Problems with 2006 Ford Freestyle POWER TRAIN

Motor surge, leaching out of control. *tr

Vehicle can make sudden acceleration when moving slowly. this has happened twice to both my wife and myself. when arriving into our driveway prior to get vehicle into garage with foot on the brakes and in "d" car has a sudden jolt or acceleration. fortunately because the brakes stopped the car nothing happened but this could be a problem if brakes do not stop vehicle or if sudden acceleration occurs without warning. *tr

While vehicle was pulling into garage the vehicle surged forward striking and pinning a person between the vehicle and brick wall. person recieved injuries to both legs requiring medical treatment. this vehicle has surged ever since we purchased it. ford has told us repeated times that it's not a recall problem because it's not a safety problem.

After purchasing (as a used car) for my daughter, vehicle began rapid acceleration and 'lurching' unexpectedly when shifting into forward or reverse. after several days, this was compounded by occurring when starting and stopping in traffic during brake application. i had the filters replaced (air and gas) and the problem seemed to have gone away. i asked my dealership, during my first inspection after it's purchase, wether there was a tsb in regard to this issue and would they please check it out. they alleged that they had no record of any defect regarding this issue and no tsb had been issued. they did however refuse to complete the inspection until i allowed them to overhaul the rear brakes w/new rotors for quite a kingly sum! (so much for a promotional 'free inspection'.) last night i had to venture out and retrieve the vehicle from my little girl after the car kept 'lurching' everytime she used the brake. while she was waiting in an intersection attempting to make a left turn, the car 'lurched' and stalled in front of oncoming traffic. after restarting the car an engine light and a 'wrench' was now visible on the dash, and the car had absolutely no accelerator! due to our flat terrain i was able to bring the car home on an idle at a speed no greater than 10 m.p.h. once safely home i tried a trick that used to work on the fleet busses i once worked on. that was rapidly turning the ignition switch on-off, on-off repeatedly about 10 (ten) times, then leave switch on and start it. this seemed to have cleared the 'wrench' and the accelerator was restored. the engine light did not clear. i've put tires, struts, strut mounts etc. into this car to make it safe for my daughter to drive, yet i can't allow her to use it. 4 of 5 cars i own are fords, 2 being 2006 freestyles, and this is the only one that i have had a problem with. what recourse do i have now? *tr

Purchased used three days prior to first incident. i was traveling at 55mph when i asked the vehicle to accelerate to maintain the current speed up an incline. the vehicles rpms shot up to 5k and i couldn't accelerate. i had my infant daughter in the car with me and was almost hit by another car behind me. i was forced off the road and turned the vehicle off. when i restarted all was ok again. this has happened numerous times since. i have also had a problem with the vehicle accelerating without me hitting the gas. i was in a parking lot when i put the vehicle in reverse and removed my foot from the brake. as i did this the vehicle lurched out of the space almost striking a pedestrian that walked out behind me. i was able to react quickly enough and hit the brake stopping the car. this has also happened in my driveway in drive as well. dealer is aware of the problems on this car from the previous owner having it in the shop multiple times. they have told me that the part to fix the transmission problem is in-accessible and that my only option is to replace the entire transmission for $4500.00. when all i need is a single part inside the trans. also, the throttle body is on backorder. the dealerships response to all of these problems is without an apology to take $50.00 off of my service bill for my inconvenience. the vehicle is currently sitting in my driveway because i am too scared to drive it. i have just made my first payment on a car i cant drive. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving 70 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. the rpms increased and the gears locked. the contact was able to coast the vehicle onto the emergency lane. the vehicle was towed to a dealer a diagnostic testing which located the failure within the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure and the current mileage was 120,000.

My complaint mirrors verbatim others related to the may 2011 investigation opened into the "lunging" at slow speeds for the 05-07 ford freestyle. the ac, hot temps, & lunging. one occurrence traveling 60mph & began to "stall out" & slow on major highway with three children in car. any pressure on fuel pedal no result. busy traffic, could only travel max 35-40mph. put flashers on & struggled to make it to repair shop. turned off ac in 100 degree heat to get any kind of response from engine. i was worried & feared for mine & my children's safety. vehicle would barely accelerate thru intersection after stopping for red light. finally made it to shop. vehicle was placed on machine. codes appeared: p061b alter fuel control module error, p2106 throttle actuator forced limited. took vehicle to ford house & explained issues as well as codes from previous shop. was told would be $100 for ford to hook up for a dx. if the codes i had were same,would cost est $800 to repair. as mom of 3 & who drives great distances for work, this repair asap. have had many occasions if not had foot firmly on brake the vehicle would've caused a wreck at stop light, pulling into, out of parking lots, etc. car literally drives itself in d/r at 10mph with no acceleration at all after placing in d/r. on 8-12-12 was in drive thru line & car lunged at high rate of speed forward after barely lifting foot off brake. came mm from slamming into vehicle in front. put car in p & the vehicle died. wrench/engine light came on. turned engine off, turned ac off & restarted the car. i can only imagine what would've happened if this had occurred at a stop light in a busy intersection? this issue is a fatality waiting to happen. this cannot be a fluke random issue if you have rec'd 238 prior complaints regarding the exact same issue. i urge nhtsa to place a recall, if for the only reason to save lives. *tr updated 08-03-12 *bf updated 09/07/2012 *js

I was parked outside my apartment, went to put my vehicle in reverse and it lunged backward and then the vehicle shutoff. once i got my car to start again i went to drive off and it lunged forward. this is an everyday occurrence with my vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestyle. while driving approximately 50-60 mph, the check engine light and service vehicle soon warning light illuminated. the vehicle stalled without warning and lost all power. the vehicle was able to be restarted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 97,000. updated 01/23/15*lj updated 9/8/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle exhibited an abnormal rattling. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic who inspected the failure and advised that the cvt transmission was defective and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. as the contact left the dealer, the shifter became stuck in drive and could not be shifted into any other gear. the dealer was notified who advised the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who filed a complaint on behalf of the contact. no further assistance was offered. the failure mileage was 97,000.

Same as others. car lunges forward and/or backward when slowing to park, or just moving slow or idiling. almost ended up over a berm at sam's club because of this problem. very scary! taking car in to dealership on monday. vehicle surges when idling or going slow. accelerates at times like parking or moving through parking lots or when stopped at stoplights. *tt

Vehicle suddenly accelerates at low speed both when moving forward and when backing up. this sometimes results in a stall. vehicle also lost low end power. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would decelerate haphazardly instead. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised the contact that the transmission would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 77,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestyle. the contact stated that while driving 30 to 40 mph, the vehicle would lose power. the rpm s would increase to 4,000, the air bag light, traction control light, and the onboard diagnostic light would also illuminate when the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and a diagnostic was performed, but the mechanic was unable to generate a failure code. the contact stated that the vehicle would return to normal function when the engine was turned off for a few moments. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to have a dealer perform the diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 135,000. the vin was not available.

Purchased used 2006 ford freestyle in 11/2007 with approximately 35,000 miles. 2008 vehicle began lunging and accelerating without pressing on the gas pedal, had throttle body replaced at the dealer. vehicle drove fine for approximately 12 months then began the lunging, accelerating and occasional stalling. husband replaced throttle body himself after purchasing a new throttle body from the dealer. again, it drove fine for a while. now the beginning of 2012 it is happening again. this is obviously a factory/part failure that needs to be recalled. there are way too many ford freestyle owners of '05, '06, and '07 owners that have also been dealing with the same problems. *tr

The transmission went out in my 2006 ford freestyle, my extended warranty ran out at 60000 mile. it cost me $7000 out of pocket to make the repair. this really put a burden on me financially. *tr

Car lurches forward in low speed without touching the gas peddle or, if lightly touching gas peddle, car jumps forward as if gas peddle is pushed down hard. known problem with cvt transmission. recall to clean throttle body was received and followed thru on with no results. *tr

While stopped at a traffic light, parking lot (not in park) or drive through the vehicle frequently lunges forward (or backward if in reverse). applying brakes stops this, but we never know when it's going to lunge and we've had several close calls where we almost hit other vehicles. *tr

This makes the second time i have complained about this problem. it seems that ford has no plans to rectify the "throttle body" issue although there are many that have voiced the same concern with their vehicles. this issue is a severe safety risk. i have had several incidences, all involving surging, followed by a sudden loss of power. there have also been instances of sudden loss of power upon acceleration after idling at a stop sign or red light. this happens randomly and there is no warning beforehand. once, i was passing a truck and pulled into the passing lane and the freestyle completely lost power. i was "hanging" in the passing lane with no power and no way to avert a collision had there been oncoming traffic or traffic behind me. thank goodness, i had time to brake and force the freestyle onto the shoulder. this also happenes at stop signs and red lights when i accelerate. very dangerous.

When driving at low speeds the car will lunge forward on its own. it is usually when pulling out of a parking space or pulling up to a stop sign. this happens when you are not pressing on the gas at all but lunges forward on its own. when driving at a high speed it does the opposite and the emergency brake/parking brake tries to engage. for instance i was going 60 mph on the highway and the abs and parking brake light came on, the speedometer dropped to 0, and the rpms revved up. my foot was on the gas the entire time yet the vehicle kept pulling back like it was trying to engage the brakes. *tr

Throttle accelerating while brakes are applied lunging forward shutting off trouble getting up hills trying to accelerate but won't go past 30 mph transmission light is on wrench light is on traction control light is on. *tr

While accelerating from a stop the chain-driven cvt failed. according to 2 technicians that i spoke with the unit requires replacement due to internal damage, at a cost of approximately $6,400. upon doing research on the make/model/transmission it appears this is not an uncommon occurrence. i realize this vehicle is beyond it's warranty, however, a 5 year old car with 61k miles should not require a $6k repair under any circumstance barring a collision. the vehicle (with a functional transmission) is worth approximately $9k as a trade. unless i receive a subsidy from ford or a christmas miracle, this otherwise functional and safe car will be sold for parts/scrap. shame on ford for not backing it's products. *tr

Vehicle will not start. dealership claimed that the throttle body needs to be replace along with a computer update to a tune of $800+. various posts have been found on the internet regarding a known defect with this model year's throttle body including a "lunging issue" caused by this failed component. i would like this issue to be investigated and ford to be responsible for the replacement and remedy of this defective component. *tr

We had purchased our ford freestyle 2006 in july of 2011 with 59000 miles. had the vehicle serviced and trans cleaned in september/october(2011) of that year at 65000. in december we started to have troubles. the wrench light started coming on, then i would be able to start vehicle but not move. one day as i was bringing my child to school the vehicle would not accelerate and then it would. at this point i turned the vehicle off and had it towed. come to find out the transmission was dead. we had to dish out over $5000.00 for a new transmission with a warrenty from ford. we also had the fluids checked to make sure it wasnt their fault, all came back clean. in the statement it said it was due to transmission failure. my concern is that when i started having problems it happened in the middle of a school parking lot when i was dropping my child off. had a child walked by when it was acting weird they could have been hurt. i also feel that after driving only 10,000 miles with it and having to buy a new transmission for it, i feel ford is not providing their costumers with reliable service. i feel their should be a recall on these models. we paid the same amount for this vehicle as it would have cost for a newer model. being a family on a low budget this set us back for along while. plus, we had a carfax and the previous owner had maintained the vehicle very well. *tr

Vehicle surges when idling or going slow. accelerates at times like parking or moving through parking lots or when stopped at stoplights. *kb

When pulling out of my driveway the car would not accelerate, seemed to not have any power. then when placing my foot on the brake at a stop sign it surged forward. it was really scary and had there been traffic, i would have been hit broad side, as i felt i couldn't control the car. the wrench light came on, and as i drove my son to school, the car continued to either have no power or was surging forward, i called my local dealer where i had just had the cvt transmission replaced in september, and asked to bring it in. they diagnosed it as a throttle body problem, and replaced it. i had asked about this when the transmission was replaced, and they had told me they didn't know about any problems. oh please!!!!!! i've also had two very dangerous tire blow outs, and after some research see that unusual inside tire wear has also been a problem on freestyles due to the sway bar links. now tomorrow.... i am back at the dealer for the engine mount, yet another repeat problem that needs to be recalled. please help us get these dangerous cars recalled and repaired! *tr

This incident actually started happening in 2006 not too long after i had bought the vehicle; however it did it only once or twice, or maybe not even so much that i noticed it; however in the past year and a 1/2 i have been experiencing the car lunging forward or backward. it always seems to do it when pulling in or backing out of a parking lot or the driveway. i have noticed that it seems to occur when the ac unit is on. turn the ac unit off and it doesn't do this. i find this very disturbing because even with foot on brakes the car doesn't want to stop, it wants to proceed. fortunately for us it hasn't resulted in any kind of collision. i feel it is only a matter of time before something bad happens. please investigate and issue recall. i understand that it is a throttle body issue which costs a lot of money and this is the only family car we have. i can't afford to pay to have this fixed. struggling as it is after 2 job losses in 3 years time. please help! *tr

Sept 2011: started vehicle and put in reverse to back out of a space and engine revved. if i did not have my foot on the brake it would have leaped backwards thru the parking lot. when i shifted into drive it briefly tried to leap forward. i turned the vehicle off, turned it back on and the diagnostic warning light went off and vehicle seemed normal. throttle body replaced by ford ($800+). nov 2011: speed over 50 mph, went to pass another vehicle and when i pressed the accelerator the vehicle bogged down, rpms revved and it would go no faster than 35-40 mph. diagnostic light comes on. pulled over, turned the vehicle off briefly, restarted, diagnostic light goes out and i proceeded. as long as i do not "punch it" in high gear i can increase speed when going over 50. increase must be gradual. condition has happened several times since initial instance. *tr

2006 ford freestyle purchased in june of 2011, returned to used veh dealer twice for various indicators on the dash. in november of 2011 the transmission went out and was replaced with a ford transmission that was replaced in mid december of 2011. in september of 2012 this transmission went out and caused an axle bearing to be defective and the axle has to be replaced due to the bad transmission that is under warranty. it is january 16, 2013 and ford still does not have a transmission to replace their bad one. received word from the dealer that has it we are behind someone else who has been waiting since august for a transmission. have been on the phone almost weekly and sometimes more than that to get something done. in the mean time we have been without the veh since mid september and no loaner as it is long term and ford is not helping at all. even suggested they buy it back and replace with a 2008 taurus x. we would give them money for the exchange but they are not interested. were told it could be 6 months before a transmission is available. *tr

2006 ford freestyle with 69,000 miles, while putting in forward or reverse vehicle would lurch and rpm's would rise to around 3500 ford states it's an throttle body module problem.. replaced throttle body module and now vehicle will not go into gear. dealership now states its a transmission problem. many reported problems with the freestyle for exact problem. this is a safety problem and a recall should be issued. *tr

Car wrench indicator light went on and could no longer accelerate on major ramp. had to completely shut down car on major roadway and restart in order to move. took to dealer and replaced throttle body ($1100). car surging without warning. did same thing on major highway 2 days later. ford misdiagnosed and now replacing 5 year old transmission on 68k mile car for $5000. *tr

My car speeds up with out any warning when in reverse. so far i have been lucky and only scraped the front bumper on the garage door. two different ford dealers cannot find a reason for this problem. *tr

My 2006 ford freestyle has a lurching problem and now it is getting more often than not, and extremely slow speeds, it wants to take off. i have had several near accidents regarding this and i can't seem to find out if ford knows about this issue, are they doing anything about it, or is it easier to sue after the accident. help me, please. *tr

Good day, while driving my vehicle the vehicle stopped, pushed to the side and tried starting. it never fully recovered the speed, i was able to make it down to the gas station, where i talked to someone and i had to make it into the dealership. even though this is my first time. there has been jerking in the past, pedal sticking, and acceleration of the vehicle. now there are work issues and no one has the money to buy another car, and from searching this site and others, there are quite a few complaints. it would be wonderful if they would fix the problem, seeing as they stopped making the car after 2006, and there are very few parts. this van has some issues, and the dealership i took it too wants to charge me for experimentation on my car, throttle body, and they said if it was not the throttle body, then it was the transmission. i want to understand this because i thought all dealership are suppose to be honest and let people know what is really going on. they did not tell me any of this and they still want to charge me 8,000 dollars, and it is a rip-off. more people need to write in about this vehicle and the ford and the transportation division needs to be held responsible, for taking great peoples hard earned money, have a great day. *kb

My 2006 ford freestyle is absolutely the worst made car i have ever owned! throttle body problem... 50,000 miles, check! ac compressor goes bad.... 60,000 miles, check! and now beginning at 79,000 miles the cvt transmission is trashed! $6000 to fix and you can't even get a new one! i drove it knowing it would go bad another 3000+ miles because i was destined to spend a lot of money either way. the mechanic actually suggested i trade it in when it began. would that have been fair to whomever bought it? these are all common early mileage problems with the freestyles! there are numerous posts about other owners with the same problems, especially these three and there are a couple more that fortunately i have dodged to this point. what is ford going to do? just let those of us who bought freestyles with cvt suffer. what about the fact that you stopped using the cvt transmission on the taurus x? why? i think we know based on the numerous cvt failures at such low mileage. but not low enough to be covered by warranty. *tt

The car lunging in drive,it accelerate ,and stay in the wrong gear,only way to stop the car is turn off the ignition switch. *tr

Driving at highway speeds, car did a small surge followed by loss of power. wrench and engine light came on. once car was turned off, it restarted with no wrench or engine light and seemed ok. it progressively got more frequent. throttle body had been changed, now being told the transmission is shot and needs to be replaced. *tr

On 9/12/11 my 2006 ford freestyle experienced several failures. driving through a parking lot and my wrench and emission lights came on. took to mechanic and he diagnosed complete failure of transmission, and that my power steering was whining as any turns were made. contacted ford motor and the dealership and was told that while not uncommon, there was nothing they could do. my car has essentially died at 160,000 miles as the cost of repairs are greater than the value of the car. *kb

Can be driving any speed or stopped and lose ability to accelerate. have to pull over turn ignition off and restart the car, problem fixed for a little while, frequently while merging to an e way, or hilly areas, ford mechanics have looked at car and cant tell us what is wrong, people who engineered car have looked at it and cant give an answer. due to problems with car we owe more than it is worth now and cant trade in with recurring problem. ford needs to step up and handle this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestyle. while driving approximately 50 mph there was an increase in the rpm readings and the vehicle decelerated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated the transmission had to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 51,000.

The vehicle lunged while in reverse when backing out of a restaurant parking space. rapid hard application of brakes stopped the vehicle after 15 ft. i put the vehicle in park and turned off the ignition. the vehicle then operated normally. it was a 90 degree day with ac on. *tr

Vehicle will lunge or accelerate unexpectedly while sitting in traffic, stop light or any low speed. it will happen in drive or reverse. almost caused a rear end collision at traffic light. engine died after lunging on one occasion after i applied brakes hard to stop from jumping into traffic from parking lot. *tr

My wife was coming home from work, she went to park the car outside in front of our porch where she normally parks at. she still had her foot on the brake and was getting ready to switch gears when the car accelerated and went over our flowerpot and into my porch braking a few boards and scratching the front of my car. this is not the first time it has accelerated on us while not suppose to. when i bought the car in august 2011 we took it to myrtle beach for a week, while in myrtle beach the car would try to take off and/or die while at low speeds with the a/c on. the problem almost caused us to hit a pedestrian. this car is very unsafe, and really needs the problem fixed. *tr

2006 ford freestyle strongly surged/lunged a distance of 5 feet forward from stop immediately after putting vehicle in gear and with foot on the brakes. if a pedestrian or other vehicle had been in front of the car, we would have hit the pedestrian or vehicle. the same has happened countless times in both forward and reverse. ford dealer is unable to diagnose specific corrective action nor has ford motor company issued a recall despite thousands of reports on the internet of this problem and potential danger and injury. *tr

The car would lunge forward when i would take my foot off the brake before i could get my foot to the gas pedal. then started to lunge at low speeds in traffic...now it will lose power to the transmission and i will have to pull over, turn the car off, then start it again. this has happened in the city and on the highway when traveling 65mph in traffic. *tr

On three separate occasions, i have experienced surging forward and also surging in reverse at after shifting from park and from reverse. i have been able to control these surges with the brake and have not had any accidents. there is only 34000 miles (2006 ford freestyle) and have not taken it to a dealer yet , as i have parked it at home. i have researched this problem and have seen that a nhtsa investigation #pe11018 is pending. i would like to report this also and would like to know what is to be done with this. *tr

Hearing a thud noise and then it started a sudden surge forward by itself while i had my foot on the brake. *tr

I have a 2006 ford freestyle. today as i turned into a parking spot, the vehicle lunged forward and stalled when i pressed down on brake. it would then stall everytime the car was put into drive or reverse. vehicle has since been towed to korner ford 805 w. genesee st, syracuse ny. 13204. i do not know what the final verdict will be but having read some of the discussions on-line, it sounds exactly like what has been happening to other freestyle owners.

2006 ford freestyle "lurches" at low speeds or when sitting still; into reverse or forward gears; especially when it is hottest out. example: sitting in line to pick up our children (carpool lane) at the school; vehicle in park. once you move the transmission into drive, while holding down the brake pedal, the engine will rev (run higher) and the vehicle will try to move, therby causing it to 'lurch' or jump foward. it is not a consistent thing, however it does seem to happen the most when the engine and transmission are hot. also happens when switching from park to reverse. often, it will cause the 'wrench' icon on the dashboard to turn on. placing the vehicle in park then turning it off; and turning it back on seems to correct the issue, temporarily. however, it does haappen 3 to 4 times a week. *tt

Recently bought a 2006 ford freestyle. after two weeks this car launches foward while foot is on the brake. almost hit car infront of me. it did it like 3 times back to back. car is about 90,000 miles. *tt