I have a 2004 Ford freestar van and I was driving down the road and I went to pass another vehicle and I push the gas and I heard some crunchy noise is and then nothing no power at all no gears nothing I was dead in the water so I had to get out of the van and push it to the side of the road didn't have reverse didn't have drive didn't have third second or first no gears at all the transmission failed me I could have been in a very bad accident and hurt it just came out of nowhere there was no signs of anything wrong with the van and then this happens.
2004 Ford Freestar: complete transmission failure
250 of the 1,227 complaints about the 2004 Ford Freestar describe complete transmission failure.
- owner complaints
- 250
- of this car's complaints
- 20%
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,000
- typical mileage
- 81,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 6 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Complete transmission failure by model year
What owners say
The vehicle was in motion on a highway at a speed of 55 MPH when it had instant transmission failure. Pulled over to the side of the road. Vehicle wouldn/t move in any direction or gear. Transmission was in proper fluid level range.
Takata recall: I had the torque converter replaced, per recall in 2013 or 2014, when I lost power in my van while driving on the highway in wa state. I believe my van had about 70,000 miles at that time. I have since moved to tennessee. Yesterday, I while driving, van died at a stop sign, while moving on the street, turning a corner, and then while driving, lurching forward before dying. It would start, drive a while, then die again. I had it towed to a shop, where they say the new torque converter is "shot" and took out my transmission. It will cost me $2300-4000 to replace the transmission. Ford employee looked up my VIN # and said im not part of a "recall" for bad replacement torque converters, but how can a torque converter go bad....that bad!! In 5 years... And 59,000 miles? My van now has 138,000 miles on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. While driving various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate and then stalled without warning. The vehicle was pushed over to the side of the road by a couple of the contact's friends. The contact restarted the vehicle, but it failed to drive. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power without warning. The vehicle was able to coast to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle needed to be restarted; however, the vehicle failed to drive. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in any recalls. The approximate failure mileage was 99,862.
On the way home from picking up my grandchildren, my vehicle was in motion but it started to slow down until it came to a stop. Towed to a shop for diagnosis and repairs. They determined that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. Cost was nearly $4k .. I am a senior citizen on a fixed income ... This was a big hit to the pocketbook. Started looking on the internet and, from what I am reading, it seems that there was a recall on this but I never received any type of notice on this. Do I have any right to appeal to ford for some type of relief after the fact???
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the transmission warning indicator illuminated and the transmission failed. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and waited approximately 30 minutes. When the vehicle was restarted, it operated normally. After fifteen miles, the warning indicator illuminated again and the transmission fluid started to leak out. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the seal in the transmission failed and the fluid leaked out. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning in a major intersection. The vehicle was able to restart shortly after and be driven for a couple minutes, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Updated 05/17/16*lj
The power control module (PCM) gets wet . The car will then exhibit various failures including engine stop, transmission failure to engage, engine code indicators. This can happen when stationary (transmission won't engage ) or in motion( engine will shut off above certain speeds, may be 35-45miles per hour) or the transmission will begin slipping. Ford has issued a technical bulletin tsb 06-14-10 on this issue
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v081000 (seat belts); however, it was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). After the recall was performed, the transmission fluid leaked and the gear shift hesitated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 219,000.
Torque converter replaced a year ago complete transmission failure almost went into a ditch trying to get it off the road no problem with transmission until I had ford replace torque converter due to recall
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestyle. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact shifted to park and the vehicle failed to shift gears. The contact mentioned there was an internal transmission leak. The failure recurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Erratic fluid level reading on transaxle DIPSTICK-LEAKS-4F50N, AX4N, AX4S transaxle
- A broken outer c/v joint on vehicles built before 5/1/2005
- General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures
- General power train control module (PCM) programming procedures
- 4F50N transaxle no 1-2 upshift and diagnositc trouble code P0732
- Groan/buzz/vibration when the gear selector is in park with the vehicle parked on an incline
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: torque converter
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2004 and 2005 ford freestar and mercury monterey vehicles. The torque converter output shaft may fail.
- Risk
- This condition results in a sudden loss of motive power with no warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converter free of charge. The safety recall began on august 9, 2012. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 12V006000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2004 Ford Freestar transmission failure
Is complete transmission failure a common problem on the 2004 Ford Freestar?
250 of 1,227 owner complaints about the 2004 Ford Freestar (20%) mention complete transmission failure. The model year with the most reports is 2004.
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the 2004 Ford Freestar?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,000 (median of 59 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Ford Freestar?
There is 1 recall and 6 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Ford Freestar
Loss of power 127Stalling 122Won't shift 48Check engine light 44Grinding brakes 41Slipping 39Jerking 36Adaptive cruise 22Hesitation 20Water leak 18Won't start 18ABS 16Door locks 12Misfire 12Power steering loss 12Airbag light 10Fire or smoke 10Ball joint 9Wipers 9Overheating 8Sudden acceleration 8Whining noise 8Engine failure 7Fuel pump 7Shudder 7Tire blowout 6Battery drain 5Knocking 5Power windows 5Warning lights 5
VIN decoder
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