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2005 Ford Freestyle transmission complaints

Page 13 of 16: complaints 341 to 370 of 447, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2005 Ford Freestyle transmission problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed May 17, 2011 · Transmission · NC

2005 ford freestyle-lunges forward and backward without touching gas pedal. Ford dealer replaced throttle body ($700) june 2010 and worked fine till may 2011 and now it is happening again. Intermittent now. Rpm gauge fluctuates when lunging. Wrench light came on-burning.

Filed May 17, 2011 · Transmission · TX

2005 ford freestyle randomly lurches when placed into gear. This has been an ongoing issue since 2008 but initially attributed the problem to driving in excessive heat and improper irregular vehicle maintenance.

Filed May 17, 2011 · Transmission · 71,160 miles · WI

On april 30th, 2011 I was leaving on a short weekend trip with myself and 5 kids. I had just left my driveway and was driving about 25 when a bird flew out in front of me. I proceeded to try to brake so I would not hit the bird. Instead of braking, the car accelerated. The kids in the vehicle wanted to know why I sped up instead of braking. It was very scary. If there would have been a car or person in front of me, I would have hit them. Thankfully there was not. I let the incident pass and we continued on. On sunday, may 1, 2011, we were driving home when my car started speeding up and then shaking. It was out of control. It was then that the check transmission light came on. I thankfully was able to pull over safely. We ended up having to find transportation for myself and 5 children and then have the car towed back to our local dealership. After the dealership checked it out, we were informed that the transmission is bad and they are asking $6000.00 to fix it. It seems that the special transmission they put in our 2005 freestyle is not a good one and they are having problems with it. It is the "special" transmission that is making it so expensive to fix. So, it seems ford knows that there is a problem but refuses to stand behind its product or customers and fix it. This is a very dangerous situation! I am so thankful no one was hurt in my situation. It could have been much worse considering I live on a busy street with a lot of children. I am glad it was not a child I was trying to stop for as I would have most definitely hit them..

Filed May 17, 2011 · Acceleration, Transmission · 17,000 miles · FL

Began when car was about one year old. It occurs just about every time it's driven. I took car to garage and they said it was o.k. It lungs in forward and reverse.

Filed May 17, 2011 · Transmission · NY

Previous issue that I had fixed at the ford dealer with my freestyle. Vehicle would lunge as noted in your investigation. I contacted ford and they stated that there was no recall at the time and apologized for the issue but noted it in the records for my 2005 freestyle. I had the throttle body replaced and it fixed the issue, however, ford did not pay for any of t he repairs. Repair was done at dovi ford dealership in cortland, ny.

Filed May 16, 2011 · Transmission · 75,000 miles · CO

I have a 2005 ford freestyle that lunges forward at idle. Its not consistent but does it at low speeds at lights or coasting thru parking lots.

Filed May 16, 2011 · Acceleration, Transmission · 94,969 miles · IL

2005 ford freestyle awd limited, car surges forward, when stopped and when steering wheel is turned. Car also stalls while driving or if hitting the gas.

Filed May 16, 2011 · Transmission · GA

Problem with 2005 ford freestyle - surging forward when idling at a stop sign, stop light, or drive through - even though foot is on the brake. Happens more frequently in warmer weather, especially with air conditioning running. Have had several near-misses with hitting other cars or garage doors. Problem was resolved by ford dealership in august 2010 at a cost of $800 - replacement of electronic throttle body. Research shows many ford freestyle owners are encountering this same dangerous problem, but no recalls are issued by ford - just advisement to replace the etb at the cost of the consumer.

Filed May 16, 2011 · Acceleration, Transmission · TX

Car accelerates when at low idle and the A/C is running. The car will lurch forward. I can stop it with the brakes. Can happen at stop lights, but usually the brake is fully depressed at stop lights. Unfortunately, it happens when backing out of the driveway and switching to drive, it will lurch at that point. It will also happen when parking, either pull-in parking or parallel. Just lucky I've been able to hit the brakes in time.

Filed May 16, 2011 · Transmission · 70,000 miles · OH

The car will rev up and jump forward (or backward). Sometimes stalls after jumping, worse when air conditioning is on. Dealership has said there is no problem they can find. Saw there was an investigations so I decided to make my complaint official.

Filed May 16, 2011 · Transmission · 100,000 miles · AL · crash

Unintended movement, when brake was applied engine seemed to throttled and shifted up without foot on accelerator and continue moving until brake pressed again and emergency brake applied and car hit curb.

Filed May 10, 2011 · Transmission · TX

The vehicle lurches after sitting in park. It happens in reverse and drive. The vehicle seems to be okay in the colder months, but when the heat/humidity hit the car begins to lurch uncontrollably. A few times it has gone into fail safe mode and I've had to restart it. This is extremely dangerous in parking lots and around pedestrians.

Filed Apr 1, 2011 · Transmission · 86,100 miles · AZ

Usually from a dead stop or when the car is shifting down as I begin to stop, it will rev on it's own and lurch. Many times from a dead stop the car has reved and lurched on it's own. This happens in drive and reverse and seems random. I believe the difficulty lies in the throttle body which ford refuses to produce a recall on and has had difficulty building replacement parts so many of us are stuck with unsafe vehicles. Today, the car reved and lurched and the "failsafe engine mode" came on and the car lost power. I refuse to let my teenaged children drive this car because I believe it is not safe to drive and fear that the problem will cause an accident.

Filed Mar 29, 2011 · Transmission · 40,000 miles · WI

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford freestyle. While the vehicle was at a local repair shop for routine maintenance, the mechanic stated the torque mount for the engine was broken. The mechanic stated the torque mount needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted who stated they could not assist with the costs of repairs. The contact stated he was able to drive the vehicle but the front end of the vehicle continued to shake. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Filed Mar 8, 2011 · Electrical, Transmission · 65,000 miles · OH

Over a period of about 2 summers, the 2005 ford freestyle would surge while sitting at an intersection or slowing during the approach. The surge was a rapid acceleration of the vehicle which required a heavy, or a quick brake. A quick response was required to avoid a rear-end collision, entering an intersection, or striking a pedestrian. The surges seem to be related to the operation of the air conditioner. The car had gone into a "fail-safe" mode while sitting in a drive-thru. I began using the AC sparingly and would turn off the AC completely when driving in the city or approaching and intersection. However, while approaching a turn on a state route, with a speed limit of 55, the vehicle unexpectedly shutdown leaving the vehicle exposed to on-coming traffic. The date listed below is an approximation. Around the same time toyota was having problems with "run-away" vehicles, I contacted the ford motor company alerting them of this hazard. I was told to contact a dealership. The dealership replaced the throttle body. I was told that the "computer" could not/did not show any information about the "fail-safe". On-line, it appears that many people have had these problems. Due to the season, I will not know if the problem was corrected. I'm hoping that the family isn't in the car if it wasn't.

Filed Feb 23, 2011 · Transmission · 68,000 miles · OH

Bought our 2005 ford freestyle new. Summer 2010 began having stalling and lurching problems. Fall 2010, "knock" in transmission while in neutral and reverse. Winter 2010, "knock" becomes more prominent and is now being heard while slowing to a stop. Called several non-ford transmission shops, they will not touch the CVT's. Finally go to local ford dealership, bearings are going bad, best case scenario $2,000, worst case scenario a re-man tranny $5,400+. Of course, after getting into the tranny, I am with the worst case scenario. Contact ford customer service.....end result --sorry about your luck.

Filed Feb 9, 2011 · Transmission · 85,000 miles · IL

Cvt transmission failure in my freestyle 2005 at 83000 miles. The car has gone into a "safe" transmission mode or just stopped almost every month for 6 months. Ford wanted $ 6500 to put in an entirely new transmission. I took it to a transmission shop and they rebuilt it. Same problem is happening again. Ford needs to address this with the transmission manufacturer and figure this out or put out a recall on this transmission - that is no longer being used.

Filed Jan 27, 2011 · Transmission · 133,000 miles · MA

I have experienced my second CVT transmission failure on my 2005 ford freestyle.

Filed Jan 7, 2011 · Transmission · 95,000 miles · PA

All wheel drive malfunction message came up. The message would not clear. Remains on constantly. Result is front wheel drive only, creates unsafe driving in snow or slick streets. Went to the dealer and he said it was a sensor and would cost $500.00 but expect that price to snowball. Price will snowball?? What kind od diagnosis is that. I will try to fix it but it will surely cost you a lot more because we can't pinpoint the exact cause. It could be this, that, that, we don't know. We will do all the work and then tell you what the bill is. It could be $7000.00. Would you leave your car at this dealership???

Filed Dec 23, 2010 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · DE

This happened again today. First noticed summer 2010. Have around 80,000 miles now. Vehicle surges forward. Rpm spikes during driving every day no matter what speed driving to 3k-4k. Vehicle lurches forward at slow speeds as well. Have hit the side of my garage when I took my foot off the brake while parking and banged up the bumper pretty bad as well as garage. Vehicle lurched forward during summer when AC was on, almost hit another car, but seems to happen regardless of AC or heat on or off. Ford dealer reported no problem during last check up. Could it be the CVT. This is a serious issue and should be addressed! I don't feel safe and I'm planning to give vehicle to my son next year. Please help!

Filed Dec 7, 2010 · Transmission · 48,000 miles · IA

My 2005 ford freestyle with 48000 miles on suddenly needs a new transmission. The dealer gave an option of spending a $1000 dollars to "possibly" fix it but cannot guarantee else we have to spend $5500 on a new transmission. Something is seriously wrong with ford if after 5 years I have to spend over $5k on a new tranny and nothing is covered. Basically I pay it or have no car that will drive. This is completely bogus and ford needs to do something about it. Apparently I am not the only one complaining here, so what is going to be done to rectify the situation?

Filed Nov 30, 2010 · Transmission · 98,000 miles · VA

I bought a 2005 ford freestyle used with 81,000 miles a couple months later it began to surge forward or backward with the brake on. Then at 98,000 miles while driving down the four-lane the transmission completely quit. I had it towed to a ford dealership and they are saying the transmission is gone and has to be replaced (for $6000). Obviously from all the complaints this is a serious problem, why isn't ford doing something about it. Are they waiting on somebody to die first???

Filed Nov 10, 2010 · Driver assistance, Transmission · 111,000 miles · PA

2005 ford freestyle has "awd malfunction" message (ford diagnostic code: p1889). Malfunction message comes on sporadically. No clear reason for the malfunction. Happens while driving or idling. When this happens the vehicle reverts to 2wd. This can be dangerous while driving (especially in wet, snowy, icy conditions) and happens unexpectedly. Have taken vehicle to ford dealer, with no success in fixing. The dealer followed what ford says to do according to the code and can't fix problem. Dealer has replaced oil pressure and temp sensor with no change in issue. Now wants to try to change the traction coupler at the rear differential without any guarantee that will wok either. Ford does not have a clear fix for issue and will not cover costs of repairs for awd defect.

Filed Nov 3, 2010 · Engine, Transmission · 1,000 miles · WV

I own a 2005 ford freestyle. Almost immediately after purchase off new car lot began having trouble with engine surging while A/C was running. Have had it to ford dealership multiple times and nothing has been resolved and the year 2010 is now ending. On many occasions while stopped in traffic, the engine has surged and the car lurched forward so forcefully that I had to hold the brake to the floor to avoid a collision. Repeated visits to ford dealer has resulted in nothing but a $50-$100 labor bill and no repair. I am afraid that it is going to happen and someone is going to get hurt. Please look into this safety issue.

Filed Oct 8, 2010 · Transmission · 90,000 miles · UT

2005 ford freestyle consistently surges both in drive or reverse. It is completely unexpected and is difficult to control when occurs. It can happen at a dead stop or when car is in motion. This is a safety hazard for driver, passenger and any one around car when this happens. It lurches forward or back as if it had a mind of its own. I have had the car surge forward in a parking lot with people around me who feel threatened by my car's actions. We feel ford should address this issue since we are aware of many, many others who are experiencing this problem.

Filed Oct 7, 2010 · Fuel system, Transmission · 55,500 miles · NJ

Accelerating on it's own and lunges forward with foot on brake. Vehicle tries to lunge mostly when going in reverse. This has been happening off and on for over the past 3 years and has gotten worse in the past months. Also, while driving on the highway, the car sputters and goes into failsafe engine mode, the car must be restarted in order to have acceleration resume. Holding off on replacing the throttle body due to high cost.

Filed Oct 5, 2010 · Engine, Transmission · 52,781 miles · VI

2005 ford freestyle 53,000 miles experiencing loss of power with wrench light on instrument panel illuminating while driving. First trip to dealer, the service department replaced air filter indicating that the filter had slipped out of the housing and was blocking air flow. Within 2 weeks we have dropped the car off for a second visit for same power failure issue. When will ford issue a recall for this widespread mechanical problem? How many crashes, or deaths have resulted from this issue?

Filed Sep 30, 2010 · Engine, Transmission · 114,000 miles · NY

Have a 2005 ford freestyle- with a throttle body issue. The part is on back order- no rental given by company. "fail safe engine mode" and check engine light is one because of it- they insist that it is safe to drive (I drive 75 miles back and forth to work everyday). I am sorry- but driving that many miles- with my children in the car as well- while the engine is failing- is never safe. Because of the jolting forward and backwards while in this mode- I can't even count how many times I have almost hit another car, or a pedestrian! What happens when the engine does fail- is ford going to replace that?

Filed Sep 17, 2010 · Engine, Transmission · 42,000 miles · IL

I have a 2005 ford freestyle with a CVT transmission. The car did not show any previous signs of problems or engine indicator lights. In may of 2009 the car had approximately 42,000 miles on it. I was driving approximately 30 MPH when the transmission "slipped a rod" causing the transmission to explode leaving pieces of the transmission on the road way. During the explosion, pieces from the transmission damaged other parts of the engine. A new transmission was required.

Filed Sep 16, 2010 · Transmission · 67,000 miles · TN

Cvt transmission vibrating excessively and making loud noise when shifting out of park. Cvt transmission failure at 67,000 miles. Had to replace with a ford remanufactured transmission.

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