10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,632 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.

2006 Ford Freestyle fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2006 Ford Freestyle Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #83

Aug 162014

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 107,000 miles

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

Was sitting in car in a parking lot with ac running waiting for my wife. As I began to back up I put foot on brake to let car go by when the car began to surge and my foot was no where near gas pedal. Then the car shut off by itself and check engine light came on. Later we were waiting in a line at a drive-thru as we waited in line I had car in drive but foot on brake. Then the car lunged forward and I could have hit the car in front of me. The car died again. This happened another time. I took it to auto part store to diagnose check engine light. It gave me code P2106 and which is throttle actuator control system-forced limited power.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

problem #82

Apr 302008

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 15,000 miles
Shortly after we purchased the car on Jan 01, 2008 we began to have issues with lunging and high idling. Car was taken to dealership several times before they cleaned the throttle body sensor. It was ok for a few months and started back. We took it back and they replaced the tbs and another part. Car worked great for a while, but had to have the tbs cleaned again in 2011 and 2012 and is now doing the same thing again and more. Now it is extreme. I work about 6 miles from home and have to stop several times to turn the car off and back on to reset the wrench that comes on in order to reset the high idle. If I don't, when I hit the gas, the RPM's go up to 4 and 5K only doing 30 mph. The check engine light is also on. I have had it checked and the error code is P0701 indicating transmission and TB issues. The car also lunges forward a great deal and I have to stay back a safe distance in order to be sure if it lunges I don't hit anyone. The issue is far beyond the throttle body sensor. It has to also do with the cvt transmission which Ford knows is a lemon. Please push this issue so that they will have to recall the faulty parts and protect the safety of the families in their vehicles. If I had another means of transportation I would certainly not be in this car.

- Opelika , AL, USA

problem #81

Jul 072014

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 108,791 miles
On 8-23-2011 we had the throttle control system replaced because of uncontrollable exhilaration. It has started the same symptoms again and we need to have it replaced again.

- Grand Ridge, FL, USA

problem #80

Mar 042014

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 75,000 miles

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

Vehicle purchased used 10/2013 from national used car retail chain. *records, via Ford dealership (as of 07/2014), indicate TB issue (ref. NHTSA PE11018) addressed under Ford csp 12N03; 08/13 [TB cleaned & programming edited by 2nd local Ford dealer.] initial incident occurred 10/2013, less than 72 hours after purchase, codes indicated; as per retail chain repair shop*, a misfire on cylinder 6. repair made via dealer warranty, replacing plug & associated parts.drove car from date of repair, including highway, long distances & locally w/O notable incident. Later, service light began to flash on & off; no codes present. Assumed indicator short. Eng. Light & svc. Lights came on & went off periodically but never readable for codes. Car then began to make noises occasionally upon start up similar to solenoid failure & exhibit "dieseling" upon ignition. Weather related? then; 03/2014, entered highway, accelerating to 60/mph - at half mile up, car "shut down"; RPM flat, speedometer flat, pedal non-reactive, steering impaired, no electricity. Coasted to divide in highway; cranked vehicle, turned & crossed to shoulder; stopping & starting several times. Moving 10/mph to safety. Still no codes. Thought clog in fuel system/ trash in gas. Next attempt to drive, filled tank, new gas; no indicator lights, no problems. Then: Incident:05/2014: Cranked & backed out of driveway, placed G.shift in D.. nothing...no movement, RPM flat, speedometer flat. Service & engine light came on. Rolled back in drive, car sat for several days. Cranked it, eng, & svc. Lights still on; drove to parts store. Codes present indicate TB malfunction. Problem not covered via purchase agreement. Ford says; "problem solved". part/ $500 plus labor.payment:$475/mo. Afraid to drive it. Don't want to be the stalled car hit from behind @ 65/mph by a big rig statistic to fix it. It is still broken.

- Mulberry , FL, USA

problem #79

Mar 202013

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 101,792 miles
March of 2013 one of the 5 transmissions replaced. Lunging at low speeds, not shifting gears, dying, error codes wrench light comes on, this has occured with every incident which eventually lead to transmission failure everytime.

- The Colony, TX, USA

problem #78

Nov 152013

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
Vehicle lurches when brakes are applied in forward and reverse. Happened many times. The wrench indicator light came on also when this happened. This happened many times when we first purchased the vehicle. I checks threads on the internet and saw this as a common problem. I personally cleaned the throttle body as shown on youtube by a gentleman and it fixed the problem for awhile. This happened recently to my wife as she was leaving her work parking lot at low speed. Lurched when put in gear with brakes applied. Car felt uncontrollable. We see that an investigation on this problem has begun so I would confer with other vehicle owners. More times and dates than I can remember that lurching has taken place. One time I had to slip it into neutral to stop the car and apply the brakes.

- Clarinda, IA, USA

problem #77

Aug 202012

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 110,800 miles

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

Car lunges forward when at a stop but still on drive, brakes must be immediately applied or the car will take off by itself. Happens more when the shift is in the drive position but is being held by the brake for a period of time like in a line, a drive thru, or long traffic light. Very scary!

- Needville, TX, USA

problem #76

Jun 112012

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
Vehicle lunges and has poor gas mileage. We have almost been in several accidents and going thru brakes more than normal due to this issue. Ford issued a complimentary customer satisfaction service to clean the throttle body and I am continuing to have this problem. Ford was notified and we were told that its not a safety issue and any repair is my responsibility.

- Atchison, KS, USA

problem #75

Jun 242013

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 74,000 miles
This car has a known issue, which I experienced, where carbon deposits in the throttle body cause it to surge or stall unexpectedly. The remedy as given by Ford is to have the throttle body cleaned and the computer (PCM) reprogrammed. Looking in to various forums for information on the topic, such as edmunds and Freestyle owner forums, many owners report the problem recurring after this fix had been implemented, mostly a few 10's of thousands of miles later. Others, who had their throttle bodies completely replaced, with a throttle of newer design, report no further issues at any reported range. I am asking why Ford is allowed to temporarily bandage a known safety issue, that is also known to recur after this fix has been implemented, rather that applying what seems to be a permanent safety fix, replacement of the throttle? the surging is bad enough that had I not experienced it previously, and been semi-anticipating it, I would have been pushed into an intersection and into traffic. Nonetheless, the car did move forward several feet. This was on my trip to the Ford dealership (24 June 2013) to have the prescribed fix applied. I do not believe a temporary fix, one that allows to problem to recur, is in the best interest of public safety, and that Ford should, instead, Focus on a permanent fix to its safety issue. I would like to note, those who have had their throttles replaced state the new one is of a different design. For example: The new one is a non-heated body, vs the previous design which has a heated body, which is suspect to failure. The old throttle (5F9Z-9E926-aa) vs the new ones (6F9Z-9E926-a) are designated by the different parts numbers provided, further showing Ford's knowledge the old (heated) version of the throttle is, itself, causing the safety issue, and that their one-time fix is only temporary.

- Paducah, KY, USA

problem #74

Jun 192013

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
Affected part: Throttle body. Two yrs ago we had our car repaired for a throttle body issue our car was lunging forward aggressively and sometimes stalled. It was a terrible safety issue, B/C it was also happening when my foot was on the brake. There was no recall at that time when we took the car to one Ford dealership. They repaired the throttle body and the car ran for 2 yrs without the same problem. Unfortunately, here we are 2 yrs later, & our car is at another Ford dealership the throttle body needs to be replaced. We have spent so much already, and now we have to pay $1700 to fix the throttle body & also the alternator. There are so many Ford Freestyle owners who have had this same issue why hasn't a recall been issued? I just found out today that there was a customer service satisfaction program for just a cleaning back in Nov 2012. I did not receive this letter, but it will not help us anyway since the throttle body is no longer usable.

- Jupiter, FL, USA

problem #73

Jun 012010

Freestyle

  • 85,000 miles

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

I purchased my 2006 Ford Freestyle in December 2009. As soon as the weather got warmer I noticed that when parking, backing up, or trying to stop, the vehicle would surge as if I still had my foot on the accelerator. Soon it also started surging/sputtering when I first started out and would occasionally stall, twice in heavy traffic. I took the vehicle to the Ford dealership to discover that the throttle body position sensor doesn't work properly & that all Freestyles were having the same problem. I was shocked to find that a new unit could be put in but was not covered as a recall and was going to cost $1000. As a single mom, that was just impossible. Luckily my disabled father was previously a mechanic and was able to use carb cleaner to clean the sensor and temporarily stop the problem. Since then, every spring the problem comes back and I have to have the throttle body unit cleaned several times before winter. Another problem I have with this vehicle is that the brakes wear out unusually quickly. I don't know if it's because of having to fight the throttle position sensor to stop the car, or if it's a flaw in the design of the brake system. I do know that when it starts to feel like they are wearing out I have to replace them asap because the more they get worn the faster they wear out, if that makes sense. Something I've just recently noticed is that the lights (interior, exterior, display, all of them) have been almost blinking...getting brighter/dimmer and at the same time my A/C blows harder/softer, like they are surging as well. Upon further examination I found that the top and bottom driver's side motor mounts have cracked/rotted bushings. Ford should absolutely replace these throttle bodies without question; my children ride in my Freestyle every day and one close call is one too many. I want this fixed once and for all.

- Hull, GA, USA

problem #72

Jul 082010

Freestyle

  • 65,000 miles
I was in myrtle beach summer of 2010 when I was backing my vehicle out of a parking space it lunged back almost causing a wreck. Then when I went forward did the same stalled. Changed fuel filter and everything. About 1 month later did it again. I seems to do it when the temperature outside is warm. This is very scary and not sure what has to happen for Ford to recall. I guess someone has to die and they have to be sued.

- Beulaville , NC, USA

problem #71

May 102011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
My car began having problems lunging forward while I was stopped at a school zone cross-walk waiting for children to cross. It lunged forward and stopped just inches from hitting 4 children. It terrified me!!!! it happened several times that day and the next day until I could get it in the shop. I was told it needed the throttle body replaced by the Ford mechanics but luckily I got by with just a throttle body cleaning. The car no longer lunges forward. About the same time, the car had problems feeling like it wouldn't get past 2nd gear and it wouldn't accelerate. I still don't know what caused this. A few months later the car started making a strange clicking noise that would get faster when I would accelerate then slower when I would brake. It quit making the noise by the time I could take it to get it looked at a few days later. The air conditioner won't get cold unless the car is in motion. The heater does the same thing. It only seems to happen on extreme temperature days. Then spontaneously, both these problems seemed to fix themselves. Just this week, my car backfired 2 times, then the next morning when I started it, it smelled horrible! I turned it off immediately, then the next day, it wouldn't start. Took it to my Ford mechanic, and he said everything checked out ok. He now thinks there is something wrong with the computer system. Everything I have read on the internet suggests that these have been huge problems for many Ford Freestyle owners. And yet no recall? come on Ford!! you have lost many loyal customers over this!! please help all of us to get a recall issued for this car!! I am a single mother of three children, and if I get stranded, I, like many people, have nobody to call and no way to pay if I get stranded. Please help before someone gets seriously injured or even killed. Many other probs but no room to list.

- Okc, OK, USA

problem #70

Dec 202011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 72,000 miles
Vehicle will not start. Dealership claimed that the throttle body needs to be replace along with a computer update to a tune of $800+. various posts have been found on the internet regarding a known defect with this model year's throttle body including a "lunging issue" caused by this failed component. I would like this issue to be investigated and Ford to be responsible for the replacement and remedy of this defective component.

- Macomb, MI, USA

problem #69

Jun 062011

Freestyle

  • 119,000 miles
I drive a 2006 Freestyle. Just weeks after buying it from used dealer the vehicle started lunging when I would attempt to stop or be at a slow pace. Example being in parking lot and trying to park it would lung from about 1000 RPM to 4000-5000 rpms. This would throw my car forward. I did tap a car that day but no body damage. Also the car will be driving down the road and the wrench comes on and motor shuts down. There is no warning and has been very scary when merging into 75mph traffic with no where to go. On the 6th of June 2011 the throttle body was replaced. However within the 30 days all symptoms were occurring again. I had the compressor go out which cost $1000 to replace. On 12/02/11 I took the vehicle back to the shop, they ran codes and found it was the transmission. I have many accounts of the lunging and the wrench shut down issue. It has become very regular and makes my car very unreliable.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #68

Sep 122011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 81,200 miles
On several occasions while I was driving in route to work or the grocery store, my 06 Ford Freestyle seemed slow and sluggish to respond as I would be waiting at a red light for the green. When the light did turn green and I would press the gas pedal to go, the car would shut off. A few times there were close calls as the car behind me would be unaware I was having trouble and almost rear-end me. When the car would cut off, I would proceed to restart the car and then press the gas to go. The car seemed to respond extremely slow like I would have the gas pedal pressed to the floor and would only be able to go 20 - 25 mph. On other occasions, the car would seem to lurch forward or backward (depending on if I had the car in drive or reverse) the throttle body failure on my 2006 Ford Freestyle creates a very dangerous situation because the engine will accelerate without applying the gas pedaland will no accelerate at times when the gas pedal is pressed. After a little research I found this to be arecurring problem on 2006, and 2007 Ford Freestyle vehicles. Ford is or should be well aware the proble exist and has for some time and has done nothing about it, to add insult to injury my car has been at the Ford dealership for over a month because the parts needed to repair it [ throttlebody ] is not availiable and no one can tell me for sure when it will be people at Ford tell me that the company making the part went out of bussiness without notice, well needless to say this does not help my situation, I have notified my state and federal highway safety commishners of the problem and I would like to ask everyone with a similar problem to do the same.

- San Ysidro, CA, USA

problem #67

Jul 042011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Engine revs and vehicle lurches while placing the car in reverse, even with foot firmly on the brakes. Appears to be worse when air conditioner is on. Vehicle has lost virtually all power while driving. When this happens, you can floor the gas peddle but the vehicle won't go over 10-15mph. Pulling over to the side of the road, turning vehicle off, waiting 15 seconds or so, then restarting, seems to reset the vehicle to a more functional level. The vehicle also has an extensive exhaust smell and it is currently at the shop for a $566 repair for the diagnostic exam and that diagnosis indicating that the egr valve needs to be replaced. I called Ford and they do not have a current recall for the egr valve, or throttle body-which seems to be a correlated problem within the two.

- Little Elm, TX, USA

problem #66

Aug 202011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 67,000 miles
For about 2 months I had been experiencing some minor surging when car was put into reverse but thought it might have been bad gas or needed a new fuel or air filter. First major incident was in August when I started my car and put in reverse to back out of parking space. Before I took my foot off the brake, the car accelerated backwards and then stalled suddenly. This happened at least 3 times while I was in the parking lot before the car finally began to work properly and I could drive it home again. Both wrench and check engine lights were on.

- Ormond Beach, FL, USA

problem #65

Sep 272011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 69,000 miles
I was parked with car running for about 10 mins. When I went to back up the car, the car lunged backwards while my foot was still engaged on the brake. Car stalled but I was able to re-start car. Wrench and engine lights were on. I drove the car home but the fuel injection was labored and did not accelerate normally and would also accelerate unexpectedly while sitting at traffic light. I was able to get the car home, but check engine light was still lit after several days.

- Ormond Beach, FL, USA

problem #64

Oct 052010

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 117,113 miles
While at a stop or putting the car into gear, the car will suddenly surge forward or backwards depending on putting the car into reverse or drive. This also will occur while sitting at a stop and getting ready to accelerate. The problem has been researched many times, and I come back to one conclusion a bad throttle body module. We have been very fortunate not to have an accident yet, but we are waiting. This is a fairly regular occurrence and I am looking into replacing the part, but I keep seeing post everywhere saying this is a back order item.

- Eglin Afb, FL, USA

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