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Comments
Thanks for the message. The rear brakes are a huge issue. It is pathetic that it is taking Ford this long to do something about it. I am glad to hear you were warned before making the jump. It is an expensive proposition to replace the rear brakes every 25-30k miles. I know this is significantly more than most people get, but this is half of what I am used to getting on the life of FRONT brakes. Of course, my front brakes are going to last until 100k. Still, it is an expensive proposition.
I wonder how many other people have decided to bail on Ford due to this issue. Again, its not the fact that it is an issue; it is the fact that Ford has buried their head in the sand when it comes to this issue.
Sorry this is a rehash of what I have already said. It just gets me riled up.
I'm in California and not one of the 31 states mentioned and all Canadian Provinces.
Just wanted to share.....
Happy Motoring
I'm in California and not one of the 31 states mentioned and all Canadian Provinces."
I live in Los Angeles and I am getting the recall done for two reasons:
1. I sometimes go into the mountains in winter, and don't particularly want to risk having a door fly open.
2. If I resell the car, I want to be able to sell it to anyone, no matter where they live.
The service person I spoke with gave me static ("CA isn't one of the states being recalled"), and I was bumped up to the supervisor, who promptly said "California has mountains too", and I am scheduled to have the recall done in early December.
If you read the recall notice is says they are sending it to you in case you drive your FS into cold weather, in which case you need the recall.
I suggest everyone get the recall done.
Alaska, very cool. Is Mobil 1 0w-20 popular up there? (It gets my Freestyle through the Colorado winters.) The glass you mentioned is unusual, since glass is heavy as well as brittle.
Haven't heard of many people using Mobil up here, I use AMSOIL Synthetic and will be changing over to it when the first oil change is due.
As for the foglight issue, Ford has come back and decided to replace both units after reviewing the claim. We'll see how long these last? Hopefully this will be it for a while.
Ask around and find someone that uses the OEM parts. Code Alarm is the best anyway. These are also the only units that install without you having to come up with another programed ignition key.
OEM parts are covered by warranty from Ford. Ford will only deny warranty coverage if a covered part is damaged by a non-covered nonFord part.
Mark.
Yikes, a Ford in Alaska - did you go see Cal? :shades:
There was a Tech Service Bulletin for the Freestyle on that subject, I seem to remember. Ah yes, I found it:
Number 06-12-7 JUN 06 -- Give that number to a Ford dealership.
"Cold-starting problems: The engine may be slow to start (long cranking time) in cold weather, requiring reprogramming the PCM. (2005-06)"
for a $270 rear brake job, needs rotors and
pads. Brakes went right down to metal on rotors
and started to "Grind". 25,000 miles mostly highway.
Front brakes are at 50% life left. OK. The only
thing the tech could figure is maybe parking brake
was dragging just enough depression to not make
brake light go on. I will check this out when I
get the car back. Seems Ford has a REAL problem
here. There is no TSB I can find to address this.
I do not even want to think about going to Ford
dealer for this work, they are so expensive.
I am more than a little upset. I never had to have a rear brake job on a car until 50,000 miles or so, front always
go first. I also own a 2004 Ford F-150 and did have Ford
do a TSB front brake free pads and rotors at 30,000 miles.
This was AFTER local Ford dealer quoted $350 and did not
mention the TSB.
I do recommend all Freesyle owners pull the parking brake
lever, stick your foot under the pedal and pull toward you
just to make sure this is not the problem. To save you a
rear brake job. First warning is grinding metal, then is too late.
Ford knows they have an "issue". The Ford regional rep told me that the brake system is programed to put the load on the rear brakes more than the front in order to minimize nose dive. This causes the rear brakes to go out VERY early. Ford refuses to address this "issue". That is what they call it. It is a BIG problem costing Freestyle customers big bucks in repairs.
$270 is a good price for 2 new rotors and pads, so at least you have that going for ya. I got one rotor (my other rotor was fine) and new pads at the ford dealer for $260 which matched my lowest estimate.
I swear Ford is trying to kill this car. I hear all the time that they are going to cancel the car. Well, if they keep ignoring their customers that buy this car, then the car will be cancelled due to bad quality and unhappy customers.
Ford just doesn't care. [sarcasm on] Good thing that Fusion is such a great car because it is flying off the shelves [sarcasm off]. The Fusion is a great car, but it is competing in a class with a number of great cars. The Freestyle is unique. It provide good mpg, hauls up to 7 and doesn't look like a minivan or a wagon and hauls a lot of stuff. And the ride is sweet.
Ford has a good product; it's a shame that they can't take care of their customers and fix the problem.
Carsten
The saga started about 8-10 months ago with "dragging" and vibrating rear breaks. The explanation by the dealership was; do not worry the vehicle is safe, Ford is aware of this problem and working on a new rear pad since they identified that the problem is with the rear pad material. The new pads would be available in September.
Well, September came and gone nothing, October...nothing, in the mean time my rear breaks got worse and worse until today. When I have asked the service "why does Ford not picking up at least the repair cost" the simple answer was you are out of warranty. So what about the cost of the new redesigned pads - if they ever will be available - same answer; you have to pay for it.
Even if I like the Freestyle and hardly can find any other problems with the car after 15 months of everyday use, my trust is eroding fast. The lack of response and the delaying tactics by Ford are just too much.
I've been reading that several FS owners are having issues with their rear brakes (rotors/pads). I have a 2005 FS Limited AWD (build date 3/05) w/nearly 30K miles and have no problems with braking. The car was inspected by the local Ford dealer in April and all was well. I live in a rather hilly area and drive in a somewhat spirted manner (vehicle dynamics permitting) and the brakes have yet to let me down. The only issue I've had with the car were the tires which I replaced with Goodyear Comfortreads in August. Could it be that when the vehicle was manufactured and/or the driving style is the cause of these worn pad/rotor issues? Regardless, I am very pleased with my FS and always speak highly of the car to those who ask about it.
Regards -
M. J. McCloskey
I too have been reading all the reports about problems with the rear brakes. I have 16300 on my 2005 SE (build date 2/05) and have had no problems. There was a little dust on the rear wheels when it was new but none since. I rotated my tires last weekend, inspected the pads and there is at least 3/8 to 1/2 inch remaining on the rear pads. On the other hand, my neighbor has a 05 Limited and his rear wheels are filthy with dust. (He doesn't obsess over keeping his clean like I do). I was at my dealer and asked the tech about any rear brake issues and she quickly answered... no! I wondered why she answered me so quickly. There does seem to be a problem out there that Ford needs to address. Although, I too wonder how much is caused by driving habits. I try to anticipate having to stop and use the transmission as much as possible. It helps I'm never in that big a hurry.
Hadn't heard anything about the windows being a problem. For what its worth, my Freestyle has been trouble-free so far, although I'm starting to look at the rear brakes with unusual attention, as others have seen a real problem there.
I got the same size tires (P225/60R18) that came with the car. I am extremely pleased with the Goodyear Assurance tires - quiet, handle about the same, no difference in steering effort. Nothing negative about them in nearly 4K miles. The treadwear is 700 so they should last much longer than the Pirelli P6 tires. I obtained them through my local Ford dealer and they installed them. Hope this info is of help.
Regards -
M.J. McCloskey
ABS won't care. It only cares about differences in tire rotation speeds, not the speed itself.
Tire diameters given on www.tirerack.com show similar diameters. I'll do it next time around.
Does anyone know of a resolution?
Thanks for any info.