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Comments
Was that the first of 2010? If so, please provide more information. I am aware of an accident that was reported in 2008 or 2009 on this website that was attributed to this defect as well.
Sadly, you are correct. It is all about the $$$$$. As for me, I will never put a price on the heads of my family and I refuse to sit idly by while Ford does so, not only to us, but also to the hundreds of thousands of other victims of this defect.
Keep up the good work. You are an asset to our cause.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
I found that there were twelve (12) injury reports filed with NHTSA. The most recent Date of Failure was 9 Dec. 2009 which had three injuries, and the earliest, if you can believe the date on this one is 1 January 1901. Ten of the reports are in the 2004 Model, one in the 2006 Model, and one in the 2007 Model.
The number of complaints filed with NHTSA for transmission and other failures is growing so fast. The figure is well over the four hundred (400) mark now.
How many miles on the vehicle?
Just looking for a gut check here. I have a 2004 Monterey with 70k on it and a 75k extended warranty. I've been following this thread after finding it due to an unrelated transmission issue.
I have the urge to sell the van when the warranty runs out to avoid the trans. issue but my wife thinks I'm being overly cautious and should just stop reading this forum. Our van is paid for and we really don't want a car payment but I'm thinking family safety is more important. Anyone want to take sides and help me make a decision?
Thanks!
Ted
PCM could be a problem later - check condition see post 941.
Transmission - may fail after warranty runs out. See if you can purchase a new one to cover it. May be less expensive than a new vehicle. You could start saving for the new transmission.
Personally, I would replace the van if I had children it would go fast. I was extremely frightened for my safety in our van. My van failed while I was entering a high speed road way. It failed on my husband during rush hour on I95 leaving Philly.
You decide.
Ford could take a lesson from Toyota. Unprecedented action that they took. That is yet one more of the many reasons my next 2 vehicles will be Toyotas.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Did anyone else get a better look at the segment? It was on Rick's List.
I was researching the powertrain control module problem and found a DaimlerChrysler publication from February 2004 for Dodge Ram Pick-up Trucks. It states,"The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) electrical connectors on about 70,000 of the above trucks may allow water to enter into the connectors. Water and the resulting corrosion in the PCM connector can cause the speed control and /or transmission overdrive function to become inoperative."
They also continued to state that if you already paid to have it repaired, send the original receipts and/or other adequate proof of payment for reimbursement. Hello Ford give me back my money for your defect!
to contact our local media "consumer report department", and refer them to this
site......just maybe someone will tackle this story?
problem. Please do it exposed them!
Barry
The contrast is quite remarkable. The cowards at Ford lie, obfuscate, mislead, and deny, while Toyota acknowledges, engages, and fixes the problem.
Toyota gets it. Ford does not. Toyota gets my business. Ford does not.
Ford had my business and my endorsement for 25 years and blew it with their handling of the Freestar issue. The truly sad part is that Ford does not care. A loyal customer for 25 years and they turned away from me and my family in an instant.
Ford put my family and thousands of others in harms way by marketing a family vehicle based on its safety rating. This defect almost cost my family their lives and likely will cost someone their life before all is said and done.
What a different course this could have taken had Ford done the right thing.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Personally, I am done with Ford. They have poorly handled this situation in order to protect their own company at the expense of the American people. It will take Toyota years to come back from this financial crisis, but at least the company has some honor. Ford on the other hand would rather keep families in peril driving these vehicles. I seriously doubt that they even have any engineers working on these issues. Unlike Toyota, Ford seems to be able to handle damage control by controlling the media.
The other problem I see is NHTSA itself. They do not seem to have any standards for opening investigations. If the American public does not take a stand, they seem to turn a blind eye on situations until too many people die and the public cries out in protest. Out of all the automotive companies, NHTSA seem to protect Ford the most when they appear to be the most UN-AMERICAN!
If Ford is our last hope for an American company, we are all doomed! There is a saying to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Well, Ford since I understand that Ford's philosophy is.....Let'em crash and burn..........................
Many years ago I owned a Plymouth wagon which had many problems early on. The local dealer would not do a thing so I wrote Plymouth CEO and within a week the district manager met me at the dealership and they fixed everything on my list. That was then and this is now but what a difference "corporate greed" makes.
Talk about speaking with a forked tongue. Mr. Mulally needs to drive a Ford Freestar!
I teach my kids every day that, at the end of the day, honor and integrity are all that you have. Once you lose either in the eyes of your family, teachers, friends, public, etc., you can never get it back.
Ford has demonstrated, clearly, that they don't have either honesty or integrity and likely never will. As for Toyota, your situation not withstanding, they have taken the first step in what will likely be a long journey back. The key is that they took the step. I intend to be one of many who will take that journey with them.
In contrast, Ford came to that very same crossroads and decided to to take a quick left turn and bailed out, slithering off into the darkness.
We have said over and over in this forum, what a different end this story could have had. Instead of a classic tale of redemption and lessons in honor to pass on to future generations, it is a tale of hubris, greed, and fraud.
What a shame.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Again, however they got here, Toyota is stepping up in a HUGE way.
Ford, in stark contrast, has not.
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Sometimes the car runs fine - other times I feel like I am fighting it will everything! Feels like the car is "tripping" if that makes sense...
We had some mechanics look at it - try replacing sensors etc - and they finally said that the dealer needed to run diagnostic. They told me it is the Hydraulic Control Unit and it has to be replaced (of course not covered on my powertrain warrantee) for about $2700-$3000.
My car did once just turn off while I was driving last fall (not raining at the time) and I was basically told it was a fluke. It started back up but VERY scary! I am afraid I am going to experience what some others have posted here!
Good luck.
Can you update me on what you were able to accomplish through the Virginia Attorney General's office?
Thanks in advance?
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD
Ford and NHTSA need to get the message!
This is an interesting question, but I personally do not think that it was the technicians tweaking the vehicle. My problem with the vehicle has been documented in other vehicles, except other manufactures have repaired the defect in order to prevent crashes unlike Ford.
I believe that if I had taken my vehicle to the dealership first instead of my trusted mechanic, then I would have a new transmission. Instead, taking it to the dealership, I received an abundance amount of emotional stress fearing for my safety, large bills for unsatisfactory repairs, and towing costs, too.
I'm a web developer and I'm currently developing a website to take action against Ford by making other Freestar and Monterey owners aware of this problem and pointing them where to go to write Ford, the NHTSA, their congressional leaders, etc. Anyone willing to help put a website together by providing links or news, articles or even a quote or story about your situation can email me at edspader@gmail.com.
I never took my 2005 ford freestar to a ford dealership for any kind of work. All my work was done by 3 or 4 different shops or stations.
Never the less, my transmission failed one bright sunny 100+ degree August day, during a slight drought period, at about 75K miles, on the entrance ramp for the 70 MPH Dallas Tollway.
Have a little more faith in your fellow man. I don't think a dealer wants to go to jail, and ruin sales for the ford products he sells, just to make a few hundred bucks. Why should he take the risk... the transmission's will fail anyway, without his taking any risk!
In my opinion, unless you have a close friend at a dealership or auto repair shop,
there will be times when SOMEONE there will lie to you about what was wrong with your car JUST TO MAKE THEIR MORTGAGE/RENT MONEY FOR THE WEEK.
60 minutes has ,on record, lots of investigative reports that show how their hidden cameras have caught mechanics "TWEAKING" cars to make the customers think something is really wrong with their car. IT'S CALLED THE SURVIAL GAME OR GREED, and it happens even more during rough economic times.
Again, in my opinion, IF YOU TAKE YOUR CAR ANYWHERE, and that mechanic has not made enough money to pay the mortgage or the utility bill due the next day then I bet you over 50% of them would NOT TELL YOU YOUR FUEL PUMP FUSE WAS BLOWN. 50% of them would tell you they had to replace your fuel pump for a total cost $450.00.
Do you own test. Take your good car WITH NO PROBLEMS to several shops and tell them it over-heated three times last week and now it won't start after you drive it for a while and it gets hot. See how many check it out and tell you nothing is wrong. If none of them are your close friends, I'll bet you more than 50% of them will tell you "It's a Blown Head Gasket, which is MAJOR MAINTENANCE, and will cost you anywhere between $1000 and $2000 depending on they type of vehicle and what they think you can afford.
This same principle drives this country to lead the world in unnecessary surgeries. A surgeon can NOT make his money to support the lifestyle he/she is used to if they always tell you what pill or natural herb to take to cure the problem. In their biased opinion, surgery will always be the recommendation in most cases.
So, in summary, it is my opinion, that all the FREESTAR transmission failures ARE NOT ALWAYS A MAJOR COMPONENT FAILURE. I'll bet most of them are simple things like broken linkages, clogged filters, blown fuses, bad PCMS. But to demand $3000 to $4000 they will most likely tell you it was a MAJOR FAILURE!
The dealer service department is where the real money is made at a dealership. It's not on the sale of vehicles. As a business, the service manager has financial goals that they need to meet. There are unscrupulous ones out there that will try to sell you items and service you don't really need. Unfortunately, these people survive because most people are ignorant when it comes to their vehicles.
Last fall I had my truck in to the dealer for a whining sound from the rear end. They could have stuck me with a $2K-$3K bill for a new rear axle. However, they said it was most likely the tires. I replaced the tires about a month later, and the noise was gone. A couple of weeks ago I had the same vehicle into the dealer for what I thought was a squeaky serpentine belt, but could have been the belt tensioner as well. So, I had them take a look. I told them that if was the belt, not to do anything, since that was something I could easily do on my own. They said the tensioner was fine and that it was just the belt. Again, they could have nailed me for a $200-$300 repair, but didn't.
So, they aren't all crooks.
When you start losing your customer base, you will lose the company. Strong product, strong company.
(Especially for Ted) I know it is frustrating (and at times dangerous) when these things happen. But everytime you get in your car you take on some risk. I think you can't dwell on it, and you can't avoid it. If you dump the van, you may get something that has another problem....like the toyota that keeps going! Every car has it's issues, but most of the time it is the driver that causes the worst accidents. We were lucky, ours failed on a city street, coasted to the side and towed it to the dealer.
I realize that Ford is a business, and they didn't do this to us on purpose. Things have to run their course, and go through the proper investigations and decisions. I used to work at the highway department, and guard rails wer not placed until the 3rd fatality. I know that sounds harsh, but they can't afford to place them everywhere, so depending on the traffic, etc., there are "standards". My brother died in an accident, and after his, a guard rail appeared. The accident had nothing to do with vehicle failure. It can happen. If you worried about everything, you'd never leave your home......and then a plane can land on your home. Just be aware if you loose the transmission, instead of breaking, coast to a safe spot. Once it happens, you have no power. And then, make the report, repair your car, and keep the receipt!
I hope all failures are like ours, flat land and not much traffic!
Please do file a complaint with The Center for Auto Safety. They ask if you want to be a part of a class action suit. Make it easier for the attorneys to find you!!!