2007 Ford Freestyle: grinding or squealing brakes

Filed Aug 21, 2015 · Acceleration, Engine · 130,000 miles · MO

April 2015, my vehicle started making knocking/grinding/ticking noises once it was started. Sometimes the transmission would fail to shift into gear(s). I prodeeded to physically move my shifter into gear(s) a few times. The transmission then shifted into gear(s), making a hard "clunk" sound. Sounding like the transmission had 'dropped' into gear; as if it had a low trasmission fluid level. Mind you, recently, a local shop changed my oil and all fluids were checked and refilled if needed. The shop informed me about code p0942, because they had never seen this code before in their life! Engine-codes.com states: "p0942 - hydraulic pressure unit" with a rating of 3/3 (3=high). I called a local ford dealership, and was informed about this code; which doesn't identify the actual problem/issue; resulting in no specifics. On thursday, august 20, 2015, while driving on the highway, my vehicle started to surge, and the RPM's continuously fluctuated (while the cruise was on). My vehicle then started to shake, and made a thumping/crunching noise, followed with the forward propulsion ceasing to exist. I frantically turned my fore ways on, and drifted until at a complete stop on the sholder of the highway. Again, while I physically shifted gear(s), the transmission sounded low on fluid, as if no (valid) shifting of gear(s)s and also maintained a humming noise. From the passenger seat, my 12 year old son, grabbed my hand and asked me to pray with him; pray that we'd make it home without getting hurt (our safety). Numerous times our vehicle shook tremendously when other vehicles passed by. Once home, I was still calming my son down, we both needed to sleep. That night, my son and I experienced a tramatic (nightmare like) situation. Now, ford customers are forced upon (a) safety hazzard(s). Yes, preventable safety hazzard(s), if dealt with asap.

Filed Sep 17, 2013 · Transmission · 78,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 ford freestyle. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle emitted a loud grinding sound. The manufacturer was made not aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

Filed Mar 10, 2013 · Transmission · OH

My 2007 ford freestyle began lunging while sitting in traffic and soon after that began making a grinding noise. I took my car to a local ford dealership and was told that it would be around $5000 to pull and check the transmission. This is crazy. I had several problems with the lunging forward and now this noise which ford states they are not responsible for. The car only has 50,000 miles on it. I do believe this is a safety issue and now I'm left without a car to drive because I'm afraid I will do further damage to the transmission or even yet hurt someone with the lunging problem. I don't think I should be responsible for a problem that ford needs to correct and it is a safety issue.

Filed Mar 5, 2013 · Transmission · 56,000 miles · MO

After enduring a summer filled with the typical surging issue, the transmission started making a light grinding sound in park and neutral. Come december 2012, I received a recall notice from ford concerning the throttle body issue, and in january 2013 took it in for the recall service. About a week later, the CVT transmission's grinding noise had gotten worse, so I took it into the ford dealer here in town and they said I needed a new transmission to the tune of over $6000. Needless to say, I do not have $6000 to put into a 6 year old car that I still owe $8000 on (bought it in 2010). I've had tires last longer than this transmission, which is currently at 62,000 miles. Unthinkable that ford has produced such a flawed major component like a transmission, and not stood behind it, or supplies parts for it. I am livid, and after owning fords for over 30 years I have no idea what I will get next. I feel like I've been taken advantage of, and this freestyle is indeed a lemon. The car is unsafe to drive, and the cost to repair is not in line with the taurus x of 2008 which they introduced a transmission that actually worked.

Filed Aug 24, 2012 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 58,800 miles · GA

I was going to pull out into a 4 lane road and was easing up to see better...out of nowhere the car begins to accelerating. Once I got out into the road the car just cut off and I had to quickly restart it to avoid being hit. Then I turned in to chic fil a and was in the drive thru line. It was a pretty long line so we would ease up ever few minutes. The car jumps and starts to accelerating and I stomp on the brakes. The car was accelerating so much that the force of the brakes stopping the car made my tires squeal.

Filed Aug 11, 2012 · Acceleration, Engine · 143,000 miles · AL

We purchased this vehicle on wednesday august 8th, 2012. We were backing up out of a parking spot and as my husband turned the steering wheel the car accelerated backwards and the car shut off after he hit the brakes. He did not have his foot on the accelerator at all. In fact, he was in transition from the brake and his foot hadn't even hit the accelerator pedal yet. This is the only problem we have experienced since having the vehicle. I would not say it lunges forward or reverse- I would say it hops forward or reverse. It's seems to be a spurt of acceleration. The vehicle shifts fine into gear, no stalls, no grinding noises, just little spurts when it's backing up. The only difference between my husbands driving and mine is that I always engage the emergency brake when I park. I'm used to driving manual transmissions. So, when I put the vehicle into reverse I still have the emergency brake on and the spurts do not occur with my driving. I did find it alarming that with my particular vehicle it does not require my foot to be on the brake pedal in order to start the vehicle. I can start the vehicle by simply turning the key. This is not something I'm used to seeing in modern vehicles as I am used to driving volkswagen's. I'm concerned because I don't know if this problem will get worse. Will I drive down the road and not be able to stop? I can't afford extra parts. I love everything about this vehicle (and from a volkswagen enthusiast that says a lot). I just don't know what to do or what the worst case scenario is. I don't want to lose my life.

Filed Jan 10, 2012 · Brakes, Electrical · 63,866 miles · CO

The first incident occurred while I was at the store with my children. We were leaving the store as I put the freestyle in reverse, the engine made a loud "dropping" noise and would not reverse. I put the car back into park and looked around the outside to check for anything visible that would have caused the noise or lack of movement. I noticed the car idling at a high RPM. I got back in the car to try again with no luck. This is when the car surged forward. I then became scared and turned the car off. When I turned it back on everything was "normal" again. I drove it straight to the ford dealership. They were unable to duplicate the problems and told me to continuing driving it again until I got a light on my dash to prove to them I was having problems. They serviced my transmission at that time as well to find no issues. Unfortunately, this was not covered with the warranty so I had to pay out of pocket. Since the first incident, I have experienced this issue 5 more times, mostly while in parking lots while idle. However the last incident was 1/10/12. This surge put my vehicle in the intersection. I took the car again to the dealership. This incident had the same issues with the engine sounding like it was dropping when switching into different gears and idling high. The car would not switch out of 2nd gear while the tech test drove it with me. There was a new issue that appeared with this incident. It is a grinding noise when the gas was applied. The grind is similar to the sound the brake would make when the anti-lock were to kick in, except the brakes are not being applied. This has caused the anti-skid light and ABS light to kick on. I have maintained my car religiously since I purchased it so I do not believe this is a maintenance issue. Ford has been unable to solve these issues, charge customers for unnecessary repairs, and allow the vehicles to be driven.

Filed Jul 2, 2011 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 75,019 miles · TX

97,000 miles. I have replaced the throttle body twice, new transmission- hole I n the drive shaft. 3 rear brake jobs- the 1st on was by recall. Cracked motorhead 12,000 miles after new transmission. The whole car shakes, squeaks, and pops since the transmission was put in. From the cv joints and back brakes.