2006 Ford Freestyle acceleration problems

602 complaints (46% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 75,000. 25 crashes reported.

owner complaints: 602
of this car's complaints: 46%
typical mileage: 75,000
crashes: 25
recalls: 0

Which part fails

Accelerator pedal
1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k

25k-50k

50k-75k

75k-100k

100k-125k

125k-150k

150k-175k

175k-200k

200k+

Ford Freestyle acceleration problems in other years

Specific symptoms reported on the 2006 Ford Freestyle acceleration

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Sudden acceleration 300

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Related investigations

Idle instabilityOpened May 11, 2011, closed February 7, 2013

On November 29, 2012, Ford Motor Company (Ford) initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 12N03 to extend warranty coverage terms for repair of engine idle RPM surge caused by throttle body deposits in all model year (MY) 2005 through 2007 Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego vehicles.The program extends the coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle (all vehicles are eligible for the program through May 31, 2013, regardless of mileage).Dealers will repair vehicles exhibiting the condition by removing and cleaning the throttle body and reprogramming the PCM with software containing an updated idle speed control strategy.According to Ford, some of the affected vehicles may experience momentary, intermittent engine idle RPM surge (idle flare) when stopped or during low speed driving maneuvers such as in a parking lot or driveway.Unstable idle speed control (dips and flares) around the target engine speed (700 rpm) can occur in vehicles with deposit build-up in the throttle body when the system adjusts engine speed in response to changes in engine load, typically from power steering application or air-conditioner compressor cycling.Idle speed control logic is only active at vehicle speeds below 3.5 mph and when the accelerator pedal is not applied.Ford testing of a vehicle with a worst case throttle body measured a maximum idle flare of 1360 RPM lasting approximately 1 second, which Ford indicated was consistent with system design to limit vehicle speed and acceleration in idle control mode.Ford indicated that the test vehicle was held in place with normal brake effort and that vehicle speed remained under 4 mph without the brake pedal applied.In addition to throttle body deposit accumulation, symptoms associated with the condition may include Check Engine lamp illumination and diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0505, P0506 or P061B.Ford attributed the surge condition to changes in idle air flow resulting from the progressive buildup of deposits in the throttle body from normal Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system operation.This condition was not adequately compensated for in the original Powertrain Control Module (PCM) calibration.Ford issued a technical service bulletin on August 15, 2011 (TSB 11-8-5), releasing an updated powertrain control calibration for vehicles with CVT transmissions.On October 19, 2011, Ford issued a second bulletin (TSB 11-10-21) superseding TSB 11-8-5 and including updated powertrain control calibration for vehicles with 6-speed transmissions.Prior to Ford issuing the TSB?s, owner?s experiencing the alleged defect either received no repairs, if dealers could not duplicate the condition, or had the throttle body cleaned or replaced, which only provided temporary correction until the throttle deposit build-up returned.Ford?s revised powertrain calibrations appear to be effective remedies for the idle instability caused by build-up of throttle body deposits.However, even after the TSB?s were released, many owners experiencing the condition continued to have difficulty with proper diagnosis and repair as dealers were often either unable to duplicate the condition or were unfamiliar with the new repair procedures.Ford's new program addresses those concerns.the federal safety agency's testing and complaint analysis indicate that the idle speed control issue in the subject vehicles can only occur at very low speeds, are very brief events, are easily controlled by moderate brake pedal forces and result in minor increases in vehicle speed even with no braking.This investigation is closed.The closing of this in

PE11018

What 2006 Ford Freestyle owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Nov 29, 2020 · Acceleration, Transmission · FL

When driving the car on a sunny/or to many errands I will start seeing the area for the RPM's to go up and down. At that point I have to basically drive with both feet. The car when placed on either drive or reverse will excelerate on it's on, I therefore have to break quickly so as to not hit a pedestrian or automobile, which in turn the car will turn off. If in traffic I must throw it onto neutral and restart car. It is a very serious issue

Filed Jul 6, 2020 · Acceleration · 120,000 miles · CA

Car lurches forward when parking. It is worse if the AC is on.

Filed Apr 5, 2020 · Acceleration, Engine · 180,575 miles · CA

I bought this car from private seller. On the drive home I turned on AC and noticed a surge so I turned the air off. After getting the car home I filled the tank as it was almost empty when I purchased the car. The car began to surge forwards and backwards at an idle, and then began to surge while driving. Check engine light came on and codes indicated it was a misfire, so did a tune up (changed spark plugs and coils) only to have the issue get worse. The car is now almost stalling and surging hard. Car is very slow to accelerate and feels to have no power while attempting to get up to even in town speeds(25-30mph) car is undrivable safely at this point and I have not even owned 2 months. Surging happens at idle, low speeds, freeway speeds, and surges violently when trying to accelerate.

Filed Jan 29, 2020 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 148,446 miles · CA

I just bought the vehicle via private seller. No issues were reported by seller. I filled vehicle and entered the freeway. A few moments later the vehicle started jolting while at a high rate of speed. I pressed the accelerator, the vehicle did not respond. The vehicle continued to jolt off/on. I exited the freeway due to feeling unsafe to continue on the freeway. Upon exiting the ramp, the vehicle stalled. I had no control of the vehicle as the breaks did not seem to work and the power steering was out. I pulled the steering wheel, as hard as I could, to the right to the shoulder of the road. Once the vehicle came to a stop. I put the vehicle in park, restarted the vehicle and continued driving cautiously. Driving at a slower rate, 35-40mph, the vehicle started to jolt again and had difficulty accelerating. After several days of this issue, I cleaned the battery terminals to ensure there was a good connection. I thought the issue was resolved. At this point I had half a tank. A couple days later, I was on empty. I filled up the vehicle for the week. My vehicle is now jolting and surging again. I was almost home, when the vehicle shut off, I lost power steering again and the breaks were not working. I again pulled the steering wheel, as hard as I could to the right, to get off the road as an oncoming car was just ahead. Once the vehicle came to a stop, I put it in park, restarted the car, entered the driveway and parked it. Today the vehicle is still jolting, surging and has a delay when pressing the accelerator. I am scared to continue driving this vehicle! I have no control after the vehicle stalls. I am scared the vehicle is going to stall, at a high rate of speed, and I am not going to be able to get off to the shoulder, turn the wheel fast enough to avoid a collision or maneuver a curve when if it stalls. I am scared I may hit a pedestrian due to no breaks.

Filed Dec 30, 2019 · Acceleration, Engine · 60,000 miles · IL

The accelerator pedal is unresponsive and the vehicle will move very slowly at first, then unpredictably lunge forward at higher speeds. Occasionally the pedal will immediately respond with rapid acceleration when lightly touched, causing the tires to spin out while taking off from a stop. Altering the way pressure is applied to the accelerator has no effect. This has been happening for over 3 months without any check engine indicators, and only recently when the vehicle had trouble idling did a check engine light come on. The vehicle has been well maintained and lightly driven.

Filed Nov 29, 2019 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 150,000 miles · PA

My car wouldn't accelerate on getting on the interstate and would only go up to 40 MPH - hard to get in from the ramp with other oncoming cars. It started surging and bucking. When I got off the interstate at the next interstate it again surged when I was going 20mph. Very scary for me. When I stopped at the stoplight it stalled and I had trouble starting it. I put my hazards on for the rest of the trip home. I have been scared to drive it. I took it to the ford dealer and they said it was the throttle body and estimated $700 for the part and $200 for labor. I have had surging issues this past summer when I used the defrost or air conditioning but not anything this bad. I did call the ford company and have a case number - they would not help with the part or labor. I spoke with a manager...

Filed Nov 1, 2019 · Acceleration, Brakes · 120,000 miles · GA

My car stalls, and lunges forwards or backs suddenly even if I'm pressing the brake.

Filed Oct 5, 2019 · Acceleration, Engine · 135,000 miles · TX

I just bought this 2006 ford freestyle and have almost had 4 wrecks this week! It just surges randomly in the school pick up line redlights parking lots and stop signs im scared for my familys safety.I dont know what to do I paid alot of money for this car from an indivdual

Filed Jun 11, 2019 · Acceleration · 84,000 miles · AZ

I put my car in reverse and the speed increased while I had my foot on the brake, I changed gears to drive and it did not increase on its own. Once again on reverse and had another sudden increase of speed while my foot was on the brake. If I wasn't careful it could have caused an accident.

Filed Jun 2, 2019 · Acceleration · 207,300 miles · MO

When letting up on my brake pedal from a stop my car will randomly accelerate and lunge forward. This problem has been going on since 2017. This problem seems to effect many freestyle owners, and is a safety concern for my family.

Questions about the 2006 Ford Freestyle acceleration

Does the 2006 Ford Freestyle have acceleration problems?

Owners have filed 602 complaints about the acceleration of the 2006 Ford Freestyle, 46% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.

At what mileage do 2006 Ford Freestyle acceleration problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 75,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Ford Freestyle acceleration?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford Freestyle have the most acceleration problems?

The Ford Freestyle model years with the most acceleration complaints are 2006 (602 complaints), 2005 (587 complaints) and 2007 (428 complaints).