On increasingly frequent occasions, my 2006 ford freestyle sel fwd vehicle has surged (or lunged) during very low/0 speed maneuvers, such as turning into, or backing out of a parking space/garage; queuing up in a right or left turn lane, or waiting at a stop light/sign for traffic to clear; or navigating tight passages, I.e., parking garage exit lanes and drive-through lanes. The problem seems to be exacerbated by hot weather and/or A/C operation and/or steering wheel movement. This problem had occurred prior to 9/6/2011, but with very rare frequency. Now however, I am experiencing this problem on an almost daily basis. I am deeply concerned that there is a real safety issue developing with this model. If I don't have my foot firmly planted on the brake, the car can surge (fairly rapidly) forward or backward a good 10 - 20 feet.
2006 Ford Freestyle engine complaints
Page 4 of 10: complaints 71 to 100 of 258, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Lost power from the engine causing lost speed. Unable to accelerate. Engine sputtered. Since the first episode, I have had continued episodes. Typically worse when the engine warms up. Car completely stopped and was unable to restart the engine on a trip of about 75 miles. Had to have the car towed to a local dealership. We have replaced ignition coil, spark plug, intake manifold gaskets, throttle body assembly without improvement of the condition.
Vehicle lunges forward because throttle revving the engine. Sitting in the car line to pick up children at school is worrisome. Throttle body replaced two times prior to this date. Ford dealer informed me that throttle body needs replaced again. This is unreasonable to have replaced so many times. I have owned many vehicles in my life, currently one with over 200,000 miles 12yrs old, have never replaced a throttle body. This is a safety hazard much like the recent toyota accelerator issue. Throttle body should be a recall item or should be covered for replacement by ford for life of vehicles.
The car would lunge forward when I would take my foot off the brake before I could get my foot to the gas pedal. Then started to lunge at low speeds in traffic...now it will lose power to the transmission and I will have to pull over, turn the car off, then start it again. This has happened in the city and on the highway when traveling 65mph in traffic.
The throttle body unit was malfunctioning causing the vehicle to strain, lurch, and accelerate without depression of accelerator. The throttle body was cleaned and then about 2 months after, the malfunction returned. After extensive research, I viewed dozens of similar complaints, some at low speeds in parking lots, in which pedestrians were almost struck.
My 2006 ford freestyle lurches forward at 0 to 5 MPH. The lurching occurs even if I do not press the pedal. It is dangerous at intersections and when trying to park. A mechanic replaced the egr valve and it is still lurching forward..from what I have found on the internet it seems that many others are having the same problem with this vehicle.
My 2006 ford lunges. It also loses power and cuts off while trying to drive. This happens everywhere and anywhere. Even if my foot is on the brake it will lunge forward or backward it does no discriminate. This happens all the time. It's also worse when the air conditioning is on. This could potentially be a serious situation on the highways and local streets, if the car is just cutting off while driving down the road. Lunging forward/backward could become potentially serious as well. I really hope that ford takes responsibility for these issues. Especially since they stopped making the freestyle what 3 yrs later. It seems to me that they realized there was some kind of an issue why else would they quit making it? I have to say other than that major problem of lunging and going through rear brakes the car itself is wonderful and not my first ford. I love ford vehicles, unfortunately I am a little disappointed with this one. If ford would take responsibility and fix it that would be great! I can't afford to fix it nor get another vehicle. I feel like I have a lemon on my hands.
My car accelerates sometimes while my foot is on the brake pedal. It feels like it is jumping forward or something. Also when I turn on my air condition my car, if in motion, will start to jump forward even though you have your foot on the brake. It even cut off on me several times with the air conditioning on. I now just drive without air at all because I am scared that my car will just stop on me. Also my air only works on the highest level.
At a very low speed the throttle body stuck open, and the car lunged backwards. I had to slam on the breaks hard to not zoom out into the parking lot into a passing car. The check engine, "wrench" light came on and the lunging kept continuing both in forward and reverse for several seconds. Finally, it appeared to stop once I put the car in neutral, and I was able to back out of the parking space. After that, there was something definitely wrong with the throttle itself. I was unable to accelerate into traffic at the necessary rate. This is a reoccurring problem as there are hundreds if not thousands of reports and complaints about 2005-2006 freestyles and 500s. I would hope that ford would do the right thing and recall this part for the safety of their customers and everyone on the roadway.
I have owned my 2006 ford freestyle for just over a year....in this short time I have had it in the shop twice, both for major repairs. The first time was within weeks of my driving it off the lot; all of a sudden my car stopped recognizing the key (I guess it's a smart key with a chip embedded in it). I had to get my car towed to two dealerships before the second one had it for multiple days before getting it back. This time I was leaving the store with my daughters. I started my car and shifted the gear to drive and although my car made the accelerating sound, it went absolutely nowhere. I then tried to reverse it and put it in neutral to see what it would do. I once again had to get it towed to two different dealerships and it has now been at the current dealership for over a week and they are having to disassemble my transmission to determine what is wrong with it. I did a very generic search on google for recalls on my car and stumbled upon www.edmunds.com where there are numerous complaints about transmission issues in the 2006 and 2007 ford freestyles as well as lunging issues. My car did this once while I was driving my children to school. I was turning a curb and felt it accelerate immediately and it shocked me so that I threw on my brakes and almost caused an accident. Out of this letter, I would like to see a recall on the 2006 ford freestyles for transmission issues where the manufacturer would be responsible for negligence in making these cars and repairs associated with it. This is my third car that I have owned and my first ford car. After these issues in such a short time of ownership I promise you it will be my last ford. Very unhappy freestyle owner!!! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
My husband used the cruise control on the highway and experienced a loss of power. We are unable to use the cruise control at all. This is also a problem when getting on the highway or passing. Trying to pass can be terrifying when you are in the left hand lane and lose power,you have to find a way to pull to the right hand lane ,get off the road, and shut off the engine.when you start back up you have power again. I know that we are not the only ones with this problem I also know that they have had a recall for the same problem with a different model.
My complaint mirrors verbatim others related to the may 2011 investigation opened into the "lunging" at slow speeds for the 05-07 ford freestyle. The AC, hot temps, & lunging. One occurrence traveling 60mph & began to "stall out" & slow on major highway with three children in car. Any pressure on fuel pedal no result. Busy traffic, could only travel max 35-40mph. Put flashers on & struggled to make it to repair shop. Turned off AC in 100 degree heat to get any kind of response from engine. I was worried & feared for mine & my children's safety. Vehicle would barely accelerate thru intersection after stopping for red light. Finally made it to shop. Vehicle was placed on machine. Codes appeared: p061b alter fuel control module error, p2106 throttle actuator forced limited. Took vehicle to ford house & explained issues as well as codes from previous shop. Was told would be $100 for ford to hook up for a dx. If the codes I had were same,would cost est $800 to repair. As mom of 3 & who drives great distances for work, this repair asap. Have had many occasions if not had foot firmly on brake the vehicle would've caused a wreck at stop light, pulling into, out of parking lots, etc. Car literally drives itself in d/r at 10mph with no acceleration at all after placing in d/r. On 8-12-12 was in drive thru line & car lunged at high rate of speed forward after barely lifting foot off brake. Came mm from slamming into vehicle in front. Put car in p & the vehicle died. Wrench/engine light came on. Turned engine off, turned AC off & restarted the car. I can only imagine what would've happened if this had occurred at a stop light in a busy intersection? This issue is a fatality waiting to happen. This cannot be a fluke random issue if you have rec'd 238 prior complaints regarding the exact same issue. I urge the federal safety agency to place a recall, if for the only reason to save lives. *tr updated 08-03-12 *bf updated 09/07/2012
Issues with throttle body , the wrench light has come on multiple times while driving at low speeds(under 45mph) the can will randomly lurch at low speeds , having the air conditioner on seems to make the problem worse . The way the car jolts and jumps is unpredictable and makes the vehicle unsafe . This problem has been happening since we purchased the car , and after years and many trips to the ford dealer the problem will stop for only a few days or few months and then the same problem starts all over again. Also other owners of ford freestyles made either in2005 or 2006 have also experiences the same exact problems I have experienced. I strongly feel this car should be recalled due to the safety issues.
The car surges, jumps, sometimes acclerates and I put on the brakes and it will sometimes die. Mainly happens when I am in reverse/forward or the air conditioning is running. Also, does this when I am idling in a parking lot or at a traffic light. I have taken it to auto repair shops and they think it is the computer. Couldn't afford to do a new computer so thought I would hold out, since it doesn't do it all the time. Now it is starting to get worse. I turn the air off when starting out. My wrench light comes on and I don't have much power and my rpms get up to 4 when driving 50mph. Turn the car off and it is like it never happened. The car is dangerous to drive with my kids not knowing when it will happen in busy traffic,,will it die and someone hit me? This isn't normal and I have found out my car isn't the only one doing this same thing. Will it really take someone getting very hurt for something to be done? What justice is that and knowing that this problems exist. First time buying a ford and will probably be the last time. I don't trust them. You have a problem you fix it. That is integrity & trust. Love for someone from ford to come with me for a day and ride in bumper to bumper traffic and see how our day goes.
Backing from driveway into the street, car surged but was able to stop it when brake applied. At that point the vehicle stalled. Able to restart and continue without incident but warning "wrench" light was on indicating throttle / transmission fault was detected and service required. After restarting later that day no problems noticed and no warning light. This was the most severe case so far but had noticed some small surging in prior weeks both in reverse and drive when starting out both from cold start and from restart conditions. Further research suggests this is a well know throttle body problem for ford freestyle / 500 / montego models from 2005 / 2006 timeframe. Safety risk is significant, cannot let other family members or any less experienced operators drive this vehicle until the problem is addressed. Replacement or at least maintenance for this known faulty system should be provided at no charge by the manufacturer.
I was stopped and in a line of vehicles in a parking lot with my foot on the brake and the engine surged. Fortunately, I had my foot on the brake with sufficient pressure to keep the car from lunging forward. This occurred several times while in the parking lot with the engine going into (limp mode) forced limited power mode. I drove the car directly to the ford dealer where the car was purchased. The mechanics did not detect any diagnostic trouble codes and sent me on my way. Since then there have been probably six (6) more events without the engine going into forced limited power mode. In all events the engines surges to approximately between 1500rpm and 1800rpm with the car in drive and the foot securely on the brake. The event generally lasts less than 5 seconds. All events occurred during summer months. Last event was this past wednesday when my son was driving the car. I witnessed the event as a passenger. The two codes that came up are p2106 and p061b. I purchased a tester to read the codes. Current mileage is 77995. Researching the potential cause of this problem LED me to your site and prompted me to file a complaint.
We were in a parking lot. I had just shifted in to reverse and lighted up on the brake, and the car throttled backwards. I quickly pressed the brake and the car stalled or quit. I started the car again and the car throttled backwards again. I pressed the brake, but it didn't stall this time. I slowly released the brake and was able to back out of my spot. A little while later, having arrived at another destination, about 10 miles away, I was pulling into a parking spot, in drive, and after releasing the throttle, to apply the break as I was coasting in, the car 'throttled' again. Fortunately, there was not another vehicle in the space in front of me or I would have probably had a fender bender.
First time it happened car lunged forward at shut down, died completely. 30 minutes later was able to turn it over. Mechanic said it needed throttle body but it was on national backorder until august 2009. So had to drive it home. Happened quite a bit throughout that time until I realized that it had a lot to do with having the A/C on. It happens even without the A/C on sometimes at lights, stop signs, and in parking lots, and also when in reverse it lunges in that direction as well; sometimes at very high rate which is scary. Have 3 children and cannot fathom why this car has not been recalled. I still owe money on it and now it is sitting in my mechanics garage because the CVT transmission went out.. 5 weeks now and I do not have transportation because I cannot afford to fix the CVT transmission that alot of other people are having the same problem with.
While backing up the car lunges when foot is still on the brake. Car will occasionally lunge forward when pulling out of a parking spot or when stopped at traffic light or stop sign. Very unsafe!!!!!! Must make sure my foot is on the brake hard when stopped or be ready to quickly brake when backing up. The AC is sometimes on when this happens and the temperature is in the upper 80's. We live in colorado springs, co and 80 degree temp are pretty hot here. Lately it has been in the 90 degree + range and the issue has been happening more. My wife mostly drives this car and our teenage daughter, new drive with a permit, is learning to drive, this is not safe!!!. Please put pressure on ford to fix this safety item. Seems like may others are having the same issue. Will it take for someone to be seriously hurt or killed before this gets looked at? How many accidents major or minor has this caused? How many insurance rates have increased because of these accidents? Please do something about this!!!!!!!
The car ahead of me had run off the freeway due to snow. I stopped to see if he was ok. Once I started up, I pushed down hard on the gas pedal to accelerate and be up to speed for the traffic coming up behind me. The pedal stuck to the floor and the car kept accelerating. Once it reached 75mph, I held down firmly on the brake and was able to stop the vehicle. I turned off the engine and then restarted. As soon as I put it in drive, the car took off again accelerating on its own. I quickly hit my foot to the gas pedal and was able to knock it loose and the car slowed down. The dealer said it was a faulty gas pedal and I had it replaced (at my cost). The problem still continues to this day. The dealer continues to tell me that there is no problem and there have been no complaints about the vehicle. After that first incident, there was one time that I had started the car in my garage and drove down the street. Once I turned the corner, the car accelerated on its own, lunging forward but I was able to stop it. At that time, I was told it was a transmission problem and the dealer did the repairs under warranty. Even after that work, I still have a problem with the gas pedal sticking.
While traveling home from holiday, my wrench light came on in the car and we could smell the engine beginning to overheat. My engine was trying to lunge forward even though I had the cruise control on. My vehicle then started to decelerate and I barely made it off from the highway via an exit ramp. Pulled over, turned off the car and opened the hood to let the engine cool off. I thought the problem may be gear or transmission related or perhaps bad gas. I tried a trick told to me by mechanic friend to back up the car and go forward approximately 40-50 feet, stop the vehicle and repeat the movement again to reset the transmission controls. I also added fuel injection cleaner and filled the tank again. After fuel injection and letting the car sit, it was okay for the rest of the trip. Had another incident just recently (july 2012). The same wrench light came on and my car once again lunged and decelerated and I had to pull off. Luckily, there was a gas station at exit again. And, luckily, I was able to maneuver through traffic when decelerating without harm to my family. I bought more fuel injection cleaner and filled the tank. I then let the car sit again. That seemed to help. We made it home after another rest stop for the car. Shortly after, my husband used throttle body cleaner to clean out my fuel injection pathway. He removed air connection and found the throttle body to be clogged with gunky material and sprayed a good dose of the cleaner into it while I gunned the engine to clear it out. I am now using fuel injection cleaner with every gas fillup to mitigate the problem. I know I probably need to replace the whole throttle body, but I am leary from what I've read on internet with others having same problem, replacing throttle body and then it having to do it again a year later. I am going to fix car and then probably sell it. Not safe anymore.
Engine speed will surge and vehicle will lunge forward or rearward, depending upon which gear the transmission is in, at unexpected times. Always noticeable near 0-2 MPH with A/C on, foot on or off brake pedal, may or may not be turning. We have scared people in crosswalks and drive-thrus with this. It scares us as well.
My family was sitting in the car while it was parked in drive. It stalled out and made a strange sound that sounded like a problem with the transmission. I have noticed that when it is hot it seems to accelerate on its own. I have noticed that it usually happens at low speeds and reverse. I feel that this is very dangerous. I have researched this car online and have read that this has happened to quite a few of these cars. I wanted to make sure that this defect has been noted. Thank you for your time.
Car surges very dangerous.
The car lunges while stopped or going in reverse. Has done this for a long time..my wife is driving this car now and has bumped into post/almost lunged into passing car when backing out of parking spot.
Beginning about august of 2011 my car started to suddenly "jump" forward even if my foot was not on the accelerator and even when my foot was on the brake. I was able to apply my brakes hard enough to make it stop and I immediately put the car in park. It happened at least 2 more times in the week that followed. I had a friend look at the car, but then it did not start to do it again until this week. Several times the car jolted forward once I even had my foot firmly on the brake. I had to really push on the brake as I put the car in park to keep from hitting the car immediately in front of me. Each time I was able to step on the brakes and put the car in park. Even in park the engine would rev to higher than usual rpms. I turned the car off and started it again to see if that would correct the issue. But a short time later it did the same thing. Then finally, my car died and I had a hard time starting it again. When it did start, I had a hard time trying to get it to drive. It was in gear, but it did not want to go forward, almost as if it was fighting the acceleration. I got it home and parked it. I will be taking my car to a ford dealer this week to be looked at. But, when I did some research on the problem, I found there have been similar complaints so I wanted to make sure you were aware of mine as well. Do I have any recourse about the issue and the repair that will be required?
We bought a used ford freestyle in 2008. Since that time, we have had recurring problems stemming from a defective throttle body. It has been in-and-out of the shop, while various mechanics tried to figure out the problem. Finally, approximately two years ago, I did my own research (discovered the countless reports of problems with the freestyle) and specifically requested that the mechanic replace the throttle body. This was after having surges in rpms and lurching of the car (while sitting in traffic with no foot on the accelerator), and also dead stalls in the middle of intersections and oncoming traffic when attempting to accelerate. This fixed the problem until several months later. Next, we replaced the entire transmission last spring (the vehicle would shift down to first gear at cruising speed, e.g., on the interstate, then go into "limp" mode). In addition, apparently there is also a systemic issue with the design of the ford's scroll compressor, which began showing symptoms this past spring. Thankfully my (new) mechanic replaced a $40 valve in the compressor, instead of the entire $1000 compressor (which the ford folks recommended). Approximately two years later, we are replacing the throttle body for a second time today (it is currently in the shop) because of issues with surges in acceleration and stalling in traffic and loss of power. The mechanic just told me, "as a friend, I'm telling you: as soon as this car is fixed, you need to sell it. You will continue to have recurring problems with it." we bought this vehicle for around $10,000, and I'd estimate we have spent nearly that much in repairs over the past four years. I'm just thankful that my wife and children were not seriously injured in the meantime. How can ford sell such an unsafe vehicle with no recourse? As soon as I can afford another vehicle, I'm selling this freestyle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 ford freestyle. The contact stated that while waiting in traffic, the vehicle accelerated and the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to stop the acceleration by applying the brakes. The vehicle was not taken the dealer for inspection or repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and the current mileage was 109,000. Updated 08/01/12*lj updated 08/02/12
Car suddenly accelerates on its own. Happens in very hot weather, A/C on, in idle, no contact is being made with accelerator pedal, car stalls, when restarted engine light and wrench lights are on and car does not run properly. Feels like it is in first gear and doesn't go above 60mph.
Engine surges while in gear at low speed causing the car to lurch unexpectedly forward or backward.
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