Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Ford Freestar Transmission Problems

145791037

Comments

  • scaredofmyvanscaredofmyvan Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2005 Monterey with now 90,000 miles on it (bought because I am alive today because of the safety of my now totaled 2003 Windstar, may my Windstar RIP, hence the only reason i had to have this van as my replacement vehicle.
    At 90,000 miles with no warning my car went into neutral and refused to move, the front tires were locked and would not even roll once it had come to a complete stop--good thing it coasted onto a shoulder and did not stop in the road....
    I have the extended Warranty and have had the laundry list of little things gone wrong... wiring harnesses replaced, sensors replaced, the rear sliding door motors replaced...ect....
    I called the dealership, and they were excellent at this point---told me to call the extended warranty people and Ford would have a tow truck pick it up....even told me to tell the Ford people i was scared and in a bad area for a young woman to be in all alone.....which worked....the tow truck was there in less than an hour,,,,
    They towed it the three miles to the dealership, I get a loaner car, and get told they will call me the next day......That is where the fun begins....
    A phone call from the service advisor asking for permission to tear into my transmission and telling me that since i did not have the reciepts for changing my trans fluid (which i had JUST had checked the week before and was told it did not need changing yet) I was told Ford may not honor the extended warranty.....I got upset and immed went into action, calling my attorney (already on retainer for my divorce) My service advisor told me it was out of his hands, he would do what he could, but he had no bearing on the decision. Ford was sending in someone to inspect my transmission and they make the call. I did inform them that my lawyer wanted copies and pictures of everything. After many sleepless nights wondering how I was going to pay for repairs if it could not be fixed.....today i get a phone call that Ford sent in thier person and he has agreed to honor the repairs under warranty and I am getting a new transmission--not rebuilt--but he said all he was "authorized" by ford to tell me was wrong was a defect in the transmission---I guess after reading here i am very lucky..........I am not sure why they honored my warranty when it looks as if on here many people have been screwed. I am going to press to find out what exactly was the issue with my transmission.....
    My dealership and service advisor have always been very good to me.....from reading here i think they need to check my torque converter before i get my van back....
    AMR
    Queen Anne County MD
  • williamsrlwwilliamsrlw Member Posts: 1
    I too just replaced the torque convertor and rebuilt the rest. Same story traveling at 45mph when the tranny let go. No prior indication that there was a problem. Very dangerous situation. Filed my complaint and will keep my receipts in hope that something is done.
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    You are very lucky. I am guessing you went to Norris Ford in Easton?. I drove all the way over there from Annapolis to get a recall service done on my F150 to avoid Koons Ford of Annapolis because they are such liars and cowards. It is too late for them to help me with my Freestar issue but, I must say, that my experience at Norris Ford of Easton was excellent. The contrast between Norris Ford of Easton and Koons Ford of Annapolis was like night and day. I still have to wonder how koons Ford of Annapolis stays in business. Anyway, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME IS REGARDING WHAT THE ACTUAL DEFECT WAS. This information would really help the rest of us who have been put in harms way by Ford and then totally betrayed and abandoned when our transmissions failed. (That is putting it nicely).

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    You are absolutely right. Thank God nothing happened to you and your children. Please keep us in the loop regarding the outcome of your situation.

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD USA
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Thank you for doing the right thing and filing your complaint! I am still waiting for NHTSA to step up and do their job and recall these defective transmissions. we all know that Ford will never step up and take responsibility. that is why, after 20+ years of buying Ford and recommending Ford, NEVER AGAIN! The only thing I would "recommend" Ford for is charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal negligence, and fraud, to the US Attorney's Office for their actions throughout this entire debacle with the Freestar/Monteray.

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • scaredofmyvanscaredofmyvan Member Posts: 3
    I was told this morning when I called to ask about the torque converter and making sure that it was checked out too after reading ALL of the posts in this forum.....that the problem with my van was the Planetary Gears had "failed" causing the sudden failure of the transmission--he is going to show me the old when I go to pick up the van next week and explain. I am a single mother and know NOTHING about cars, so all of this has been a roller coaster ride for me.

    The dealer that has been so good to me is Rich Morton in Annapolis. There have been several warranty issues that they have gone to bat for me to get covered. They always treat me with respect-If I have questions or need something explained they help me and take thier time with me. I have been so many places where I was treated like I was ignorant.

    My past vehicle--the Windstar that is RIP-- was bought at Koons in Annapolis, but I took it to Norris for everything else because Norris is so laid back and freindly---I had bought at Koons because they were able to get the price $2000 lower than Norris for the EXACT same vehicle---same VIN being transferred from another dealer.

    I will keep everyone posted, but my experience with Rich Morton has been excellent. They have always come through for me.

    AMR
  • jipsterjipster Member Posts: 6,244
    My service advisor told me it was out of his hands, he would do what he could, but he had no bearing on the decision

    Service advisors generally don't make decisions like that. They tell you what you need... sometimes what you don't need. Ask to speak to the service manager reguarding the heavy stuff.
    2020 Honda Accord EX-L, 2011 Hyundai Veracruz, 2010 Mercury Milan Premiere, 2007 Kia Optima
  • scaredofmyvanscaredofmyvan Member Posts: 3
    My service advisor is the Service Manager...The decision was in the hands of the person Ford sent in from Corporate. The service manager told me this morning he was surprised Ford flew someone in to see my transmission from Ford HQ, he said they say they can, but he said he has never had it happen in the 15 years he has been there.

    I just picked up my Van this morning---and it works right now :) I asked what I needed to do to make sure I did not have an issue, and was told that at 30,000 miles on the new trans to make sure that I get the trans fluid changed. And then again at 75,000 miles.....I think I will do more like at 70,000 for the second just so I am still UNDER the warranty if they find anything....The dealership gave me a warranty on the new transmission in writing that states the 75,000 miles for the new transmission.

    My van has had a host of issues in the past---the check tire lights, the sliding door opening by itself while driving, the traction control light coming on, ect....But I still love my van. I missed driving it over the past week.

    AMR
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    You are VERY LUCKY. I wonder how Ford will explain itself to the rest of us who got screwed out of THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. Maybe this is the beginning of Ford starting to take responsibility for this fiasco. I doubt it but mabey...
    Keep your receipts everyone!

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • coneflowerconeflower Member Posts: 5
    Well I had to change my screen name and re-post. My husband and I were returning from a day at Hershey Park yesterday with my 2 daughters. We stopped at a drive thru and when I pulled back out into traffic, the van reved and then we could not go. We coasted into a parking lot, the trans was obviously shot. This is a 2006 Freestar. The van was towed last night and our mechanic called this afternoon with the news----$3200 to repair! This is so frustrating. We will file the necessary complaints and keep track of the posts here. As for the repair bill--the van is going to have to sit for a bit. Now we'll be making a monthly payment on a vehicle we can't use. My husband has pampered this vehicle since we purchased it. As a former mechanic he has done all of the necessary maintenance. I am so grateful that no one was hurt during the break down.
  • gatorz1970gatorz1970 Member Posts: 2
    My wife was driving home from work last night and while going over the Indian River bridge at 55mph, the engine revved up on her and acted like it was in neutral with no warning whatsoever. Our van is a 2005 Mercury Monterey with 57000 miles, and we don't have the extended warranty. However, it makes no sense to me that a transmission should fail on a car we have owned for less than 3 years. I have filed a complaint to Ford Motor Company, NHTSA, and have also emailed every local news channel's consumer investigator department. I suggest we flood a couple major news channels with complaints, it worked with the Dodge dashboard problem. Anyway, I had the car towed to the nearest Mercury dealership which doesn't open until after Labor Day. If anyone has more suggestions please respond. My wife's lucky she was able to get over the bridge and coast to the side of the road, but eventually someone's going to get injured or worse. :mad:
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    You are absolutely correct.It is just a matter of time before someone is injured or killed because of this defect. A Ford rep has already admitted that it is defect to a customer here in MD so they can't continue to deny responsibility or knowledge of it as they have for the last few years. NHTSA certainly can't deny it anymore either. At some point, somebody from one of these organizations will have to step up and do what is right. Our job is to NEVER GIVE UP until this happens. Thank you for taking the time to report your experience. It is this type of grass roots, consumer driven effort that will force the issue and cause some action to be taken. If nothing else comes from it, we may just be able to save someone's life.

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • ohninethirteenohninethirteen Member Posts: 1
    I was driving home on Aug. 31 with my wife and kids, going approx 45-50 mph when suddenly the van acted like it was in neutral and wouldn't pull. Luckily there was no traffic and was able to get it to the side of the road. I checked all the fuses none were bad, ATF was full, no warning lights no indication of any problem. I guess I will be going to the dealer tomorrow to see what lies they will tell me. How do you send a message to NHTSA? Maybe if we all send a message they might do something. :mad:
  • drew999999drew999999 Member Posts: 1
    Bought our 2005 Freestar new off the lot. Had the tranny fluid changed at about 29k. Last Friday at 41,005 miles, the wife pulled up to a stoplight with no issues. Took her foot of the brake and touched the gas and no-go. Not a bump or clunk.

    First thing that came to mind while pushing her van to a parking lot was the linkage. Everything looked good. Then I checked the fluid while the engine was off and then again while running and both read a bit high. That's when I thought it may be the torque converter. Found this thread about 5 minutes after getting home. Had it towed to aamco and they finally got it torn apart and confirmed that the converter splines are stripped. Metal fragments lodged in the valve body also. $2600 for a rebuild. I've never heard of a vehicle with more failed transmissions under 50k and no TSB. The guys at aamco have been pretty good with me so far. I was skeptical, but I'm not about to give ford another nickel. They are documenting what was found and I even talked them into snapping a few pictures of the converter splines and metal fragments in the valve body to pass along to ford.

    I've always had good luck with fords, but this van is the worst. It chews through front rotors like nothing I've seen before. Good luck all!
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    It is absolutely amazing to me that neither Ford nor NHTSA will do anything about this fiasco. It is just a matter of time before somebody gets killed because of this defect! Your story is identical to mine and so many others. We are trulyblessed that no one has been hurt yet. My wife and 5 of my 6 children were in our van when ours failed in the middle of an intersection. Our Ford dealer, KOONS FORD OF ANNAPOLIS, flat out lied to us and told us they had never heard of this before and said it was our fault because we didn't have the tranny flushed at 30K. What a bunch of nonsense! This was the plan all along because Ford new this defect existed when they rebadged the Windstar as the Freestar and likely long before that! Most recently, a Ford rep admitted to a customer here in MD that it was a defect. This rep was flown in by Ford from Detroit so, it is obvious that Ford has taken notice of the problem. I doubt, however, that they will do anything for the thousands of families like ours that are out thousands of dollars and forced to drive a vehicle that we can no longer have faith in to keep our families safe on the road. The irony of it all is that we bought this vehicle based primarily on Ford's claims of its "Best in Class" safety. What a fraud! Thank God for the internet. Were it not for our ability to link up in forums like this one, we would not have a chance to fight this. However; because we do, we have strength in numbers and the power to keep this going until either Ford or NHTSA gets up off of their cowardly behinds and does something before somebody gets seriously injured or killed.

    Keep the faith and keep spreading the word. Tell everyone you know, especially others with this ticking time bomb, about it. In situations like this, there is nothing more powerful than a knowledgable consumer.

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Just go to the NHTSA website and follow the prompts. It is pretty user friendly but you will need to be prepared with your VIN and some other basics about your van such as engine size/type etc. As far as, "Maybe if enough of us report this they will do something"; They have had MANY, MANY reports and still have done NOTHING! When I inquired if there was a "magic number of complaints" or if somebody had to die before they took any action, they replied with a standard Email that denies either of these things. I'm guessing that they are either woefully inept or in Ford's pocket. Either way, the consumer suffers. That said however; we still need to report each and every failure so that when, not if, somebody does get killed, these cowards can't claim that they didn't know this defect existed and they can be held responsible. Remember the Explorer/Firestone tires case? Ford denied responsibilty but then turned around and completely redesigned the Explorer making it a much safer vehicle. What a COINCIDENCE! The Freestar however, will never be back though. It was such a huge failure due to defects such as the one we experienced, that after a name change, (Windstar to Freestar), didn't solve the engineering problems, (Meant to be as ridiculous as it sounds because that is why Ford did it), it was still the same defective failure and eventually dropped from the lineup alltogether. What a shame too because this segment of the market is HUGE and Ford can't comptete. No wonder it is as close to going under as it has ever been.

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • rgarlitzrgarlitz Member Posts: 1
    Our '04 Freestar with 32,000 miles was whining in the engine compartment (It started around 31,000) after miss diagnosis, they said it was the alternator - WRONG. So the tranny guy at Ford pin pointed to the Torque Converter. Once they tore into it they also found the Stator Support and Torque Convertor Bushing worn. Thank the holy heavens we purchased the extended warranty, I figure that we broke even on the cost of it. So if you hear a high pitched sound when you take off or just hold the brake and gas it. This is a warning shot. I even flushed the transmission fluid the last two summers before taking it on vacation, so exchanging the fluid did not even stop failure. :shades:
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    You are absolutely right. Flushing the tranny will not prevent this failure yet, this is the excuse Ford gives when they say they won't cover the replacement cost if you did not have this done at 30K miles. More proof of the FRAUD that Ford is perpetuating on its customers. What a bunch of cowards.
  • notafordguynownotafordguynow Member Posts: 1
    Wife driving home and transmission on my (her) 2005 Ford Freestar (52K miles) just suddenly stopped pulling while driving down the road at about 50mph. Luckinly it was only about a mile from home and she was able to call a friend to help her push it out of the road. I saw this post for the first time about a week and a half ago. At first I was hoping to find good news, but when I got on the post and read the stories, my heart sank. I got better things to do with three grand. Long story short is this. I saw a post around 9-10 months ago from a lady that said she worked at a call center and that the call center classifies people when they call in using cues like tone of voice, etc. People that call in all mad and demanding action and stating they ain't never gonna buy another Ford again will get no help at all. So I took this to the extreme. I asked the service guy very nicely if there was anything that he could do and his answer was party line, it is out of warranty, sorry. I had a 100K dealer promise warranty from the PA dealership where I bought this thing, so I asked him if there was anything that they could do in a coorpoerative way with the other dealer. Again, party line. Sensing I was getting nowwhere, I asked pleasently for the Ford 800 number and he gave it to me. I called up corporate Ford and told them that my wife and I loved the car (I lied) and were just really surprised to have a tranny go at 50K. I told them that I had bought two brand new Fords inthe last 5 year (which was true) and really like them both and wanted to continue to bur Fords but that the whole tranny deal really had me worried. At times, I was sucking so hard that I had to put the phone on mute because I was giggling at how well they appeared to be believing everything that I was saying. Anyway final ESTIMATE was 3100 for the dealer to replace the tranny. Ford only charged me 1350.... and they gave me a 3 year/ 36000 warranty to boot....Suckers.... Hope somebody else reads this post and is successful at getting this huge discount on a replacement tranny until they finally recall this piece of crap.
  • gatorz1970gatorz1970 Member Posts: 2
    Worked for me too!! The first thing you have to do when this happens is have it towed to a ford dealership. If you take it anywhere else, you are footing the entire bill. I called Ford and gave them the story and told them I have purchased 7 Fords in the last 14 years (which is true, always been a Ford guy). I told them the same thing, that we loved the van and couldn't believe the tranny would go at 57k. The estimate from the dealer was 1650.00. Ford paid 1050. They did a follow up after the car was fixed and I told them that I was still uneasy about my wife driving the car knowing that this is happening to so many people, and stressed to them that Ford needs to design a better torque converter and issue a recall before someone else isn't so lucky.
  • everel2007everel2007 Member Posts: 1
    LET ALL TAKE THESE DEFECTIVE MINI VANS IN TO ABOUT FOUR FORD DEALERS IN A SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHICS UNDER THE PRETENCE OF FAILED TRANSMISSIONS AND STOP AND SWAY BUSINESSES FOR A DAY AT ALL FOUR CHOOSEN LOCATIONS. THAT WILL CAUGTH MEDIA AND FORD'S EYE.
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    You were lucky. I started out Mr Nice guy and a Ford customer for 24 years, 9 new Fords in all. I expressed that I wished to remain loyal to ford as well as continue to recommend Ford to all of my friends and family. I can safely say I am directly responsible for at least 50 sales of Ford vehicles over the years. Needless to say, my outcome was not as pleasant as yours. now we have a family vehicle that is worth nothing on the open market and that we have ZERO confidence in every time we drive it. The problem is, we are still paying off the loan for the new tranny and a month worth of rental. The silver lining is that we rented a Toyota Sienna- A MASTERPIECE of an automobile, by the way. We are now sold on Toyota and will be purchasing a Sienna for my wife and a Tundra for me just as soon as we get whatever miles we can out of our Fords and can accept the paltry amount that they are worth when we sell them. If I have to give them away because they aren't worth anything, I'm going to get as much use out of them as possible in the meantime.
    What a shame,24 years of fierce customer loyalty lost over a vehicle they new was defective when they sold it to me and then refused to stand behind when it nearly got my family killed. I will never buy or recommend another Ford as long as I live.
    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Amazing. 2 in a row. The inconsistency of how they are handling this debacle is mind boggling. They need to step up all the way and issue a recall and take care of those of us that they turned away. I did go to the dealer, by the way, and they told me to pound sand. Now I am out almost 4 grand and I only had 45K on my van!

    By the way, I hope you still reported your tranny failure to NHTSA!

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Ford already knows and the media is a bunch of cowards as well. They are afraid they will lose ad revenue if they pick this story up. The best thing we can do is kep reporting hese failures to NHTSA and force a recall of these death traps before somebody gets killed.

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • momtobcltmomtobclt Member Posts: 19
    Today my van completely lost power while I was driving 45 mph. There were no warming, shaking, or anything, it just died. Luckily I was able to pull over safely. It would not start back up. I had no steering, brakes, nothing at all. It was towed. The Ford mechanics said it later started right up and they can't find anything wrong. In fact the internal computer doesn't show any sign of losing power. They said Ford has nothing issued on their website of this happening. My BIL is a Ford mechanic and he checked the Ford website they can access and said they were telling the truth, there is nothing listed on Ford. He is currently calling other mechanics for me. Does anything know what this problem would be caused from? Is it a transmission issue? Electrical? It is a 2006 Freestar Limited with 24,000 miles and is still under warranty.
  • momtobcltmomtobclt Member Posts: 19
    I sent a complaint tonight to the NHTSA. I hope I get some answers tomorrow when I ask them to check the torque converter. I am so frustrated right now.
  • coneflowerconeflower Member Posts: 5
    I am posting this here because some of you may have a vehicle with this problem: Tie rod ends on many Ford vehicles are coming apart ( this means you can no longer steer this wheel). Ford of Canada has sent a letter to 1997-2002 F150 , 1998&1999 light duty F250 , 1997-2002 Expedition , and 1998-2002 Navigator owners stating that every 20,000 kilometers they should inspect the tie rod ends. I have also had this problem with my 2000 Ford Windstar and have changed several tie rod ends. The problem appears to be that the design of the tie rod end is up side down ,the boot and catches water and salt like a funnel when it should be inverted to shed water. Please go to http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/cars/tierods/mechanics.html
  • jerrypauljerrypaul Member Posts: 11
    I was all proud of my 2004 Mercury Monterey that I purchased used with 50K on it this past weekend. It is super clean and seems very well taken care of. Fresh transmission fluid and all. But now, upon just doing some casual research on my new vehicle, I find this thread and am ready to cry. There's nothing wrong with my new van ... yet, but it sure sounds like if I make it to 100K without almost getting killed by a dead transmission, I'll be lucky. Any suggestions what I should do? I can't go in to the dealer and say "I changed my mind about this car because I read bad stuff about the transmission on the internet." LOL But should I be scared or do I at least have odds in my favor that this won't happen to me? I'm assuming most of the people that are on this thread are on here because it happened to them. I've counted about 25 to 50 complaints in this thread. I'm hoping (maybe wishful thinking) that there's lots of people with no problems with their Freestars/Montereys. What do you guys think? Is it just a matter of time before I'm hitch hiking for a ride along the side of the highway?
  • bytemanbyteman Member Posts: 1
    I have a 05 Freestar with 90270 miles original engine and trany and it has never given me a drop of trouble. This van is the best vehicle I have ever owned. I drive it for my business and it has always performed. I have all the maintenance done on time and never miss fluid changes. From reading the posts in this forum, obviously there are some troubles with these transmissions but I'm here to say not all of them. My advice to JerryPaul would be to make sure you have the maintenance done on time and have it done at a reputable car care place.
  • coneflowerconeflower Member Posts: 5
    The people posting in this forum are complaining about a certain problem that their vehicles have ( faulty torque converters ) . I believe that there are many Freestar/Montereys that do not have these faulty converters and are not lemons. The problem is Ford will not make good on the faulty ones. Please let me know of any reputable car care places that have transmission fluid that can harden the butter soft splines ( or correct design flaws) in these converters.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    As you mentioned, not much you can do about returning it. Remember, not all Freestars will suffer a transmission failure. The fresh fluid will help. If you can, try and save up the money to cover a transmission repair.

    Of course, I'm wondering if your Freestar already had the tranny replaced before you bought it.
  • jerrypauljerrypaul Member Posts: 11
    >> Of course, I'm wondering if your Freestar already had the tranny replaced before you bought it.

    I thought of that. But have no real way of knowing. The car dealer says they don't have any service records on the vehicle other than the 150 point inspection and fluid/filter changes they did before they sold it. They also warrant the power train for 4,000 miles so I hope that if the tranny's gonna go, it does it within 4,000 miles. LOL But so far, no problems. The car is crystal clean and immaculate. Looks brand new inside and out. New tires. Wipers. Etc. The only thing that doesn't work is the cruise control (which seems to be a common Freestar/Monterey problem). They said they'd fix that for me if I bring it in within 30 days.

    But that's a good question about if the tranny is original or replaced. Any way a novice like me could tell by looking under the hood?
  • aggiemeaggieme Member Posts: 10
    I just bought a used 2005 Freestart a week ago. Yesterday as I was slowing down at a stop sign, my van died with no warning. The engine check light and oil pressure light were the only two lights on. I cranked on it for a minute, and the van finally started. No more problems that day. This morning, I started the van to let it warm up before I ran some errands, and about 30 seconds later it died....same warning lights. After about 5 minutes, I went back out and cranked it up...no problem....and no problems since then. I do not know if having both the front and back heaters on is causing a problem or not......I have called my delearship to see what I can do....I am not to happy!!!! This vehicle did have some electrical work done 8/03 and 3/07, but has no issues since then.....I am wondering if they just quit driving it??? ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS???
  • shocked1shocked1 Member Posts: 85
    Im sorry, but I too THOUGHT we had a beauty. We have a 2004 Freestar. Never had a problem till 3 days ago. We just got off freeway exit(thank God), my RPM went up to 3. But I had no "pull". Towed home. Son in law figured it was in need of a "Neutral Saftey Switch". Nope. Needs new Transmission!!! And, to come on here and see this many complaints of same issue, is EVERY REASON FORD NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL!!!!!!! Will be over $3000.00, and my husband is 70 yr. old and still working part time, with fresh knee replacement, to make it with this economy.And Ford thinks we all need to repair our worthless crap they built incorrect?!!!!!!!!!!! My brother buys a new car every 2 yrs.& I WILL MAKE SURE NO MORE FORD MUSTANGS!!!!!! Or, ANY FORDS! Im sooo upset over this. I took my retirement to buy this van 2 years ago, and now find out FORD screwed up on transmission. NOT FAIR FORD!!!!!!!!!! Im getting an attorney, I refuse to fix FORD workers mistakes!!!! I will display "lemon signs" in our yard too. And warn all friends ,of Ford NOT attending to their mistakes made!!!!!!!!
  • aggiemeaggieme Member Posts: 10
    Following up to my previous post......I brought the vehicle to the delearship where I bought the 2005 van, and they called me first thing this morning. The idle control module was stuck in the closed position, and since they replaced it, the van will run great (or so they tell me). I just wanted to add this to the list of things for people to be aware of as we go through the Ford issues together.
  • jerrypauljerrypaul Member Posts: 11
    Still paranoid about my nice running (for now) 2004 Monterey that I recently purchased, I decided to play devil's advocate and call the local Ford dealer (not where I purchased it) and ask their thoughts (we've always had fairly good experiences with this service department and trusted their mechanics). Said to the guy that I've been hearing all these horror stories on the internet about the transmissions in these, and he claims they've seen only ONE faulty transmission come through their door on a Freestar and they narrowed down the problem to the wrong transmission fluid. He said the transmission in the Freestars/Montereys is so picky, one bad shot of the wrong fluid and your transmission is toast. I'm wondering if the folks on here who've had their transmissions go are using the right fluid or even if the mechanic that you trust is using the right fluid. Everyone get proof that the right fluid is being put in your Freestar/Monterey! I'm hoping the right fluid was put in mine. It "looks" right from what the guy told me ... the color of it, that is.
  • susanhaisusanhai Member Posts: 9
    These guys would lie to their mother! That doesn't even make sense... my mechanic says that ford used the wrong size transmission for the engine and that they had done the same thing with taurus in the 90's. If the tranny fluid was soooo picky, I would think that this little fact would be in bold print in the book somewhere. Our tranny went out in our 04 model at 59000 miles without warning... good luck to ya! :lemon:
  • patrick1957patrick1957 Member Posts: 1
    Add our 2004 to the list. Where is it that you make a complaint?
  • jerrypauljerrypaul Member Posts: 11
    Well this may be a dumb question, but I was on another message board. One of the casualties (an owner of a dead 2004) said that it's not really the transmission per se that is faulty but the torque converter which fails at the splines and causes pieces of metal to ruin the transmission. So my dumb question: would it be beneficial to have our torque converters replaced BEFORE the splines fail and ruin the transmission? Of course, a Ford mechanic would probably look at us like we had two heads and it's a darn shame we'd resort to even thinking about this, but since it doesn't look like Ford will step up to the plate and recall these things, would that be a way to save money and beat the system instead of paying for a whole new transmission once it's already ruined?
  • shocked1shocked1 Member Posts: 85
    hEY IGENOVESE. I too got screwed on a 2004 FORD, FREESTAR!!!!!! had it 3 years this March. Just complained to NHSA. People register complaints to them. The more complaints, the better the chance of a recall. Like everyone else, no warning, coming off freeway exit.......BOOM! no pull. Going to be $1800.00. Husband's 70 yrs. old, still working cause of the economy..... And FORD'S asking and receiving GOV. LOAN!!!!!???? I say, fix their junk first they sold people!!!!!!!!
  • misty10misty10 Member Posts: 23
    We had the same problem. We repaired it ourselves after Ford took the car twice and couldn't fine it. It was the wiring harness under the floormat behind the drivers seat, where your feet would go. When it was stepped on it would shut the car off and wouldn't start. We separated the wires and taped them up and no problems since.
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Please go to the NHTSA website and file your complaint. You will need to have your vehicle's VIN number handy but it is very user friendly. Also, stay tuned to this website for a potentially very good developement in this situation...
    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Hang in there, report your situation to NHTSA via their website, and stay tuned to this website for a potentially very good developement regarding this situation...

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Interesting. My transmission professional, retired Ford Mechanic, over 20 years experience, who now operates an AAMCO shop, has seen many with the same problem and new exactly what the problem with ours was as soon as I described the incident to him over the phone before he even saw the van. Also, I new my Ford dealer was lying to me the minute thay answered my question about it. (I used to work there. I know how they operate). How much stock are you going to put in a mechanic who tells you that your transmission fluid "Looks right...based on the color?!?!?!" Are you kidding me?
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Amen. You are 100% correct. They put a transmission designed for a conventional car into a van that weighs hundreds of pounds more and coupled it with a more powerful engine without upgrading it at all to handle the added weight/power. They realized their problem when it was still called the Windstar and, rather than fixing it, rebadged it the Freestar and covered themselves by requiring a transmission fluid change at an unheard of 30k miles. What a bunch of clowns. Did I mention that my family could have been killed when our transmission failed? I will never give up this fight until Ford comes clean and recalls these vans. If I can save one life or one family like ours a $3 - $4K repair bill it will be worth it. And these clowns are in DC begging for a handout from the taxpayers. They flew there in multi million dollar jets for God's sake! I'm eating PBJ sandwiches and noodle ramen because I'm still paying off the repair bill from a year ago!

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Again, hang in there. help may be on the way.....
  • jgenovesejgenovese Member Posts: 220
    Hey everybody! I'm guessing that, like me, most of you are closely following the events in Washington with the 3 Stooges begging Congress for a handout of our money. How ironic! They couldn't step up and help out their loyal customers by backing their product that they knew in advance put us all in harms way, and now they are coming to us for help. I pray that common sense prevails and these clowns are sent packing back to Detroit in their MULTI MILLION DOLLAR JETS where they can drown in their own tears and file for bankruptcy. I'm pretty sure Toyota, Kia, Honda, and the rest of the carmakers who actually live within their means and build and back a quality product will be more than happy to step in and take over the market. Apparently, Ford can't even give their products away now. I just saw a commercial tonight featuring "Employee Pricing Plus!" Plus $6K cash back! How pathetic. I'd like to see my $4K cash back from the transmission repair I had to pay for last year at 45K miles.
    Hang in there though. There may be a potentially very good development on the horizon. Stay tuned. When I hear one way or the other, I will post it here first.

    Jim Genovese
    Annapolis, MD
  • shocked1shocked1 Member Posts: 85
    I did report my transmission to NHTSA. I so hope you're correct. My 2004 went in repairs Tues. Be back Fri. Again, my huwsband is 70 and still working part time.Not fair we have to pay for Ford's mess!!!
    thank you
  • jerrypauljerrypaul Member Posts: 11
    Jim - You're leaving us sitting on the edge of our seats. :) Can you share this potential very good development?

    I feel like a weirdo. My 2004 Monterey is running fine but I'm not enjoying it after reading these posts. I have known to be a bit paranoid in my life and now this message board has got me riding down the highway looking for shoulders and planning escape routes if it dies in the middle of the highway. Is that pathetic or what? :confuse:

    What's weird about all of this is that my used Monterey could have already had the problem and been corrected but I have no way of knowing. The dealer has "no service records" on it. Is there a way a novice like me could tell by looking under the hood if something has been rebuilt or replaced?

    But as far as I know, everything probably is original and I'm just praying I'm not the next victim. The '04's seem to be dropping like flies from reading this board. I'm at 51K now.

    I sure hope this potential big development is a recall or something. It'd give me so much more peace of mind. I have a family that rides in the van.
  • coneflowerconeflower Member Posts: 5
    It is not a dumb question. The problem is only ford knows what vehicles were effected, and you do not know if the converter in your vehicle is one of ths bad ones.The labor cost for transmission removal and the torque converter is too high to consider this unless you know you have one of the bad converters.
Sign In or Register to comment.