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Ford Freestar Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • nadinebnadineb Member Posts: 190
    Message 941 from vebbie may hold an answer for you. I have pasted below. Good luck....you're gonna need it with the Freestar!

    greetings and hopefully some good news for fellow victims of soggy PCMs and power loss and transmissions that won't go into reverse and $1000 fixes that don't work.
    I too experienced all of the above, had the PCM removed and the Ford service fix for the problem installed only to get 350 miles and be stranded by the same problem.
    Mechanics were at a loss to figure out the source of the water infiltration and the next step was to be a new wiring harness. turns out the new repairs were more than the "trade-in" value and I was reluctant to dump it on an unsuspecting private buyer.
    So I figured if I was going to junk it I would just try to find the water source myself.
    I followed the instructions for getting to the PCM by removing the wiper arms, special puller required, about $15 at most auto stores,don't try to pry, you'll wreck the pivot arm, removing the outer cowling, couple of screws and pops off the windshield side, removed the inner cowling, 10 screws. you'll have to remove the wiper fluid lines and connector to the wiper motor to get good working room and lift off the whole assy. just take your time and don't make things worse. or give this fix to your mechanic.
    sounds difficult but actually only takes about 30 minutes if you have all the metric sockets.
    now the PCM is locate under the dash on the passenger side. there is a 40 pin connector that has a mounting bolt that you can see from the engine compartment. carefully remove that bolt and the connector will back out so you can remove it. mine had water dripping out. Its not a good thing but don't panic yet.
    there are 2 nuts that hold the boot cover over the PCM. you'll need a deep well socket or nut driver to remove them. 7/16 works but its 10mm metric.
    pull off the cover and the PCM will pull out of its bracket. my replacement had water in it too. shook it out and gently heated witha blow dryer on low.
    now carefully, reach inside the hole where the PCM bracket fits and feel if there is any moisture on the interior above where the PCM was installed. if it's wet I know your problem. The tubular cross member that supports the firewall is full of water.
    Ford uses foam like Great Stuff to fill that tube, probably for sound deadening.
    on my vehicle, both ends were foamed and the middle was not.
    I removed the clips that hold down the outer cowling and there was an inch or so of water in the tube. the clips are not water tight and the gasket on the cowling make a nice dam to hold water on the clips and over many years the tube gradually fills until its gets to the cover plate over the PCM and you get stranded..
    I pulled back the insulation in the middle of the cross member. drilled a 3/8 hole at the bottom using a cordless drill to keep from being electrocuted. and watched the Ford fountain spew out. I drilled holes on both sides as well and used them as blowout holes with my compressor. water blew out everywhere. I put a small heater on the areas and after 2 days and several blowouts the chamber is dry.
    you'll need to dry out the PCM and connector. not too hot just drying it out low blowdryer. check the gasket around the pins on the PCM and make sure it is around all the pins. this is the seal to prevent moisture from getting into the connector.
    to test you can just slip the PCM in the bracket, install the boot and carefully install the connector and start the car. My trouble lights all cleared and the car ran fine.
    if all is good reassemble in reverse order.
    I purchased new clips from Ford and siliconed all them in. I thought about filling the member with foam but opted to just leave the middle hole for drainage.
    My thought is that the crossmember was supposed to be entirely filled with foam.
    There would never had been the internal leak if it was filled.
    I think some were and some were not would explain why we had the problem and others think the Free Star was the best car ever.
    Best to a
  • rsmithjr42089rsmithjr42089 Member Posts: 3
    I am a newb at cars, but does anyone have any pics or description of what vebbie posted? What is the firewall?
  • nadinebnadineb Member Posts: 190
    NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has the TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) posted. Web page below. It may help to make some kind of sense out of the mess Ford created with this vehicle. You should look at the page quickly before Ford attempts to get the page removed.

    http://nhthqnwws111.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Public/Pursuits/20- 10/PE/INOT-PE10033-41489.pdf

    Best wishes.
  • rsmithjr42089rsmithjr42089 Member Posts: 3
    So I completed the instructions that vebbie left on the messae board in response to the wet PCM....well long story short: it failed. My PCM was not wet and had water marks on the connector and not the PCM itself...I drilled the holes and no water was in it...well there is a TINY bit but it was NOT wet behind the PCM. Still I put the PCM in the oven on 100F for an hour and a half, placed the connector under a heat lamp (120watt) overnight and had the pcm under a high power fan all night as well....connected it all back up (broke the housing, but it is just the housing....nothing some superglue cant fix) put everything back together and.....still runs badly upon acceleration and loads....all spark plugs and wires replaced in July this year AND LAST WEEK by a mechanic....they "said" that the coil "looked" good, but the more I research the more I think I need to replace the ignition coil, as it may be cracked underneath where they cant see it :(
    I have a feeling that the PCM (when it WAS wet...the connector that is) destroyed the ignition coil (or caused my misfires and THEN caused the crack in the ignition coil).
    Question: How many misfires are required to kill the sparkplug? I JUST replaced them last week...with GOOD ones too!
    Thanks!
  • bobbijobobbijo Member Posts: 9
    If you check out the link in message 1331 it ALSO mentions a water issue with the transaxle vent. When I read that I was so excited that I even called my husband at work--we were SO frustrated because we are having trouble again after sealing the PCM and replacing the transaxle (& we have also completely replaced the spark plugs & wires, & then specific wires, & then the complete set up--coil, spark plugs & wires--Due to constant misfire problems--grrrr!!!!) Anyway, I had never heard of this transaxle vent/water issue before--only the PCM--but this makes a whole lot of sense! We thought that we had done everything we could do but our transaxle was, again, in the very early, intermittent, depends on the weather, dying stage but now I'm hoping that the early 'transaxle pains' from my less-than-a-year-old transaxle are really just more misfire problems from this leaky vent thingy-ma-bob!!!!

    Wow! That will probably only make sense to another Freestar owner! Can't wait to get under my hood and see what I can see! Good Luck!
  • getmet_95getmet_95 Member Posts: 1
    I was pulling into an intersection and the same thing happened to me!! I lost all power and the van would not engage in any gear. For all i know it really wasn't in park. I was almost hit by a vehicle because of the loss of power in an intersection. I too have filed a complaint with the NHTSA. Something has got to be done!! This many complaints is to much!!! :mad:
  • korardekorarde Member Posts: 4
    email the National Highway traffic safety administration http://www.nhtsa.gov/jsp/email/email_nhtsa.jsp or call them at 1-888-327-4236
    to report that your Ford Transmission is slipping out of gear at highway speeds. They are doing on a investigation on this right now
  • korardekorarde Member Posts: 4
    email the National Highway traffic safety administration http://www.nhtsa.gov/jsp/email/email_nhtsa.jsp or call them at 1-888-327-4236
    to report that your Ford Transmission is slipping out of gear at highway speeds. They are doing on a investigation on this right now
  • korardekorarde Member Posts: 4
    email the National Highway traffic safety administration http://www.nhtsa.gov/jsp/email/email_nhtsa.jsp or call them at 1-888-327-4236
    to report that your Ford Transmission is slipping out of gear at highway speeds. They are doing on a investigation on this right now
  • vern8vern8 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2004 Freestar, has 125K miles, ran fine until now. I took a long trip of about 1500 miles over the past weekend from Detroit to Phili (throught the hills). The van ran the first half of the trip OK. While driving back, I had the tran warning light on. Whenver I stop and put the van in either drive idle or park idle, it was shutting down the engine. I had to restart and proceed with the trip. Came back home safely, but I am wondering, if that is a majaor issue. BTW, before the trans light cam on, the check tire warning came on a couple of times and I had to reset it.

    I would really apprecite any info on this issue.
  • shoman44shoman44 Member Posts: 2
    Great after reading all this i think my trans is going, i bought mine in feb this year and the trans is harsh shifting from reverse to drive, sometimes delays 5 seconds. I only have 80,000 on mine to, i hope they do a recall for the tranny's. If not im selling mine and buying something else.
  • oilandwateroilandwater Member Posts: 50
    As another year comes to a close, this issue appears not to be a "safety" issue in the eyes of the government yet (maybe one day), therefore there will be no recall, just a Ford TSB...your better off trading your car in or just selling it out right, you might have to wait a long time not unless one of the lawsuits goes somewhere.....
  • doodlealldaydoodleallday Member Posts: 31
    I received an e-mail from Stephen McHenry (NHTSA investigator) who is currently conducting an investigation of problems with Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey transmissions. He asked if the repair shop indicated what part failed (my repair shop specifically told me the torque converter was cracked). Also asked did I have copies of repair receipts. He asked me to describe any dangerous or unsafe situation the failure created. I promptly answered him and told him that Ford Motor Co. was unresponsive to the situation only that the warranty period was over and nothing they could do about it. So perhaps they are taking a very hard look at the Ford and Mercury situations. Let's hope so.
  • marcies9marcies9 Member Posts: 5
    Just had my car towed off the Garden State Parkway and taken to a transmission shop. Van suddenly went out of gear while I was driving 70 miles per hour. Luckily no one was with me and I was in the right lane. There was no shoulder right away so I had to coast to a stop. I had a transmission fail on a previous Voyager with warning signs such as going in and out of gear. There was no warning here and no warning lights indicated. I am waiting to hear the damage as I write this. I tried to click on the link above to alert the NHTSA but the link was broken...
  • marcies9marcies9 Member Posts: 5
    Could you send me his e-mail address to marcies9@comcast.net. I may need it as well. Thanks!
    Marcie
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Posting third-party email addresses is prohibited in the Forums. Here is a link to where you may file a safety complaint with NHTSA: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
  • marcies9marcies9 Member Posts: 5
    Heard from my car repair shop that the incident I described yesterday was indeed the transmission. As someone who is not working full time, this news was not the best with the approaching holidays. The cost to repair the transmission is $2300, and I am without a vehicle until next Wednesday. Since I am in a carpool and substitute teach, this places a major stress both financially and emotionally. I am just glad that no one was with me and that I was driving in the right lane when I realized there was a problem. After hearing about the prevalence of this issue with Ford Freestars, I have filed a complaint as recommended and e-mailed a rep from NHTSA with the details of the occurrence.
  • marcies9marcies9 Member Posts: 5
    thanks for the info!
  • jccrawfordjccrawford Member Posts: 18
    I received an email from the NHTSA rep also. He asked the same as above. I'm hoping this goes somewhere. My transmission went out the day before Thanksgiving and we were leaving for Disney World that following Monday. This left us with no ride to/from the airport and all of the money we had set aside for the trip had to go to the new transmission ($1953). What a disaster! Luckily, the trip was paid for in advance but we still had very little money when we got there. The part that really made me mad was the fact that when I called Ford customer service, the guy was rude. I told him that I filed a complaint with NHTSA and his response was, "Well, if you already did that, what do you expect us to do?" He only sweetened up when I started talking class action law suit. I will be filing a complaint here in DE with our AG's office. If you google "ford freestar class action" you will find several suits already filed. I have e-mailed the lawyers for these suits, and hope everyone else does the same. This is unacceptable and Ford should be held responsible!
  • jccrawfordjccrawford Member Posts: 18
    The transmission guy advised me that Ford is well aware of the problem and that they knowingly used an aluminum pin instead of steel....knowing that eventually, the aluminum would give and the transmission would fail. He had just replaced the trans in the same vehicle a week prior to mine.
  • nadinebnadineb Member Posts: 190
    If it is true that Ford knew the pin would fail, it is fraudulent and criminal. I believed that my life was at risk while in this vehicle. I have been trying to find information as to how a recall is issued. Ford basically told me that it was none of my business how the process works, and it was between them and the government agency.
  • nadinebnadineb Member Posts: 190
    I am from DE, too. Are you interested in going to DC and protesting in front of NHTSA?

    I would encourage you to phone Senator Carper's office. They have been working on this issue for me. Please let them know.
  • nadinebnadineb Member Posts: 190
    Any interest in organizing a protest?
  • jccrawfordjccrawford Member Posts: 18
    I will do whatever is needed to make Ford pay for this problem. Can you post Senator Carper's contact info so I can contact him?
    If you look at the complaint summaries on the NHTSA website, you can view all of the documents pertaining to the investigation. The lead investigator sent a letter to Ford on Nov. 16 requesting a bunch of info such as the number of warranty claims they've had for this issue. Ford has until Jan to respond, so I'm hoping a recall is made at that time.
    Thanks.
  • wlb3116wlb3116 Member Posts: 1
    Count me as one of many who have had the same problem with the AX4N transmission. On my way into town I stopped at a traffic light, when I went to accelerate, nothing but revving of the engine. I have 89K miles on it. I found out this a common problem with this type vehicle. NTHSA is doing a work up towards a possible recall. At present it falls on me to get it repaired. Since Ford knows of this problem I fail to understand why they place faulty parts as the consumers responsibility. I am having it repaired at a Ford dealership so it can not be said that I failed to maintain. Hoping for the recall. I would like to know how I join the class action suit against Ford.
  • sjtdadsjtdad Member Posts: 11
    It has been almost a year since our '05 Freestar tranny died at 52K miles. Our Ford dealer had serviced the tranny at 35K miles. The torque converter had come apart they told me and sent metal throughout the transmission. We ended up paying $3700 for a rebuilt Ford trans with a 100K mile warranty. The dealer service manager said that they'd seen no problems with these transmissions--yeah, right--and said Ford would offer no help. I want in on this lawsuit too. I used to be a Cadillac service manager in the 80's so I know the squeaky wheel will eventually get some grease, but I don't expect to ever see $3700 worth. Anything back would be nice though. How can we help show our bills that were not warranty claims??
  • jccrawfordjccrawford Member Posts: 18
    The transmission shop told us the same thing...the torque converter had shattered and sent metal throughout the whole transmission. My understanding is that the class action lawsuits cover anyone owning a 05 Freestar. However, I have found 3 separate lawsuits and would be happy to add one on to that. The investigator from NHTSA asked if I had detailed bills for the repairs, which I do. I'm hoping to get something back also.
  • nadinebnadineb Member Posts: 190
    I am very serious about organizing a protest at NHTSA. The week before and the week after the holidays are what I have in mind.

    This issue needs some attention from the news media, and I believe that this is the only way to let them know we mean business. We need to be heard, we need them to resolve this situation, and we need them to fix this wrong.

    If any of you are willing to take part, please post on the list, and we can continue this dialog. Regards.
  • hardwickianhardwickian Member Posts: 1
    2005 Freestar Tran died same as the rest I read about I'd like in also
  • coneflower1coneflower1 Member Posts: 15
    I am interested in the protest as well. I guess this would be in the DC area?
  • oilandwateroilandwater Member Posts: 50
    This was the old design before they changed over to the Freestar/Monterey design, however, one person was killed when the axle broke, family called it stealth recall.
    The recall impacts nearly 575,000 Ford Windstar models for model years 1998 through 2003 and produced from September 1997 through February 2003. Ford said the recall is for Windstars currently registered or originally sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

    Ford told the government that corrosion over time can weaken the axle and, when combined with stress, can lead to the axle breaking. A Ford spokesman said the company had received a small number of reports of fractures that "affected vehicle handling."

    "Corrosion and stress can lead to cracks, which if undetected can propagate and result in a complete fracture of the axle. Consequence: a fractured axle can affect vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash," said the recall. The states were chosen because they are ones where corrosion is quite common, said the Ford spokesman.

    Ford also warned, "A completely fractured rear axle may lead to loss of vehicle control. There may be little or no warning to the operator before a cracked rear axle completely fractures."
  • bnkg04bnkg04 Member Posts: 1
    i also have a 05 freestar the transmission went out at 85000 still to low of mileage for this to happen. i had no warning or anything. it left me and my daughter stranded on the side of the road until the tow truck came and then i had to call a friend to come and get me, thank god for cell phones. i would like to know how to get in on this lawsuit that everyone is talking about if anyone could help me i would appreciate it.
  • jccrawfordjccrawford Member Posts: 18
    I don't know about the lawsuit, but you can file a complaint with the NHTSA. There is an open investigation with them about this problem.
  • remo2remo2 Member Posts: 1
    my 2004 Freestar has 127000 km .i drove it in to my yard,no trouble.Next day i went to move it nothing just rev up as if not in gear.I had it towed to ford garage he informed me would cost 3500.00 $ to replace trans.& ford would do nothing to help.I have had many fords in my lifetime but i think our relationship may come to a end.
  • trevlinetrevline Member Posts: 1
    I am joining the club, my 2004 Freestar transmission died Sunday after Christmas while I was on my way to my mom's house with my daughter, my brother and his wife, and 4 dogs. It was about 15 degrees out. Called my brother and step dad to bring two vehicles to pick us up.

    So, we got it towed to the Ford dealership where we bought it from a year ago. The van has 74,000 miles and when we bought it last August it had 54,000 miles, that gave me a whole 20,000 miles with the van. Ford looked at the van, diagnoses: bad transmission; for a new transmission it would cost $3,500 to fix if there are not additional complications while they're replacing it. They gave two other options; a transmission with 60,000 miles on it or a transmission with 120,000 miles. Though why would I trust a transmission that has close to the same or more miles than what mine has.

    At this point we felt it may be a good idea to work a deal with the dealer. There best offer was to give us $2,500 trade-in on the van that we paid $9,500 for a year ago, and no deal on a new car, this was today on new year's eve when I thought they had year end sales. In other words they did not attempt to help us with anything so were having the van towed to Aamco to have the transmission rebuilt hoping it will be less than the quote ford gave me. And to get our van out of there they tried to charge us $200 for the diagnoses, until my wife threw the credit card on the table and complained about the price. The cashier asked if we would like to speak to the manager, she came back and our bill changed to $94.

    So, I would like to be part of the law suit. I filled out a form at the website of Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller & Shah, LLP Is this the place to go?
  • jccrawfordjccrawford Member Posts: 18
    If you haven't done so already, it would be good to file a complaint with the NHTSA. They have an open investigation and more complaints may help them to force a recall. You can file a complaint on their website.
  • transtroubledtranstroubled Member Posts: 3
    After reading ALL these posts I feel a bit better, but am now becoming angry.
    Our 2005 Freestar has been towed three times. The first time in it was a TCM issue--yes water!

    The dealership: " We found water in the connector--the module is OK."

    The next time (about a month later), my wife pulled in to pick up our two daughters at day care and after a restart no movement. Engine ran fine but absolutely no transmission engagement. Torque converter failure--replaced under warranty--barely!

    Third time: symptoms like all the rest--sputtering, failure to shift smooth, stall, wild tachometer....
    Dealership: Failed TCM--water again. "We siliconed the housing to keep water out." Me: "Why is the water getting in?"

    Today, after about 6 months of normal operation, the van stalled on highway with no warning. All the same symptoms are back--stalling, engine and trans lights on, sluggish shifting, wild tachometer.......

    It is now out of warranty and I'm not sure what to expect. I'm faced with either limping in to the dealership AGAIN or towing it--probably will take both efforts! I'm VERY interested in a class action suit or anything I can do to get Ford to recall. Please advise.
  • shocked1shocked1 Member Posts: 85
    Well, good luck along with the other hundreds of lemon owners. :lemon: I submitted my complaint 2 yrs ago....and NOTHING. Replaced 1 trans. 2 yrs ago... and will happen again soon , was told it would. F O R D sucks!!!!! W ILL NEVER EVEN CONSIDER A FORD NEXT YEAR WHEN WE PLAN ON A NEW TRUCK OR CAR!!!!!!!!!! FORD ====== :lemon: & :sick:
  • tyecherrytyecherry Member Posts: 1
    I totally understand where you are coming from!

    My 3 kids and I were driving home to Ky from Ga when our 2006 Freestar gave out in Spartanburg SC. As with everyone else no forwarning!

    Luckily I was able to get off the interstate and coast into a gas station parking lot! My kids were terrified (they're 12, 10 and 8)! We had to wait 4 hours for my brother and dad to get to us; by then I finally got a local wrecker/service company to get the van out of the parking lot!

    Just spoke to mechanic: $1800 for rebuilt trans or $2100 for used!!!

    Like everyone else I owe more than what it's worth! I have filed with Nhtsa

    any other suggestions?
  • nadinebnadineb Member Posts: 190
    File a small claims suit in you home state.
  • wpongratzwpongratz Member Posts: 1
    Same problem with our Freestar. Will take part in this complaint
  • herb1957caherb1957ca Member Posts: 1
    Ditto for my 2005 Freestar with 100k miles. It was running fine and after pulling away from a stoplight; transmission just started slipping ( 100% slip ) and from there the story is the same. Haven't spent the $3500 yet - will probably scrap the car. My 2000 Windstar did similar at 30k+ miles. So I bought a new 2011 Sienna. I'm a Toyota man now.
  • scott210scott210 Member Posts: 1
    Ditto for my 2005 Freestar. I was driving down a road in January, and it just went. I had to coast to the nearest place, and had to walk over a mile to get to somewhere with a phone. Only had 54K on it, called the dealership where we got it, and he told me "lady, I have a 2008 Taurus in here with 35K with it's transmission shot, so what are you whining about?" Called Ford customer service and they told me they couldn't help either due to the mileage. So it sat for over a year because we couldn't afford to get it fixed since I wasn't working. Finally got it up and running again, but now it's starting to have other problems.
    NEVER again will I buy a Found On Road Dead. I'm a die hard GM customer from now on!! :confuse:
  • camelknees33camelknees33 Member Posts: 9
    It is doing the same thing. It stalls when I am driving with no warning--I am a single mom, and I had four kids in my van!!! I took it to a local shop who could not find anything wrong with it. I got it back, and it started to do the same thing again except for it had major slippage. My transaxle light would come on and blink and then just turn off. The tachometer would surge if I put it in drive and my foot was NOT on the gas. It was very strange. I do have a used car warranty that I purchased when I got this van (8/28/10)--yep, only had this van for a short time. So it should be covered--Aamco has already filed a claim for it. I am printing out these posts to show that others are having similar issues--I don't want them to blame me for this going wrong. Ugh.

    Does anyone have a link to the complaint/suit that they can post in a more recent posting?
    It would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
    Tamara :lemon:
  • fordctfordct Member Posts: 2
    My wife and I own a 2005 Ford Freestar (78,000 miles). This morning (1/20/2011) on her way to work the car lost power without warning. What she explained to me over the phone I suspected it was a problem with the transmission. We had it towed to the local Ford Dealership in Vernon, CT. Mechanic inspected the vehicle and said the 'torque converter' was shot and would cost $1,700 to replace. The other option would to replace the entire transmission at a charge of $3,700. I explained to him that while doing research about that this seemed to be a common issue with this specific model year Freestar and he claimed this was the 1st Freestar he has ever had with a failed converter...YEAH RIGHT!!! I'm not sure if I want to repair the vehicle or get rid of it all together. also there is a class-action suit currently filed with this same issue.
  • fordctfordct Member Posts: 2
    My wife and I own a 2005 Ford Freestar (78,000 miles). This morning (1/20/2011) on her way to work the car lost power without warning. What she explained to me over the phone I suspected it was a problem with the transmission. We had it towed to the local Ford Dealership in Vernon, CT. Mechanic inspected the vehicle and said the 'torque converter' was shot and would cost $1,700 to replace. The other option would to replace the entire transmission at a charge of $3,700. I explained to him that while doing research about that this seemed to be a common issue with this specific model year Freestar and he claimed this was the 1st Freestar he has ever had with a failed converter. I not sure if I want to repair the vehicle or get rid of it all together. Honestly, it's been nothing but issues with this car. Brakes changes 4-times.....tires bald unevenly (been through 3 sets)...had axles replaced with 17K on vehicle. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD AGAIN!!!!!
  • transtroubledtranstroubled Member Posts: 3
    Well I'm sure the service writer has no conscience. We traded our Freestar in 2 days after my post. We now own a Chrysler Town and Country. Although I understand your comment I will still buy Ford vehicles. I have owned many great cars, trucks, and vans all made by Ford--I LOVE MY MUSTANG! However, the winstar/freestar experiment was not a good one. Perhaps that is why they do not make a minivan anymore!? FoMoCo I hope you are reading this--you KNOW that van has transmission problems-MAN UP!!!!
  • goodbellegoodbelle Member Posts: 1
    I, too, have a similar story to all of you. I was driving home from work and without warning lost all ability to move. The van was still running but there were no gears working. Needless to say had the vehicle towed and mechanic states the pump in the transmission went out. Transmission needs replaced. It will cost over $2500.00 (plus labor) to fix. That is almost as much as I owe! I have also had to replace the passenger rear rotors and breaks each year. This is the worst investment my family has ever made. Needless to say it was 12 degrees out and I had my young son when we were stranded along the side of the road.
  • camelknees33camelknees33 Member Posts: 9
    My van is currently in the shop for the hydraulic pump going out on my 2004 Freestar. I purchased a warranty though when I bought it in August last year, so it is covering all of the repairs ($2500) except for my $50 deductible and a $25 charge for a filter that was not covered by the warranty. I tell you what--if I did not have that warranty, that van would be sitting in my driveway for a VERY LONG time. I don't understand why Ford makes such crappy vehicles. Is it that they want to make sure people have job repairing the crappy transmissions????? I am a single mom of five kids, and we were all in the van when the van stalled and I could barely get it pulled over. Very scary--it was also raining and at night.

    Does anyone know of a lawsuit pending for the transmission on a 2004 Freestar?
  • companyman01companyman01 Member Posts: 3
    Happened to us two years ago...needed a new tranny. Dealer gave us the same story - 'never seen it before'. I wrote to Ford letting them know I had been buying Ford for company vehicles for 15 years and had two in my garage now, but they couldn't care less. Going Honda next time...

    Anyone know of a class claim to join?
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