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.
We own a 2007 Ford Freestyle with a 3L engine. We are experiencing a surging of the engine when the air conditioner is on and we are turning into tight spots such as parking spots. Today (13aug2010) I left the vehicle idling while I went inside a pizza store to buy a pizza (less than three minutes). When I returned to the vehicle and placed it in reverse to back out of our parking spot the vehicle surged in reverse and died. After restarting the engine it would not idle correctly and a wrench light on the dash board came on. The vehicle cut out as I put it in drive to move out of the driving lane and on the ride home the engine would cut out occasionally but never completely died. At home I checked the engine and noticed the top motor mount bushing was broken.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. When the contact approached at a traffic light, the vehicle accelerated with her foot on the brake pedal. She engaged the brakes with extreme pressure several times and was able to stop the vehicle. The failure occurred approximately five times in one day. The contact stated that she had taken the vehicle to the dealer last week and was advised that the throttle body needed to be replaced. She also stated that the part was on back order and would not be available for a couple of weeks. The dealer was notified of the failure and that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The failure mileage was 72,096 and the current mileage was 72,101.
2007 Ford Freestyle - when put in gear the car lurched forward (this happened in a school parking lot - lucky no one was hit). This also happened in reverse. Ford is replacing the throttle body at a cost to me of $780. This seems more of a safety issue similar to that of Toyota.
We own a 2007 Ford Freestyle with 61,000 miles. We purchased this vehicle new in 2007. The car has recently developed a problem with unintended rapid acceleration which occurs without warning and can happen in forward gear or reverse. We additionally have experienced several situations where the vehicle will not accelerate normally -even with full throttle press on the accelerator. Took vehicle to local Ford dealer and they have diagnosed the problem as throttle body defect and say that it may take 3 weeks for part to be shipped. So that repair can be made. They further state that this is not going to be covered by warranty. This erratic behavior of the vehicle is a safety hazard to the driver and the public since it appears to occur without any warning.
2007 Ford Freestyle.... I was setting at a stop sign with my foot on the brake and just as I was easing my foot off the brake to pull out the gas surged and put me in the middle of the road and the car died. It was not a major road and with quick thinking I geared to park turned the key off and started it back up and pulled over into a parking lot while setting in the parking lot it done the same thing. If this had been my wife or son or daughter driving this could have been a deadly event. Similar events are posted all over the internet and something needs to be done this is a serious situation and needs to be addressed promptly.
- Birmingham, AL, USA
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The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact was driving in reverse approximately 3 mph and the engine stalled without warning. The engine restarted with a warning symbol illumination of a "wrench" displayed on the instrument panel. The warning symbol remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The vehicle resumed operation in poor performance. Also, an unintended surge would occur without warning. The failure occurrences were intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the technician informed that the throttle body was defective. The part was unavailable and on a back order. The repair cost was $700. The contact stated that the throttle body was not covered under the "power train" warranty and that he would be responsible for the repair expense. The failure mileage was 53,500. The VIN was unavailable.
2007 Ford Freestyle: Life safety issue - several times the vehicle has lunged when backing up or pulling into a parking space, driveway, garage, etc. My foot was not on the accelerator, but on the brake (fortunately). As soon as this happens the fail safe light (wrench light) comes on the dash. You can turn the engine off and back on and the wrench light goes off and the car seems to run fine. Yesterday, the car lunged while backing up and also when my wife stopped at a stop sign. It ran normal for about 5 miles, she pulled over because the service wrench light was on and when she pulled out again, the car had no power. She limped along for a mile or so and pulled off again. Turned the engine off and back on and the car ran fine. I have looked on the internet and talked to my local Ford dealer. My dealer has said that it is a throttle body problem and the part would have to be replaced and that it is also a software problem. The internet has numerous forums with other people having the same problem. It is my opinion that this is a true life safety issue. The car cannot be controlled and you have to jam on the brake to keep from hitting someone or something. This happens at least once every couple of weeks and seems to be happening more often. My wife is beginning to be afraid to drive the car with our two children with her. Please look into this issue.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. While the contact was driving into a parking space approximately 5 mph, the brake pedal was applied with an unexpected surged. The failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. In addition, there was a delay response during acceleration. The occurrence was sporadic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The technician informed that the throttle body was defective and would need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $1,000. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated the vehicle would abnormally accelerate. The failure would occur more frequently when shifting into reverse. The vehicle would stall whenever the failure would occur. The dealer advised there was a wire in the computer that would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle would have to be diagnosed by the dealer bore they would make a determination if they would assist with repairs. The current and failure mileages were approximately 57,000. Updated 10/13/2010. The throttle body was replaced. Updated 10/19/10
2007 Ford Freestyle throttle problems on July 30,2010 the car surged by it's self in reverse. Upon getting the card into neutral the car stopped after numerous attempts on the brakes. We drove the car approx. 1/8 mile and stopped the car cut off. Once again starting the car it surged forward this time. Now I'm having to pay $901 plus tax to have it repaired. On edmunds.com I have read and I'm not the only one that has had this problem. Once again Ford has gotten away with the same thing that Toyota got caught in its actions. Also the repairman said the software would have to be reprogrammed. Please go online and looked at all the problems with the Ford Freestyle.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated the fuel level indicator would not display the amount of gasoline in the vehicle. The dealer advised the fuel transponder was defective and replaced the part. The contact stated the failure continuously recurred and the dealer replaced the transponder three times but to no avail. In addition, the contact stated when first starting the vehicle, there would be an unusual increase in engine rpms and the vehicle would abnormally accelerate forward or in reverse depending on what gear the contact would have the vehicle in. The dealer did not believe the vehicle was displaying the failure the contact described. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated the unintended acceleration failure would occur more frequently when the air conditioner was active. The air conditioner became inoperable. The vehicle was neither repaired nor diagnosed for the failure. The manufacturer would not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000 and the current mileage was approximately 77,000.
Started noticing that the vehicle would suddenly surge in acceleration on its own when parking or backing out of parking spaces. The failure started out as barely noticeable to a constant and ever increasing surge and are constantly getting worse. After avoiding several "near crash incidents" I told my wife to have the vehicle checked. Took vehicle to Ford garage for repairs. Repair cost was quoted as $500 and some odd dollars for the part (electronic throttle linkage) with cost of labor to remove and replace linkage to be additional. Ford dealer informed me that deliver of linkage to their facility would be approximately 13august2010 at the earliest. I asked about locating and have shipped "over night" express the linkage instead of waiting 2 to 3 weeks. Dealer informed me that they would check with other dealers and if they had the part they would get it and would cost me extra since they were not getting it from Ford!
My 2007 Ford Freestyle limited experienced unexpected surging forward and surging while in reverse. Incident happened twice in the same day. Warning lights came on. Car was taken to local Ford dealership for evaluation. Diagnostics indicated that the throttle body was bad and needed replaced. We were informed that there was a national shortage of replacement throttle body assemblies for this model and that the part was on back order. Estimated time frame the dealership expected the part was mid August. A general internet search revealed many similar stories of Ford Freestyle owners with similar year cars with similar mileage I suggest an investigation be conducted into why there is a shortage of this part ie to many similar model cars with faulty parts to keep up with demand. This poses as safety concern for my family as unexpected surges could lead to fatal accidents.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated when shifting in either reverse or drive, the vehicle would sporadically accelerate or stall without warning. On a later date, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed located the failure at the throttle body, but stated the part would not be available for one month. The manufacturer was contacted they advised the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 47,000 and the current mileage was 49,005.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated while entering a residential garage at 2 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and she crashed into the rear wall of the garage of the residence. There was substantial damage done to the interior of the home and the contact barely missed hitting the retaining wall. The dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the throttle body was causing the failure. The vehicle repaired at a cost of $854. The failure mileage was 47,000 and the current mileage is 50,000. Updated 10/15/10 bf updated 10/19/10
We own a 2007 Ford Freestyle. Two weeks ago, my husband put the vehicle in reverse to back out of a parking space and the engine accelerated. He had his foot on the brake at the time. After that happened, the vehicle lost power and he had to turn the vehicle off and restart. When he restarted, the engine would not shift correctly and the wrench light was on. We drove approximately 2 miles to our destination and turned the vehicle off. When we restarted it to leave, the wrench light was off and the vehicle drove normally on the drive home (approximately 10 miles). We only drove the vehicle twice between that time and yesterday, when I was backing out of the garage and the engine accelerated each time I would start to ease my foot off the brake. This happened 3 times until I got out of the driveway. When I put the vehicle in drive, there were no further problems. I have not taken vehicle to a dealership for diagnosis, but yesterday I called 2 different dealerships to see if I could get information. Both of them said that it has the symptoms of a throttle body issue, and this part is on a national backorder! if that is the case, this must be a massive problem. When the first batch of this part are released, they will go to consumers who have already had their vehicle into a dealership for diagnosis. It was recommended that I leave my car at a dealership and they would have to try to make the vehicle duplicate the problem to get an accurate diagnosis. Then is would still be another 2 - 3 months to get my vehicle repaired. I am afraid to drive my vehicle while waiting for a part.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated was entering a parking space at a relatively low, unknown speed. She depressed the brakes and there was an abnormal increase in engine rpms. The vehicle then accelerated forward before independently stopping. The dealer advised that the throttle body would need to be replaced. The dealer advised that although the failure was common, there was not a recall. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 49,600.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. While driving approximately 2 mph, the contact engaged the brake pedal which was an unexpected surge causing the vehicle to accelerate approximately one foot forward. The engine stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and function normally. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure was related to the throttle body; however, the part was on a national massive back order. The contact had to pay a $530 deposit in order to have the part ordered. The technician was unable to provide an estimated arrival date for the part. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 29,760. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle accelerated without driver intent when he put his foot on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle or slow down. The wrench light (transmission throttle light) illuminated. The failure began to occur intermittently but it became progressively worse over time. The dealer stated that the electronic throttle body needed to be replaced and was on back order for at least three weeks. The failure and current mileages were 35,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while driving with her foot on the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated without driver intent. The failure also occurred while driving in reverse. The check engine light also illuminated when the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealer who stated that the throttle body was defective and needed to be replaced. The repair part was ordered; however, it is on back order. The contact paid for the part and they will notify the contact when it becomes available. Ford Motor Company was also notified but they stated that they were unable to offer any assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 31,000. Updated 10/05/10. Updated 10/21/10. The consumer stated soo after he made the report, the vehicle accelerated while in traffic. Updated 10/26/10
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Hixson, TN, USA