10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 2 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 1 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 90,735 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
I read the recalls for 2004 Ford free star transmissions and my van without warning just quit working in the middle of the road while I was driving. I could get it to start back up for a second to move it to the side of the road, but it wouldn't start after that.
- Eagle Point, OR, USA
PCM has issues do to moisture which affects electrical slipping gears ABS sensor problem power steering issues and tcm and this vehicle has all safety problems according to recalls none of it was fixed because Ford says your VIN number is not on list.
- Quakertown, PA, USA
2004 Ford Freestar now.miles 59000 problems started around 45.000 miles started in 2007 with battery dead if car stat a month startted in 2008 right and left low and high beam. Head lamp connector keep melting/ burning up the ground wire transmission making clicking noise in forward and reverse transmission fluid is dark brown door lock dont always unlock or lock on side door left and right side wing windows in back open. But dont close on left and right problems all happen. If ststionary or in motion city street or highway I have. Take picks later.not by the car at the moment.
- Davie, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. While the vehicle was undergoing routine maintenance by an independent mechanic, the contact was informed that the control arm was protruding through the frame and created a hole. In addition, the check engine indicator illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 212,000. Consumer stated transmission just started to slip and makes a thud sometimes slips bad. Consumer has changed the transmission oil and filters.
- Bucyrus, OH, USA
Alpr system on telephone poles and police cars are attacking my vehicle. Already destroyed my ABS brake system module and now working on my starter motor, blower motor, speed control and etc. Some attacks cause loud base drum like thumping on my dashboard. Other attacks lock my gearshift lever in park, unlock my doors. Stop my speed control from working, and etc. These attacks have been ongoing for about 4 years. Along with these attacks, police cars frequently threaten me with head-on collisions. The thumping scares me when it occurs in heavy traffic and could cause an accident. These attacks occur in all modes of vehicle operation and when passing alpr telephone poles and police cars.
- Winamac, IN, USA
The Indiana alpr tracking system causes electrical malfunctions including the ABS brake system and various other unknown malfunctions. The ABS module has failed on the subject vehicle and the alpr attacks continue. These alpr attacks are initiated by electrical apparatus on top of telephne poles and on police cars. These attacks can be heard by sudden unexpected loud thumping on my dashboard which could cause an accident in addition to the ABS brake system failure. These attacks occur both in motion and when stationary. The thumping is expecially surprising in traffic and could easily cause an accident. Plus, I do not have ABS protection on slick roads
- Winamac, IN, USA
My van has a problem with water, that is when it rains the vehicle starts having problems with several components. (ie engine misfire, transmission fails to shift properly, door looks refuse to operate properly, among other weird things) this happens every time it rains. The problem as I have being able to trace it, is that the water that comes off the front windshield and into the plastic that covers the cowl area ( where the wipers are) drips on to the main electric wire harness connection that comes from the inside of the car and connects to the engine bay wire harness. As the wire harness connector gets wet, the vehicle starts acting up. I took the van to my mechanic but he was unable to find a problem, it was dry. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealer and, to my surprise, they knew about the problem but told me I had to pay the repair because its covered on a technical service bulletin (tsb 06-14-10) but its not a recall. How can this not be a recall when the van is going along well and as soon as it starts raining, I start having drive ability issues, transmissions starts acting up, engine starts acting up, some times stalls, in general I have a vehicle that appears to be "allergic to water." This issue happens any time it stars raining heavily whether on the highway or city street or my driveway for that matter, if its raining I have to take my wife's car because if not I know will have to be dealing with an uncooperative vehicle. Ps. I put a date on the "when did this happen" field but this is an ongoing issue.
- Martinez, GA, USA
Everytime I stop at either a stoplight or stop sign it stalls out. The battery light comes on and then goes back off. I am able to restart it back up and continue it on. I have had the electrical computer fixed and had a full tune up done and it still stalls out.
- Schaumburg, IL, USA
Like many others who have complained about electrical problems on the Ford Freestar, I have to add my complaint regarding my 2004 Ford Freestar. First of all, when I bought my van used about 4 years ago, I did research on it, and learned about the issue of water getting into the PCM. So I took the van to a Ford dealership - campbell Ford in niles Michigan - and one of their mechanics dried and sealed the PCM, along with the area at the base of the windshield that is prone to leak. That was two years ago (this van also had the torque converter work done by the previous owner). So here's the problem I'm having now: When driving, occasionally for no apparent reason, my radio goes dead, no time, no display, no music, and then the brake and ABS light appear on the dash, along with the battery light and airbag light. This lasts for a few seconds, and then everything returns to normal (sometimes the battery light stays on permanently). When this happens I lose no power and the van drives like normal. That might occur 4 - 5 times / outing. I replaced the battery a few days ago and this has made no difference.
- Springfield, MO, USA
This vehicle I received numerous recalls and had many problems with this vehicle. Major electrical problems. When it would rain and get car wash the electrical system would malfunction and cause engine not to run properly and check engine light would come on. In April of 2016 engine was malfunctioning and caused me to get in accident. This vehicle has since been impounded and loan company santander trying to bill me for remainder of loan and now causing major credit issues. I would like this to be covered by Ford/carmax for selling my family an unsafe vehicle which could have resulted in critical injury or worse.
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
Problem #1 the passenger side window will not work. It's controll module was replaced it worked one time and stopped working again. Problem #2 the drive axle broke in traffic luckily we were stopping and were only going about 5 mph. Problem #3 today after a night of heavy rain when the van was unlocked the radio came on before the key was even in the ignition. Which brings us to problem #4 the biggest and no doubt most expensive. The van started and was running kind of sluggish but ran fine in reverse but if you shift to drive the van shuts off. You cannot start it in neutral either. I have had 2 independent mechanics look at it today both say it is the torque converter. I looked it up and there is a recall but of course it's the weekend and I can't call to see if it's covered.
- Lancaster, OH, USA
The 2004 Freestar is shorting out all the sensors are shorting out U took it to be put on machine and it cane back with 17 sensors malfunction going on and it's the only vechele I own and I've googled the problem and I see 100000 other people are having the same problem what should I do I might be driving down the road and the vraje sensor is going and I can't stop I'm not rich I cantvgo buy another van please help
- Union City, PA, USA
The power control module (PCM) gets wet. The car will then exhibit various failures including engine stop, transmission failure to engage, engine code indicators. This can happen when stationary (transmission won't engage ) or in motion( engine will shut off above certain speeds, may be 35-45miles per hour) or the transmission will begin slipping. Ford has issued a technical bulletin tsb 06-14-10 on this issue
- Pflugerville,, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the rear door latch was loose. The latch required readjustment in order to connect the latch. The contact also indicated that the plastic piece on the rear seat lever fractured and the bottom latch was used as a temporary option to lift the seat up and down. The front passenger side window also failed to open and close. The motor for the window regulator was replaced but the failure recurred and the window on the passengers side still would not open and close. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
- El Paso , TX, USA
While driving my 4 children all but one in a car seat, my car just died without warning, my car starting rolling backwards before I had even realized it shut down. In panic I got the car stopped and put into park and got hazards on and then tried starting car and it fired right back up. I brought it to mechanic to be told its the air filter, changed that then got told its the mass air flow sensor, replaced that then was told that's not it. Finally someone said its the PCM!! no one can do it but Ford so I called Ford, Ford says that cannot do it!! go figure, so I am now scrambling for the money and for the parts and for the mechanic to fix this. And from what I can follow from the other complaints its not just me this happening to over and over again. This is a faulty make and should not have to come out of the customers pocket anymore. Ford should pick up the pieces.
- Murphy, NC, USA
My car has spent 10 days at Ford to be serviced after having the safety recall service for the torque converter performed. The vehicle was behaving unpredictably, sometimes stalling out while idled, stalling out while in motion, sometimes idling with high or low rpms. The dealership took it back in to check the torque converter, they then said it wasn't the torque converter but the throttle body, they then cleaned that and said it's not the throttle body, it's the PCM. The PCM is taking on water from a flawed design of the above PCM where water is retained and eventually leaks on to the connector. This of course is not covered by Ford, and can cost up to $1200 to replace. This issue creates a number of different symptoms making it hard to identify the origin of the problem. Causing extended stays for maintenance. This should be rectified by Ford and not it's customers as there's no way this flaw can be caused by user error, it's a design flaw that should not exist.
- Bayonne, NJ, USA
2nd time that this has happened. Was driving when the van started bucking/sputtering/surging. It would die and then fire right back up just to do it once again. Soaked PCM connector was to blame both times. This is obviously a design flaw by Ford and needs to be taken care of. I'm glad I was not on the interstate or in the middle of an intersection.
- Jetersville, VA, USA
I was driving the vehicle and it was raining outside and as I was driving all of a sudden my car just died in the middle of the freeway no warning, no nothing just died I almost was rear ended, I took it to a mechanic who said the PCM is not sealed properly and got wet and fried out this is unbelievable that Ford would see tons of these complaints like I have seen online same problems and put people lives and their children's lives in danger with this poor manufacturing. What can I do "?" thank you [xxx] VIN unavailable information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
- San Bernardino, CA, USA
Started sputtering, jerking, and stalling PCM was wet causing all kinds of havic lost power going into a turn and almost went into a ditch Ford needs to recall this ongoing problem and get it fixed before something major happens alot of people are complaining and Ford knows it is there fault and they have a problem but refuses to take care of it.
- Albion, IN, USA
- Greenville , TN, USA