10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
74,695 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.

2005 Ford Freestar transmission problems

transmission problem

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2005 Ford Freestar Owner Comments (Page 9 of 19)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #216

Jul 052010

Freestar

  • 54,154 miles

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

I was driving along a country road when all of a sudden my 2005 Freestar began to slow down on a corner I stepped on the gas but nothing happened I started to panic it was a blind corner lined with huge trees, fortunately as I was about to come to a stop I started to go down hill and was able to pull of in to a scenic turn out at the lake. I was in a dead zone so I couldn't call on my cell phone but finally found enough service by standing on a rock over the water to text for help. After returning home with the car thanx to aaa I find that this car has a history of transmission failure no warning, no notice what so ever, I feel very fortunate that this happened where it did because I travel the turnpike daily and could have been run over if it had happened at a more congested area like an on ramp or exchange, I have contacted Ford and they have blown me off, I have also contacted the attorney generals office here in Maine to see if I have an recourse in this matter the car has 54154 miles on it and so far I have seen estimates of up to $3000 to repair it shouldn't it last atleast til it's paid for? I think so.

- Waterford , ME, USA

problem #215

Apr 052010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 166,000 miles
My wife was driving down the interstate in her 2005 Ford Freestar van when she suddenly lost forward momentum. She coasted to the side of the road and found the transmission had gone completely out with no warning. No forward or reverse. It is my understanding from reading reports on the internet that this is an ongoing problem and I feel it should be resolved. I expect to have to pay to fix mine, but I hope something will happen to help the next guy who is unfortunate enough to buy one of these vehicles. Thank you for your help!

- Crofton, KY, USA

problem #214

Jul 022010

Freestar

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While driving 65 mph without a warning the rpms increased excessively and the transmission disengaged. She was able to safely drive onto the emergency lane and have the vehicle towed to his residence. The dealer was contacted and stated that there was no related warranty. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.

- Harrisburg, VA, USA

problem #213

Jul 042010

Freestar

  • 125,000 miles

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

Note: I have a 2005 Ford Freestar van with 123,000 on the engine. On July 4, I was driving down 1-70 West between Washington, pa and claysville, pa with my wife and 2 daughters, when all of a sudden the van would not move forward. I tried all gears but, the van would not move forward. Eventually, I was able to coast the van to the side of the road. I called a tow truck for assistance. Out of no where, a police officer came up beside me and asked if there was a problem. After telling him the situation, he said he would wait for the truck. The van is now sitting at a transmission garage awaiting work to be repaired.

- Washington, PA, USA

problem #212

Jun 282010

Freestar

  • 77,000 miles
I was driving home from work 4 am in the morning going 60 plus miles per hour, all of the sudden the my van slow down to a stop. My engine was still on but the car wont go when I step on the gas. This was very dangerous to me because there was no warning what so ever. Engine light wasn't on just completely stalled on me on the freeway.

- Glendale, CA, USA

problem #211

Jun 262010

Freestar

  • 86,500 miles
I was driving my 2005 Freestar(Ford) on the beltway at 55mph when suddenly it stopped moving. The engine kept running but it would not go into gear. There is nothing wrong with the shifting hardware- it seems to be a transmission issue with absolutely no warning, no slipping, no noise and no warning light. Very frightening since I had to be towed from the beltway.

- Cockeysville, MD, USA

problem #210

Jun 122010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 53,000 miles

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

I was driving my 2005 Ford Freestar with my daughter on a hot Saturday afternoon when all of the sudden without any warning my van started slowing down. I coasted towards a nearby gas station until the van completely stopped in the gas station entrance. It would engage into gear but not move at all, no matter how much I stepped on the gas pedal. The workers at the gas station pushed the van into the station's lot. A tow truck was called and within one half hour the van was towed to our mechanic's shop. The mechanic informed my husband the next morning that it was the transmission. The transmission only has 53,000 miles and basically stopped working without warning. I am currently awaiting a diagnosis of the problem.

- Mount Vernon, NY, USA

problem #209

Jun 082010

Freestar

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While making a turn driving 15 mph, the transmission failed. The contact attempted to accelerate and the engine revved but the vehicle did not move forward. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the transmission could not be repaired. The dealer suggested that the contact purchase a refurbished transmission from Ford. The current and failure mileages were approximately 45,000.

- Jackson, NJ, USA

problem #208

Jun 052010

Freestar

  • miles
I stopped at a stop sign and waited for traffic to pass. When it was safe to pull out, I did so, making a right hand turn. I then had to make a left hand turn, and about half way into the turn lane my engine revved up and then the van began to slow. Luckily there was no traffic coming and I was able to veer to the shoulder of the road. Once safely stopped, I went through all of the gears, but the van would not move. This is the first time this happened, and there was no warning whatsoever. I was driving along and then nothing! I took the van to my local Ford dealership and they determined that the transmission went out. They are in the process of replacing the transmission after only 80,000 miles. I requested to get the failed transmission, but was told that they would have to charge me an additional $600 core charge.

- Forsyth, GA, USA

problem #207

May 312010

Freestar

  • 117,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While driving at 60 mph, there was an unusual increase in engine rpms and the vehicle began to independently decrease in speed. The vehicle was towed to the contacts place of residence. The manufacturer was contacted and advised there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 117,000.

- Alexandria, LA, USA

problem #206

May 212010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 66,697 miles

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

While I was driving on the interstate doing 70 mph, I was trying to pass a slower car my van starting revving but I was slowing down. Fortunately I was able to coast to the shoulder without getting into an accident. I had it towed to a transmission shop where I was told that the torque converter had pretty much exploded. I had no warning that there were any problems. There were metal pieces in the transmission. I had to have it replaced.

- Luling, LA, USA

problem #205

May 312010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 75,491 miles
We have a 2005 Ford Freestar, we were driving along and suddenly lost power to the vehicle. The engine still ran, but would not engage in any gear. When we took the vehicle into the shop, they said the torque converter had failed.

- Greenfield, IN, USA

problem #204

May 312010

Freestar

  • 87,000 miles
Was stopped at a red light. When it was time to go I stepped on the gas pedal. The van moved just enough to get us past the intersection. When I stepped on the pedal again it did not respond with anything other than the revving of the needle. It was like if the van was in neutral. We avoided the heavy traffic and coasted to an empty lot. We tried to reverse as well and there was no response from the van. Prior to the incident we had no type of warning that this may occur. Everything was working properly. It just suddenly gave out. My husband, sister-in-law, 3 year old niece, and myself where stuck out in the heat until we could get someone to tow the van back to our house. The mileage is currently at 87,000. We are currently waiting on a mechanic to inspect the vehicle. I am afraid the cost will be sky high and I know we can't afford this.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #203

Apr 272010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 79,000 miles
Shortly after proceeding through a busy intersection while driving in the left lane, at approximately 55 mph, my vehicle simply quit moving. The engine would rev, but the vehicle came to a sudden stop. How I didn't get rear ended at that time, or as I sat waiting for assistance, is a complete miracle. The car would shift in gears, however would not move. A fireman ended up stopping and sitting behind me with his lights on to avoid a collision. Eventually, a policeman arrived, had me put the car in neutral, and "pushed" me with his push bar about a mile down the road to avoid a road hazard. The mechanic suggested not rebuilding the existing transmission because of known problems with 2005 Ford Freestar transmissions, and was able to get me a 2007 transmission with 10,000 miles. Hopefully this one will last longer.

- Queen Creek, AZ, USA

problem #202

May 062010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 71,165 miles
My wife was traveling in our 2005 Ford Freestar. When she pulled out on to a busy state route, the car just stopped going, she would push on the gas and the engine would rev, but the car would not move forward. She was almost hit by cars that were already traveling on the road at 55mph. After safely pulling the car to the side of the rd, she had to wait for an hour and a half while I got off work to come and meet her. We were able to switch the car into the different gears. Park would not allow the car to move while neutral allowed the car to move. We then towed the car home with it in neutral. After some extensive research on the internet we discovered this is a common problem for Ford vans. Apparently the torque converters are going bad on them around 60-80K miles. After talking to numerous mechanics, they all agreed that it was the torque converter. While I am trying to save up the money to pay for this repair, my car is sitting dead in my driveway and is useless. Repair looks to cost anywhere from $1000-$1500.

- Galloway, OH, USA

problem #201

Mar 182010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 86,320 miles
No sign of transmission problems prior to the actual transmission failure. Wife was driving herself and kids to school while I was away on business travel and as she was driving in a 40mph zone, she suddenly noticed that the van was slowing down even though the engine was revving high. Since she was driving on a 2-lane road that had no shoulders, she pulled the van as close to the curb as she could even though the van was still causing traffic problems. Wife turned the engine off, restarted the engine, tried to put the van in drive, reverse, 1st and 2nd but all of these attempts failed to make the van move in any direction. After the local Ford dealer refused to assist my wife, who was alone with the kids when the transmission failed, she was able to contact a local mechanic that assisted with towing the disabled van to his shop. Upon analyzing the problem, the mechanic noticed that there were parts of the transmission laying at the bottom of the transmission. The mechanic removed the original transmission and replace it with a remanufactured, Ford unit. Other work performed by the mechanic included flushing all cooler lines and cooler prior to installation. The final cost for parts and labor for the re-manufactured transmission was $2990.23.

- O Fallon, IL, USA

problem #200

May 102010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 66,000 miles
Transmission failed in 2005 Ford Freestar. Vehicle has 66,000 miles. While driving on interstate, transmission slipped and failed. No warning.

- Goodland, IN, USA

problem #199

May 172010

Freestar

  • 62,084 miles
2005 Ford Freestar completely lost power to the drivetrain while traveling in a 45 mph zone. There was no warning light or strange noises coming from the vehicle prior to the failure. My wife was lucky to have gotten the vehicle out of traffic before she was rear-ended which would have obviously caused serious injury. The vehicle has only 62,000 miles on it and the vehicle has been meticulously maintained, including a transmission flush at 42,000 miles. Ford dealership diagnosed problem and determined that transmission needed to be replaced. There numerous complaints of transmission failure with this make/model with other Ford owners.

- Richfield, WI, USA

problem #198

May 152010

Freestar 6-cyl

  • 86,300 miles
I have a 2005 Ford Freestar that I recently purchased at a used car dealership 6 months ago. Today I was driving on interstate 75 in plano, tx when the problem occurred. I tried to accelerate and the RPM went up and the transmission died. I had to cross lanes on a very busy highway and coast to the side of the road. This was very dangerous and I had children in the car. I immediately did some research and noticed this issue is a known problem with Ford Freestar mini-vans. Someone needs to investigate this issue before lives are lost.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #197

May 032010

Freestar

  • 108,000 miles
I was driving down the interstate on my way to work one morning going approximately 75 mph when suddenly in the fast lane passing a car, my motor just revs. I coast to the edge of the road as safely as possible (this was during 8:00am rush hour traffic). Then I was stranded there for over an hour waiting for my boss to come pick me up. Later that afternoon I had the van towed to a garage and hooked up to diagnostics which said the torque converter was out and then towed home at a cost of $225. My van which I loved up until that day is sitting at my house waiting to be repaired which I can not afford at this time. It makes me sick to have to pay the car payment and fix it too. And because this happened I missed three days of work and now no longer have transportation to and from work, which may turn end up having my beloved van reposessed and end up losing my job. I hope they get the recall out there asap so I can get this fixed!!!

- Sissonville, WV, USA

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