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Comments
Such a wonderfully vague term--must have come from a politician...
I've read other posts about the engine suddenly shutting off while making a turn--don'tcha just hate it when that happens?! Sounds like a Taurus I had once. Anyway, I'm wondering if a surging engine might qualify under that "driveability concern" and I hope that the fix fixes yours. I would think that a surging engine might not be the safest thing, especially on major freeways where people drive 80 mph 10 feet from one another. Even when you try to maintain a safe distance, someone will invariably squeeze in--hope the engine doesn't surge at that moment!
We are going on a trip to Montreal this weekend and will put on 1,000+Km (and 5.5hours each way) so I will see how the mileage is with a slightly higher speed.
lizzzard
WWW.Hitch-Web.com
Monday morning brought an interesting result. The car was fixed quickly, but the cause was frustrating... apparently there is a wiring harness under the passenger side dash that got 'kicked' loose. This harness attached to the 'inertia sensor'. Well we made it out alive.
I purchased a Titanium Green w/Pebble Limited AWD yesterday and am quite pleased with my selection. It has the moonroof, aux A/C, garage opener, reverse sensing, safety pkg and adjustable pedals. I paid $31,500 which is inline with the TMV that Edmunds gives.
Overall the quality appears good but the headliner material looks rather cheesy. There seems to be enough power although the engine seems rather noisy at times. Lots of room, the audiophile sound system is very nice and the moonroof has one touch open/close. I traded a 2003 Sport Trac (great vehicle but mileage could be better). We shall see how the powertrain holds up.
BTW, mine was built in March and was received by the dealer in early April. The car had only 4 miles on it so I doubt is was test driven by anyone but myself.
For those that have changed their own oil, is the filter easy to reach/remove/replace? I read it uses the FL820S filter - same as my Sport Trac.
Happy and safe motoring to all -
M. J. McCloskey
He suggested that we fill up the tank, reset the odomoter and run it until the empty warning light comes on and log our results. He told us to do this for 2 fill ups.
He also drives a Freestyle but never really noticed the consumption since it's a dealer car and I'm sure the gas money is not coming out of his pocket.
I'm estimating that I get about 360 to 380 km on a tank of gas. Which is an average of about 18 L/100K. Highly unacceptable in my book especially in light of what everyone else here is reporting.
So, I'll try that for the next 2 fill-ups and see what happens. Already it's not looking too good. 22 litres consumed and 110 km traveled so far.
www.fordaxz.com/2006%20Ford%20Five%20Hundred.htm
I have been thinking about those with mileage issues. A colleague at work got a Murano last fall (they also have CVTs). They can't get much above 15 - 17 MPG. A friend who got almost the identical Murano was getting 20 - 22 MPG with fewer miles. Could it be a CVT software calibration issue? Odd that the Freebie and Murano CVT vehicles - being so different - have similar issues.
Chrome Exhaust Tips - These are shown in the Freestyle brochure. Anyone out there get these for their Freestyle? I ordered a set and hope they can be installed w/o any special tools or assistance from the dealer.
Stainless Steel Scuff Plates - these were listed on the fordaccessories site. No pic available but they were somewhat pricey for a set of four.
Splash Guards - I haven't seen any specifically for the Freestyle. Anyone have splashguards installed on their Freestyle?
Thanks for any info that you all could provide.
On a very positive note, I was out and about today and the car was a true pleasure to drive. With the speed control set at 60 on level pavement the rpm's were about 1,600 and the car was very quiet - not Lexus quiet but very hushed. The MPG reading is giving me 23.5 at this point but I will check the actual MPG when I fill up. Most of my driving (90%) is highway so I hope to achieve 23-24 MPG overall as the engine breaks in.
Regards -
M. J. McCloskey - AWD Limited
Anyhow, I hope this is not a sign of things to come.
Also, has anyone had an aftermarket DVD player put into their Freestyle? I was looking at a Panasonic or Sony unit, the local places have a lot of other brands I never even heard of.
Thanks
I did have loads of problems with the C.D. changer though. I called the dealer today and they are ordering me a new one to install as soon as they get it.
Take care all
With all I'm hearing about the CD player being a bit finicky, it sure would be nice just to deduct a few hundred bucks off the price of the car and then have a nice unit installed the day after you pick up the new wheels.
oh, well.
It sounds like most people are loving their Freebies. I may be in the market for one in the next few months so I've been doing quite a bit of research on them. The next few months will seal the deal for me. I want to see more input / reviews and see more mileage put on them first so... drive, drive, drive!
:-)
There is seriously something amiss with my Freestyle. I'm still get about 14L/100KM on the highway and close to 20L/100KM city driving. Almost double the fuel consumption posted.
Maybe it's this: I bought the Freestyle with 7,000 KM on it. The president of the dealership was driving it. Before we took possession, they did an oil change. Could it be that they used the wrong type of oil? Or maybe they never changed the oil filter? Would something like that affect mileage this drastically?
Besides that, it's a great car. Drives like a champ, nice pick up, smooth ride. It's just this dang mileage thing that's depressing me.
Anymore mileage reports from any of you would be appreciated. Ammunition for when I bring it back to the dealer to have it checked out.
BRJ
Computers can be quite a bit off and sometimes have to be reset to achieve a good ballpark figure. Check a few runs manually. I don't see how your mileage can be so poor compared to others.
On a tank of gas, I get about 360 KM (360/3.6=100) (Tank 70/3.6=19.44). So, my manual calculations are on par with the on-board computer. When you think about it, 360KM is light years less than the 500+ miles per tank reported on various sites....
I'm in no way a lead foot, but I don't baby the car either. A couple of times, I've tried babying it, slow acceleration, constant speed, and I got it to about 14L/100km. But this was almost exclusive highway. According to the specs, I should be getting 9L/100km on the highway! Admittedly, I do a lot of city driving, but still....19 is a lot more than 11.
Also, people who have been reporting their mileage in this forum don't do so with any caveats. So, they're getting great readings with the on-board computer and they're reporting rates very close and even sometimes better than what Ford says.
Bottom line is: both on-board and manual calculations say the same thing: My Freestyle is guzzling gas.
I am the writer of #3005 and you have exactly described the issue that we have! I was beginning to wonder if it was just us. Like you describe, the issue presents itself at almost exactly 2000RPM under a moderate load. I have found that it doesn't matter if AC is on or off. On a recent trip, I felt that using cruise control may have mitigated the issue somewhat, but I couldn't be sure. I too am planning on bringing the referenced TSB next time I am in at 5K. I have searched this board and many others and have not yet found anything that was as similar to our situation as you have described. Please report back if you find out anything!
Thanks.
Saw a Merlot LTD Freestyle today. Being 750 miles from home, I felt in good company. Having dinner with a friend the other night, he said the sales person who sold his new Explorer said people have returned a number of Freestyles because "they don't seat you as high as the Explorer". (I think that is the point behind the Freestyle, personally). Sales people are know for exaggerating and extrapolating small bits of data, but it may also imply that the Ford sales folk don't know how to sell the Freebie's features. They already know how to sell the Explorer. Lower ride height relates to stability. They can't sell it as a "small SUV". :shades:
Meanwhile I went to our local Mazda dealership to scope out the Mazda 6 Sport Wagon. It was a crummy old bldg and the dealer's business was 50% pleasure boats and outboard motors with only 2 cars taking up a small space in the showroom.The service dept. was very unimpressive as they were just servicing a couple of boats.The next Mazda dealer is some 30 miles away in the next city. Their setup is unknown.
Although Mazda badly needs to expand/improve their distribution channels I have to say that I was very much impressed by the quality/finish of the topline Mazda 6 Wagon GT-V6. When I lifted the hood, I thought wow it's made in Japan. Mazda sure knows how to dress up the engine compartment. But no it's made in the Ford-Mazda AAI plant in Flat Rock,Mich.by UAW workers.Mazda did not go cheap by putting the cost squeeze on suppliers.The tires were Michelin Pilots and costed out at $145 vs the Pirellis at $92 on Freebie at Tire Rack prices.The Mazda wagon comes with dual exhaust outlets with bright tips and stainless exhaust system. I also like the 6speed manumatic tranny.Even the lowline Mazda 3 with cloth seats showed much higher quality material than on the Freebie SE, SEL.
If it had a Ford badge and sold at Ford dealerships I think it would sell more hot pancakes than Ihop.It also has the 3.0 Duratec with VVT @ 220 hp but torq.is less @ 192 ft.lb. Ford also must have sluffed off some of the older Duratecs 3L to Mazda as I noticed the oil filter was still located in the hard to get recessed area versus the very convenient and improved location in the freebie.All in all, it appears to be a super buy at Canadian MSRPs fully loaded GT-V6 $35500 vs Freestyle FWD $41600.(Taxes excluded).
Incidentally, Canadian reviewers have high praise for the Mazda wagon and I haven't come any criticism about it being underpowered with the Duratec 3L. However the Mazda is about a foot shorter in length and 500 lbs. less weight.
As I stated earlier we are still stuck on the Freebie Ltd FWD but if we can't get it then next choice could be a Mazda 6 GT-V6.
So c'mon Ford get your Full act together PRONTO !!
I personally hate this metric stuff which still forces me to make some mental calculations to get a better idea of true length,weight,etc as I'm more used to the old school method.
I seem to recall when I last tested out a Freestar van when I could get readouts in metric or in English( which is in U.S. gals?), and if so, if it says 20 miles/U.S. gal then I can make a quick mental calculation and say I'm getting 24mpg as our Cdn Imperial gal. is 20% larger.
My Ford Explorer also has a convenient outside temperature display that you can select in either Fahrenheit or Celsius readings.
The 32-year old Freestyle driver and a 3-year old in the vehicle survived unhurt. The sole occupant of the Acura died.
http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=111318&format=html
With my next fill up, I will set my on-board computer to English. I'll report back to you all in MPG.
BRJ
Freestyle AWD have average mileage at 19 . Surging. If the vehicle is changing speed on its own, that needs looking at. However, if the rpms are increasing-decreasing without change in accelerator position, that is normal operation of the CVT computer as it adjusts to conditions. It's kind of fun to watch it in action. Willie, sorry about the situation in Canada. I think I have the first FWD Limited made. Ford must have wanted to stop me from calling customer service. I looked at the Mazda wagon; it's a cool vehicle, but I couldn't get comfortable in it. A recent test. Autoweek just pitted a FWD Freestyle against the vaunted Honda Odyssey. An odd comparison, I know, but in their tests the Ford beat the Honda in acceleration, handling, and braking. The Odyssey, costing $7,000 more, has more room. Dahh- who would have guessed.
Went by Woodhouse Ford in Blair, NE--according to a few measures the biggest Ford dealer in the US and certainly the biggest in the Kansas City region. After a reasonable amount of negotiating, we came to terms. Traded an 03 Winnie on it. Just getting ready to leave the lot when our salesperson came running after us--the dealer in Dallas had sold it out from under us! It had been sitting on their lot according to FordDirect for weeks, and just so happened to sell as we were dealing...
Went looking again, found one in Dickinson, ND! Never thought to look in such a rural area. Same price, with the bonus of engine block heater.
Sold on Saturday, got the car on Wednesday. Only hassle is that instead of using a rollaway or a transport, apparently Woodhouse drove up there and drove it back! The bill of sale said 20 miles and I got it with 820...
When I read the news from Ford Media it appears they are basking in the partial good fortune of "unprecedented" high demand for AWD in the D3 units which keeps the Chicago plant humming nicely but that's something about inital demand from a limited avant garde group who want to jump on the bandwagon of being the first owners of a Ford AWD vehicle.That in itself could be a very good thing for them if it really suits their needs.At the same time I have to wonder if some of them realize that possibly 90%+ of the time their AWD is operating in FWD.
I also tried bugging Ford's Customer Relations in Canada a few times and all I got was the same useless canned answers. Another good reason why they will be re-located back to Melbourne,Fla.
There's a saying that better things will come to those who wait so I will still cling on to a thin strand of hope that we can get the Ltd FWD for my wife's car by possibly in the early Fall as a '06 model or if not then it's something else.
Bruneau keep posting periodically to let us know of your ownership/driving impressions, good,bad or whatever. But of course we are expecting mostly a very enjoyable experience.Hope also your FWD will deliver better fuel consumption than some of the related issues reported lately.
Two days later (now a week old, with 235 miles on the odometer) the light came back on last night.
I will be sure to be back at the dealer first thing when they open Monday AM.
Anybody else have this type of problem?
I really would like this car to be replaced, or get my trade-in back. I know I will get the usual run-around though.
When I purchased mine on 4/27/05, there were 3 exact models like mine. I examined the inspection sticker & production label on each and selected the one that was manufactured/delivered most recently. I also noticed the Ford website mentioned 'Job order #2' on the window sticker affixed to my Freestyle. I then searched several dealers using the Ford Dealerships search engine and discovered that many dealerships had many vehicles like mine that didn't have the 'Job order #2' noted on the window sticker. I assumed these Freestyles were from the 'First' batch. I am wondering if the more recently produced Freestyles (Job order #2) may not be as prone to problems that the 'First' batch of Freestyles seem to be having even though they have been recently purchased.
Sorry to ramble on, but I want to provide my complete POV on those having drivetrain issues with recently purchased Freestyles which may be of some help.
I do hope those with issues have successful resolutions as I have nothing but praise for my new Freestyle.
Regards -
M. J. McCloskey - 2K5 Freestyle AWD Limited
I've got my confidence back and really falling in love with my Freestyle.I view lots of forums and nothing but praise.Even the foriegn lovin magazinr writers are complimenting it.If something happens it happens but Ford is selling 10,000 pr month and the traded with me right.I have also had great care from the selling dealer Advantage Ford in Fremont Ohio.
22 mpg first tank,very quiet,most features that I wanted,priced right,easy driver,peppy, and very safe in snow and ice.People look at it and ask me what it is and how I like it.
what's not to like,
lizzzard
The manual suggests that when you are trying to establish your highway fuel economy that you set the cruise control and reset the average fuel economy window. I guess this removes any city/stop & go driving. Seemed to work well for me.
I also burned an MP3 CD for the trip and played it for over 3/4's of the trip (and we still had not heard it all so I'm guessing that it is 6 hours - not sure since I just filled the CD with MP3's that my son has). Sounds excellant!