Ford Freestyle - Taurus X

stever

Heat is hard on batteries so that's the first thing I'd want checked (even if it is relatively new). Or maybe just a bad ground?

Let us know what the dealer says.

Steve, Host

saram

I will let you know as soon as I get it back what the dealer says.
Take care
Still lovin the FreeStyle !

dave2222

ANT14, ive heard conflicting information from people inside ford on whether or not the Freestyle is staying. You being one and another person ive talked to says that he knows it wont be surviving an entire life cycle. If the edge is going to be a C/D class midsize what will replace the freestyle as the midsize/large crossover. I unerstand that you cant go into specifics by the very nature of the business, but any information is helpful.

globecanvas

My mother in law rode about 200 miles back there (no jokes, please) and she said it was surprisingly comfortable (we have the leather seats which she commented on specifically). We could converse normally from the front seat.

guy21

I certainly wouldn't tell her, but with the leather interiors (SEL, Ltd.) the third row is vinyl according to the sales brochure.

figueroafamily

I don't recall the ratios, but I went from home (NJ) to visit family (FL) and back. I also did several travels within FL, one of them carrying 5 adults, a teen and a K-gartener. Don't forget all the baggage to visit Busch Gardens, plus souvenirs .

Only once (for about 5-10 seconds) it felt underpowered. Out of 4,000 miles. And that was because CVTs are slower "off the line" than a n-gear transmission. Once the CVT is revved up, it's clobbering time. (And thus the Pacifica-for-lunch 8.5 sec times.)

I've been near home in the situation of stepping on the pedal to merge into a road between two vehicles, trying to beat the latter. By the time I turn my head from merge to road, I must press the brake to avoid whacking the first car. By that time, Freebie's in the 40+ MPH range. Impressive for such a "huge" vehicle with a "minuscule" engine. :surprise:

Granted, we shouldn't go "mano a mano" (Spanish lesson: hand-to-hand, as in combat) with a Hemi Magnum. At least not until Cyclone (Duratec 35) is out. Perhaps it'll need the Torotrak IVT too.

Of course, even a 5-passenger H-Mag can't be as fast as carrying all 7 people in one shot. :P

Sam

figueroafamily

Plan for a regular intro to the MY2006 Freebies. The current model is 2005, and entered alongside all MY2005 vehicles. (There was a glitch that delayed deliveries, but that's negligible.)

I didn't see much change, other than color changes. There was a talk of heat/cool seats (like Mercury Monterey), but seems it ain't so.

Check out the ordering info for MY2006: fordaxz.com guide

Hope that helps.

Sam

barnstormer64

The best way to feel the acceleration of the Freestyle (other than flooring it) is this:

1) Speed up to 70 mph
2) Set cruise control to 70 mph
3) Hit brakes
4) Slow down to 45 mph
5) Hit RESUME on the speed control
6) Hang on!

Actually, every Ford cruise control I've tried (which basically means Taurus, Freestyle, Five Hundred) has behaved this way. The RESUME very quickly revs up the engine and accelerates like crazy to get you back to the preset speed. Far faster than I'd do it myself.

tgambee

well after many calls to Crutchfield hoping for an adapter to use the aux button on the stock radio, and many frustrations with the belkin tunecast (1 and 2)... I did a hardwire job. Honestly it took me 15 minutes at most.

here's what you do. (I'll be overly thurough for the novices out there)
1. order a fm modulator off ebay. I got the ANABA AVFM2. they are going for $25 (after shipping) on ebay right now. (example: 5789649960)
2. when it arrives pull off the drivers side plastic cover near the floor (start by the front of the passenger seat and pull out - nothing will break), then pull off the daash panel by openning the top glove compartment and pulling on the panel - again no screws, no breaking - it just slides out. I removed the air bag light wire just to get it out of the way.
3. unscrew the 4 screws holding in the radio.
4. unplug the orange antenna wire from the back of the radio, then plug in the wire that comes with the modulator, then plug the orange wire back into the female jack that comes with the modulator.
5. pull the end of the antenna adapter through the side panel that you removed earlier and lay it on the floor.
6. replace radio and 4 screws (you may have to bend the new antenna wire to a 90 degree angle like the orange wire to make it fit.
7. while the dash panel is still off, I used little wire connectors (look up scotch locks on ebay to see what I used, then go to autozone to pick some up for $2) to connect the power leads to the back of the cig. lighter power leads; black on black (if the other wire doesn't match colors don't worry, just connect it). ignore the instructions about power antenna leads. feed wire down through floor side panel
8. replace any wires that you temporarily disconnected and dash panel.
9.connect antenna connector, power connector, and audio connector that comes with modulator to the modulator itself. set the frequency you want to broadcast on based on the instructions. make sure you use a empty channel in your area because once the car is on, this thing is transmitting even when not connected to an audio source.
10. there is an empty area in that side panel closer to the seat that the black box fits neatly into. place the box in there and leave the audio cable hanging out on the floor, tuck the other wires in.
11. replace side panel.

viola!

Enjoy. Tony

johnclineii

All that works and works well, but a direct connection would not need the modulator. It's a shame Ford labels an AUX on the radio, but has no provisions for an AUX IN. I'd love to have Sirius on my Five Hundred without using an FM modulator (and the commensurate loss in sound quality).

Why oh why no AUX IN? It's not just Sirius, but IPODS, etc.

magdad

Here here! With no tape deck my XM is sucking over FM. I knew there'd be a sound quality loss, but dang.

428cj

I did not notice any road noise in the third row. It is comfortable. The stadium seating makes it easy to see ahead and view the DVD.

It is nice to be able to reach back to the area behind the seat for things and not have your head against a back glass. Also, the power port and cup holders are handy. The rear air system is very good, although Ford products have long been known for having the best air conditioning available in cars.

I really like how the third row folds backwards with the rear hatch open to provide shaded seating and viewing at my kid's soccer practice.

northlakes

Perhaps add a step between 2) and 3) that says, "Makes sure no one is behind you." Just a thought.
:shades:

webbcam

The only frustration on my SEL AWD was the inability to plug in my iPod.

I tried (two) FM modulators but felt that the sound quality (crackles, static) was terrible.

I searched for aftermarket iPod adapters and found several models. Unfortunately none of them will work with the Visteon 6 CD changer that I have. Apparently the AUX input is for the DVD player and the manufacturers of the iPod adapters have not yet been able to get them to work.

I looked at aftermarket stereo replacements and found several options that would work. The most elegant solutions (Alpine) are very expensive ($500+).

I decided on an Aiwa unit from Crutchfield with a mini plug AUX input on the front panel. I paid $99 for the head unit (Model CDC-X304) $10 for the wire harness and $15 for the face plate adapter.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-zGAbveUlwAr/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&I=055CDCX304

It took about 20 minutes to install and sounds much better (in my opinion) than the Visteon unit. The trim adapter includes a handy pocket (that I plan to place the iPod in) and is cosmetically satisfactory. The only drawback is that the steering wheel volume control no longer works (I wasn't using them anyway).

This ought to work to improve the sound quality for those using satellite radio.

regards,

webbcam

ANT14

You can say the Fairlane concept will cover all bases for the most part. And it's good to give Mercury something specific as well. The Freestyle doesn't alter that much, since it's a station wagon 500 for the most part. And the Edge will have a bi of a different mission as well.

dgulino

Manuals from Helm are pricey, but these are the actual factory service manuals. What you get from the aftermarket places like Chiltons are never as thorough, in my experience. Plus, keep things in perspective. You just spent $25,000 or $30,000 on the car! You're now balking at spending another $150 to get the service literature?

northlakes

The August, 2005 issue of Popular Science has a nice article explaining all of the new automotive technology (in simple terms, no less). A picture of the Freestyle is next to the part on CVT transmissions.

By the way, did you know that Ford is using a CVT with its hybrid Escape SUV? On a related note, Lexus (Toyota) is using a CVT on its hybrid RX 400 :shades:

northlakes

I also like the fact that the Ford part numbers are in every diagram. You can go to the parts department and give them the number for a screw if you wanted to - saving time and errors. :shades:

puckyhuddle

Just curious - how did you arrive at the premise that a bench is better for two car seats?

vrm

I had read some posts on the forum which stated that a bench seat was better suited for two car seats.

If you disagree with this, please let me know. I eager for some feedback.

Thanks!

428cj

The bench seat actually folds MORE FLAT (or FLATTER) than the captains chairs. It does not have the console to deal with or a no-console gap if you do not have the console option.

The bench is comfortable for adults. They also benefit from the nice Freestyle entry height. It sits just right and is two inched higher than the front seats. Also, either side folds flat and makes a nice armrest or a table for my kid to do his homework on the way home. The conversation mirror makes it easy to keep an eye on him to be certain he is doing his homework instead of watching a DVD with the cordless headset that is included.

barnstormer64

"Apparently the AUX input is for the DVD player and the manufacturers of the iPod adapters have not yet been able to get them to work."

This is correct. Apparently the radio works on the CAN (Controlled Area Network), and you need a device (like this particular DVD player) that also uses CAN so that the radio will recognize it.

barnstormer64

"By the way, did you know that Ford is using a CVT with its hybrid Escape SUV? On a related note, Lexus (Toyota) is using a CVT on its hybrid RX 400"

Hybrid's basically HAVE to have a transmission like a CVT. Why? Because they have to work in reverse as generators to charge the batteries.

tim156

Your absolutely right. I've been thinking about this since my last post and have decided to purchase a manual from my dealer parts dept. or Helm, which ever is less expensive. I plan to keep this vehicle well past the extended warranty so a complete repair manual is a necessity. By the way, I spent $24,006.00 for mine.

jethrojackson

For folks like northlakes and dgulino who are familiar with the Helm manuals, could you provide some more insight on how the manual is laid out....pictures, step by steps on how to do certain things or is it all text based?.....the helm.com site is pretty vague.

Also, would you say that the manual (specifically the one below) is more for fixing things that have broken or would regular maintenance schedule things be covered as well. I'm more interested in doing my own maintenance and not sure if this is the right manual for me to purchase.

2005 Five Hundred/Montego/Freestyle Workshop Manuals
Price: $145.00
Part # FCS1394905

Thanks!

JJ

globecanvas

We have the bench seat (in leather) and we move 3 car seats around between the 2nd and 3rd row, depending on what else we're carrying and how insistent our 5 year old is that he wants to sit in the "way back". It's very easy to move the seats around, though note there is no LATCH anchor in the middle of the 2nd row bench, so if you do have 3 car seats in the 2nd row, the middle seat needs to be seat-belted to the car instead of LATCH anchored.

I have ridden on the bench in the {parent/grandparent} {parent/child/child} {child} configuration and it's perfectly comfortable, similar to the front row in fact.

The bench folds flat, in a plane with the passenger seat and 3rd row (a plane that's pitched toward the rear in an interesting study in optical perception).

globecanvas

... also, the bench gives a lot more flexibility with 2 car seats, because you can put one in the middle and one behind the driver, and still be able to fold 40% of the bench down to access the 3rd row. That's probably the reason given before for preferring the bench with 2 car seats. If you had the capt chairs, you'd have to remove a car seat to access the 3rd row.

northlakes

A hard question. In general, if your definition of maintenance include diagnostics and troubleshooting, noise/vibration/harshness analysis, detailed disassembly and reassembly procedures, body repair procedures, and repair tool info, the Helm manuals may be for you. If you are interested only in oil changes, brakes, and light bulbs, they are overkill.

The Helm manuals are full of line drawings (think pen and ink-like), tables, and step by step directions. That is not to say every description is perfectly clear, but I found the manuals to be fairly accurate overall. They do go into excruciating detail for engine and CVT teardown, which hopefully you never need to deal with. But, disassembling a door or air intake or brake system for repair can be useful. In other words, there are pages you will never use, and some you are glad you have. You will learn much more about how the various parts of the Freestyle operate, part numbers of each part (down to a screw) and even the color of the transmission fluid (blue-green). Hope that helps. :shades:

puckyhuddle

I am getting the second row with captain's chairs and will be using two car seats. We didn't get the 2nd row console, so I figure access to the 3rd row seat can be via the space between the chairs. I think given the option of either a LATCH mount or a seatbelt mount, LATCH is probably preferable. So I'm not sure if the bench has any advantage, assuming you use LATCH for both.

I'm figuring captain's chairs will probably be a better option when the kids are out of car seats. It keeps them separated, and I can add the console so they'll have a place for their things.

Honestly, I don't think it really matters which one you go with with respect to car seats. I think your choice should really be governed by whether you need to fit 6 pass or 7 passengers.

tpbc

Clicking noise on acceleration at 10 mph approxMy 2005 Freestyle SE has a slight but obvious clicking noise upon acceleration at about 10 mph. Worried that it might be the transmission (CVT). Happens 100 % of the time on first use in morning but only about 10 % time after car is warmed up. Ford Dealer can't hear anything as I expected they would come back to me with this response.
Anyone else have this experience and what would you guess is the source of the noise.?
Ford service rep must have hearing problems, or does not want to deal with troubleshooting it, or thinks it is normal sound. I understand the CVT is complex and maybe dealer does not want to tackle it. Any feedback is appreciated.

harborislander

I have read comments in this forum as well as the Autoweek column from
July 18. Now I have been told by two Ford dealers that the Freestyle will be
dropped after the 2007 model year - if not sooner. Does anyone else have
anything further about this ? I was all set to buy one and now am very hesitant
figuring the bottom will fall out on value.

globecanvas

Look at that. The very definition of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Reports that low sales may terminate the model cause sales to drop.

I don't think anyone has any more information than what's already been posted here. It sounds to me like Ford plans to keep some sort of wagon based on the D3 platform, but perhaps not called the Freestyle. Because it's a shared platform, it's not like parts will disappear (the CVT is used in the Five Hundred, etc). And I can pretty much guarantee if the sales double they won't touch it, though of course Ford isn't helping matters by not investing properly in marketing the vehicle or educating their dealers about it (I knew 10x more about the Freebie than the salesman I bought it from).

Or just think of it this way, did the bottom fall out on resale value for Shelby Cobras after only a few years of production?

428cj

Harborisland, think about what you are saying. First, there are those that say they will never buy a first year car because of reliability concerns. Note: My 1980 T-Bird Town Landeau and 1990 Town Car were first-year cars and I never had a problem with either and only provided routine maintenance.

Then there are those that are concerned that a car is being dropped. All cars are eventually "dropped," but in the case of the Freeestyle, it will just be a model change. Models do change. The Freestyle is unique, but relatively expensive to make because there is no shared sheetmetal with the 500 or Montego.

The uniqueness of the current Freestyle, when they are no longer available, should keep the value relatively higher. I predict people will be clamoring for the CVT as soon as the word gets around a little more. Every Freestyle has one.

Also, Freestyle sales are trending upward. Ford will be watching the numbers. They dropped the discontinuance of the Excursion after announcing its demise when demand surged.

By the way, do you think the current T-Bird will have the bottom fall out of its value now that it is no longer being produced?

nymom

We are thinking of getting a freestyle and will sometime in the next year have three children in car seats also, do you ever have three car seats across in the middle bench seat? How do they fit if you do? Do you feel that the freestyle is roomy enough for when the whole family is along? Any feedback would be great.
Thank you

globecanvas

We have three car seats in the 2nd row most of the time. One of the main reasons we got the Freebie was so we could have all 3 kids within arm's reach of the front seats. It's plenty roomy, far roomier than the Dodge Caravan we rented on vacation recently.

van8

Fortune Magazine (Fortune.Com)Friday July 22,2005 says Ford is contemplating cutting 30% of white collar work force and dropping the Freestyle because it is taking away from explorer sales. The article says this wonderful, well designed car is headed to the automotive graveyard with the Thunderbird and Lincoln Navigator.
The article implies that Ford Motor is in total disarray.
Maybe you should buy a Freestyle while you can because soon maybe the car will not be available.
I have a Lincoln town car and a Freestyle. The Freestyle is a terrific vehicle that is well designed and well engineered. My wife and I fight over who is going to drive the freestyle and the Lincoln sits in the driveway. I am thinking about buying another Freestyle before the car is hard to find and i have to pay up for it!

ranger2001xlt

I agree that if the Freestyle is discontinued, it will do nothing but help it's resale value. Suppose they only make 90000 this year and another 100000 next year, that is a very limited quantity for the used car market. And from what I have seen, I don't believe Ford has sold these vehicles to fleet companies yet (Hertz). That would hurt the resale value of a Freestyle more than dropping the product line. Does anybody have the actual counts of how many Freestyles they made in the 2005 model year?

I really think that if the Freestyle will be dropped it's because of the introduction of the Mercury Meta One concept vehicle at that time. And you could always pick one of those up in a few years and probably get 30% better gas mileage to boot.

This D3 platform is the best handling platform I have ever had in a larger car. I can't fathom Ford not utilizing this chasis within it's American product line for their family customers.

johnclineii

Even if the Freestyle (on its current platform) IS dropped, and it looks like it will be, a Mercury riding on the same chassis is due to be introduced in MY 2007. The Chicago plant workers have been told that dropping the Freestyle should not affect their jobs. People who want a current chassis Freestyle should still have the option of buying the Mercury.

Meanwhile, the NAME Freestyle will probably soldier on, but on something else, perhaps completely different. I wonder if THAT is a mistake...At least the too similar Freestar name is to be dropped, from all indications.

The person who said that Freestyle sales are hurting Explorer probably hit the nail right on the head. I bet the Mercury version of the current Freestyle is MUCH more expensive....and it will give Lincoln Mercury dealers an exclusive they weren't supposed to have otherwise...

lulu54usa

In the last week, I have seen more and more freebies on the road. The other day on my ride around our rural NJ town, I saw three. More and more people are discovering this great vehicle. As for myself, I have almost 8,000 miles on my AWD SEL and I love it as much as I did when I got it (if not more). :shades:

barnstormer64

"The person who said that Freestyle sales are hurting Explorer probably hit the nail right on the head."

They should just drop the Expolorer and replace it with the Freestyle!

428cj

There are a few Freestylees available at Hertz, but not many. I rent from Hertz every week and never got one. Last week I specifically requested one in Portland, OR and they agreed to hold one for me. I went to the car in the Hertz Number One Gold space with my name and it was a Freestar. I went to the desk and they said they did not have any Freestyles. They gave me an Explorer.

looking4help

thanks much to everyone who responded to my questions a week or so ago. I am just about ready to buy a FWD SEL. Options include front row comfort package, DVD (ugh), leather and aux climate control. Dealer is quoting 26,175, the price I got off of ford's website. Any thoughts as to good or bad. thanks for any input.

van8

Fortune .Com article dated Friday July 22,2005 states that" the managers who were given pink slips this week worked in Ford's public relations operations.".
It seems to me that that is a good place for ford to start laying people off. The public relations with respect to the Freestyle have been a disaster.

Unfortunately with the rumors now rampant that the freestyle is to dicontinued who will want to buy one? Ford now needs (soon) to hire some new public relations people who understand the Freestyle and be honest with ford Consumers about the future of the Freestyle.

428cj

I saw a Ford ad in the paper today offering $50 if you test drive a Freestyle. I hope this works. Once people look, they will appreciate the overall value.

The Freestyle is driving the automotive press crazy because they can't conveniently classify the vehicle into one of their pigeonholes. They just will not accept that it is a new breed of vehicle with loads of utility, the best safety rating and some very forward technology inside.

A note to Lee Iacocca. I took your advise. -- I did find a better car than a Chrysler, and I bought it.

barnstormer64

"The Freestyle is driving the automotive press crazy because they can't conveniently classify the vehicle into one of their pigeonholes."

It's the Five Hundred Wagon, plain and simple.

Sure, it's different than most wagons. Kinda like the Five Hundred is different than most sedans.

nitromax

The Freestyle is driving the automotive press crazy because they can't conveniently classify the vehicle into one of their pigeonholes. They just will not accept that it is a new breed of vehicle with loads of utility, the best safety rating and some very forward technology inside.

The press has been so caught up in the SUV craze that they don't know a REAL wagon when they see it. Everyone seems to think that only the SUV term will sell vehicles.
It's sad really. It's a great wagon....WAGON...there, I said it.
:-)

lenw

I just got my second oil change (10,000) and the oil change place could not figure out how to reset the oil life indicator. I have a Limited AWD and it has the reset on the steering wheel.

It says to use the set-up button to run the system test and then at that time oil life comes up on the screen press(pull) the setup and reset together when the oil life comes up.

I have tried this about a dozen times and it has not reset. Can someone give me the secret?

figueroafamily

I'm in northern NJ, and seen several as well. They're getting more prevalent. Cool.

van8

An Article in Auto Week 12/3/04 titled Ford Fights High CVT Costs may give some clues as to why there are rumors of the Freestyle being discontinued. The article points out that the euro appreciated 60% against the dollar since 2000 and since the transmission was engineered by a German supplier ZF Ford experienced a tremendous cost increase that it has tried to deal with by using American suppliers. The article also indicates that Ford's plans for the transmission are down 75% from the Jac Nasser era when there were plans apparently to sell the CVT transmission to other auto manufactures.

van8

I believe you are on to something important. This car is a new bread with very high safety rating, good rollover test results, a wonderfully engineered transmission and is matched with the right engine for fuel economy. This car and its transmission took years to develop. Fords alliance with ZF to build the transmission is a fascinating story. The question is is it the press or Ford that is not getting the message out? I have an ad Ford recently ran and it did not turn me on to the Freestyle.
I discovered the Freestyle in a parking lot while I was waiting for my wife. A lady pulled up next to me in a Freestyle and I could see immediately it was an interesting new car. It appeared to have a lower center of gravity than most SUVS on the road and the lines of station wagon yet the cargo space of a SUV. I have a 1989 Country Squire that I am looking to replace so the Freestyle instantly appealed to me. I asked the lady how she liked the car and she smiled and said she loved it. She proceeded with a great deal of enthusiasm to show me all the great selling points of the car. My wife came out and looked at the car and also loved it . We went to the local Ford dealer and took a Freestyle for a test drive and loved it. We bought a new Freestyle that afternoon and now fight over who is going to drive this wonderfully engineered vehicle.

It wasn't the Ford dealer that sold us this unique new vehicle it was an owner! This car has to be sold or it will just be lost in amongst all the other vehicles at new car dealers inventory. Salesman seem to want the manufacturer to come up with a car that sells itself. That usually requires radical appearance changes and not mechanical things that make a car a better vehicle. I believe chrysler is doing these radical appearance changes.

The development of this vehicle and its uniqueness are an interesting story. Ford should get the story out rather than abandon the vehicle as is rumored. They have a winner but they don't seem to know it! A lot of good planing and engineering went into this vehicle and to give up at this stage of the game is going to be a very costly mistake.