Ford Freestyle Transmission Failure
We purchased a 2005 Ford Freestyle SE FWD on 12/31/2004. No trailer towing. 90% of the miles are highway type miles with just my wife in the vehicle. Garage kept. Dealer serviced. We find the Freestyle to be a great design and have been totally happy with it until....
At 15,000 miles the transmission has totally failed and must be replaced. As my wife left a parking lot on a green light she heard a noise that sounded like she ran over something but saw nothing in the road. About 2 miles up the road the vehicle failed to go at a green light. A red wrench idiot light came on in the dash. She managed to get off the road. She called me and the dealer, then a tow company. When I got there a stream of lubicating fluid was running down the shoulder of the higway. Freestyle has been in the Ford dealer's shop for one week waiting for the new transmission.
Dealer Service Rep. says it is the first Freestyle he has seen with a totally destroyed transmission. The force of the failure was enough to crack the housing allowing all of the fluid to leak out.
The dealer did agree to provide a rental car.
So we wait.
At 15,000 miles the transmission has totally failed and must be replaced. As my wife left a parking lot on a green light she heard a noise that sounded like she ran over something but saw nothing in the road. About 2 miles up the road the vehicle failed to go at a green light. A red wrench idiot light came on in the dash. She managed to get off the road. She called me and the dealer, then a tow company. When I got there a stream of lubicating fluid was running down the shoulder of the higway. Freestyle has been in the Ford dealer's shop for one week waiting for the new transmission.
Dealer Service Rep. says it is the first Freestyle he has seen with a totally destroyed transmission. The force of the failure was enough to crack the housing allowing all of the fluid to leak out.
The dealer did agree to provide a rental car.
So we wait.
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Comments
The bottom line is imports have lots of problems too.
You seem to be very angry! ---- Lets examine the facts. 1.) The American vehicle manufacturers want to win back the American vehicle buying public. In order to accomplish this task, they need to be better than the foreign vehicles. 2.) Toyota does have transmission issues now, and sludge issues in the past. They better clean up their act or they will loose their image in the marketplace. 3.) Honda had transmission issues in the V6 Accord. They also had A/C compressor issues and radio display issues in the 2003 Accord. They should also clean up their act if they want to maintain their image. Here is the all important question. The automotive world has been manufacturing automatic transmissions since the late 1940s. In those years the functions of the units were controlled by hydraulic circuits. Now we have computer command controlled units, but the job of the transmission is basically the same. Have we as a people, forgot how to design and construct an automatic transmission? I do not care what name plate in on the vehicle. The American buying public deserves a product that is well designed, tested and properly manufactured. There is no reason for massive brake, transmission or sludge problems. Don't the manufacturers test their products prior to placing them on the production line? It is not a foreign vs a domestic issue! All the vehicles have issues, but when you consider the price of a new vehicle today, we as consumers, deserve better quality for our hard earned dollars. I want to purchase an American name plate, but when I see transmission issues or brake issues on a new vehicle, why would I want to put myself into a cycle of vehicle visits to the selling dealer, and still make the high monthly payments. I am willing to do the necessary maintenance, and I understand that nothing is perfect, but I would like some quality in a new product as I drive it off the dealer's lot! This is not an attack on the American manufacturer. ----- Best regards. ----Dwayne
From my perspective, someone who's neutral regarding this matter, I didn't see anything in bdyment's response that would indicate he is angry. He also was just stating his points as you have clearly done. Both of you are entitled to your points of view. I have read some of your other posts regarding the Freestyle and believe you have made your mind up to not buy one based on the points you have stated, which is fine for you. But other people should also be able to state their points in favor of the Freestyle and buy one if they wish.
I have found, however, that import owners are less likely to complain about their vehicles faults than North American drivers. This is why I take Consumer Reports with a grain of salt.
I certainly agree with you that any manufacturer should be able to produce a long lasting smooth shifting automatic transmission. I think they are trying to eke out that last fraction of mpg. and their software is confused resulting is a rough shifting or hesitant action. This is the major complaint of the 2007 Camry V6 owners.
You could spend a few thousand more for the Honda Pilot (for example), but then you'll have a vehicle with less interior space. Or you could buy the Freestyle and pay $1500 for an extended service plan for 7yrs/100,000 miles zero deductable like I did because like you, I was concerned possible transmission issue, but when I bought the Freestyle two years ago, it was the only vehicle out there with an adult-sized 3rd row. Today there are other options with the Mazda CX-9, Saturn Outlook, Mazda5, a new Kia, etc.
Again, if you're not buying the Freestyle because of the transmission, what else are you looking at and what's important to you? Space, features, quality, MPG, handling, size, cost, etc....
The Freestyle is only sold with the CVT.
The (job2) 2007 Freestyle with the 3.5 engine will have a six speed, no more CVT.
"In 2005 the AWD had the CVT but the front wheel drives have a 5 speed automatic."
I'm afaid not.
Every Freestyle ever made has the CVT.
Ford gives you a rental automatically if you have the extended warranty. Otherwise, if it is under base 36k mile warranty only they make you wait until they decide they're going to cover it under warranty, which could be up to a week.
We're waiting for the other shoe to drop. I figure as long as the car is under the extended warranty (which I bought after that fiasco) it's ok. But at $5k a pop for a transmission, the first time it croaks past 6 years old the car is history. Needless to say I am not impressed.
Something is amiss here. The manufacturer is required to make any required repairs to items covered by warranty, regardless of the amount.
The repair slip on our Freestyle transmission replacement shows a total cost of $3500 plus the rental vehicle. I was told the replacement transmission was factory brand new. Our dealer said that Ford would not provide a rental, so the dealer supplied one. I have no idea if Ford reimbursed them or not.
We are really happy with the Freestyle but this early transmission failure makes you question the quality and destroys credibility in the product.
also its a SPECIAL CVT ONLY fluid, you can be sure only Ford dealers will have on hand.
Mark.
Just saw a write up on the 2008 version. Seems they are not including a CVT anymore. Any one know why ?
Thanks
Deasun
Over 20K+ on her and shes running fine. Dogs love the back end
the CVT uses an expensive chain from LUK in Europe and as the $ falls against the Euro the trans becomes to expensive.
Ford wants to close the Factory that builds CVTs.
Ford found that planatary gear trans like the new 6F gets similar fuel econ as a CVT but cost less to build and to own. (No fluid change every 60k)
Some people have a negative reaction to the way a CVT feels on the test drive.
Mark.
My wife has a mini which has a CVT and at first it was a bit weird to get used to.
But now both of us like it quite a bit. Oh well.
The extra power sure was needed. Tis a bit heavy for the power they gave it.
one word - Ignorance.
Why lead when you can follow with a traditional 6spd. Seems like more manufacturer's are offering a CVT as Ford takes it away. Rather than tout it as "the way forward" they bail and take the easy route. Other manufaturer's have made the CVT work with more power, there is no reason they could not have made this work with the 3.5l. Ford wonders why they are in the spitstorm they are in, it's decision's like that one that are quite telling.
I can't imagine going more than 60k miles on a CVT or the 6-speed automatic without changing fluid.
Mark.
Mark.
If they feel that way, they should get manuals. :P
I'd still be very leery of that. The last couple of cars I got were supposed to get 100k out of the radiator fluid, too. Didn't come close before it needed to be changed.
Yes, they should. Not too likely though. Can you imagine having to change gears while talking on your phone and applying make-up simultaneously?
Or for that matter, more unreliable (or problematic) than other typical automatic trannys.
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/cc/05-06fivehundred-freestyle.htm
How many CVT failures or problems have been substantiated, the article does not say. NHTSA has two service buletins related to the Ford CVTs, 10020134 and 10019914.
If you have not had problems, thats terrific. Nissan in particular is going full speed with CVTs, as witnessed in its new Altimas and Maximas.
The Metal chain in the Ford CVT is made by LUK, it is the same chain used by Audi.
The cost of this chain is apparently the problem Ford is having as the Euro climbs against the dollar, its getting to expensive. Also GM claims that a CVT provides no real fuel econ savings vs. a 6 speed transmission. Ford must be on the same track.
Planatary gear trans like the new Ford 6F that was codesigned with GM cost less then CVTs and cost less for the owner to maintain.
Mark.
I think you're a little off base here. The CVT is being discontinued because of the cost of it's manufacture. At least give Ford a little credit for having tried it. But if gas was $6.00/gal. here in North America, you'd be seeing CVT's all over the place.
Nissan is adopting them and marketing them for a reason, they work. Ford has the first application in a CUV that matched it perfectly. Did they market it, NO. Did the salespeople know what it was/is, NO, would a little education to the benefits and the fact it wasn't like all the rest help it stand apart form the rest of the CUV's coming to the party late, yes. Ford indeed made their BOLD MOVE with the CVT and are now retreating to the safe confines of what every other late comer to the CUV party has adopted and taking the safe route like a good sheep.
They are off course, have no clear plan to make themselves healthy again and won't be getting my money again unless they pursue similar class leading attributes with their solution to vehicles. If they marketed the FS and didn't have to discount it as much to move it the CVT could have been developed to take more power and placed in more applications taking a similar successful path as Nissan while being a Domestic.
Another dumb move, domestic focus developed while a wonderful eurpoean focus existed first, what sense did that make, not a financial one. They have the mondeo and Smax in europe, 2 class leading efforts that would sell well here, do they? No.
I reiterate... headed towards the rocks, taking on water, lunatics running the asylum.
If the american buying public didn't have it's head in the sand and the government was sitting on diesel technology we be seeing diesel/CVT's all over the place much to the chagrin of big oil due to the fact we'd be using less gas, but for all our efforts to conserve and be responsible they'd be sticking us with $6/gal because "demand wasn't sufficient and we spent all our record profits." There is diesel technology that takes in smog laden air and puts cleaner emissions out the tailpipe than the the air it took in the intake for combustion. No there's no special interest at work around here but I digress.
damned if you do and damned if you don't around here.
The reason for *that* is simple. The tranny has to be able to work in reverse, in order to charge up the batteries. I don't think that's possible (or involves a LOT more work) with a typical automatic transmission.