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Ford Freestyle CVT Transmissions

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Comments

  • rmcwilliamsrmcwilliams Member Posts: 5
    I actually dealt with Ford a total of 8 weeks to get my car repaired. I have a 2007 model and I ended up taking it to another Ford garage because the first one didn't repair it after 61/2 weeks. The second garage had it 1 1/2 weeks, rebuilt the transmission and it seems to work OK. All work was covered by the powertrain warranty. Don't know if the 05 is covered by the 60,000 mile warratny but I would check it out with Ford before I paid thre transmission shop. The symptoms were exactly the same as yours and seemed to get worse if It was hot and I was running at 65 MPH. The speed sensor is probably because the car was running at high RPM and low MPH. That's what mine was doing. I didn't have any problem with spped sensor just transmission. Check your warranty coverage and then get it to a Ford garage if covered instead of dealing with a local transmission shop.
  • drewmimidrewmimi Member Posts: 9
    My freestyle went in for the 4th time. The first time the codes didn't jive with the problem of the car not moving. The second time the tranny was worked on and a seal was shredded. The third time the torque converter was rebuilt. The last time, the tranny was completely rebuilt under Ford's blessing. The dealer had the car for 3 weeks, because Ford wanted the dealer to try and capture the problem. It's been a month now and there seems to be ratcheting sound at low speeds- 25 mph and less. Guess what, the car is going back in. There's no light at this time, but the dealer wants the car to check on the noise.
    Previously, I only had problems at low speeds. The light would come on and there was a lack of power.
  • rmcwilliamsrmcwilliams Member Posts: 5
    It would seem that when there is trouble with the transmission on these Ford has no experience repairing them and they aren't very sucessful. Good luck with yours.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Look under the Emissions Warranty which runs for 80,000 miles to see if your part is covered there. There are quite a few modules that are covered.
  • bellaspopbellaspop Member Posts: 14
    Thank bobw3, its worth a try.

    bellaspop :confuse:
  • bellaspopbellaspop Member Posts: 14
    Hi rmcwilliams,

    Thanks for taking the time. Unfortuantely the 05 has a 3/36,000 as standard coverage and I didn't opt for extending. Guess I was hoping I wouldn't jinx myself :cry: It looks like with parts and labor it's going to be about $1300.00 Ford customer service was no help. :mad: But, I guess if you don't pay for extra coverage you don't get extra coverage.
  • drewmimidrewmimi Member Posts: 9
    Right before I took the Freestyle in to the dealer, I was accelerating in traffic a very loud bang occurred. At first I thought someone had run into my car. Then I realized the engine had over revved and then the tranny engaged with a bang. Of course when I looked at the dash, the yellow wrench light was on.

    I've informed the dealer that it's time for Ford to step up. So hopefully we can come to an agreement without invoking the lemon law.
  • bellaspopbellaspop Member Posts: 14
    hey drewmimi

    Good luck with Ford. They turned me back to the dealership and said it would be their call as to whether I could get my car fixed at no/little cost out of pocket. In these financial times I coudn't find anyone ( 2 closest dealerships) who could charge me money based on my warranty coverage but were willing to opt not to. Can't really blame them but only 57k miles. I was hoping to have the car for 200k! Icontinue to check back to see how your story plays out. Good Luck.
  • drewmimidrewmimi Member Posts: 9
    With only 28,000, it's still under warranty, but now I can't trust the car. In Iowa, the lemon law qualifies the first 24,000 with the first owner. I surpassed that by 887 miles. Also the car is upside down, so I doubt even if Ford offered me the moon, I wouldn't come out ahead.
  • bellaspopbellaspop Member Posts: 14
    Yeah I can empathize with the trust issue. I've had to bum a few rides over the past two weeks and everyone says buying any car is a crapshoot. I kept reading about how Ford was making such and effort to improve the quality of their vehicles... We're going to cut our losses and start shopping this weekend - for a Honda. I commute 50 miles round trip daily and I take my two daughters to school as part of my trip. We need a car that's going to hold up for more than 57,000 miles!

    Again I wish you the best.
  • drewmimidrewmimi Member Posts: 9
    Ford has decided to replace the transmission.

    Apparently the 2005 & 2006 CVT had issues, where the later versions seem to be holding up. Anxiously awaiting a "fixed" car!!
  • vrmvrm Member Posts: 310
    Folks,
    I am in the market to buy a 2006 Limited AWD. I browsed this forum and am concerned about all the CVT questions/issues.

    Do the 2006 models suffer from any known CVT issues? Did Ford make any changes to the 2007 model?

    Thanks!
  • drewmimidrewmimi Member Posts: 9
    My Ford Dealer was finally given permission to replace my CVT with a new transmission. I have an AWD 2006 SEL.

    It appears that there may be a dirty little secret about the CVT-you either have a great transmission or get one like I had. Thank goodness I still had warranty and my dealer was persistent.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    vrm said "I browsed this forum and am concerned about all the CVT questions/issues. "

    The CVT is more reliable than the average of all automatic transmissions out there in the same model years, according to surveys done by Consumer Reports over thousands of owners. A fewer percentage of all Freestyle CVTs go bad than the average automatic transmission on the road for the '05 to '07 model years. My '05 Freestyle has had zero problems, but thats just one case. Thats the important point: A statistical sample of one is no good, but a big survey tells the whole story regarding your chance of failure.
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    dremimi said: ...."secret about the CVT-you either have a great transmission or get one like I had. "

    Yes, either one will break or it won't. Thats the way it always goes with all cars on the road. The Freestyle with CVT is no exception. Cars carry a certain risk. The risk of failure for a Freestyle CVT is less than other automatic transmissions according to a survey.
  • vrmvrm Member Posts: 310
    Thanks for your response.

    1) Did Ford make any changes to the 2007 model? In terms of reliability, am I better off buying a 2007 vs. 2006?

    2) What type of transmission does the 2008 Taurus X use? Is there any data to indicate this is better than the CVT used in the 05 to 07 models?
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    In response to vrm's message above: I don't know if Ford changed much if anything in the ZF-designed CVT transmission during its 3-year Freestyle run. The '08 TaurusX uses a 6-speed transmission jointly developed with General Motors. GM is known for good transmissions, and I've heard good things about the 6-speed. The data is too new to really get a good reading yet (not enough survey responses yet). That 6-speed is good, essentially the same one used in the GMC Acadia, Chevy Traverse, Ford Edge, and Ford Flex, among others. The 6-speed is smoothe, and doesn't require the 60,000 mile maintenance stop that the CVT does, as you don't have to change the fluid in the 6-speed until 100,000 miles.

    One problem I have with the '08 TaurusX with the newer more powerful V6 and 6-speed transmission is that fuel economy is worse than in my '05 Freestyle with the CVT. Another reason I like the CVT Freestyle better is that it effectively is an infinite speed transmission, always choosing the optimal ratio for best fuel economy and power demand. Fantastic up and down mountains/hills. The 6-speed approximates that task pretty well, but you can still feel the shifts and relative mechanical violence inside the 6-speed compared to the CVT. Nissan (Murano, Altima, Maxima, etc.) uses a CVT and advertises the absence of jerkiness, called "shift shock" in the parlance. The Freestyle CVT, made by ZF, is similar to the CVTs found in MiniCoopers and Audis.
  • carstenbcarstenb Member Posts: 37
    I own an 05 FS Limited FWD since August 05 (47k miles, no real problems so far) and drove a rental 2008 TX for 2.5 weeks and 2000mls during the summer holiday from San Fran to Seattle. I would always prefer the CVT over the 6-spd. I didn't like how the 6spd permanently shifts up and down and i did not feel any of the additional power the 3.5l engine has. I had the impression it was all soaked up by the 6-spd transmission. Fuel economy was indeed worse but of course i don't have a direct comparison. I also didn't like the softer suspension set-up of the TX. Still a great car though but i really missed the CVT.

    Carsten
  • vrmvrm Member Posts: 310
    After reviewing all the responses (this and other threads) in this forum, here are the pros and cons of CVT vs. 6 speed transmission. Feel free to add or correct any facts:

    FS with CVT
    Pros
    -Better fuel mileage
    -Smoother transmission

    Cons:
    -Requires 60K maint. which can cost $400+ at the dealer
    -CVT not being used in other Ford vehicles i.e. discontinued part
    -Unclear how long the spares will be available for CVT. Does Ford provide a end-of-life date?

    TX with 6 speed
    Pros:
    -Transmission being used in multiple product lines
    -Trackrecord indicates good reliability
    -Does not require 60K maint.

    Cons:
    -Fuel economy not as good as CVT
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Responding to vrm's post immediately above: I think thats a great summary.

    I did think the 60,000 mile CVT (filter + fluid) service is $300, though. I bought the FT-178 part number filter myself from rockauto.com for about $40, and the special unique fluid for the CVT you can only get from a Ford dealer for about $100 in fluid alone. Then its about 2 hours labor, which puts the total at $300. (It is true that a 6-speed transmission only needs a service stop every 100,000 miles.)

    Actually, the fuel economy of a 6-speed is about the same as with a CVT. In fact, in the Ford500 / Montego, which is the sedan version of the Freestyle, the Aisin-brand 6-speed gets better MPG than the CVT version in that same car. (Freestyle only gets the CVT, though.) The drop in fuel economy of a TaurusX vs. the Freestyle is largely due to the bigger 3.5L V6 in the TaurusX, not the lack of a CVT.

    On another forum a while back, somebody took a look at how many Ford Freestyle/500/Montego CVT-equipped cars were sold 2005-2007, and the figure turned out to be about 300,000. I don't know when parts will no longer be produced, but there is a pool of spares for old Freestyles in 7+ years. Ford technicians might be the only people out there specifically trained on this CVT, although Audi and MiniCooper technicians are accustomed to a variation on Ford's CVT (all made by the German ZF company).
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    I just realized that it should be possible to put the Ford500 / Montego 6-speed Aisin transmission into a Freestyle. The Freestyle is the station wagon version of those cars. Everything is the same in them. However, you might have to re-flash (load the Ford500 / Montego software) the engine controller microprocessor on the Freestyle that you put the 6-speed in. A thought for the future if your CVT ever goes down.
  • loveourgoldenloveourgolden Member Posts: 4
    Bought a 2006 Freestle SEL new from local dealership. No major issues except brake recall. We hit 25,000 miles and one day we started the car and the wrench, engine light, and traction control (car swerving light) all came on and the car road really rough. Got home, shut it off and the next time it was fine. Two days later it did the same thing except it started jumping forward when I accelerated and stopped. Took it straight to the dealership and it was a "wire". They couldn't explain why the car did didn't run fine. So out the door we went. 8 days later, it started again except worse. The car wouldn't accelerate and when I was up to 40 or 50 mph it would suck back like I downshifted and drop me to 20 mph which was great for the cars behind me. I took it straight to the dealership and the man looked at it and said, "Yep, it's the transmission". After a week, they still had no idea what it was and told me they were contacting their "master mechanic" and he would come out 24-48 hours after the call was placed. The NEXT morning they called me to pick up the car....and they replaced the throttle body. My Husband picked it up and drove it about 50 miles and put it in the garage for the night. The next morning I went to start it and the car lurched forward in park!! Then the rpms were almost to the red zone while it was idling. Turned it back off and restarted it....fine. Came home let it sit in the garage for about 2 hours and when I started it, it did the same thing. As I was driving BACK to the dealership, my blinker was going crazy and my power door locks kept locking and unlocking. When I arrive the "nice" man told me he has NEVER heard of a car lurching/jumping forward in park...apparently it mechanically can't happen. He told me that if it doesn't do it to him, there is nothing else we can do.

    So that is where we are at....I'm aware of the Lemon law but it's 2 days short of being in for 15 days and we were told the car had to be in three times for the same problem. It was the same problem on our end but ford turned it into a different problem everytime--I don't think they even mentioned the word transmission.

    We did pay extra for the extended warranty and even went into the dealership to have them buyback the car and put us into another ford or my same car without the CVT and after they ran the numbers, we would have been screwed.

    I know this is long, BUT I called another Ford dealership to see if they would offer me more than our local dealership for a buy back and after I gave him the info and VIN he told me my car is a liability and he could only auction it off, not resell it on his lot.

    So my question is, do I have any other recourse? For us, this is a safety issue. I drive my children around (all under 9) and I cringe everytime I get into the car. The dealership claims the've "never heard of these problems".

    I owe $20,000 on the car (bought it new for $32,000). I'm not asking for everything back....I did drive the car for two years before this started. However, I need to get out of this car for our safety but can't do so with the $20g hanging over our head.

    Any ideas?? :confuse:

    Thanks!!
  • vrmvrm Member Posts: 310
    Let me begin by offering my sympathies. This is every car owners worst nightmare.
    If I were in your shoes, I would go ballistic.

    Your car still appears to be under the basic 3/36000 warranty? I believe the Powertrain warranty for Freestyle is even longer. If this is true you have a very strong case to aks the dealership to change the transmission. Do you have any written documentation from the dealership. It is important that you get an receipt/inovice/evaluation every time you visit.

    I would do the following:
    -Get the name of the Service Manager or the top guy at this dealership.

    -Write a one page letter stating the symptoms and the downtime you have experienced. Please stick to the facts and avoid any emotions in this letter. You should end this letter by forcefully stating that your CVT transmission should be replaced. Send a photocopy of this letter to your regional Ford Sales Manager.

    -Browse the Freestyle CVT and repair forums. Cut and paste all the CVT complaints in a Word document. Two pages worth of info is good enough. Attach this to your one page letter above.

    -Few days later, follow up with a phone call. See if the Service Manager is willing to cooperate. Be firm that the CVT must be replaced -nothing less will suffice. Remind him that this is a known problem and you have attached other FS customer complaints.

    -Do you have a small claims court in your county/state? I would try find out the max. monetary award. For example in Virginia, the small claims court can only award $1000 max. If the dealership does not cooperate, you have the option of filing a claim in small claims court. This is why you need to correspond in writing and use certified mail. Keep copies of ALL emails and letters. The Judge will want to see that you made good faith efforts to work with the dealership. Trust me - been there, done that! This will make the dealership realize that you are not going to go away.

    This is a great forum. I am sure you will get feedback from others too. Be persistent and please post an update so others can learn from your experience.
  • loveourgoldenloveourgolden Member Posts: 4
    We have talked with the service manager--he actually took our car home last night. My Husband spoke with the owner yesterday and was told he would call back in the morning. It's 11:30 and we haven't heard back.

    I will type a letter along with the complaints. We did file the paperwork on the lemon law even though according to ford the incidences weren't transmission problems.

    We filed a complaint through BBB and the AG arbitration. I'm not sure about the small claims but I will look into that as well.

    Thanks!
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    loveourgolden,
    Thanks for sharing. Very scary. It might be the Engine Computer, which is a box that contains the computer that takes in all the sensor readings and directs the engine and transmission to react. Also, I've heard that some people have had trouble with the "throttle-by-wire" parts on the Freestyle. Ask the dealer service dept. about throttle-by-wire, and they will know what that is. Basically, its when you press the accelerator pedal, and what you produce down there with your foot is actually an electrical signal (not mechanical linkage) that will then signal the engine to go faster or slower, and that accelerator pedal electrical assembly might go bad, or the engine sensor which receives the go-faster/go-slower command from the pedal might not be listening properly to the command.
  • vrmvrm Member Posts: 310
    This forum is behind you.

    Your best bet is to work with the dealership. The Small Claims Court should be the last resort. Meanwhile, you need to document and save all your emails/letters in case you have to go to court.

    Send all letters via Certified Mail otherwise you have no proof it was mailed.

    Good Luck!
  • loveourgoldenloveourgolden Member Posts: 4
    We have saved all of the invoices and even the "numbers" form to try and get us into a new car. I'm typing up a letter to the dealership now as well as the "Board of Directors". I also called the corporate office and our claim filed with them has been upgraded to their regional office...

    I mailed the defect notification form into them express mail with return recipt and every other "proof" they offered on it. Their were two options on the form, the vehicle had to be in 3x or 15 days and we have met both.
  • drewmimidrewmimi Member Posts: 9
    You can get this fixed by the dealer, but they must go to Ford. You have all the "calamities" of myself and others. Since replacing my transmission, the car runs great.

    Just remember each dealer has to go through the same order. If you can get the dealer to step up the process and tell Ford this has all the classic symptoms of a bad CVT, you will come out ahead.

    Good luck. Don't forget you can always go to another Ford dealer.
  • kid532kid532 Member Posts: 1
    I am having problems with the tranny in my 2006 Freestyle. Did not realize my 3yr-36000 ran out January 2009. March 2009 started hearing a strange noise in the transmission. usually when idling sometime, shift into gear and drive...no noise. took it into the dealership and realized that the warranty had expired. At 34,000 miles they told me that the problem was my transmission, something about the pump going out and that it would cost $6300.00 to replace. With this problem I figured that Ford had a recall on this transmission, no luck there. I am having a little difficulty understanding why a sealed transmission would fail at 34,000.
    Looking for guidance
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    At 34,000 miles they told me that the problem was my transmission...

    Can you document that? If the problem existed before the warranty expired there's a chance you would still be covered. Of course, the question then becomes why the repair wasn't made then.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • drewmimidrewmimi Member Posts: 9
    Fortunately for me the problems began early. My dealer knew there were problems, but had to do what FMC wanted. They tried numerous fixes and ended up replacing the tranny with new. Ford had problems with 2005, 2006.
    Don't give up, make the dealer go to bat for you, mine did and it runs like a champ. Too bad you didn't pay for the extended warranty.
  • mike_nycmike_nyc Member Posts: 1
    Here is my tale of woe:

    The dealership tells me my 2006 Freestyle with only 23,000k miles, which started making a loud buzzing noice (like a 2 stroke motorcycle), and which is just 4 months past the 3 year warranty, needs a new transmission at a cost of $5,200. I am LIVID and they seem unwilling to do anything, even though this is the second new vehicle Ive bought from them.

    Any ideas or suggestions?

    How can a tranny with only 23k miles just go unless its defective?

    This is insane!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    How can a tranny with only 23k miles just go unless its defective?

    I don't have any suggestions but the fact that your mileage is very substantially lower than the average for a car of that age is a pretty good indication that you haven't abused the vehicle. That makes it all the more astonishing that you would have such troubles.

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    When I got my '05 Freestyle back in '05, I noticed Ford did not have a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty like GM and some other manufacturers did. The 3-year 36,000 mile warranty is all they offered. (Except for some emissions-related components covered out to 50,000 miles by order of the EPA.) See your warranty booklet. I got a third-party extended warranty out to 72,000 miles, and haven't had to use it yet at 51,000 miles now. In fact, my Freestyle has been almost perfect to date. Consumer Reports surveyed thousands of owners and concluded the transmission is less likely to fail than the average of all cars of all makes sold. That said, I know transmissions can be a big problem. Actually, I doubt if Ford will budge on this one. You can contact the Ford zone office and argue that the transmission's internal chain or something wore down too soon, and finally gave way just past the 3-year point.

    One point to argue with Ford is that maybe it was a little low on transmission fluid, and they make the thing so hard to check the level, its unreasonable for Ford to expect a customer or mechanic to see that in time to top it off. A slightly low level might starve the chain for lube enough to slowly wear it down. Check the transmission fluid level (a mechanic has to do it, as it depends on temperature and a special dipstick, etc. )and complain loudly to Ford that they failed to put enough fluid in it, if it proves to be low.

    I guess you can say there was premature, accelerated wear inside the transmission, possibly caused by the chain or similar part in there slightly off the ideal measurement specs.
  • sully320sully320 Member Posts: 4
    Check your warranty. Ford dealers and FMC "customer service" reps are often not aware that some model years come with a 60,000 mile power train warranty. That's what happened with ours. We had to tell the dealer what was included in the warranty. Let me know how you make out.

    Sully 320
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    The warranty booklet for a particular model year says it all. I did hear that '07 model years got a longer powertrain warranty, if memory serves me, something Ford did to assuage fears of CVT risk from buyers. My '05 only had a 3-year one, but don't know about '06 models that mike_nyc has.

    Warranty booklets for model years 2005-2006-2007 Freestyles are available at: Warranty Booklets in PDF downloadable format -- click here. .. I noticed the longer powertrain (engine/tranny) warranty was introduced in the '07, but not '05-'06 as I'd thought.
  • danielpierredanielpierre Member Posts: 2
    It should not cost you $ 6,300 to replace the transmission. I just had mine replaced for a flat fee of $ 5,000.00. One dealer told me that the cost including labor, parts and of course let's not forget the oil is $ 5,550.00. Another dealer would do it for $ 5,150.00. Who can you trust these days. I contacted Ford in order to get some input on price and they instructed me that the I just contact an authorized dealer. When talking to the two dealers they tell me that the quoted price is according to "the book" from Frod. Mind you I have purchased (12) Lincoln Mercuries over the past 18 years and Ford could care less. I can assure you this is my last Ford purchase which stands for Fix-Or-Replair-Daily. I hear that Honda & Toyota, even if you are out of warranty will replace the tranny at no charge! Good luck on your repair efforts. The only consolation is that the rebuilt transmissio they will put into our car will come with a 100,000 mile warranty.
  • bellaspopbellaspop Member Posts: 14
    Hi,

    I went through this October, 05 Freestyle SEL. The saving grace for me came when I needed to renew my auto insurance policy. I noticed (in February!) I had something called "mechanical breakdown" coverage with a $200.00 deductible. I did look over my policy at the time of the breakdown but somehow I over looked it - possibly because I didn't really know what I was looking for. The repair had already been made - incidentally the original quote was about $5200.00 and when I balked I was put on hold and then told it would cost me $4800.00 out the door. The happy ending for me was even though i filed a claim after the repair was made my insurance company (Geico) reimbursed me - and didn't even take the $200 deductible.

    Check your auto policy - there may be some relief there.

    Good Luck
  • dave_odave_o Member Posts: 2
    Just some additional fuel to the fire...

    We're three payments away from being out of car debt on a 2006 Freestyle. It is almost four years old with 59,000 miles. We have gotten the "idiot" wrench and check engine lights to come on. This has happened not more than ten times. The warning lights go away once the car is turned off, which made it difficult to follow up on. The last few times the car's CVT seemed to slip into neutral when travelling at 60-70 mph. RPMs soar and vehicle cannot keep speed. This caught our attention.

    Took it into dealer... One hour later, we get the good news bad news. Good news is that the whole transmission does not have to be replaced for $5000. Bad news is that it will be $1700. This was delivered as if we needed a $30 oil change.

    Decided to take it to another dealer to get a 2nd opinion. This dealer is where we have bought cars for last 30 years (probably 25+ cars), but now has new ownership. After three hours, same diagnosis, but delivered better from service department. So, I decide to talk to sales to see what I could get on a trade in. I told sales about the CVT diagnosis and to make me a great offer (as this could be the last Ford that I ever buy brand new). Sales came back with $2500 (net of my last three payments). Needless to say, I blew a gasket! I looked the sales guy in the eye and said why should I buy another Ford product? After four years of paying off my Freestyle, I am left with $2500. There was a long period of silence. He said that I should have bought the extended warranty! Ya think...

    Keeping my fingers crossed, but car has driven well since. Any advice out there?
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Quick correction: "Megatronic" should be spelled "mechatronic". Also, keep in mind that the wrench light, also called "MFIL" or "engine light" by some, saves the malfunction codes inside the car's internal engine computer when you turn the car off, so a history is available to your mechanic even though the light might not appear any more.

    My vote: Keep the car. Fix it for $1700. Cars do break. Consumer Reports says our Freestyles fail less often than the average. The $2500 offer for your car was intended to be a starting negotiation for your car, since the sales team is in business to make as much money as possible. The actual worth of your Freestyle is somewhere around $13,000, U.S. dollars.
  • dave_odave_o Member Posts: 2
    Thanks. I should negotiate the most miles/years with the CVT fix. One dealership offered one year/12,000 miles. Do you think that I could get more one the warranty of their work? Do you think that when I pay off the car, Ford may send me an extended warranty offer that I should buy?

    Thanks again.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    If I were you I'd just pay the $1700 and then if you otherwise satisfied with the car then keep it. If not, you should be able to sell it privately for about $10,000. You'll always get ripped off during a trade.

    Also, I'm not sure what you paid for the Freestyle initially, but if you paid $28,000 you can think of the $1700 as an initial cost, so would it have been worth $29,700 for the car?

    And if you paid $1200 for an extended warranty to get the repair for free, you're still only out the difference or about $500.

    Not that this will help much, but something to think about. My case is just the opposite.
  • pam39pam39 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 freestyle FWD - Year 1, replace tires, replace rear brakes - all special order! Now, i need a new transmission - $5,600, out of warranty. I will never buy another Ford again.
  • tassds70503tassds70503 Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2005 awd freestyle. I had the transmission fluid changed at 106,000 miles. Turns out the shop that did it used mercron 5 fluid not the "special fluid" that the dealer now tells me they should have used. now my transmission is slipping and i am being told i need a new transmission. The shop that did the flush says the fluid they used is correct. The dealer says only the kind specially made for cvt can be used. who is correct?
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    It looks like the dealer is correct. CVT takes a very specific Ford recommended fluid.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    The CVT uses only Ford fluid and should not be flushed. If your dealer can certify that the shop used the wrong fluid, you should have some recourse.,
  • coldcrankercoldcranker Member Posts: 877
    Only a Ford dealership should do a CVT service. Its every 60,000 miles regardless of time. Even then, you might have to "remind" them that they should only change the FT-178 filter, and not the pan filter. And, no flushing is ever done on the CVT. Special fluid only, never Mercon or Dexron, thats for sure.

    I wonder if the transmission shop will own up to their mistake, since a new transmission CVT is about $5,000.
  • nutabugnutabug Member Posts: 8
    I am looking for anyone who would be willing to take ford on, this cvt issue needs to be addressed and I want to see how many people actually have an issue with this. I am willing to take this to an investigative reporter.

    I bought my car brand new 34,000 the tranny goes, 2 years later AGAIN! They say this is not a saftey issue, but that is ridiculous! I was going to pull out on the highway and my car would not go...then I got out and had to stop on the highway and I went to go and had my foot all the way to the floor and it crept along! What if? I crept out on the highway with my whole family in the car and a mack truck was coming?! How is that not a saftey issue!

    They took the CVT out of the newer models...obviously it is an issue and for those of us who bought a freestyle with the CVT in it are paying the price..

    I want to be compenstated for this, I don't think I should have to put a USED tranny in my vehicle...I had a brand new one and look where that has gotten me! Whose to say this is not going to happen again...next time I might not be so lucky!
  • bellaspopbellaspop Member Posts: 14
    HI,

    Same thing happened to me in October '08. Luckily I was on the entrance ramp and was able to pull over. They put in a new tranny for $4300. I have a three year warranty on it. But you are right - it happened once and there was no good explanation for why it failed and it could easily happen again. This is the car I drive my kids to school in everyday.

    Good Luck
  • nutabugnutabug Member Posts: 8
    It could most definetly happen again and it could happen to anyone else who has a vehicle with a CVT in it, that is why we ALL have to join together and take a stand! This needs to be a recall...IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE! You were on your way onto the highway...WHAT IF?! I can't believe this happened once in a brand new vehicle...BUT TWICE! I bought this car so I would have it for a long time...and we DID NOT pay peanuts for it...they should HONOR there vehicles!

    Does anyone know how to actually start a post, I want to this to really be noticed and try to get as many people on the post as possible, I want to show the news reporter that this is a BIG problem!
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