 4 times then the fail safe lights came on and the engine cut off. i pushed the car off the side of the road. after a few moments i restarted- car again surged while in reverse and drove it to the dealership. awaiting response of the problem. am very afraid i will end up backing into someone or rear ending a car due to the over revving while sitting idle. *tr

For the past 3 weeks, my 2005 ford freestyle has been lunging forward in drive w/o my control. in reverse, it lunges backwards. i have seen numerous blogs about the same problem w/ford. some people have actually hit bldgs & people! this is outrageous that ford has not made a recall. this is a complete safety issue. also, after the car lurches, it dies - which can happen on a highway as well. ford will not do anything to help. they told me its my responsibility to get a replacement car while i wait months for the part to come in from the national backorder. if this wasn't such a problem then why are the parts on a national backorder? *tr

I own a 2005 ford freestyle and over the past 6 months it has surged unexplainably a dozen plus times, to a point where my wife is afraid to drive it. this has happened both soon after the car has been started and, with a foot on the brake, the car is put into d or r. thankfully the car brake was applied. it has also happened to me while braking at speeds of 40+ mph and has made it difficult to stop to a point i had to pput the car in n to slow it. i have 4 kids and these unexplained surges surely are of great concern. i brought the car to the local ford dealership and they said ot was the aftermarket airfilter and that they couldn't replacate the problem. *tr

2005 ford freestyle lunged backward when put in gear. even with the brake applied the car moved a few feet. this has occurred on three separate occasions. fortunately, there was no person or object in my path. the car was taken to the ford dealership and the throttle body was replaced. the car has 60,700 miles on the odometer. *tr

I bought my 2005 ford freestyle in june 2010, very nice car. a few week into driving i heard a very strange noise so i took it back to the dealership to check, the told me the noise is normal it is coming from the transmission and that sound goes with that type of tranny(cvt). august of 2010 driving on i95 got a popping sound and car stop,i tow it back to dealership and the transmission went, the put a new tranny in it was covered by my warranty, january 2012 got the same sound again and i was told that the tranny is not good,so i need a new one again it is covered. so u see ford is not taking responsibility for there mistake, please help all of us that have 2005 ford freestyle problems. *tr

2005 ford freestyle intermittently stalls or lunges forward/reverse. this has occurred while driving on highway, when placed in reverse, and when placed in drive. code reader resulted in codes p061b and p2106. many online forums and automechanic websites identify the same dangerous scenarios with the same code reader results. dealerships also acknowledge this is a very common and dangerous defect in the ford freestyle, yet no recall has occurred and repairs are expensive. *tr

Car accelerated when placed in reverse and brake was applied, 2005 ford freestyle ... took to dealer... replaced the throttle sensor w a kit. problem was resolved to the tune of $700,00. *tr

For the past two years i have had trouble with my 2005 ford freestyle surging while in drive or reverse at slow speeds. again yesterday this happened while in a parking lot as i was pulling into the parking space. this is typical of when the car lurches/surges forward. however, yesterday the car also went into "fail safe engine mode". i have been complaining to my dealership about this incident since prior to the standard warranty expiring on the car. i have also filed a complaint directly with ford motor company. since the car does not 'throw any codes' when this occurs there has never been any action taken to resolve the issue although i continue to notify my dealership everytime the car is in for scheduled maintenance, repair, etc. it appears the problem is with the throttle body/throttle body control. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that check engine light illuminated as the vehicle abnormally accelerated before stalling. the contact stated the failure would occur intermittently. when shifted into reverse, the vehicle would move forward independently and vice versa. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the transmission would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,402 and the current mileage was approximately 75,800.

Problem with 2005 ford freestyle - surging forward when idling at a stop sign, stop light, or drive through - even though foot is on the brake. happens more frequently in warmer weather, especially with air conditioning running. have had several near-misses with hitting other cars or garage doors. problem was resolved by ford dealership in august 2010 at a cost of $800 - replacement of electronic throttle body. research shows many ford freestyle owners are encountering this same dangerous problem, but no recalls are issued by ford - just advisement to replace the etb at the cost of the consumer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle would lung forward when shifting gears and then stall. the dealer diagnosed and replaced a filter in the vehicle but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 72,000 and current mileage was 95,000. the vin was unavailable.

The throttle body on our 2005 ford freestyle must be replaced. while driving today, 7/31/10, our car went into "engine failsafe mode" 8 times, 8 times!, while driving on the interstate and on a sc/nc state highway. fortunately we were able to find a safe place to pull over each time. we have been on a waiting list for 2 weeks for a $600 part, and must now rent a car. i have noticed many online complaints regarding this issue that date back several years. this is a serious safety issue and i am hoping that the nhtsa will finally encourage the ford motor company to issue a recall on this. thanks. *tr

The car had been making a low groaning noise for a few months and the mechanics were unable to detect any issues. my wife was driving on the highway at approximately 55mph when a loud blast came from the underside of the car. the transmission literally exploded and blew a hole in the housing and sent metal everywhere. there was an obvious sudden loss of power and the brakes were compromised because the metal had severed the brake line as well. the car was safely brought to a stop and then towed to a mechanic where it ended up having a transmission replacement for nearly $4,000. we had been having intermittent issues with sudden engine surges dating back to well before the transmission incident and continuing even to this day. it was not until finding recent information that i related these two incidents to each other. this last spring we also had the engine mounts replaced as well. i recall seeing that listed in several reports as well. *tr

54,000 miles auto throttle body replaced at a shared cost with ford since the warranty had only been expired for a short time. 93,000 miles problem has returned worse than ever - car is dangerous to drive as the surging now happens on every trip. seems to be mainly when going into reverse but has also happened just stopping at a light or stop sign. parking structure walls have almost been hit and a student was almost hit when they walked in front of my car and i braked for them. the student thought i hit the gas when they stepped in front of my car (not the case at all) - the car simply surged forward like it does frequently. now the car has begun going into fail safe mode while driving down the road. contacted ford dealer for service and before dropping car off asked if part was still on backorder. part is still on backorder at least until 8/31/2010. hoping ford will take responsibility soon before someone gets hurt! *tr

My 2005 ford freestyle began jerking backwards while in reverse to the point that i could not control the directions or speed the car was going. this was especially dangerous backing out of parking spaces. today while backing out of a spot my car jerked back several times then would not switch in to drive and stalled. after restarting, the car went into drive and i pulled out on to a busy street. the check engine light then came on and the car would not go above 30 mph. i had to quickly pull over so i didn't get hit and killed and shut the car off and restarted it. the check engine light did not come back on but i went to auto zone to get it diagnosed. the codes came back saying something about an internal module and the tac switch. i tried backing out of the parking spot at auto zone and the car would jerk backwards and then stall. i have not successfully found any information on exactly what is wrong and how to fix it. *tr

I have a 2005 ford freestyle and when in forward gear at idle it will surge forward without pressing the accelerator. this problem is worse in the summer i believe due to a/c in use. this surging also happens when you turn the steering wheel. i believe this to be the engine control computer trying to maintain engine idle speed but it over compensates for the load of the ac or power steering load. this surging has many times caused close calls in drive thrus and parking. *tr

Car surged after starting in putting into reverse. put foot on brake to stop. thank goodness no one behind me. car message center indicated "fail safe mode". cut car off, restarted took to dealer where codes indicated i needed to replace the throttle body control at a cost of over $800. dealer said this was one of many that had failed and all had caused a sudden surge without warning as my car also lunged into reverse with no warning. web site also indicated many problems with this same potential safety problem on 3.0 v6 units made in 2005. dealer said it usually happens just after the warranty goes out and mine lasted much longer, but i feel it is unsafe to drive unless fixed. *tr

My 2005 ford freestyle just all of a sudden took off when i put it in reverse. i almost hit another car in the parking lot!!!!. since then it does it randomly several times a week and now it even does it when you put it in drive. i have to be very careful in parking lots and in traffic. this is very dangerous and fords needs to recall this dangerous defect. *tr

Two incidents - while maneuvering at parking lots (external temperature around 100 degrees), vehicle's engine surged and vehicle lurched forward and a second time backward. had to apply heavy breaking to avoid hitting a tree in the first incident and other cars on the second incident. after a few seconds the engine shut down and the message engine safe mode appeared in the panel. after turning the ignition off and on again, the problem disappeared. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. while driving in reverse the rpms would increase which prevented the transmission from shifting in gear. the vehicle would also lunged backwards intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there were no related recalls. the dealer also stated that they were aware of the transmission problems. the contact does not know if they will repair the failure or not. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure and current mileages were 116,000. the consumer stated when he shifted the gear into reverse, the engine revved without any pressure to the accelerator pedal. it was only when he applied heavy pressure to the brake did the engine rev down to idle. updated evoq 11/15/10

2005 ford freestyle lunges forward when 1) engine is warm, 2)a/c is on, 3) at complete stop with brakes engaged and 4) begin to turn steering wheel to make turn. 5) engine stalls. dealer diagnosed defective throttle body. very unsafe!!! *tr

I was driving and stopped at a red light. i had my foot firmly on the brake. the car suddenly surged forward almost two feet. i pulled into a restaurant and it did the same thing at the drive thru window. it then shut off and when i turned it back on it went into safety mode. took to ford dealer and they took some money off for the repair - throttle body, etc. have also had over 1,000 in brake repairs and now the air conditioner isn't working; looks like the compressor. why hasn't this car been recalled? this is getting ridiculous. *tr

Car lurches when put into gear. *tr

I was parked with the car in park. i went to put the car in the garage. i had to turn it around first. i put car in drive and drove forward a little. stopped put in reverse, drove backwards a little then put back in drive and just as i was stopping car lurched forward, hitting my deep freezer. the car has acted like it wanted to go forward before when i put on the brakes lightly. this has happened about 4 times but, today was the worst. *tr

In 2010, my car would go into "engine failsafe mode" and i would have to shut it off and restart it. after a few times, is started lurching forward when it was idling. at that time, i had an extended warranty and the throttle body was replaced. today, april 10, 2013, i was driving to work and the "engine failsafe mode" kicked on twice and the second time, the "check engine" light went on and stayed on. i was able to make it safely to work and decided to take it to a shop across the street from my office to have a diagnostic run. it cost $75 and they told me that the throttle body needs to be replaced! i called ford and was told that all that they can do is clean and reset the computer under a customer satisfaction recall. i plan to drop it off today at a dealership on my way home. unfortunately, the car now has over 109,000 miles and is not covered under warranty. my complaint is that i replaced the throttle body in 2010 and it is malfunctioning again. i was told by ford that if this doesn't work, it will need to be replaced at my expense. this appears to be a common issue with this car and i want to see if there is anything that can be done to make sure that this is fixed correctly and the cost is taken on by ford for the faulty part! *tr

Throttle surges when in reverse. this has happened for about a month and a half off and on. now starting to surge a little when in drive. when your foot is on the brake and not on the gas, the car tries to accelerate. *tr

We started noticing the engine surge a few months ago whenever we shifted out of park or neutral. the rpm's jumped around 400-600 above idle and now are over 700-800 with the a/c on. so far, we have not experienced any damage to the vehicle. i took the vehicle to my local ford dealer, blackwell ford in plymouth, mi and was told i needed the throttle body needed replacement at a cost of over $800.00. the vehicle has 94000 miles on it and aside from that problem, we have been pleased with it. *kb

Vehicle revs up when turning into a tight parking space. feels like a surge which requires faster than normal braking to stop. the car does stop but it feels like the car suddenly has someone on the accelerator and brake at the same time for a moment or two. *tr

2005 ford freestyle-lunges forward and backward without touching gas pedal. ford dealer replaced throttle body ($700) june 2010 and worked fine till may 2011 and now it is happening again. intermittent now. rpm gauge fluctuates when lunging. wrench light came on-burning. *tr

Vehicle intermittently seems to surge either in forward and reverse when taking foot off brake before you even hit the gas pedal. on or about aug 1st, 2011 when backing out of a parking space it surged in reverse and then quit. it did that twice. once i restarted after the second time it seemed to stabilize almost like the computer adjusted. this problem seems to occur more in the warm to hot weather. at this point with my vehicle i feel very uncomfortable and would not let anyone else drive it as i am aware of it and am i know that i need a firm foot on the brake pedal. my reviews of multiple people with this problem point to the throttle body and i would also think maybe a possible computer control.

2005 ford freestyle. started to notice it felt like it would lunge forward after idling for a few minutes in park. i thought it was my imagination at first. this happened at least 6 times when i drove it (this is not the car i usually drive). then on june 5, 2010 i was in park at a gas station with the engine on and i put it in reverse and it lunged backwards...i slammed on the brakes and they didn't work...i switched it to neutral and then the engine stalled out and all the dash lights came on (oil, repair, engine, fail mode). i turned the key switch to off, waited a few minutes, then restarted it and all the lights were off. i was able to return home safely. i was just glad no one was behind me. this is a serious problem/defect!! i'm scared to drive it now! especially after reading about all the other people who have complained about having this problem with their freestyles. *tr