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.
2005 Ford Freestyle acceleration complaints
Page 6 of 21: complaints 131 to 160 of 587, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Same issues as investigation # pe11018. I was backing out of a parking space and the engine attempted to surge three separate times. I was in control with my foot on the brake. After exiting the parking lot, I drove about 400-500 feet and stopped. Backed up and then as I went forward, the engine surged and then the car went into fail safe mode. I have had the engine surge in reverse over the past year that I have owned it, but this is the first time it has resulted in a "fail safe" mode. It is now in the shop and the dealer believes that it is a throttle body and/or and ECM module failure.
My car is lunging forwards/backwards and my motor revs up at the time this lunging occurs. Sometimes it happens while I am sitting at a red light, stop sign, or drive thru (anytime the car is on and my foot it on the brake) and sometimes it happens right after I put the car in drive or reverse as I go to release the brake pedal (before putting my foot on the gas). I have to hurry and press the brake back down before hitting someone or something. This is very scary for I have almost hit people walking in crosswalks, cars in parking lots, and have almost ran into back side of my house where I park on a daily basis. After having this happen to me today on my lunch, I went online to see if there was a recall for this problem and found that many other people are experiencing this and there has not been a recall but it is or was under investigation. I also noticed others have had to have their air conditioner repaired and/or motor mounts fixed. I have also had to repair the same exact things, done by my dealership. I would have the lunging problem and then it would stop for a while and then start again. I didn't realize this until reading about others but I, like them, experience this worse during the summer months when it is hot weather. Other than this lunging and motor revving problem I have been satisfied with my car. After looking online this is obviously a ford problem and is not fair to the customers to have to pay to have this problem fixed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact was driving 30 MPH when the vehicle accelerated abnormally and independently. In addition, the vehicle would sporadically stall when the failure occurred. The contact was a mechanic and inspected the vehicle. He was able to generate failure codes that indicated throttle body failures. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 141,000. Updated 8/31/12 *cn the consumer stated with each failure the check engine light came on and when accessed through the obdii connector, p2104 tac forced to idle and p2111 tac system stuck open trouble codes, were presented. Updated 09/11/2012
Road trip from bc to ontario, driving through mountains, first occurrence in chase, bc, at dairy queen car lunged in drive through, heard whiny noise from engine, gets worse when turning steering wheel. Last occurrence on trip, driving back into hope, bc, after cruise control want to speed up a bit but no power, get out of cruise control and car stalls while going about 60 kph!!! Manage to get off the highway onto merging lane. Husband checked fluid levels but everything is topped up. Manage to start up again after 3 tries and get home safely. Address is in canada, please ignore californa and zip code.
Pulling into parking space facing restaurant, with foot on brake pedal, car lunged forward. Curbing kept me from hitting people walking into restaurant. A/c compressor replaced a few day prior to this incidence; however, car has been lunging since A/C compressor was replaced. The day the AC compressor was replaced and I drove the car off of the ford dealership lot, my car lunged pulling into parking space at the post office -- I thought the floor mat had gotten caught on the gas pedal and was causing the problem the lunging happens both going forward and backwards. Took car back to ford dealership where A/C compressor was installed; gentleman at "quick lube" desk said he had never heard of this problem with the freestyle or at least he had never written up a service report for this problem. Have discovered on-line numerous entries regarding this problem with the freestyle. Feel ford motor company should take responsibility for correcting this problem.
When driving at low speeds (5-10 MPH), whether in forward or reverse, the car will lunge forward (or backward if in reverse). This has happened at least 10 times over the last 4 days, resulting in several near-miss accidents with vehicles, as well as almost hitting a pedestrian multiple times. The engine lunging has only occurred at low speeds, mostly when the temperatures are above 85 degrees. The engine lunging occurs when I'm driving at low speeds, such as when I'm backing out of a parking spot, or driving in traffic in which I'm driving at a low speed. The time before last, it was in the school parking lot when I was picking up my son from summer school. Both these times, a pedestrian was almost hit when the car lunged forward. Today, I was in traffic in the walmart parking lot when the car lunged forward, almost causing me to hit the car in front of me. When this happens, the check engine symbol lights on the dashboard, as well as the engine failsafe mode coming on. I have to turn the car completely off and back on to get these lights off.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated the vehicle would abnormally accelerate when first started. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for repairs or inspection. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.
This has been occurring since the car was purchased in 2005. In hot days when the AC is on the car lunges forwards or backwards. It just depends if you have it in drive or reverse. When sitting at a red light or stop sign the car's rpms go high for a minute then the car slows down and stops. There has been times where it lunges forwards so hard it almost hits the car or whatever is in front of you. Ford needs to fix this problem before a death results. If you are aware of this problem and ford is too then why is nothing being done!!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle.the contact stated that while driving at any speed the vehicle would stall without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the throttle sensor was replaced. After the repair the vehicle failed again. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer here the throttle was replaced a second time but to no avail. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the egr valve was replaced. The failure was still not corrected. The vehicle was currently at the dealer awaiting repair. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. While idling in the driveway, the vehicle lunged forward abnormally. The contact applied the brakes and the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that when reversing or with the brake depressed and moving forward, the vehicle would suddenly accelerate without warning. The failure was experienced several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed but the dealer was unable to locate a failure code. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.
Vehicle unexpectedly and with great speed lurches in both forward and reverse. I notice the issue most often when pulling into or out of a parking spot or just after using the brake. The car suddenly accelerates without warning forcing me to slam on the brakes so that I do not hit other vehicles or unintentionally enter traffic. The issue is very dangerous because there is no forewarning and has appeared to be happening more often and with greater force.
Vehicle lunged forward in parking lot with both my wife's feet pushing the brake pedal to the floor. Hit parking divider and my wife was able to get the car into park. Engine continued to accelerate in park, then resumed normal idle. Dash service and engine lights appeared. Taken to ford garage immediately. Dealership resisting coverage under extended ford powertrain warranty.
I own a 2005 ford freestyle which lurches backward when you have the A/C on and you back up. It also started doing the same in foward. Ford should act upon this before there is a death.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that while driving in reverse approximately 3 MPH, the brake pedal was engaged and the vehicle suddenly lunged without warning. In addition, there was a momentary increase in the engine rpms. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The throttle body was replaced with a used throttle body due to the safety issue and the part being on a massive back order. Two years later, the failure recurred. Currently, a new throttle body was being replaced by the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. Also, there was a current open investigation associated with the federal safety agency action number pe11018 (vehicle speed control). The approximate failure mileage was 83,000. Updated 08/07/12
At slow parking lot maneuver speeds vehicle lunges forward, usually on a hot day with air conditioning on. After braking ,check engine light comes on and car is sluggish.
On a hot day (98 degrees) when driving with the air conditioning on in my 2005 ford freestyle it surged ahead in the mall parking lot and I almost hit someone walking in front of the car. This vehicle has acted like this on hot days when the A/C is on and running in the past. You have to be very careful and aware that this will happen, if someone was to borrow my car I would be afraid that they would run someone over. It happens in both forward and reverse and usually only at slow speeds/idle speed. Its dangerous in parking lots when you are both pulling into the parking spots you have to brake quickly or you'll speed up and hit a parked car in front of you, then backing out of the spot it does the same thing. This is a serious problem and needs to be taken care of. One time last year on a long drive through philadelphia this happened and the car stalled and locked up at a green light. We just want to know how to fix it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward and backward when the brakes were applied. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who ran a diagnostic test and stated that the throttle body had failed. The manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was 64,000.
My car started lunging when moving at slow speeds, and I'd have to jam on brakes to keep it from hitting another car, building, etc. Happens primarily when A/C is on also. Loses power on acceleration, but lunges when applying slight gas in both reverse and forward. Scary beyond belief. I have a heart condition, and nearly fainted when it happened last time, at an intersection with wild traffic, and I had to jam the brakes to keep the car from going into traffic. Seen enough similar reports online that my next stop will be news media. Please help us!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle would abnormally lunge forward when the brake pedal was released. The contact depressed the brake pedal and stopped the vehicle from accelerating further but the failure recurred as soon as her foot was removed from the brake pedal. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 7/19/12 *cn the consumer stated a mechanic cleaned the throttle and fuel injection system at a cost of $168. It is working better now. Updated 07/23/12
I have had multiple incidents. In almost every occurrence that I can remember, I have either been pulling into my garage, backing out of my garage, or pulling into a parking space when it feels like something "catches" and the freestyle moves a few more miles per hour suddenly. It's happened more often when in drive than when the car is in reverse. The issue does make me worry about running into another parked car or into my garage wall, but I try to be ready for it and have my foot on the brake to stop the sudden momentum.
I was backing up out of a parking spot very slowly and the car surged backward about a foot, I was able to depress the brake and stop it. The fail safe mode then engaged. I turned the car off and sat for a couple minutes and restarted it and started backing out. The same thing happened again, the surge backward and the failsafe mode engaged. I once again stopped and turned off the engine and sat for about 15 minutes. When I restarted the car the check engine light was on but I was able to back out of the parking space all right, and the failsafe mode did not come back on. It was an extremely hot 100 degrees day, and the A/C was on. This is extremely scary. I could have hit someone.
Purchased the car used from ford dealership. I had been following a friend on ih10 in east texas. Friend had pulled over to side of road, I pulled in behind him. I stayed in my car with AC running for approx 10 minutes I put the car in gear and started to drive. The vehicle would not go over 20 MPH. I pulled over and turned the car off. My friend saw me and pulled his vehicle over and came back to check on me. I started the car back up to get off the freeway the accelerator was racing even with my foot on the brake the engine light came on and the computer said it was running in safe mode. On july 2 2012 I took my son to airport. I parked in the parking lot ,we had set in the car in park with engine and AC running for about 15 minutes.. When I put the car in reverse the accelerator got stuck and with my brakes still applied the car lunged backward accelerator running full force. The gas pedal was not engaged by me and I had to turn the car off to stop the acceleration. When I turned the car back on the engine light was on and operating in safe mode. This is very unnerving and I think could have caused an accident had any cars been around me. I took the car in to the dealership where I had purchased it, have an appt to bring it back in on july 9 to have them fix it. I got on the website of ford today for any recalls that might have been called for my car-didn't see any for this type problem. However in researching the problem I found a lot of people who had reported it. This problem needs to be addressed and quickly before someone is injured or killed-and I pray its not me. The dealership is charging me $85 to run a diagnostic they already knows exists. As far as I can tell, no one has been able to have this problem resolved or fixed.
When I put car in reverse, drive, or when car is sitting idle there is a sudden abrupt throttle in the transmission gas. The acceleration is so abrupt that it causes the car to move with force without having to press the gas. There were a few incidences where I almost rammed the objects in front and behind me, from the sudden throttles/acceleration. Ive noticed that if im sitting behind the wheel at a traffic light and I have my foot on the break and if I move the steering wheel the car will accelerate on its own. Please look into this issue. *js [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
With the A/C on full (very hot day outside), when stopping or starting to reverse, the car lurched forward twice. My foot was on the brake and was not on the accelerator.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that after the brake pedal was released the vehicle accelerated abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer five times. The dealer confirmed that the throttle body assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted.the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 71,456 and the current mileage was 128,200.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that while driving out from a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. The vehicle stopped when the brakes were applied. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer stated that they were unsure of the cause of failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileages were not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse out of residential garage, the accelerator pedal became stuck and there was an increase in the engine rpms. The contact also stated that the last two occasions the failure occurred,the vehicle stalled immediately after. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the throttle control sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle surged backward while reversing from a parking. The fail safe mode light illuminated on the instrument panel with the symbol of a wrench. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileages were 70,000.
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