Ford Freestyle - Taurus X

hoovea

Is anyone else experiencing problems with the Pirelli P225/60rx18 tires that come on the 2006 Freestyles? We purchased the car in oct of 05 and have had nothing but trouble with the tires with flats and 2 blowouts. The first blowout (tire cracked) occurred within 3 weeks of owning the car. Dealer replaced the tire and have just experienced another blowout, they are saying it's a rock cut or puncture. I drive 100 miles per day with 4 of those miles gravel road. The dealer is blaming the gravel roads for the problems. I've driven the same roads for the past 10 years and have never had this problem with Good years.

nvbanker

For what it's worth - a prop rod on a car says "Fairmont" to me, and really turns me off. I'll gladly pay another $25 for the car to have the hood supported. I like the Freestyle, my wife really likes it. But Ford is deleting (or thrifting, as they call it) even up to the Lincoln Zephyr with prop rods - and I hate it.

tim156

I agree with you about the Continental tires. I don't know too much about tires, and I know there are higher quality tires than Conti's, but with almost 10,000 on my FWD SE I've been happy with mine. I took a trip through the mountains last summer under different weather conditions and felt secure the whole time. I do believe it's important to rotate so I did it at 5000 and last weekend at 98XX miles. I didn't have to drive through the snow here on Monday but had no problems this morning with 4-5 inches in my alley. I guess what I worry about is when I do have to replace the tires my options will be limited. The only tires I've found for the Freestyle searching the net are Goodyear and Continental.

mmccloskey

Greetings:

I have a 2005 Limited w/Pirelli tires and with nearly 17K miles I have had no problems with the tires at all. I too live off a gravel road (by choice) so it may be the tires on your FS are from a flawed batch. Tires are made to withstand all reasonable driving conditions and driving on a gravel road for brief periods should not cause the tires to fail. I have found the Pirelli tires provide very good traction/grip in all kinds of driving conditions unlike some with the Continental tires that come on the SE/SEL. The Pirelli's have a 400 treadwear rating which is quite good.

Hope this helps.

M. J. McCloskey 2005 AWD/Limited

coldcranker

"I do believe it's important to rotate so I did it at 5000"
Reply: This is what most people think. However, I've got to agree with BMW. If you buy a new BMW, they say NOT to rotate the tires. They say if you are getting uneven wear, its because of alignment/caster/camber problems that need to be dealt with. Different approach.

"The only tires I've found for the Freestyle searching the net are Goodyear and Continental."
Reply: The Goodyear Fortera TripleTred is available in 225/65-17. My favorite, anyway. The slightly (1/4 inch taller) extra size is no problem. I agree with you the original Conti's are just fine.

coldcranker

"Anyone know why the FreeStyle isn't equipped with vehicle stability control."
Reply: You're right. Its just because they are cheap. I only paid $22,000 for an SE FrontWheelDrive Freestyle, so that eliminates some good things to keep the cost down. However, I do have Traction Control, which is nice to keep going on slopes with ice/snow, anyway. VSC would be great to prevent spin-outs on slick surfaces, which can put you into the ditch or opposing traffic lanes!

coldcranker

"It seems this Forum had the Freestyle leaving Conti tires for Goodyears or something else. Which is it?"
Reply: I have always basically liked Goodyears. I'm an engineer, lived in Akron for a few years, and met a few Goodyear engineers there (I'm not a tire engineer myself). They are a serious bunch and know what they are doing, to be sure. I noticed the Goodyear Regatta II's (not available for Freestyles) I owned a while back are good on ice BASED ON TEST DATA that I was lucky to get. My point is, we have very little evidence (test data) that can tell us much about Conti vs. Goodyear (Integrity, ForteraTripleTred). I just think there is a rush to judgement against the Conti tires we have. It may very well be the Conti's stink, but I'm not convinced they are bad yet. Even as an engineer, I've seen very little good test data on tires to help us choose, just unreliable wives tales. I'm confused myself! Its a little like we're a judge, and the Conti is on "trial", and we just want to give it a fair trial, using only solid evidence.

bobw3

And years from now I'll never have to worry about replacing a gas strut that's supposed to hold the hood up because we hae a prop rod that will never fail

bruneau1

If ride is important to you, stay away from the Fortera.

min1

If ride is important to you, stay away from the Fortera

Why do you say that? I had just bought Goodyear Assurance Comfortreds for my Impala before buying the Freestyle, and absolutely loved them. I would assume that the Fortera was a similar tire. I actually found that my car rode smoother/quieter than it ever had before. That is what leads me to believe (plus the reviews of the Fortera vs the Conti on tirerack.com) that I would be best served by changing to the Fortera once these Conti's start to lose their tred (some reviewers state they are at the wearbars as soon as 10,000miles) It is the cost difference that has me hoping the conti's will hold for a little longer, since the Conti's go for $50 a pop on tirerack, and on Goodyear's site the Fortera is almost $200 (msrp, may be a little lower on sale) a pop. Not sure if I am up for that much more per tire, when the time comes. I do trust the reviews on tirerack, since they have been accurate with all the tires that we have owned so far.
Anyone with any input on if there is that much more value to be had in a tire 4 times the price. You would be close to a $1000 with installing and taxes.
I don't want a tire that is dangerous, and do love the peace of mind that goes with a great tire, but not sure if there might be a more middle of the road choice. We travel the 81 from Virginia to Canada in summer and winter, and there are some very dangerous spots along that route in winter, so.........I don't want to be riding on something that will pitch me off the top of the mountain!

saabturboid

I think I've posted this before, but there is a snow oriented tire choice for the Freestyle. It is the Nokian WR. Nokian is a European tire manufacturer that makes very high quality tires. I have used their WR winter oriented all-season tires on several vehicles with great success. They seem to have managed to produce a tire that although it can be used all season and last a very long time, it doesn't harden in cold temps and works very well as a winter tire. I plan on replacing my stock tires with these. Warning, they aren't inexpensive. Here is a link if you want more info:

http://www.nokiantyres.com/suv_product_en?product=610502&name=NOKIAN+WR+SUV

P.S. The size that will fit our Freebies is 225/60/17. It will have almost the exact same sidewall size so the tire height is the same, but the tread will be slightly wider.

saabturboid

coldcranker wrote:

"I do believe it's important to rotate so I did it at 5000"
Reply: This is what most people think. However, I've got to agree with BMW. If you buy a new BMW, they say NOT to rotate the tires. They say if you are getting uneven wear, its because of alignment/caster/camber problems that need to be dealt with. Different approach."

Be careful what you suggest here... a few facts.

1.) BMW suggests not to rotate tires on their vehicles because BMWs are oriented towards performance and handling and rotating your tires can affect both, plus BMWs have almost a 50/50 front to back weight distribution which helps their tires wear more evenly.

2.) The main goal of rotating tires is to prolong tread life and even out wear between the front and the back and doing so will not affect driving dynamics for 99% of all drivers, especially with vehicles like the Freestyle.

3.) YOU MUST ROTATE YOUR TIRES IF YOU HAVE AWD. It doesn't matter much if you have FWD Freestyle, but it is critical with AWD. The geometry and function of the Haldex AWD system is based on the fact that the front and the rear tires are spinning at the same rate. Should you never rotate the tires on your Freestyle the front tires will wear at a faster rate than the rears since most of the time the Haldex system puts the majority of the power to the front wheels. Front tires also take the brunt of braking and turning forces which also increases front tire wear. As your front tires wear faster than the rears they will begin spinning at a faster rate than the rears. This can cause excessive wear inside the Haldex AWD system as it tries to compensate for the difference.

So the upshot is, if you have FWD rotating is not that big of a deal other than not maximizing your tire life, but if you have an AWD Freestyle you can actually damage your vehicle by not rotating the tires.

- Chad

tim156

I think I remember reading years ago that it's important to rotate tires on a FWD because of the wear to the rear tires. If I recall, when turning, the rear wheels are dragged slightly along in the turn. Rotating the tires extends the life of the tires by distributing this wear.

bigskyguy1

I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed this. When starting my 05 AWD Limited the RPMS go to about 15 to 16 hundred. This seems way to high especially here in Montana were the temperature can get way below zero. Also at times at a stop the RPMS can be around 900, which also seems excessive.
John

coldcranker

Bridgestone Turanza EL400 now available in the original 215/65-17 size, and its TR speed rated like the original Conti tires. Now we have the choice of those tires, Goodyear Integrity, and the OEM Conti tires for replacement. Probably more to come.

coldcranker

bigskyguy1,
I think thats normal. The engine computer seems to command higher idle speeds when its cold. It may be to shorten emission control system warm-up times, since there is a race on to get the catalysts warmed up so they can work.

coldcranker

hoovea,
You mentioned the 18" Pirelli tire problems. This makes me take a dimmer view of Pirelli. There is no excuse for that kind of engineering. Your report helps others decide which replacement tire to get. Many of us have little or nothing to go on except for which tire company has the coolest ads!

coldcranker

saabturboid wrote: "As your front tires wear faster than the rears they will begin spinning at a faster rate than the rears. This can cause excessive wear inside the Haldex AWD system as it tries to compensate for the difference."

Good point, although can they really be that sensitive to diameter changes? You probably get more diameter change just by varying the air pressure slightly from front to back, or carrying a large load in the back. It would seem there couldn't be quite that much sensitivity, just to avoid normal slight variations in diameter (air pressure, load, treadwear effects).

bobw3

I've never rotated tires, but I've found that the front tire wear the fastest, plus with FWD you want the best treads in the front, so I'll usually put on new front tires and leave the rear ones alone.

bruneau1

The Fortera is primarily for trucks and for Suvs one takes off road. The Freestyle is more civilized with a passenger car or minivan tire.

bigskyguy1

If I remember right in an article in one of the car magazines they recommend new tire to be placed on the rear. It has to do to handling. If the front tires lose traction the car tends to go straight,not always a good thing but many times controllable, but if the back tires lose grip due to traction loss and cannot follow the same path as the front tires the cars rear end can slide out.
But I am sure there are many opinions on this matter.

stever

This post sums it up nicely:

capriracer, "Tires, tires, tires" #5179, 13 Nov 2005 5:14 am

The Tire Rack says to put a new pair on the rear too.

Steve, Host

bobw3

The Tire Rack says it's good to put new tires on the rear because it's safer in hydroplaning conditions. But for snow conditions, I'd still say it's safer to have the better tread up front in a FWD vehicle.

northlakes

It is a small thing for a Monday, but a gunmetal gray Freestyle passed by while I was heading into work. It still had the cardboard dealer ads where the plates would be, so it has been in the owner's hands for less than 21 days. It is good to see a slow, but steady increase in the Freestyle numbers up here. :shades:

bobw3

I've actually seen quite a few in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area.

coldcranker

We don't seek exclusivity here! Actually, I know it confirms the wisdom of our choice to see others, but I would rather Ford stopped making them so I'd have one of the few.

coldcranker

bigskyguy1, Tires with less tread actually hold a turn better. Racers shave their tires for this reason. Hydroplaning changes that, as more tread is obviously better under those conditions. If it doesn't rain and/or snow a lot where you live, then I say put the low-tread tires on the back so the back has the most traction. If you encounter a lot of rain/snow, then the newer tires ought to be on the back. Its not optimal under all conditions.

gerrygr1

Starting to seriously consider the Freestyle, and am wondering if anyone can tell me what the difference is between comparably outfitted SEL vs LTD. I know about the two tone paint & wheel sizes. Anything else that's noteworthy?

xnappo

I bought a fully loaded SEL back when they didn't offer a FWD LTD - I didn't want the weight of AWD and it isn't needed around here.

I like the two tone look - I think it makes it look sportier - but that is a taste thing.

The only option I wish I had from the LTD is the moving 2nd row seats.

The other options you may consider in your decision are heated seats and the upgraded stereo.

Regards,
xnappo

nitromax

One thing I can think of off the top of my head is that the LTD comes with heated seats where as the SEL you can not get them.

I believe the LTD has some sort of load levelizing for the shocks....thought I read that somewhere....anybody know for sure if this is true?

freealfas

Ford has always offered a FWD LTD at least here in the states, it seems there have been differences between Canadian and US offerings I'm noticing after reading different forums.

northlakes

On the Freestyle, the self-leveling shocks (rear) come on all levels of AWD, but not on the FWD. :shades:

stmss

Correct - No FWD LTD in Canada - that I know of - just AWD.

rick2456

I would have to agree. My other car a 2006 Hyundai Sonata has the hood gas support struts, not to mention standard traction control, stability control, integrated antenna, locking gas cap lid, and a far better warranty. I have had the sonata for 6 months, ) problems. I have had the FS for a month and have 3 problems already. Nothing too serious, just a pain. Additionally, I had to pay $995 for an extended warranty which is still not as good as the Hyundais' standard warranty. Time will tell, but I am already wondering if I should have waited for Hyundai to bring out the next generation of its Santa Fe. No wonder Ford, GM, and Chysler are losing market share (not to mention money).

bobw3

Will the next generation Santa Fe hold 7 pass?

passat_2002

And if a member of your family was in a serious accident, would you rather they be in the Freestyle or the Hyundai?

xnappo

I beg to differ, they didn't start making FWD LTDs until Q1 '05.

See post 1589 and replies.

xnappo

tidester

And if a member of your family was in a serious accident, would you rather they be in the Freestyle or the Hyundai?

That depends on the kind of accident! Rollovers, collisions with fixed objects and collisions with other vehicles present different advantages and disadvantages for different vehicles.

tidester, host

passat_2002

One cannot know in advance what type of accident they may be involved in. The question remains the same. If a member of your family were involved in a serious accident, would you rather they be in a Freestyle or a Hyundai?

barnstormer64

I'd probably rather be in a semi-truck. :P

fsawd05

Has anyone taken their AWD Freestyle oversand (on the beach)? We live in an area which has beaches for 4WD and AWD but we're concerned about it?

tom_holsinger

I ran into the fleet sales manager at my Ford dealer yesterday during my 2006 FWD SE's 3000 mile service. He said that Freestyle sales at his dealership (Patchett's in Turlock, Stanislaus County, California) had picked up substantially in the past two months, and that they currently had three on their lot as opposed to none at all for most of last year.

My guess is that the Freestyle is selling itself to a certain market given Ford's failure to promote it. I suspect its attractive price for such a spacious multi-passenger vehicle (i.e., minivan replacement for families) is a factor, but there arek likely other big ones at work too.

dblusys

I have a 2005 Limited, and shopped it pretty close against a well equipped SEL. I liked most of the SEL options that come standard on the Limited, such as the split third row seat, and preferred the top end stero, which is only available in the Limited. If you are going to buy a lot of options in the SEL, it may come out that the Limited is almost a better buy. I have the front-wheel-drive limited with leather (standard), a sunroof, DVD entertainment system and the 7 seat configuration. We like the car a great deal and would recommend it.

tidester

The question remains the same.

I'll refrain - that's an invitation to go too far off topic!

tidester, host

coldcranker

Ford has indeed done a better job of making a stronger cabin to protect occupants than the Koreans (Hyundai). Hyundais are notorious for collapsing in IIHS and NHTSA crash tests.

kcomeford

Well, I did it. I brought home my new '06 Silver Birch Freestyle Ltd, black leather int, and I love it. About a 15 mile drive home from the dealer and I enjoyed every minute of it. Good acceleration and excellent ride. Thanks for all the information and education this forum gave me in order to make good decisions.

Karen C.
Oak Ridge, NC

stever

Congrats! Please post about your deal over in the Ford Freestyle: Prices Paid & Buying Experiences discussion. Thanks,

Steve, Host

mike_s3

I am thinking about the freestyle. I am wondering how the fwd with traction control would do on an icy incline. We live in WNY where it gets snow and ice. Our driveway has a steep pitch. There are a few times a year where I need to salt it to get out (uphill out) in my fwd mazda protege. My wife has no problem in any condition in her awd volvo x70. we have had friends get stuck in various fwd siennas etc. anyone with experience with fwd and icy conditions? I suspect that awd freestyle would have no problem at all.

coldcranker

I say FWD. With AWD, you usually don't need it, and it adds 175 lbs of dead weight, cuts gas mileage by 2 mpg, adds $1,000 or so to the purchase price, makes handling and braking a little worse due to the extra weight, makes noise near your feet, and is one more thing to go wrong (I think there was one recall or technical service bulletin on it already). FWD with traction control satisfies most requirements, although people who face steep icy hills may certainly sacrifice their money and their car's performance edge for AWD to good effect.

cmuniz

I say AWD for a steep driveway. I had a long, steep driveway in the NC mountains and never had a problem with any AWD vehicle I had going up in snow or some light ice. Nothing will help if it is really icy. Also, just a personal preference, not based on any scientific or engineering fact, but I feel safer with AWD in wet conditions, too.