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http://www.autosafety.org/sites/default/files/ComplaintasFiled6_8_10.pdf
Trans Axle warning light came on. Took it in and same problem everyone else is having. Transmission has to be rebuilt because of this. Approximately $3,000.
Looking into Class Action Suits and contacting Ford. In the meantime need get it repaired.
Since two class action suits have been file, Ford may not be willing to do anything to help anyone. This is where an attorney could come in handy. Contact one of the attorney who filed the claims and see if they can give you any advice.
The attorney general of your state may be able to help, too.
Good luck.
I believe that most of the design flaws with this vehicle should be recalled. Please write to the attorney general, NHTSA, and file a complaint with the Center for Auto Safety.
Best wishes.
Has anybody else had this? It doesn't seem to affect the car's operation, although it's rather unpleasant.
Thanks,
EP
please if anybody needs me to cooperate with singing a letter to file a complain to Ford i will do it .....It's unsafe for a family to have a minivan like this....
We were on family vacation with our very nice '04 Freestar, 83,000 miles on it. Purchased June 10. battery went on the way OUT for vacation... (the original factory battery was still in it!), and then on the way back home the transmission just SHUT OFF. We live in northern Ohio, but our van is stuck in Augusta, Maine. We are now without a vehicle, and as long as we don't have over 3,000 bucks, the van stays there.
I need info on this class action lawsuit. Where can I go to get this info? When did it start? When was it filed? I am at my wits end, because I am concerned that this local dealership won't help me.
The car gave me no problems before that and it just would not go forward. I have read all of your posts and it would seem that Ford would have done a recall on the vans. Wonder if someone should call a news station an report it. Ford does not seem to want to help. If I new how and who to contact I would do it.
I have always like Fords and have nerver had a problem until this one. I really need some help. Any suggestions.
The dealership has ways of helping. Ford didn't like it, but they helped me the first time mine went. Mine has now gone twice, so get it fixed if you can get their help, and get out of that van as quickly as you can. I am in the same boat with owing more on it than it will ever be worth, and now have much more cash into it than I should. Ford needs to face this problem head on, but they are not. It doesn't say much for the American auto industry. My next car will be foreign engineered and produced, I am that disgusted with the issue.
I feel so bad for Singlewkids. Ford provides secret warranties through the dealerships. Ask Ford how a recall is made on a vehicle. See what they tell you. Keep fighting for what you know is right!
It has been replaced and works great now. However, we did take out an extended warranty on the rebuilt transmission.
From what I've been able to learn is that it is due to inadequate heat treating of the input shaft. This could happen a couple of ways. 1). Ford decided to save a few bucks and skimp on the heat treating. 2) Ford specified the correct level of heat treating, but their supplier decided to make a few extra dollars and skimped on it. In this case, Ford's QA staff should have caught it.
, either from the heat treatment or just poor raw materials.
"The AXOD and its successors are built in Ford's Van [non-permissible content removed] Transmission plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Production of the final member of the family, the 4F50N (a renaming of the AX4N), ended in November 2006."
Youtube video shows Ford's tranmission plant, even with the torque converter robot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7v96lPKbds
An automatic transmission creates a lot of internal heat through friction: the friction of the fluid churning inside the torque converter, friction created when the clutch plates engage, and the normal friction created by gears and bearings carrying their loads.
It doesn't take long for the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) to heat up once the vehicle is in motion. Normal driving will raise fluid temperatures to 175 degrees F., which is the usual temperature range at which most fluids are designed to operate. If fluid temperatures can be held to 175 degrees F., ATF will last almost indefinitely -- say up to 100,000 miles. But if the fluid temperature goes much higher, the life of the fluid begins to plummet. The problem is even normal driving can push fluid temperatures well beyond safe limits. And once that happens, the trouble begins.
At elevated operating temperatures, ATF oxidizes, turns brown and takes on a smell like burnt toast. As heat destroys the fluid's lubricating qualities and friction characteristics, varnish begins to form on internal parts (such as the valve body) which interferes with the operation of the transmission. If the temperature gets above 250 degrees F., rubber seals begin to harden, which leads to leaks and pressure losses. At higher temperatures the transmission begins to slip, which only aggravates overheating even more. Eventually the clutches burn out and the transmission calls it quits. The only way to repair the damage now is with an overhaul -- a job which can easily run upwards of $1500 on a late model front-wheel drive car or minivan.
As a rule of thumb, every 20 degree increase in operating temperature above 175 degrees F. cuts the life of the fluid in half!
At 195 degrees F., for instance, fluid life is reduced to 50,000 miles. At 220 degrees, which is commonly encountered in many transmissions, the fluid is only good for about 25,000 miles. At 240 degrees F., the fluid won't go much over 10,000 miles. Add another 20 degrees, and life expectancy drops to 5,000 miles. Go to 295 or 300 degrees F., and 1,000 to 1,500 miles is about all you'll get before the transmission burns up.
If you think this is propaganda put forth by the suppliers of ATF to sell more fluid, think again. According to the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, 90% of ALL transmission failures are caused by overheating. And most of these can be blamed on worn out fluid that should have been replaced.
On most vehicles, the automatic transmission fluid is cooled by a small heat exchanger inside the bottom or end tank of the radiator. Hot ATF from the transmission circulates through a short loop of pipe and is thus "cooled." Cooling is a relative term here, however, because the radiator itself may be running at anywhere from 180 to 220 degrees F.!
Tests have shown that the typical original equipment oil cooler is marginal at best. ATF that enters the radiator cooler at 300 degrees F. leaves at 240 to 270 degrees F., which is only a 10 to 20% drop in temperature, and is nowhere good enough for extended fluid life.
Any number of things can push ATF temperatures beyond the system's ability to maintain safe limits: towing a trailer, mountain driving, driving at sustained high speeds during hot weather, stop-and-go driving in city traffic, "rocking" an automatic transmission from drive to reverse to free a tire from mud or snow, etc. Problems in the cooling system itself such as a low coolant level, a defective cooling fan, fan clutch, thermostat or water pump, an obstructed radiator, etc., will also diminish ATF cooling efficiency. In some cases, transmission overheating can even lead to engine coolant overheating! That's why there's a good demand for auxiliary add-on transmission coolers. "
I just got email from NHTSA that they are investigating this and asked about my specific problem (mine was the torque converter). All those who have been cheated by Ford and whose family's safety was compromised on should approach NHTSA. I know the justice is not done yet or not sure if we will even receive one but it is worth a try.
I was driving down the freeway & lost all power. The tach was going from 1-5 & I had to pull to the side. I had to be towed. The car has less than 90,000 miles & I have kept the car in top shape. I always made sure I did correct maintance on the car.
Im getting the run around by Ford in Roseburge Oregon they just want to tell me the maintaance that should of been done on the vehicle that wasnt done on it is the reason it failed me ..A vehicle that doesnt have excessive wear and is drove easily should not have done this.. Iam very disappointed in the Ford dealer amd in this car,I will not buy another Ford vehicle again .. freestarmom
Ask for a hearing too!
I have been following these forums and I have had the same problem with my 05 freestar...water damage to the PCM. I completed the TSB for sealing the PCM, and the damage has caused me to replace sparks and plugs twince within the past 4 months...the first time I had no other issues until a downpour, which dried up and ran fine....until now.
We had a massive rain storm where we live a week or so ago, the van was horrible...had the plugs and wires replaced again (they were fried) BUT the problem persists...so now I am pretty sure I need to replace the PCM. My question is thus: Is it possible to replace with a used PCM, of course ensuring it is from the same model and engine? If I can get away without having to talk to another ford mechanic again and spend wasted money I will. I have found the PCM online, but I need to know that I will not need to have it programmed etc, as long as it comes from the right model.
Any help is appreciated