10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
64,097 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 transmission problems

transmission problem

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2006 Ford Freestyle Owner Comments (Page 2 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #107

Aug 012010

Freestyle

  • 110,000 miles

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

Ford Freestyle lunges with foot on brake in forward or reverse...very dangerous could easily lead to serious accident. Please contact me about this! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Hutto, TX, USA

problem #106

Aug 072011

Freestyle

  • 59,000 miles
I have a 2006 Ford Freestyle. Today as I turned into a parking spot, the vehicle lunged forward and stalled when I pressed down on brake. It would then stall everytime the car was put into drive or reverse. Vehicle has since been towed to korner Ford 805 w. genesee St, syracuse NY. 13204. I do not know what the final verdict will be but having read some of the discussions on-line, it sounds exactly like what has been happening to other Freestyle owners.

- Syracuse, NY, USA

problem #105

Aug 052011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 68,000 miles
2006 Ford Freestyle "lurches" at low speeds or when sitting still; into reverse or forward gears; especially when it is hottest out. Example: Sitting in line to pick up our children (carpool lane) at the school; vehicle in park. Once you move the transmission into drive, while holding down the brake pedal, the engine will rev (run higher) and the vehicle will try to move, therby causing it to 'lurch' or jump foward. It is not a consistent thing, however it does seem to happen the most when the engine and transmission are hot. Also happens when switching from park to reverse. Often, it will cause the 'wrench' icon on the dashboard to turn on. Placing the vehicle in park then turning it off; and turning it back on seems to correct the issue, temporarily. However, it does haappen 3 to 4 times a week.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #104

Jul 222011

Freestyle

  • 79,500 miles

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

Trying to park my car in a crowded parking lot, the car suddenly surged forward and then stalled. I tried to restart the car and it would not start. I waited a minute, turned off the radio, A/C, etc and then was able to restart. I have had a similar problem on two other occasions since.

- Exeter, ME, USA

problem #103

Aug 012011

Freestyle

  • 72,000 miles
Vehicle surges forward in low idle or when stopped. Will happen also in reverse. Seems worse on hot days or with A/C running. Service "wrench" light will come on and car will almost stop running and has stopped on some occasions.

- Gadsden, AL, USA

problem #102

Jun 152011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 99,000 miles
Auto-up/down function is erratic. Battery warning light goes off and on. Sudden acceleration at any speed.

- Howell, MI, USA

problem #101

Jun 222011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 92,744 miles

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

We own a 2006 Ford Freestyle. In 2008, at 36,730 miles we had the throttle body replaced because the vehicle lurched & the wrench light came on. Problem fixed. However, 2011 @ 88,356 we had the car in again because it lurched and engine & wrench light would come on again, and it would lose power. If we turned the key off and back on, it would temporarily go away. They replaced an electronic sensor in the transmission. This was at a Ford dealer. They had to call their mechanic help line & work on it several days to figure out the problem. Apparently, that was not the problem, because it had to go back in two weeks later for the same issue. They claimed the new part was faulty and they replaced the sensor again. Fast forward 2.5 months. We are in June @ 92,744. Vehicle was again lurching, wrench & check engine light would come on and had a loss of power. This all seemed to happen when the engine was under strain/load: Ac on high, turning the wheel. It would happen in reverse or drive. I had a foot on/over the brake - so lurching never caused any incidents. This time, I took it to my mechanic. He didn't believe me - because as I said - if you turned the car off, it would all go away until the next random time it happened. So, after 2 days I picked the vehicle up from him. It happened again 2 days later. I took it to autozone and had them plug it in to get the codes out of it - before I turned it off. I took the vehicle and the codes to my mechanic. He had the car for a couple days and was able to get it to behave as I described to him. He replaced the throttle body and it seemed to fix it. We took it on a road trip for 6,000 miles and there was no problem. It is now just over 100,000 miles and the warranty has now expired. Until now - warranty has covered the bulk of the cost. About 2 weeks ago, there was one instance of surging but no other symptoms or lights. Not sure what I plan to do from here except perhaps wait until it is recalled?

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #100

Jul 162011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 101,000 miles
I have a 2006 Ford Freestyle. It has begun taking off while backing out of my driveway and lurching forward without pressing the accelerator. This is a safety issue of highest urgency. Upon research on the web, I see numerous recent complaints about this very same issue for this particular style, make & year. There is even a facebook page requesting throttle body recall on Ford Freestyles, with 214 likes to date. I have 2 children ages 7 & 5. I fear for the safety of my own children and others around as this is the "family" car & used for school and activity pick ups and drop offs. These surges occur at stop lights, parking, and easing out of parking. All of these times have the propensity to cause major accidents. If it does cause an accident, I will have my lawyers contact Ford. This is a well documented issue. I am assuming as a reputable car maker- Ford needs to be made aware of such issue in order to issue recall to correct. I hope this complaint speeds up the process.

- Derry, NH, USA

problem #99

Aug 032009

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
I have a 2006 Freestyle. 2 years ago I had to have the throttle body replaced due to unintended acceleration that got to be dangerous. This fixed the problem, but now I am again having the exact same issues, especially when the air is on. I now have a teen driving and I am very concerned for her welfare. I already paid 800+ to repair something Ford should have repaired at their cost. Now I have the same issue. Does someone have to get hurt before Ford recalls this part?

- Canton, MI, USA

problem #98

Apr 092010

Freestyle

  • 20,000 miles
Throttle body seem to make the vehicle lunge forward while setting in traffic. Almost struck vehicles in front of me on many occasions. I'm forced to put vehicle in park or neutral while stopped.

- Lenoir, NC, USA

problem #97

Aug 022011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles

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

I have a 2006 Ford Freestyle and when ever I drive it, it accelerates when your stopped at stop signs, traffic lights, coasting through parking lots, etc. I have just recently hit the car in front of me while waiting at a traffic light I was slowing down to stop when the car accelerated causing the car to lunge forward hitting the car in front of me before I had time to stop. This has become very dangerous. I took it to a Ford dealer with no results. I called the Ford mfg. And they told me they were aware of the problem but nothing was being done about it. I have ask several owners of the Freestyle about this and they said they were having the same problem. I have checked on the internet and found complaint after complaint about this problem and the high cost of trying to fix it. I have went to several repair shops with no guarantees. The Ford dealer I took it to charged me $140 then told me there was nothing wrong with the car. I feel this should be something the Ford Motor Co. Should be recalling. Thank you.

- Imperial, MO, USA

problem #96

Aug 012011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 69,100 miles
I own a 2006 Ford Freestyle and have begun to notice a surging/lunging of the vehicle while the A/C is running. I've noticed this lunging more when the car has been running for some time and I am driving and/or reversing at slow speeds, like in a parking lot. When this happens, the rpms go up and the car surges even with the brakes being applied. This sounds like a common problem with the throttle body in Freestyles. The vehicle has been doing this consistently since the A/C has been needed.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #95

May 222011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 64,000 miles
2006 Ford Freestyle lunging started about 2 months ago. It happens often, thought it was just when I ran the air conditioner but it is happening all the time now. It will happen when the car is going forward and in reverse and sometimes it will die on me. I've already heard of this problem being responsible for 1 injury and I'm afraid it could continue to happen to other Freestyle owners including myself. I should not have to pay for this problem. Ford needs to own up to the fact that this is their fault and recall all Freestyles made within 2006-2007. As I am researching this problem with the Freestyle I am becoming aware that Ford has known about this issue for some time now and have not done anything about it. If this is how they are going to make vehicles and treat their customers then I can assure you that most of their costumers will choose to go elsewhere with their business, including myself! they need to recall this model and fix it!!!! I am at 65,000 mile's and this is unacceptable to me and every other owner out there.!!! please do something about this mess.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #94

Jul 012011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle would surge while in drive or reverse. The failure became progressively worse and the vehicle would intermittently stall when the brakes were applied. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop, where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000. The current mileage was 69,000. Updated 09/27/11 the consumer stated the vehicle is now fully operational. Updated 10/05/11

- Florissant, MO, USA

problem #93

Jul 172011

Freestyle

  • 69,524 miles
2006 Ford Freestyle will accelerate, or lunge forward, when brake is engaged while in drive.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

problem #92

Oct 122010

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,000 miles
The car began to jerk and lurch, and engine speed abruptly slowed after about (3) hours of highway driving (from Vermont to New Hampshire). A trouble light (wrench icon) appeared. Engine rpms fluctuated, but vehicle would not respond to the gas pedal. Pulled over, waited a few minutes, restarted the car. Trouble light was no longer on, and the vehicle was fine and normal for the rest of the ride home. Brought car to portsmouth Ford, who could not find any problem. Second incident, January 2011: Highway drive back to New Hampshire from Connecticut. Same problem. Abrupt and alarming drop in car speed. No throttle control. Erratic engine RPM performance. Attempted to pull off interstate highway to a safe area. Waited 5 minutes. Re-started the engine. Trouble light gone, engine performed fine, and no issue the rest of the trip. Brought the car for transmission service to valvoline, then to dowling Ford where the vehicle was purchased. Third incident, March 2011: After (2) hours of highway driving abrupt drop in engine speed while attempting to merge on interstate 84. Lost throttle control. Near collision with a tractor-trailer in bad weather while trying to get out of the way and off the highway. Frightening experience. Brought car to bob thomas Ford in hamden, Connecticut for a transmission program update and complete transmission service. Dealer could not find a problem with the vehicle. Fourth incident, June 24, 2011: Again on I-84 in the rain after 2.5 hours of highway cruising. Radical loss of engine power and vehicle speed. My daughter barely avoided a collision attempting to maneuver off the highway in heavy traffic with erratic throttle control. Daughter called me in a panic, crying. Waited off the highway a few minutes, re-started, and was fine. Car no longer used on the highway, just locally. The consumer also stated the alternator failed. Updated portable 08/23/11 updated 09/14/11

- Woodbridge, CT, USA

problem #91

Jul 122011

Freestyle

  • 98,000 miles
My 2006 Ford Freestyle has had a lunging problem for the past couple of years. There have been many times that it has lunged in reverse/drive and almost hit another car or object.

- Stanwod, WA, USA

problem #90

Jul 202011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Unintended acceleration when moving transmission out of park. Car lurches and accelerates covering distances of 5-20 feet depending upon terrain. Movement can be arrested with braking, but is very sudden and intermittent so difficult to expect and control.

- Indianola, IA, USA

problem #89

Jul 202011

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 100,300 miles
Car lurches (in drive or reverse) when at low speeds. This issue is much more pronounced while air conditioning is on. Engine revs from 1,000 RPM to 2,500 RPM. On occasion the "fail-safe" will engage and the engine will shutdown completely when brakes are applied to stop the car from lurching. The only unusual light that comes on is "throttle system" light.

- Glen Ellyn, IL, USA

problem #88

Jul 172010

Freestyle 6-cyl

  • 57,000 miles
Early July 2010 car would surge after started when placed into drive or reverse. July 17,2010 about 95 degrees ambient. Driving 55 mph car started to lose power and stall. Restarted and it went into limp mode with check engine light and occasional surges. I found a Ford dealer about 5 miles away. Diagnosis was a bad mass air flow sensor. Replaced and we were on our way again. Early June 2011 it was surging after starting when placed in drive or reverse. June 11,2011. Car stalled and went into limp mode again with check engine light on. Bought a new mass air flow sensor, installed it myself and cleared the code. July 5,2011 while driving to baltimore at 65 mph and 100 degree ambient, car stalled, restarted and it went into limp mode with check engine light on. I found a parking lot with shade and let it idle for about 20 minutes. Shut it off and restarted. Check engine light was off and it ran fine to baltimore. This appears to be an issue with the mass air flow circuit. NHTSA cannot ignore this flaw.

- Dillsburg, PA, USA

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