10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
90,735 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #55

Oct 302012

Freestar

  • 85,000 miles
The mirrors will only move down and in (toward the vehicle). Now the alarm starts blaring for no apparent reason. Cd player comes on at will. After reading through the forums, appears my A/C that quit in April 2011 could be connected to the other issues and the fact that the side doors continually open at will even while driving. The dealership says they fixed the doors and can no longer find an issue since they can not recreate the issues with the doors or cd player. These electrical issues are a potential hazard while driving. When Ford says that you should not drive the vehicle, then they know there is an issue and should be held responsible to provide alternate transportation. Even the measly refund/recall repair with the torque converter does not fix the entire issue.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #54

Aug 202012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 127,000 miles
Vehicle shut off going down the road at slow speed after making loud squeaky sound. This has happened on many occasions since then and today 11/01/2012 it became more severe. My wife attempted to go to the local Ford dealership around August/September describing the problem and was told that since the vehicle was not currently experiencing the problems described that there was nothing they were able to do. The vehicle is very unsafe and I have called the Ford hotline because of the recall, the voice claims that the vehicle is still safe because the steering remains functional, this is not the case for my vehicle. After, one of the many "incidents", often the van will lose complete power and the power steering will disengage and the steering wheel becomes very difficult to turn even for a large male. We bought the van as a family vehicle, as most do, which makes it even more problematic and disturbing. I am disgusted with Ford for their negligence.

- Derby, KS, USA

problem #53

Oct 302012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 88,000 miles
After a major rain storm, tried to start my car and it would start, but would quickly stall. Had to have car towed. Did not have reverse gear. Garage told me I needed a new transmission. Did have a recall notice to replace a faulty torque converter, but died before I was able to get scheduled. I believe the problem started with the PCM board getting wet. Towed to a Ford garage for repairs. Hoping that I get treated fairly. I believe Ford should pay for entire repair bill - new transmission and new PCM board - after all their faulty parts were the reason for the failure! not able to 'populate' above "affected parts".

- Bridgeville, PA, USA

problem #52

Sep 202012

Freestar

  • 165,000 miles
At 147000 miles, I needed a complete transmission rebuild. This cost me $2800 due to the fact that there were additional parts not common to a standard rebuild. This was Sept. 2011. In January, I am able to note online that there is a torque converter recall for this model. I call Ford, I'm told there is nothing they can do until the recall is officially released in the 2nd quarter. Wait until 2nd quarter, no notice in the mail. I call Ford in August and tell them this, I am told that Ford will fix the car, it will take approx. 4 days and that no rental car is available during this period. If I suffer a total loss, maybe. Basically, I have to be stranded on the side of the road with my two young children before I can get any help with their issue. After rebuild, I start having issues with cylinder 3 misfire. I replace all plugs and wires, still a cylinder 3 misfire as well as overheating and egr valve. Replace egr valve, complete radiator change, coil pack, still issues with misfiring and overheating. I understand that this could be a computer issue, however Ford fails to realize this and therefore will not issue a recall. Not that would help since if they took it into the shop to fix it, I would not be able to get to work in the interim.

- Chester, MD, USA

problem #51

Sep 082012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 107,812 miles
Van won't start thought it was fuel pump had it towed & replaced cost $500 van starts then shuts off mechanic said PCM malfunction dealer should fix it! help Ford stand by there vehicle! complain.

- Sewell, NJ, USA

problem #50

Sep 022008

Freestar 6-cyl

  • miles
The electrical has been wiggy ever since --just after the factory warranty ran out. This includes: Back-up safety sensors stopped working, heated drivers seat stopped working(passenger still works), the stereo system doesn't have all of it's functions, passenger airbag light is on, van very noisy when backing up--we call it the moose. Had to replace transmission and then we get re-call notice! and, it still doesn't feel 100% still waiting for a refund(?) brakes are squishy--even after replacement of front end everything! side electric doors will sometimes open and close several times until we just have to manually force them to stay closed.

- Warrenville, IL, USA

problem #49

Aug 162012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
Vehicle lost power while driving. There was no power steering or power brakes and the engine stopped running. There was no warning before the power failure. Vehicle was able to be started up after power failure. The same evening, starting up the vehicle, the idle was rough and the power failed in about 1 minute. Vehicle was brought to a Ford dealer the next morning and they could not replicate the problem and no engine codes were present. About 1 week later, after a rain storm, the power failed again while driving at 30 mph. It was possible to start the vehicle after the power failure. A Ford dealer looked at the vehicle after the latest power failure and could not replicate the problem and there were no engine codes. In April 2010, I experienced a similar problem which was caused by water getting into the PCM. Within a month in 2010, the PCM was replaced twice.

- West Grove, PA, USA

problem #48

Aug 032010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 72,400 miles
There have been random electrical occurrences happening to my vehicle. While the vehicle is parked in my driveway at night, the exterior lights would come on. I went out to turn them off and discovered that the gps screen and radio were also on. This is without the keys in the ignition. I found out that a lot of 2004 Ford Freestar owners were having similar issues, and after spending thousands of dollars on repair attempts it has been determined that water in the PCM is the issue. This make/model's PCM is located in line with the waterflow from the windshield. When it rains, the water will make its way past the plastic, sun warped cowling and soaks the PCM. I have had the PCM removed, and several teaspoons of water drained out of the PCM. I have done this several times since the first electrical issues started. Every time water would get in the PCM a different electrical issue would occur, like electric windows not working, door locks not working, and the last issue was everything would work, but the van would not drive smoothly, had sudden power surges and then loss of power, and at night, when the vehicle is parked, the battery would be dead the next morning, this has happened several times. I just had my PCM replaced at a Ford dealership yesterday. I drove the van home, and a few hours later, after washing my van, I tried to start it, all the dash lights came on but no engine turn over. I thought the battery might need replaced since it sat for several months, so I bought a new battery. All the dash lights will come on, but no engine turn over at all. This is a major design flaw from Ford motor, and there are hundreds of owners that are spending thousands of dollars trying to get this problem fixed. Even if I do actually get my van running, I feel it is not safe or reliable enough for me to drive it.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #47

Jul 022012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 81,000 miles
Had powertrain symptoms related to Ford tsb 06-14-10, for engine/transmission driveablity. Had vehicle towed because I had no reverse & forward engagement, and high idle in neutral. Ford dealer, fixed transaxle per safety recall 11S25, and tsb 06-14-10, for water entering the PCM. Dealer returned our vehicle on July 10th, everything appeared okay. One July 11th, the van began have shift issues, and then stall going down the road at 20-25mph. If the PCM is damaged from water, then why don't they require replacement in the tsb. This is a serious safety issued, especially at 70mph on a freeway. This tsb should be reconsidered as a safety recall. How many people should be injured or killed due to this condition? one is to many!

- Fowlerville, MI, USA

problem #46

Jun 172012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 42,442 miles
Upon exiting the freeway onto secondary street the vehicle stalled out completely. We lost all driving function, power steering etc in an instant. Luckily it was later in the evening and not much traffic was behind us as this road is typically very congested. We were able to glide into a turn lane and off of the main road. The vehicle would not start and had to be towed. Local Ford dealer concluded the PCM shorted out and there was a blown ignition coil. We had car towed for second opinion as we could not believe that at 40,000 miles the entire computer that controls the engine would short for no apparent reason. Our regular auto shop agreed that the PCM had shorted causing ignition coil to fail and both had to be replaced resulting in $1200 in fees/services and a week without our vehicle since the part (according to the service shop) should never go bad and they don't keep them in stock. We feel as if Ford should be held responsible for their faulty manufacturing as we did nothing to aid in the failing of this part and minimal mileage/ wear and tear has occurred to the vehicle. We were merely a family driving home (with two toddlers) from a father's day dinner who ended up at significant safety risk when our van just stopped moving, thank goodness for the slow traffic flow that evening!

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #45

Jun 042012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 78,000 miles
I left work, got 3 parking spots away, lost steering, brakes and gas. Engine was still running. Transaxle light came on, shut off van, tried again and it drove maybe a few feet and it was as if it was in neutral. Engine light, battery light and oil light came on. Shut it down tried again, drove about 10 feet and it died. Had it towed to vip who had no answers, towed to Ford who said it there was water in the PCM. They dried it out and said give it a go. Got it home drove it one day and the next(after raining) it would not move out of driveway. It would go into gear but hitting the gas was again like in neutral. It would move maybe a few inches and then no longer. The engine light came back on and the van bucked some. Towed to Ford again and they said it is defiantly water getting in the PCM. I have been searching online and I see many people complaining about this issue. I am worried because there is another recall coming in a month or so for the torque converter and I have 2 small children that rely on that van. I can't trade it in cause they are only will to give us $1000 when we owe 6. we are without vehicle again, with my husband and I having jobs and two kids. I feel unsafe in my van, even if we are to get it fixed, we have to hope the torque converter does not go while we are driving before the recall.

- Sanford , ME, USA

problem #44

Jun 032012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 36,000 miles
Driving and battery light, ABS and brake light all illuminated. No issues with braking. Replaced PCM in Nov 2011 for similar issue. Car at dealer for a week so far and indicate needs an alternator (maybe) and PCM. Multiple PCM issues reported on this make and model. Tsbs, etc. When is action going to be taken. Dealer indicates part is on back order from Ford. Please take some action this is in addition to a torque converter issue already under recall. The PCM controls everything and could have caused this car to fail and hurt someone.

- Vienna, VA, USA

problem #43

Oct 022011

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 25,000 miles
Power control modual (PCM) gets wet due to poor design and transmission fails to work.

- Kenmore, NY, USA

problem #42

Feb 012012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 115,000 miles
ABS warning light comes on and then sometimes it goes out. Is ABS system not working properly or electrical?

- Chino, CA, USA

problem #41

Jan 102011

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 92,241 miles
Water keeps getting into the PCM. Common problem with this vehicle. Van will stall out, not have power in drive or reverse, and anything electrical acts up.

- Sylvania, OH, USA

problem #40

Apr 032012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 97,000 miles
PCM wet and engine will die when under load. Turn on power option will cause the engine to die.

- Imperial, MO, USA

problem #39

Dec 132008

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 88,584 miles
Issues noticed with electrical systems within a year of purchasing brand new vehicle. Dealerships never found anything wrong. While driving down the road, vehicle would lose power. Radio would go out, all lights on dashboard would go out etc. Then all of a sudden they'd all come back on as if nothing happened. Noticed mostly during rainy and humid days. Then once in a while van would chug and act doggy. In December 2008, while driving down a busy city street, van just stopped "driving" and would rev. Didn't have money to fix until April of 2009 so it sat in our driveway. Had it towed to transmission shop after calling Ford dealership and was told it was double the cost for them to fix. Transmission shop told me that the splines stripped off the torque converter causing the transmission to fail. Repair cost for tranny rebuild #1: $1,830.97. Shortly after, the A/C stopped working (summer 2009). Replaced condenser for price of parts as neighbor who's a technician provided free labor. Van ran okay for about a year. Then in summer 2010, started running sluggishly again and still had issues with power loss (as stated in beginning). Found info online about everyone having issues with PCM so replaced that as well for $500. Worked for a couple months but then in December 2010 van started having issues with power loss again and chugging. Little did I know, this was the start of the tranny beginning to fail again! July 2, 2011 tranny failed again. Doing 50mph in road construction zone. Again, told by transmission shop (different shop as we were 9.5hrs from home), that the torque converter failed again and tranny needed to be rebuilt. Cost to rebuild tranny #2: $1,850. Still having issues with sluggishness, thinking water getting into pc still. Tire pressure lights have been on for years, having issues with sliding doors, back up sensors, A/C etc. I'm tired of this lemon!!!!!

- Ironwood, MI, USA

problem #38

Jan 182012

Freestar

  • 135,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, she would occasionally become locked inside the vehicle or locked out of the vehicle by the anti-theft system. The vehicle would also sporadically fail to start. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the trans receiver was replaced and the computer was updated however, the failure persisted. The current and the failure mileages were 135,000.

- Midland, PA, USA

problem #37

Feb 102012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 84,560 miles
While on the highway, at about 35 mph, my 2004 Ford Freestar died. I was able to coast into a side street without power. After about 10 minutes, I was able to restart the vehicle, but it ran roughly for several minutes and then behaved normally until two days later when the transmission would not engage in any gear. I thought it was a transmission problem. The vehicle was towed home and the tow truck driver said it was behaving like there was a problem with the computer. Apparently he has seen this problem before. Examination of the computer (PCM) and the attachment plug showed significant water entry. Water actually ran out of the plug and there was water in the PCM enclosure. After several days of drying time, the PCM was put back into the vehicle and the vehicle ran normally. Ford has issued a tsb that covers the problem of water getting into the PCM and cable, so I am sure it is a common occurrence. I believe that if the vehicle is allowed to set idle for a number of days, the PCM will dry out by itself and then run normally until the next rain storm. No doubt, many transmissions have been replaced in error, and the problem reoccurs when the PCM again gets wet. Loss of power on the highway means no power steering or power brakes, which can lead to loss of control of the vehicle. The location of the PCM lends itself to water entry and appears to me to be a design defect that Ford should address more forcefully than just to issue a technical service bulletin.

- Telford, PA, USA

problem #36

May 012008

Freestar 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,278 miles
2004 Ford Freestar. Consumer states vehicles drives rough, stating vehicle accelerates and decelerates on its own the consumer stated the vehicle would slow down and then speed up with rapid jerking. The consumer had the egr replaced at a cost of $289.97. Also, the air conditioner compressor, ignition coil and main computer had to be replaced.

- North Port, FL, USA

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