We were accelerating after a stop light, traveling at approx. 25 MPH when the vehicle failed to continue to move forward. We coasted and put the vehicle into park in a left turn lane. The vehicle would not shift into any gear. We had the vehicle towed and found out that our transmission needed to be replaced. There were no warning signs or warning lights in the vehicle that would indicate a problem with the vehicle. The repair shop could not explain the reason for the malfunction. Our transmission fluid was clean and they could not explain the reason the transmission failed. The van only had 50,645 miles at the time and it was 4.5 years old. We replaced the transmission with an out of pocket expense of $2682.60. There was no explanation from ford motor company after phone calls were made.
2005 Ford Freestar transmission complaints
Page 16 of 24: complaints 431 to 460 of 677, newest first, as owners wrote them.
-no event leading to failure while driving on highway I-75, van lost ability to accelerate. Tach would show engine was revving, but no acceleration. Was able to get to emergency lane. Could not move forward or reverse. Was towed to transmission shop, failure so complete car could not even be road tested. This is a failure of product, not of user.
I was driving my 2005 ford freestar in the city I live in. When I reached an intersection,I stopped and then proceeded to go thru when my vehicle stopped moving right in the middle of the intersection. I had to get help moving it to the side of the road. This was very dangerous for me and my children because of oncoming traffic. I later found out that my torque converter had went. My van only had 45,500 miles on it when this happened.
I have a 2005 for freestar. Today I pulled into a parking lot and put it into park, engine running. When I tried to leave, none of the gears would engage. After being towed to my local repair shop, the mechanic determined that the transmission was shot. [it was also reported to me that this model/year has had numerous failures like this.]
2005 ford freestar minivan had been traveling at highway speeds for 1 hr and 15 minutes. Suddenly lost power on a major interstate. The engine would rev but would not engage the transmission in any gear. This happened only once, no warning, no engine light, strange sounds, no slippage or grinding. Car has 103,000 miles approx. Taken to local mechanic who states complete rebuild is necessary. *tr updated 2/23/11 *cn updated 11/17/2011
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. The contact stated the vehicle would not shift into reverse. After several attempts, the contact was able to move the gear shift lever to the reverse position and then into drive. While in drive, the vehicle was severely hesitant to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was informed that the transmission was defective. The transmission was replaced at the contacts expense. The failure and current mileages were 39,965. Updated 10/06/10. *lj updated 10/08/10
Was driving my 2005 ford freestar sel through our town had made two or three stops no problem started to go through a light and notice it was not taking the gas had to change lanes to get off side of road and pull over almost got hit by side and back from traffic through the light had two of my three children with me no warning at all had not acted up or no lights came on. I notice the vehicle was still running when I put it in park went to put back in gear but notice I was not hearing it go in any gear and when press gas it would just rev up. My son un hooked the battery and waited and put it back on to see if it was computer and would reset itself still nothing. Phoned my husband at work and he had to leave work and check it out we was right beside the ford dealer and they said it sounded as if it was the transmission. We had it towed to our fathers home and called a ford mechanic he said it was in transmission we found a used one for $1100.00 and to rebuilt is between $1600.00 and $2000.00 I have read online over and over again sounds just like my story. It is just a miracle that someone hasn't got killed over this without any warning. My husband has just got back hours at work it has been rough the last two years and then this. We are going to have it rebuilt due to not wanting to pay out $1100.00 and not knowing how long it will be before it goes out.the company that is rebuilding ours says there are new parts so it may last longer.they said we were lucky we got the miles out of ours that we did,but it is driven by me in a little town most of my miles are from taking my little girl to school the last five years. Ford needs to be responsible for this!
I have a 2005 ford freestar with approximately 100,000 miles. It started hesitating and losing power about a week or so ago and then yesterday as I was driving, thankfully in a parking lot it would not go forward. I had it towed to a local ford dealer and they tell me it's the torque converter. I've been reading alot today about similar problems other people are having with this vehicle. The dealer tells me it will cost $1,800.00 to fix.
Transmission failure on highway during july 4th holiday weekend. On our way out of st. Louis, we were on a slight incline doing 65 when the rpms ramped up. Cruise control was engaged at the time until my husband taped the brake. Once the cruise was disabled, my husband tried to accelerate, we just continued to slow down. My husband immediately put the hazard lights on and proceeded to coast to an off ramp from highway 61 which in fact turned out to be the on ramp for I-70. We parked on the side of the onramp, turned the van off and started looking for answers. Van runs but it just was not going anywhere. No warning, due to the commotion we lost our bearings so we didn't know for sure where we were to tell the towing company. We ended up being towed to wentzville missouri, dumped off at a super 8 and had to wait til the following day to rent a car. The van was taken to a transmission shop in town. They didn't look at the van until july 6th, they stated the transmission had internal issues. Only option was to replace with refurbished for $2600. Now it's july 9th, had the van towed to our house for $500. Looking for a cheaper transmission since we don't have that kind of money laying around. Not sure yet how we'll proceed.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. While driving approximately 65 MPH the vehicle stalled and driven onto the emergency lane. The vehicle would not shift out of park gear. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The torque converter was replaced. The failure and current mileages were 107,000. Updated 09/24/10. *lj updated 09/24/10
I own a 2005 ford freestar and the torque converter went out. It does have over 100,000 miles on it. I had been running errands all morning and got home and parked it. Later that evening when I tried to move it, it would not go into any gear. Luckily, this did not happen to me while driving down a busy highway.
I was driving along a country road when all of a sudden my 2005 freestar began to slow down on a corner I stepped on the gas but nothing happened I started to panic it was a blind corner lined with huge trees,fortunately as I was about to come to a stop I started to go down hill and was able to pull of in to a scenic turn out at the lake. I was in a dead zone so I couldn't call on my cell phone but finally found enough service by standing on a rock over the water to text for help. After returning home with the car thanx to aaa I find that this car has a history of transmission failure no warning ,no notice what so ever, I feel very fortunate that this happened where it did because I travel the turnpike daily and could have been run over if it had happened at a more congested area like an on ramp or exchange, I have contacted ford and they have blown me off,I have also contacted the attorney generals office here in maine to see if I have an recourse in this matter the car has 54154 miles on it and so far I have seen estimates of up to $3000 to repair it shouldn't it last atleast til it's paid for? I think so.
My wife was driving down the interstate in her 2005 ford freestar van when she suddenly lost forward momentum. She coasted to the side of the road and found the transmission had gone completely out with no warning. No forward or reverse. It is my understanding from reading reports on the internet that this is an ongoing problem and I feel it should be resolved. I expect to have to pay to fix mine, but I hope something will happen to help the next guy who is unfortunate enough to buy one of these vehicles. Thank you for your help!
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. While driving 65 MPH without a warning the rpms increased excessively and the transmission disengaged. She was able to safely drive onto the emergency lane and have the vehicle towed to his residence. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no related warranty. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.
Note: I have a 2005 ford freestar van with 123,000 on the engine. On july 4, I was driving down 1-70 west between washington,pa and claysville, pa with my wife and 2 daughters, when all of a sudden the van would not move forward. I tried all gears but, the van would not move forward. Eventually, I was able to coast the van to the side of the road. I called a tow truck for assistance. Out of no where, a police officer came up beside me and asked if there was a problem. After telling him the situation, he said he would wait for the truck. The van is now sitting at a transmission garage awaiting work to be repaired.
I was driving home from work 4 am in the morning going 60 plus miles per hour, all of the sudden the my van slow down to a stop. My engine was still on but the car wont go when I step on the gas. This was very dangerous to me because there was no warning what so ever. Engine light wasn't on just completely stalled on me on the freeway.
I was driving my 2005 freestar(ford) on the beltway at 55mph when suddenly it stopped moving. The engine kept running but it would not go into gear. There is nothing wrong with the shifting hardware- it seems to be a transmission issue with absolutely no warning, no slipping, no noise and no warning light. Very frightening since I had to be towed from the beltway.
I was driving my 2005 ford freestar with my daughter on a hot saturday afternoon when all of the sudden without any warning my van started slowing down. I coasted towards a nearby gas station until the van completely stopped in the gas station entrance. It would engage into gear but not move at all, no matter how much I stepped on the gas pedal. The workers at the gas station pushed the van into the station's lot. A tow truck was called and within one half hour the van was towed to our mechanic's shop. The mechanic informed my husband the next morning that it was the transmission. The transmission only has 53,000 miles and basically stopped working without warning. I am currently awaiting a diagnosis of the problem.
I have a 2005 freestar sport van. When it is relatively hot outside and I've driven for about an hour or so, there is this loud squealing noise coming from the front of my van. It is very annoying and gets louder with time traveled. I've taken this van back to the dealer from where it was purchased. They've replaced the brake pads saying that this could be the problem. It didn't change, the squealing kept coming. The mechanic said that he had done some form of research through the internet and thinks it could be the wheel bearing. What a scare this is!!!!! Has anyone had this same problem?? The garage will not do anything about it until I can bring it in while it is still squealing so they can take it for a roadtest. It's been a year since I've bought this van from a reputable garage in cambridge, ontario. I'm scared to go anywhere with it especially with my grandchildren in the van when we go on holidays. Is there a great concern here????----------please email me back with some info to [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. While making a turn driving 15 MPH, the transmission failed. The contact attempted to accelerate and the engine revved but the vehicle did not move forward. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the transmission could not be repaired. The dealer suggested that the contact purchase a refurbished transmission from ford. The current and failure mileages were approximately 45,000.
I stopped at a stop sign and waited for traffic to pass. When it was safe to pull out, I did so, making a right hand turn. I then had to make a left hand turn, and about half way into the turn lane my engine revved up and then the van began to slow. Luckily there was no traffic coming and I was able to veer to the shoulder of the road. Once safely stopped, I went through all of the gears , but the van would not move. This is the first time this happened, and there was no warning whatsoever. I was driving along and then nothing! I took the van to my local ford dealership and they determined that the transmission went out. They are in the process of replacing the transmission after only 80,000 miles. I requested to get the failed transmission, but was told that they would have to charge me an additional $600 core charge.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestar. While driving at 60 MPH, there was an unusual increase in engine rpms and the vehicle began to independently decrease in speed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts place of residence. The manufacturer was contacted and advised there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 117,000.
While I was driving on the interstate doing 70 MPH, I was trying to pass a slower car my van starting revving but I was slowing down. Fortunately I was able to coast to the shoulder without getting into an accident. I had it towed to a transmission shop where I was told that the torque converter had pretty much exploded. I had no warning that there were any problems. There were metal pieces in the transmission. I had to have it replaced.
We have a 2005 ford freestar, we were driving along and suddenly lost power to the vehicle. The engine still ran, but would not engage in any gear. When we took the vehicle into the shop, they said the torque converter had failed.
Was stopped at a red light. When it was time to go I stepped on the gas pedal. The van moved just enough to get us past the intersection. When I stepped on the pedal again it did not respond with anything other than the revving of the needle. It was like if the van was in neutral. We avoided the heavy traffic and coasted to an empty lot. We tried to reverse as well and there was no response from the van. Prior to the incident we had no type of warning that this may occur. Everything was working properly. It just suddenly gave out. My husband, sister-in-law, 3 year old niece, and myself where stuck out in the heat until we could get someone to tow the van back to our house. The mileage is currently at 87,000. We are currently waiting on a mechanic to inspect the vehicle. I am afraid the cost will be sky high and I know we can't afford this.
Shortly after proceeding through a busy intersection while driving in the left lane, at approximately 55 MPH, my vehicle simply quit moving. The engine would rev, but the vehicle came to a sudden stop. How I didn't get rear ended at that time, or as I sat waiting for assistance, is a complete miracle. The car would shift in gears, however would not move. A fireman ended up stopping and sitting behind me with his lights on to avoid a collision. Eventually, a policeman arrived, had me put the car in neutral, and "pushed" me with his push bar about a mile down the road to avoid a road hazard. The mechanic suggested not rebuilding the existing transmission because of known problems with 2005 ford freestar transmissions, and was able to get me a 2007 transmission with 10,000 miles. Hopefully this one will last longer.
My wife was traveling in our 2005 ford freestar. When she pulled out on to a busy state route, the car just stopped going, she would push on the gas and the engine would rev, but the car would not move forward. She was almost hit by cars that were already traveling on the road at 55mph. After safely pulling the car to the side of the rd, she had to wait for an hour and a half while I got off work to come and meet her. We were able to switch the car into the different gears. Park would not allow the car to move while neutral allowed the car to move. We then towed the car home with it in neutral. After some extensive research on the internet we discovered this is a common problem for ford vans. Apparently the torque converters are going bad on them around 60-80k miles. After talking to numerous mechanics, they all agreed that it was the torque converter. While I am trying to save up the money to pay for this repair, my car is sitting dead in my driveway and is useless. Repair looks to cost anywhere from $1000-$1500.
No sign of transmission problems prior to the actual transmission failure. Wife was driving herself and kids to school while I was away on business travel and as she was driving in a 40mph zone, she suddenly noticed that the van was slowing down even though the engine was revving high. Since she was driving on a 2-lane road that had no shoulders, she pulled the van as close to the curb as she could even though the van was still causing traffic problems. Wife turned the engine off, restarted the engine, tried to put the van in drive, reverse, 1st and 2nd but all of these attempts failed to make the van move in any direction. After the local ford dealer refused to assist my wife, who was alone with the kids when the transmission failed, she was able to contact a local mechanic that assisted with towing the disabled van to his shop. Upon analyzing the problem, the mechanic noticed that there were parts of the transmission laying at the bottom of the transmission. The mechanic removed the original transmission and replace it with a remanufactured, ford unit. Other work performed by the mechanic included flushing all cooler lines and cooler prior to installation. The final cost for parts and labor for the re-manufactured transmission was $2990.23.
Transmission failed in 2005 ford freestar. Vehicle has 66,000 miles. While driving on interstate, transmission slipped and failed. No warning.
2005 ford freestar completely lost power to the drivetrain while traveling in a 45 MPH zone. There was no warning light or strange noises coming from the vehicle prior to the failure. My wife was lucky to have gotten the vehicle out of traffic before she was rear-ended which would have obviously caused serious injury. The vehicle has only 62,000 miles on it and the vehicle has been meticulously maintained, including a transmission flush at 42,000 miles. Ford dealership diagnosed problem and determined that transmission needed to be replaced. There numerous complaints of transmission failure with this make/model with other ford owners.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2005 Ford Freestar?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history