The transmission and acceleration fail to respond on a ramp to the highway. Switching manually to 1 or 3 won't make a difference. If I go to neutral when it still rolling the gas pedal works. On the other gears it stays at about 60kph, 2000 RPM. I can't gain any speed to merge to the highway, so I have to go to the shoulder, turn on hazard lights, turn off engine, wait a moment and then everything is ok. It has happened always on the same spot going downhill the ramp. At least 5 times. On the area there is a stop light controlled by radio for the main traffic and about 200 meters there is an hydro transformer station, otherwise just regular buildings. I don't recall it happening on another place. I wonder if it could be radio interference that affects the computer and makes it fail to respond and when the engine is turned off, it resets by itself.
2006 Ford Freestar transmission complaints
Page 3 of 10: complaints 41 to 70 of 254, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Torque converter failure without warning. I was driving northbound on interstate 380 on 10/6/2016 at roughly 70 MPH in the left lane of traffic. I was not using the cruise control. Suddenly (around mile marker 13-14), the engine revved very high and the van decelerated. I was traveling up a hill and was dangerously decelerating in the left lane of the interstate. I managed to get over to the side of the road (cutting off a semi-truck) with absolutely no propulsion. It felt as though the engine was not connected with the drive wheels. There was no warning this was going to happen, the van just suddenly started decelerating rapidly on the interstate. I noticed quickly because the engine revved up when the transmission let go. I had the van towed to the local ford dealership, where I left it for them to review the issue. The service person at the dealership called me back the next day and informed me that the torque converter had failed completely. I asked them if there was a recall involved with this component. They informed me that the 2006 ford freestar transmission was not included in the freestar transmission recall. I looked it up on the federal safety agency website and confirmed that my vehicle's transmission had not been recalled. The vehicle has roughly 98,000 miles on it, although it is a 2006 model. It appears to have the same problem as the 2005 models. The repair cost is roughly $1,400.
I was travel home and had just turn a corner. The vehicle was climbing a low hill and suddenly lost monument. I continue to press on the gas pellet and could hear the engine run up with out the car picking up any more speed. I pull to the side of the road as quickly as I could and as close as I could to the curb. This still did not make the stop comfortable. Cars continue to pass me at 40 ,45 to 50 MPH as I sat on the side of the road waiting to be towed to the nearest transmission shop. I sat on the side of the road for an hour, before the tow truck arrived. Their were no sighs of a problem with the transmission up until the transmission stop working.
Driving my minivan home then it made a noise ans seemed like it shifted in neutral. Did some research and it sounds like the torque converter went out. I heard it had a recall. Let me know thanks
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked forward without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000. ...updated 10/11/16 *bf
Transmission is slipping into gears, when first took van to dealership 03/09/2016 for this problem and the wheels squealing it had less than 59,000 mile . Dealership could not find the problem with the trans but fixed the squealing in the wheels, back to dealership in 06//2016 they put bg brake quiet on front pads and they tell me the slipping might be internal. Checked date on trans and it is october 2005. Recalls have be for that year on the transmission. Ford should take care of this.
Oct. 2015. Our 2006 ford freestar transmission and torque converter failed while in florida. A new, not rebuilt, transmission was installed by garret gordon ford in davenport, fl. The new transmission had a hard shift between first and second gear from day one. The reason given by the dealer was "new transmission/computer adjusting." nov. 2015. Hard shift continued intermittently so we took it to the sarchione ford garage in randolph ohio. They could not confirm the problem june 2015. Hard shift has continued intermittently and on occasion has failed to shift from first to second without letting off the accelerator completely. On more than 2 occasions the shift from first to second was so hard that the tires actually peeled on the road service. The sarchione ford garage in randolph is, at this time, trying to troubleshoot the problem. Sometimes weeks go by with no problem, yet accelerating into traffic on occasion is hampered by the problem. $4000.00 and 9 months later and the problem persists.
I was driving home from work on a busy interstate at 70 MPH in the far left hand lane when the vehicle began slowing down. There was now warning. I applied pressure to the gas pedal attempting to keep going with the flow of traffic around me. The rpms rose but no response from the transmission. It was as though the van suddenly shifted into neutral and would not go. Thankfully traffic allowed me to coast over 4 lanes to get to the shoulder. This was friday evening before memorial day and very very busy. It's amazing I made it to the shoulder without being hit. I turned the engine off and it restarted with no problem. I tried shifting into reverse and got no response from the transmission either. This appears to be an issue with the drivetrain. Ford has known about this problem from other complaints I have seen. How many deaths will make ford wake up and do something? I was one of the lucky ones. I made it to the side of the road but only because I am an experienced driver. Had it been a teenager he or she may not have made it before momentum was lost. Is it only deaths that will make ford realize that they have a responsibility to provide a safe product? I have no choice but to try to get this fixed. This is our family vehicle.
Van was driving on a city street as it should when with no warning or indication of any problem at all driving power was lost while on a public roadway. The car would not move at all in any gear and was stuck on the roadway as far over as was possible, but could not get completely off of the roadway once momentum was lost. Had I known there would be no way to drive the vehicle I might have been able to get farther off of the road into a ditch. This is the van with the 3.9 liter engine. I hope no one has had this happen when crossing a highway or trying to merge on to the interstate.
Transmission completely stopped while driving no warning lost all forwards and reverse. Been told it is the same problem ford has had on many of the same models of torque converter going out.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 164,421. Updated 07/12/16*lj the torque converter was replaced at a cost of $ 1083.32. Updated 08/02/16.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate without warning. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle; however, it was unable to be driven. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). The failure mileage was not available.
While driving at approximately 20 miles an hour we made a turn then the vehicle just revved up and would not go in any gear. Vehicle stalled in the middle of the street and was unable to get it out of traffic. After investigating realize that this is the torque converter that has went bad and there was a recall on 2004 and 2005 for the exact same problem. 2006 use the same transmission and same tour converter so I'm not sure why it wasn't recalled also
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle shifted into neutral independently. The contact mentioned that there was an increase of engine rpms and the vehicle failed to drive. The vehicle was towed but was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled and had to be pushed into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle would not accelerate, but the engine revved. The vehicle was able to be pulled over, shut off, and restarted. When the vehicle was shifted out of park and into gear, there was no response. The transmission failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission and torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 70,335....updated 09/14/16 *bf
Replacement torque converters continued to fail after replacing original transmission and failed torque converter at 97k miles. Replaced torque converter four times in 37k miles under warranty for "shudder". Ford dealership refused to diagnose or determine the continued failures. Independent diagnosis stated failures were due to the introduction of debris from the original failure, during the installation of the replacement transmission, or the replacement was defective when installed. Ford dealer and company would not replace the transmission. Ford warranty ended on 12/12/15 and the situation remains unresolved. Fortunately shudder failures occurred on the road, but vehicle could be driven to dealership for repair. The first original failure occurred on a off ramp and other motorist's assisted in pushing it to the side, avoiding a possible rear end collision! The newest torque converter can fail at any time and could result in a serious accident. Vehicle is used only in local driving as safety considerations have to be considered first. Ford customer service in detroit refused any consideration of the situation. You cannot contact anyone with authority at ford as they are shielded by customer service. The consumer has to consider legal options at what cost to them? There is also a problem with hard shifts from into a drive gear(r,od,d, 1) from "n" or "p". This is an indication of failure of the internal neutral to drive accumulator. Resulting from a stuck piston or seals, or springs damaged or missing. When demonstrated to the dealership service manager and mechanic they ignored it and refused to accept it and properly diagnosis the situation. The independent diagnosis said the transmission had to be replaced and the installation done under proper clean conditions and flushing of the cooler and lines. If not done properly the the situation would reoccur .
Our granddaughter pulled up to a stop light & when she went to pull away from it the engine revved up but the freestar went nowhere. It the same thing ford describes in their recall number: 12v006000recall date: 01/09/2012 where the torque converter output shaft may fail.. Unfortunately her van is considered a 2006 even tho it was manufactured on 09/05 & the van is not covered under the current recall. They cannot afford to get the van repaired but need it to take our great granddaughter to grade school & the husband needs to use it to get to work. Is there anything you can do about this problem? Thanks chuck
While driving, the van suddenly ceased to respond to applying the gas pedal. The motor continued to respond, rpms rise with acceleration attempts but the van will not move. No gear (including reverse) responds. The vehicle was rolled into a parking lot and had to be towed. At this time, repairs have not been made, but there is significant indication that the torque converter may be the issue. We are disturbed because there are multiple complaints of this issue with other 2006 freestar owners, and there has been no recall issued or apparent responsibility taken on the part of the manufacturer. It is clear that the same parts are being affected as those recalled from the 2005 models. We are not in a financial position to fund transmission repairs and we could lose our only vehicle due to this incident. I am just grateful my husband (or my children, or someone else) was not killed in an accident caused by this failure. I intend to contact the manufacturer directly, but have not at this point. I would very much like this situation investigated with ford, not just for our vehicle but all the people lodging complaints of this issue--here and elsewhere online.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving 25 MPH, an abnormal metallic sound emitted from the front end of the transmission. The contact stated that after taking off from a stop sign, the vehicle transmission failed. The vehicle was still running but was unable to move anywhere. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter output shaft needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. Updated 09/25/15*lj updated 12/13/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the ability to accelerate seized without warning. The contact had to maneuver to the side of the road to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 99,133.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving for over 20 minutes at an unknown speed, the vehicle independently failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
I hade been driving the van for approximatly 125 miles, came to a stoplight close to my home. Stopped at the light, and when I tryed to go forward ehrn the light turned green, there was no power to thee transmission, the engine only reved up. I was facing downhill, and rolled into a store parking lot. Had to have it towed to my house. Doing research online, I found very similar cercumstances with many other freestars. Ford had issued a recall on the torque converter for the 2004-05 freestars, but not the 2006, which has the same part. All freestars with this same part shuld have been recalled, not just 2 out of 4 years. I feel very cheated and now I am facing a very large repair bill.
We have a 2006 ford freestar that had a transmission failure after 85,000 miles. I have looked online and found that the 2004 & 2005 models have been recalled and there appears to be issues with the 2006 transmission but it has not been recalled. I would like ford to be mandated to reimburse me for the transmission failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving at 75 MPH, the transmission failed without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 144,000. The VIN was not available.
Driving on a 2 lane road started up the side of a mountain. Drove approx. .5 miles up hill. Without warning the engine rev'ed. Vehicle lost all power to the wheels. Engine running fine, no abnormal noises. Vehicle slowed quickly due to uphill grade. Vehicles behind me, including several large tractor-trailers had swerve into the on-coming lane due to no shoulder. Thankfully there was no traffic coming down the mountain. There could have easily been a fatal accident because of this failure.... Just happened to be no traffic coming down the mountain in the on-coming lane. Blocked one lane of traffic on a steep grade for over an hour waiting on a tow truck. Torque converter failed. Sent debris into the transmission. Vehicle needs torque converter and transmission replaced.... I have seen many people have this same complaint... Please the federal safety agency help us...
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestar. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted and was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The ford freestar was exiting the highway when it lost all power without warning while coming down the off-ramp. The engine was still running. The mini van was able to coast off the road and into an auto shop parking lot that happened to be there. Appears to be another torque converter failure.
Started out of an intersection and van stalled in the middle of the road. Coasted to the side of the road. No forward or reverse gear. Transmission gone. When I had a new one put in after $4000.00 bill the mechanic told me that the one he replaced was not the original one. So this makes the second transmission failure for this vehicle. I have driven fords all my life and have never had a transmission to go out. If I had been driving down the interstate at 70 MPH I might have been killed. Ford should be willing to replace these transmissions or reimburse their customers for such shoddy transmissions.
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