CarComplaints.com Notes: The Freestar was introduced in 2004, but it was essentially just a rebranded Windstar. While there was a redesign of the interior and exterior, the Freestar still inherited some of the design flaws of its predecessor.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
100,767 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Ford Freestar drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2004 Ford Freestar Owner Comments (Page 6 of 16)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #205

Jul 162014

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 110,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We replaced the torque converter about a year ago, on our own; we were not familiar with the recall on that part. The van started to exhibit same issues a few weeks later. We went to the dealer where we learned of the torque converter recall. Dealer stated that this time, it was a bad transmission, he informed us that due to us paying out of our own pocket for the torque converter, he would take that money off of the price of replacement transmission; we had issues with that deal. Now, about a year later, the van would not go into gear. We took it to a dealer who gave us a hard time with the three year warranty which came along with the replacement transmission; the van was at the dealer for over two weeks. Once we agreed to pay out of our own pocket, we were told that the wiring between computer and transmission was dirty; they stated that it was now fixed. Now three weeks later, same issue; we took it to a mechanic who found water in the computer.

- Mt. Arlington, NJ, USA

problem #204

Jun 082014

Freestar

  • 172,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward violently and stalled. The contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to shift into reverse or drive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The contact was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 12V006000 (power train). The dealer stated that the repair was completed under the recall before the contact owned the vehicle, however the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 172,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #203

Jun 272014

Freestar

  • 96,000 miles
Car history: The transaxle light has gone before when we travel through vt mountains, but turning off the engine and letting it sit, and restarting it, the light would go off. Upon getting home safety, our mechanics didn't find anything to repair and so left it be, and would only sometimes see it when we traveled through the vt mountains, a few times a year. All recall repairs were up to date. There were no other symptoms. Incident: As we nearing the top of a mountain, the transaxle light came on. Unlike the other times, the transmission suddenly failed to be in the correct gear, so unlike the other times, we were very concerned. We pulled over immediately, and as we reached the shoulder smoke began pouring out of the vents. We quickly evacuated our kids, and as we were getting them out we noticed that there was already fire coming from under the hood, near the windshield, on the passenger side. We are so glad our kids were awake, and able to unlatch their own child carseats, and able to get out quickly. The fire spread to the entire van, consuming everything, at a great expense to us. (and others; our accident blocked a significant amount of traffic for about 3 hours.)

- Barrington, NH, USA

problem #202

Oct 172012

Freestar

  • 97,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted and functioned normally however, the failure occurred twice. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign id number 12V006000 ( power train) but the remedy did not correct the failure. Additionally, after the vehicle was repaired fluid was leaking from the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

- Clifton, NJ, USA

problem #201

Aug 292012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • miles
2004 Ford Freestar. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle torque converter recall notice. The consumer stated the transmission failed, as she was driving. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. After the work was completed, the transmission light continued to come on and go off. Also, the transmission was slipping when the converter was engaged. The consumer then received a recall notice in the mail, regarding a problem with the torque converter. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for the recall work. However, in the winter of 2013, the transmission failed again. The vehicle was to a local repair shop, where they kept the vehicle for three weeks. The mechanic stated the original converter, was still in the vehicle.

- Weston, MO, USA

problem #200

Jun 022014

Freestar

  • 130,000 miles
Hello my wife and I were driving on a highway at 55 mph, and out of nowhere the transmission failed I:E no notice just quit working.wehad to have it towed back to the nearest town and to spend $3900 to have it repaired!!!@ months later it went out again"/Ford needs to step up to the plate and repair this transmission at no cost to the owners.I did alot of checking on this problem on the internet and found hundreds of articles about other people having this same problem wit there 2004 and 2005 Freestars.do I have any recourse in this matter " [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Sequim, WA, USA

problem #199

May 052014

Freestar

  • 180,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In good weather without warning the engine stalled in traffic. Restarted, but the engine ran extremely rough. Also the transmission would not go into reverse. Managed to get to a independent service shop. There the technician found water in the PCM. Dried out PCM and car ran fine. Then the transmission light came on. Now they found water in the transmission connector. Two weeks later the car would often not start, and when it did the transmission would not shift out of first gear. On our third visit they replaced the throttle position sensor (tps). One week later same symptoms, this time tps and mass airflow sensors have failed. The problems are all related to the wet PCM! recall this car, now!!!!!

- South Lyon, MI, USA

problem #198

May 152014

Freestar 6-cyl

  • miles
First time;while driving around a curve going approximately 40 miles per hour, the engine shut off, and lost power, and steering. Engine light came on 2nd time; engine bucked at about 40 miles to 50 miles per hour, then the engine shut off, and lost power and steering. Engine light came on 3rd time; same as the second time, engine light came on. Went to a mechanic who stated that ran the engine on computer, and the code:PO741 came up, tcc clutch performance. Was told to go to Ford for this because of current recall. Went online to Ford, and our VIN came up for torque converter replacement. Awaiting appointment on Tuesday, June 3rd. At Ford dealer.

- Hillsborough, NJ, USA

problem #197

May 142014

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 165,000 miles
RPM's surge, loss of power while driving, already had recalls done and still having problems, trans axle light comes on when doing highway speeds., I think the recall needs to be on the electrical system and where the main computer is located. The main computer is right beneath the awning for the wiper assembly...lots of potential water damage and many unhappy customers. This is supposed to be a family vehicle and it is more like driving a ticking time bomb. I would hate to be on the highway and the vehicle just suddenly stop. Not good Ford!!! not good!

- Beltsville, MD, USA

problem #196

Jan 032005

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
Problems with engine since 2005 with jerking, sputtering, engine lockup. Transmission locks and jerks, airconditioner stopped cooling and won't hold freon. Electrical issues also......has a mind of its own! several trip to the Ford dealership, was told "could not diagnose, bring it back if it does it again, we can't find anything wrong with it". the issues are sporadic. Drives fine one minute, next thing you know you are stalled on busy hwy. Not enough space to list "expensive" problems. Extended warranty? that's a joke, waste of $. scariest issue is when it locked up while driving. Lost complete control of steering, acceleration, etc. Was stranded in middle of road. Have disability, very scary & frustrating especially since my husband bought it only a year old so kids and I would have a "safe" vehicle. Did not take back to dealership since they'd probably say " can't diagnose". purchased a rebuilt engine had small town mechanic put it in. Problems still going on. Since there are still so many problems with engine, transmission, electrical, and no air conditioning, I'm afraid to drive it more than 5 miles. It is a very expensive lawn ornament. Fyi, my husband had just had to replace the engine in his Ford vehicle a month before mine went out, had to sell his vacation time for 2 years in a row just to keep those Ford running for our family...he's a public safety officer. Ford sold be ashamed. (dates are approximate, paperwork packed up from a move....sorry:-) )

- Wetumpka, AL, USA

problem #195

Nov 012013

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In November of 2013, our 2004 Ford Freestar quit working. Yes, we had the torque converter recalled and put on back when they had that recall. November was the first time we had this happen to our car. It was raining, and our car would not go into gear, it quit working. What made this bad is that it was on the freeway! my husband put it into neutral, but we still did not have steering capabilities and managed to get us over to the shoulder. We had to be towed to a dealership. The dealership then stated that many people were having the same issue with the electronics getting wet, so he dried it, then let it set for a couple days and caulked it. We thought that would end those problems. Not. (note: This had cost us 450.00) then less than 2 months, the same exact thing happens, only this time we are stuck in a shopping center and could not get our car into gear again. We took it back to the dealership to which they replied that we needed a new electric module. How much" $1500!!! in less than 2 months, we spent almost 2,000.00! this was done in February. Here it is now April and guess what" the same exact problem is taking place again!! we are not alone, there are many people facing the same problems we have had, look around at the boards online and you will see that everyone has the same issues!! some investigations need to be opened or reopened as this is not resolved and lawsuits will be filed if someone gets hurt.

- Gig Harbor, WA, USA

problem #194

Oct 042010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • miles
2004 Ford Freestar. Consumer writes in regards to transmission torque converter recall notice. The consumer stated prior to the recall, the torque converter failed. The repair cost was $1,180.83. The consumer requested reimbursement. The consumer asked the dealer was the part installed defective, and he stated it probably was. The consumer received a refund check. However, he was concerned about the part being defective.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

problem #193

Mar 062014

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 166,000 miles
Wife went to make a left turn at 2 state highway intersection. Upon accelerating the van failed to move causing her to be stranded in the middle of this busy intersection. Several attempts of shifting finally made it into parking lot. Towed vehicle to transmission shop to be told it is the torque converter probably a broken spline. Of course this VIN# is not part of the original recall even though it has the exact same symptoms and result.

- Greentown, IN, USA

problem #192

Mar 292014

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 84,200 miles
I was driving on the interstate when suddenly without warning the transmission was no longer engaged and it resulted in complete loss of power and I had to coast to a stop in freeway traffic and try to get to the side of the road in time. Semi trucks were whizzing past me at 75 mph. I bought this vehicle from the Ford dealership in abilene, tx about one month ago and was not told about any recalls to the torque converter. This could have easily resulted in my death. I am highly pissed. Why the hell didn't the dealership replace this before selling me this vehicle for 7K? and what will be done about dealerships letting vehicles drive off the lot like this when they knew about the recall and did nothing and said nothing.

- Baird, TX, USA

problem #191

Feb 032014

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 126,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the transmission would independently switch gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

- Mansfeild, OH, USA

problem #190

Jun 082012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 117,000 miles
Just purchased this used 2004 Freestar. Within days the engine would fail while driving. Transmission shifting issues. Not starting. Etc.. had transmission replaced before knowing of recall on that item. Still had the issues. Pulled out PCM and it was filled with water. Installed new one. I live in Florida. Rainy season. Issues happened again within a week. New PCM removed and was filled with water. I myself found the service bulletin about the issue as well as several complaints by owners on the internet. My local dealership walker Ford swept the issue under the rug and wanted to charge $900 to find the leak. I showed them the bulletin that they were un aware of. They would not replace my PCM without charging me again. Went to another dealership and paid for new PCM and told them to perforce service bulletin. Seemed fine until last 6 months. Starting to stall a lot. High hum when accelerating and turning. More research online and I found 2 more recalls on vehicle. The PCM issue should be a recall. Find out how to permanently fix the issue and perform it for free with a new PCM.

- Clearwater, FL, USA

problem #189

Dec 232013

Freestar

  • 112,000 miles
I received recall on my Freestar in 2012, on the torque converter, it was fixed but had started to slip shortly after getting it fixed. 16 months later I found myself without any power. I took it to shop and was told it was on recall but since I had it fixed 16 months prior that it no longer was warranted. If they replaced the torque converter with a "fixed" one then I should not have had trouble so soon. Ford is wanting me to pay 1800 to fix their mess up.. I wonder what my rights are?

- Taylorville, IL, USA

problem #188

Sep 102012

Freestar 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,945 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign id number 12V006000 (power train). The contact stated that after the repairs and attempting to shift into drive, there was a sudden loss of engine power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, who stated that the transmission failed due to a faulty torque converter. The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 90,945. The consumer stated the replacement torque converter failed. He stated there were no problems, prior to the replacement. Updated 02/05/14..updated 02/06/14 updated 02/10/14 updated 2/12/14

- Rhinelander, WI, USA

problem #187

Oct 252013

Freestar

  • 145,000 miles
Took van into dealership per recall for torque converter. Received vehicle back 3 weeks later. Heard a ticking noise that progressively got worst. Made a appointment to return vehicle to dealer and the transmission completely went out as described in recall. No gear engagement in any gear forward or reverse. Of course the dealer said there was no relation to the recall and the recall was performed. Even the symptoms were exactly as described in the recall description of what would occur if the recall was not performed. Ford denied any assistance. The dealership offered us a labor discount if we purchased a transmission yet no warranty for the work unless it was a Ford remanufactured transmission at $1800.

- Orange City, FL, USA

problem #186

Dec 052011

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 15,000 miles
Purchased used vehicle from marshall used cars in sacramento, ca, where reside currently. Purchased 05/2011, paid full no loan at time of purchase. Purchased add. Ext. Warranty which was 6months. From the dos til present date; I have paid, and was mislead in all the insurance covering major defects, owner(me) had came out of pocket paying for service to fix warranty parts. Now this is the current and serious issue. I am disabled, I have a disable child. My vehicle was reported under VIN to Ford corporate to notate for service to be check and worked on at local Ford dealer. Complained about multiple (4) issues. Dealership mislead me, and did not perform work. Only work they did was replace 1 recall 10/12. After recall service I (owner) recall manufac. Made claim, again and then went to dealer. I was turned away...and told to do normal maintenance before putting a service claim in. This is a problem. I am not ignorant to the anatomy of a vehicle. I am very literate on understanding vehicle operations as well as maintaining maintenance. I can say this because I believe I should be aware of every issue so I wont have a disabled vehicle. Vehicle mileage applied from the date recall replaced 5800 within the time til I made another claim in Oct 2013. Took vehicle in, told to check everything. Did. Brought vehicle back and vehicle was in service dept for week which rolled over to Nov 1, 2013. Vehicle was dx and found to be the same thing I made a claim about. Vehicle has a defected recall part. Part was not replaced. And owner is now left with a defect recall part, plus more damage on other parts related to torque converter, fuel line, 3rd bench, front R-wheel hub. I have multiple health appts to maintain for me and my child's disability. My children need to get to school, and I missed legal appt dates from court.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

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