I have a 2005 ford freestyle sel. in the last month, the car has been surging and taking off without my touching the gas. last friday, it surged violently backward while i was parallel parking and ran up on the curb nearly hitting people. i stood on the brake and the engine quit and went into a fault mode. it did this three times after re-starting the car each time. it also about two weeks ago surged forward into the gate of my gated community. it is now surging at a third of my stops. i don't try and back it up if at all possible. i am convinced this is a serious safety problem. i am afraid to allow anyone in my family to drive it. i feel this should be re-called and fixed. *kb
My 2005 ford freestyle unexpectedly lunges forward in drive and reverse. this usually happens in high heat after using a/c for a while. thankfully i've had my foot over the brake during these occurrences, but this issue concerns me. i have also been told by a local ford dealership that my ac compressor is leaking, and wonder if the two are linked somehow. *kb
Bought a ford freestyle in july 2008 took it to the shop july 2009 because it was lunging and stalling. ford kept it on their lot until november. when i got it back i had to replace the tire because they had flat spots they did not move the car. they replaced the throttle body and now july of 2011 it is doing the same problem. i was told that this car engine gets to hot and the alternator can't work correctly. my warranty expired july 27th 2011 and i can't afford to fix this car. something needs to be done about all the problems this car has. *kb
2005 ford freestyle accelerates when not pressing the gas pedal. had this "fixed" over a year ago but it is doing it again. this is very dangerous in parking lots when backing out. it happened today and when i hit the brake, the car cut off. *tr
Vehicle surges and accelerates without any contact whatsoever on the gas pedal. on 7/28/11, we had to have the vehicle towed to a mechanic to address the issue. "failsafe engine" light came on followed by "check engine" light. *tr
Vehicle has a sudden jump in acceleration even when driver is pressing on the brake pedal. it feels as if both the brake and accelerator are being pressed and the car is in conflict. then the idle seems to drop either to a point of the vehicle dying or almost stalling. when restarted (sometimes this takes 2-3 tries to keep it running) or idle evens out the rpms and acceleration are delayed for some time. while pressing on the accelerator (even pushing almost to the floor) the vehicle will not increase in speed (in a normal response time-within 3-4 miles) and rpms top out at 2000. this happens at both low speeds and when attempting to achieve highway speeds. the trigger for this is typically a sharp turn. this also results in the check engine light coming on and giving diagnostic codes of p061b and p2106 which i have been unable to find a description of these codes. this has happened once every 4-6 weeks to begin with, but has increased in frequency to 3-4 times a month. i have not replaced the throttle body but that appears to be the common fix as reported by others experiencing this problem. after leaving the car sit for several hours and restarting the next day or 4-5 hours later the problem is not apparent until the next time. *tr
With the car in drive and my foot on the brake pedal, the car unexpectedly "surged" forward. i was able to control the car from hitting anyone/anything by applying the brake more forcefully, but this incident has occurred on repeated occasions now both in "drive" (when the car surges forward) and in "reverse" (when the car surges backwards). it seems particularly pronounced during hot days when the ac is running full blast. in each incident, i was traveling 5 mph or less, and had my foot on the brake, either preparing to park or pulling out of a parking spot. so far it has not caused an accident, but there is clearly something wrong with the speed control or the transmission. i have noticed numerous other complaints of a similar nature made online by other owners of 2005 and 2006 ford freestyles. there clearly seems to be a problem with the vehicle of this year, make and model and i am hoping ford will take responsibility and issue a recall in order to prevent future potential injury or death.
My 2005 ford freestyle has been surging forwards while at redlights, stop signs or any other time it is idling with the ac on. the rotors and brakes have also been replaced several times. is there any known reason for this? or any thing that can be done about? its pretty scary especially when another vehicle is in front of me. *tr
When idling, car would surge briefly as if accelerator were pushed. after several inquires at ford service about recalls, check engine light came on. problem diagnosed as defective throttle body. part replaced at a cost of $706.85. understand there have been several like instances reported. surge could easily cause a collision either front or back. *kb
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle would unexpectedly accelerate when pressure was not being applied to the accelerator pedal. the failure would occur at speeds ranging from 0 to 10 mph. the brakes were effective in stopping the vehicle during the failures. an authorized dealer was notified, but the vehicle was not taken in for a diagnostic test. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact also stated that the failures were similar to the complaints included in the investigation associated with nhtsa action number pe11018 (vehicle speed control). the failure and current mileages were 73,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that when placing the vehicle in drive or in reverse it would accelerate on its own. while driving various speeds the vehicle would suddenly stall without any warning. she noticed the failure occurred more when the air conditioner was on. the vehicle was not inspected by the dealer nor had it been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
First incident - hot july day, 2011; idling in traffic with the air conditioning on; car lunged forward a few times; aggressively applied the brakes and the car stalled each time. subsequent incidents - all similar. air conditioner on; proceeding slowly out of a parking spot when the car lunges forward. have not sought service as many blogs indicate the problem has not been properly diagnosed. *tr
2005 ford freestyle unexpectedly surges forward while idling at a stop, moving as slow speed or shifting from park into either forward or reverse. the frequency of occurrence increases when the vehicle's air conditioning has been running but the vehicle is not moving, i.e., while either parked or idling. engine enters "fail-safe" mode and restarting engine temporarily clears the error and alleviates the problem. *tr
Car lunged while in reverse, had to apply the brake hard to prevent backing into parked cars. put car in forward, it lunged 2 or 3 times and stalled out as i applied the brake hard. this is the second time with this problem. the car lunged forward while stopped at a red light in july of last year and ford replaced the throttle body assembly. i had never had this type of problem except with this car and it appears ford has a defective throttle body assembly that fails especially during hot weather.
My 2005 ford freestyle has been acting up for quite some time now and it is to the point where i need to get it checked out i feel it is very unsafe to drive. when i start my car and go to put it in drive or reverse the car will take of lunging!! i have to stand on the brake for it to stop sometimes it revs up so much that my car goes into engine failure mode and my car shuts down. this has been going on for the past year and now it is to the point where it does it all the time on a daily basis. i feel the vehicle is unsafe for me and my family!! i took my car in today to the ford dealership where i bought my car and the service man checked it out and they told me i need a new throttle body for it which is going to cost $800! i have no choice but to get it fixed i need a safe vehicle for my children. the car will be ready for me in a couple of days. i have not had any accidents due to this however there have been many time where i have almost hit other vehicles and people!! very scary what is going on with this ford freestyle. i hope that this matter is seriously checked out before someone is seriously hurt. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while in reverse, the vehicle suddenly lunged backward and nearly crashed. the fail-safe and check engine lights began to illuminate on the instrument panel and the vehicle stalled. the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive home. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 85,000.
Today on 7/23/2011 my 2005 ford freestyle stalled when i put the car in reverse. i re-started the vehicle and proceeded to the parking lot exit and waited to make a left hand turn into traffic. while i was stopped the engine revved twice and the car attempted to surge forward into oncoming traffic and stalled again. when i re-started the car, the display showed the car was in engine fail safe mode and the car would not accelerate to a speed greater than 40 mph. i have researched this situation online and i have seen similar complaints about this problem from numerous ford freestyle owners. the problem is diagnosed as a throttle assembly malfunction. this was a terrifying situation...to have a car surge forward from a complete stop and endanger me and my passengers. *tr
I own a 2005 ford freestyle. it has started jumping and accelerating on it own. after is does this the car goes into engine failure mode or cuts off. it has done this several times. i don't feel comfortable going through a drive through because the car will start jumping. i started looking online about this problem and saw this is a wide spread problem and ford needs to fix this. *tr
2005 ford freestyle 7/23/2011 lunged in church parking lot with ac on and foot lifting off brake. went to a grocery store and while parking same thing happened in reverse after idling with ac on. sat in car in parking spot with ac on. (air temp outside was 99) when going to leave it lunged again and display panel went "nuts" and warning lights came on and car stalled. i restarted the car and i believe the warning system read, system failure and engine start in safe mode. i proceeded to leave and the check engine stayed on and vehicle seemed to run in low gear even while shifter was in drive. all other gauges, engine temp, oil pressure etc were ok. we were 10 miles from home so went to dinner to let car rest, city driving no more than 25 mph, higher rpm than normal. after 1 hour plus dinner, drove home with engine light on but seemed to be a more like normal rpm so went 50 mph on 65 mph highway with hazard lights flashing. car remains parked. since it is sunday i will be calling the ford dealership tomorrow am. *tr
Tl* the contact owns 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated the wrench light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle started to lose power. the contact stated the vehicle was turned off; however, when it was turned back on, it surged backwards when it was placed in reverse gear. the contact was taking the vehicle to the dealer to be inspected. the failure and current mileage was 55,500. updated 10/4/11 *cn updated 10/21/11
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while entering a parking space with the brakes slightly depressed, the vehicle lunged forward and stalled. the contact mentioned that the failure recurred several times and the failed safe mode message illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop where the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the technician then replaced the fuel and air filters as a temporary fix. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 62,000.
I own a 2005 ford freestyle. in the last month, i have experienced the car accelerating on it's own and lunging while attempting to stop or pull off from a stop. this problem is very concerning as it occurs when my child is in the car. i have narrowly escaped running into other vehicles. *tr
Vehicle has intermittent lurches when accelerator is not being pressed. usually from a complete stop or when first started. had throttle body replaced when car had about 50,000 miles at a cost of nearly $700 and problem went away. car now has 100,000 miles on engine and problem has returned. faulty parts? i don't want to spend this money every few years just to stay safe. i have been lucky so far and haven't hit anyone when this happens. don't want to take the chance of that happening. *tt
I have a 2005 ford freestyle, i have the same problem with the vehicle suddenly lunging forwards or backwards. just out of no where the rpms will sure and lung the vehicle, i have almost crashed a few times because of it. i have tried to get this problem looked at by a mechanic but there computers wont read unless the check engine light is on. it also has stalled out on me at a red light and when i start it back up it says its in failsafe mode, and when its in failsafe mode the engine wont idle up like it suppose to. top speed is like 30mph.. but once you turn the car off and back on again it fixes itself. *tr
On 7/22/2011 friday, 5:30 pm my vehicle (2005 ford freestyle limited with 3rd row seating) was at idle in a parking lot with the air conditioner on. i placed the vehicle in "r" reverse and it suddenly lunged backwards very quickly approximately 10 feet. two parking lot pedestrians could have been struck that were nearby. a "fail safe mode" notification appeared on the information screen located on the dashboard and orange "wrench" warning light illuminated on the left side of the dashboard. the vehicle was driven with severe power loss to less dense populated area for safety. the vehicle was turned off, the key removed. i waited approximately 30 seconds and restarted the vehicle and everything was normal again. the vehicle was driven to another parking area and turned off. approximately 10 minutes lapsed and the vehicle was turned on. the air conditioner was turned on. the vehicle was placed in "d" drive and vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward approximately 10 feet. the vehicle's "fail safe mode" illuminated for a short time. the vehicle stalled and the "check engine" notification on the information screen appeared and the orange "engine" symbol warning light illuminated and remained on. the vehicle was restarted and driven to my home and is currently sitting in my garage at this time. (7/23/2011 saturday 9:33 am). *tr
Many occurrences of unexpected surge/vehicle movement over the past 4 months. recently, the car unexpectedly jumped forward resulting in a very unsafe condition when stopped at an intersection with a pedestrian crosswalk. i was very fortunate that no pedestrians were in front of my vehicle at the time that it lunged forward. *kb
The vehicle surges when at idle. commonly happens when backing up or moving forward slowly (ie, in a parking lot or driving into a garage). because this is occurring at idle speeds so far my foot has been either on the brake or close to the brake to prevent an accident. however this will also happen if in a traffic jam or slow moving traffic situations (ie, dropping the kids off at school, slowing down due to pedestrian traffic, etc). i have discussed with the dealer the issue and they are ignorant to the problem. *kb
My car lurches forward if my foot is not fully on the brake or when i begin to accelerate from a stopped position. this has happened several times. my check engine light is now on. i was running my ac in 100 degree weather this last time. *kb
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while reversing out a parking space the vehicle lunge. the vehicle was taken to a local shop who was unable to diagnosed the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 38,800 and the current mileage was 39,067.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving 2 mph, the engine revved and the vehicle lunged forward. the contact also stated that the failure occurred a second time while reversing out of a parking space. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 61,000 and current mileage was 61,900.
My 2005 ford freestyle lunges when placed in drive or reverse, it happens before the accelerator is pressed and i must stomp the brake to stop it. i have had many close calls in the past two weeks. today a "fail safe engine mode" message came on. *kb
Turned the vehicle on and immediately it surged. thought it was me but then it continued to happen. seems to only happen when foot is on brake and/or when turning the steering wheel all the way. just started happening this month. took the mechanic to check, but he could no reproduce issue. i am not surprised though, as it seems to be intermittent. problem best described as vehicle seems to have someone else pressing the accelerator. has not caused an accident yet, but certainly seems as if it is inevitable. *kb
We have an 2005 freestyle. my wife was picking up our grandson from vacation bible school on 7/19/2011. the car lunged forward and almost ran over some other kids crossing over the road in front of her. the crossing guard frantically waved his arms for my wife to stop which she was trying to do. by luck the engine died. someone is going to die from this yet and then ford will have a big lawsuit on there hands with thousands of people on the side of the plaintiff. i can't understand ford's position on this issue since they are rated highly for quality. they had the publics support when they didn't take a bailout. why damage a good reputation? *kb
On several occasions on july 19 and 20, 2011, while maneuvering the vehicle at low speeds to park in a parking structure and to parallel park in an urban street setting, the vehicle's engine "revved up" without my pressing down on the accelerator, causing the vehicle to "surge" or "lunge"--this occurred both in drive and in reverse. in all cases, a quick application of the brake caused the "surging" to end; fortunately, no nearby vehicles or pedestrians were struck. these incidents occurred under very hot weather conditions (temperature around 100 degrees), with the vehicle's air conditioning running "full blast." the problem seemed to be triggered by turning the steering wheel, while attempting to park or exit a parking space. after experiencing this "surging/lunging" on several occasions, i was able to replicate this problem in an isolated corner of a shopping mall parking lot, by driving at a slow speed and then turning the steering wheel as if to make a right or left turn. we have owned our freestyle for nearly four years (purchased used) and have never experienced this problem before. we have not experienced the problem since july 20--although the weather has been cooler since that date, and the air conditioning has been used far less, if at all. this problem sounds exactly like a matter we understand the nhtsa has been investigating recently with freestyles of this vintage. i had read an article on the investigation several weeks ago, and did not think anything more about it--until my experiences on july 19-20. on inquiring about this matter with our local ford dealer, the service department indicated it was unaware of such a problem, and suggested that we have the refrigerant level checked, as a low refrigerant level might cause the a/c system to demand more power from the engine. an appt. is scheduled.
I have a 2005 ford freestyle. the vehicle randomly surges in forward an reverse. i have found many complaints online saying it is the throttle body. it seems to happen most often when first shifting out of park to reverse or forward. happens even more often when air is on. it is very disappointing there has been nothing done about this. this vehicle is supposed to be a safe family car!! it has put my son and wife in many close calls. i hope nhtsa makes ford do something about this and soon!! *kb
When go to back it lunges back and if you are sitting in traffic it will lunges forward and then stall out or die and the rpms go up real high. *kb
Started car, put it in reverse, car lunged. not the first time it has done this. each time the lunge, either in reverse or drive, happens with no warning whatsoever. it just about always starts when the car is started or moved into gear after idling. *kb
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while reversing at approximately 5 mph and attempting to park, the brake pedal was engaged and the vehicle unexpectedly surged without warning. the failure would occur after shifting the selected gear with pressure applied to the brake pedal. the manufacturer was not notified of the unintended acceleration. there was currently an open investigation associated with nhtsa action number pe11018. the approximate failure mileage was 86,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle lunge forward abnormally. the contact stated that the failure was intermittent and would occur at various speeds. in addition, the engine roms would increase sporadically before losing power and lunging. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where a failure was located within the throttle body. there was an open investigation under nhtsa action number: pe11018 (vehicle speed control) that could possibly have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
My 2005 ford freestyle ltd/ has experienced idle surges several times in past 2 years of ownership. the most recent occurance on 7-15-2011. *tt
While sitting in a parking lot on a hot day (a/c running), my 2005 ford freestyle suddenly lunged forward. when the brake was applied, it stopped the engine. a message appeared reading "engine in fail-safe mode." approximately 2 weeks later, this same condition was repeated with the same result. in between these events the car seems to perform as expected. as of now we have taken no action however next wednesday the dealer can look at the vehicle and hopefully have some good news on the repairs. i had the local autozone technician run a diagnostic check and two codes came up he said were unique to ford so a ford service technician would be required to interpret. he lead me to believe these codes read "tac" and something referring to the torque control module. codes may have been "p061b" and a p1202" (?). *kb
I own a 2005 ford freestyle sel. i am experiencing engine surges (sudden acceleration) on a daily basis. the vehicle was taken to a ford dealer where they didn't find any problems and blamed it on engine load from the ac systems. while i have not had any accidents yet i have on several occasions been forced to stand on the brake to avoid hitting other vehicles and in one case a pedestrian. ford won't do anything because they say that they can't find anything wrong and there are not recalls. *kb
When stopped at a light, the engine accelerated suddenly, i had to press very hard on break to prevent the car from launching. this has happened in several occasions, always when stopped but not in park. *tr
When pulling into or backing out of parking space, vehicle speed suddenly increases when foot is not on accelerator. when this happens vehicle "lunges" and sometimes travels fairly far. when break is applied the movement stops, but at times it takes very firm pressure on break pedal for movement to stop. this has occurred with the air conditioner on and off, with steering wheel turned or straight. it has also happened when stopped at traffic lights. this can be very scary when parking in a parking garage or pull into a driveway, as you don't know if vehicle will stop before it makes contact with a wall or a house. some parking garages don't have concrete walls to help stop the vehicle. *tr
Tl* the contact owns 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated that the vehicle began to surge forward, and while turning to avoid another vehicle, the contact crashed into a curb and fire hydrant. a police report was filed, but no injuries were reported. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was not yet repaired. the failure and current mileages were 95,000. the vin was unavailable.
2005 ford freestyle began lurching forward when at a very low speed (pulling into/idling in a driveway). we were able to stop the vehicle by pressing on the brakes. *kb
2005 ford freestyle lunging the vehicle lunges suddenly and unexpectedly without having foot applied to gas pedal. this happens in forward and reverse, at low speeds. the rpm indicator climbs high when this is occurring. the only solution seems to be keeping foot applied to brake at all times when traveling at idle speeds. this lunging effect has recently appeared in the past few months. *tr
Tl* the contact owns 2005 ford freestyle. the contact stated the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly. the contact attempted to exit a driveway and when the vehicle was shifted into reverse, the vehicle surged backwards. the contact crashed through a fence and did not stop until crashing into another vehicle. there were no injuries. the vehicle was destroyed in the crash. the failure mileage was 41,000. updated 08/11/11 *bf updated 08/31/11 *bf updated 09/07/11 updated 3/08/2012 *ln
The car would surge backwards when put in reverse sometimes. when driving the car would have troubles going up hills where the car would not maintain speed when the accelerator is pressed down to compensate for speed. i have seen many complaints for the same issue. have 149k miles. *tr
My 2005 ford freestyle is surging after i put it in reverse as to back up in the parking lot. it lunges very fast and forcibly so that if i do not have a strong hold on the brake it will move. it also happens in forward position if i am not moving or moving very slowly say in a parking lot or drive thru. the air conditioning and or turning seems to make it worse. it does not happen everytime but happened very forcibly the other day. i am very concerned that it will lunge out of control and hit something or somebody. i have children in my car often including my infant. it seems to me to be some sort of safety defect which needs to be looked into. *tr