Battery problems of the 2004 Ford Freestar

I left work, got 3 parking spots away, lost steering, brakes and gas. Engine was still running. Transaxle light came on, shut off van, tried again and it drove maybe a few feet and it was as if it was in neutral. Engine light, battery light and oil light came on. Shut it down tried again, drove about 10 feet and it died. Had it towed to vip who had no answers, towed to Ford who said it there was water in the pcm. They dried it out and said give it a go. Got it home drove it one day and the next(after raining) it would not move out of driveway. It would go into gear but hitting the gas was again like in neutral. It would move maybe a few inches and then no longer. The engine light came back on and the van bucked some. Towed to Ford again and they said it is defiantly water getting in the pcm. I have been searching online and I see many people complaining about this issue. I am worried because there is another recall coming in a month or so for the torque converter and I have 2 small children that rely on that van. I can't trade it in cause they are only will to give us $1000 when we owe 6. We are without vehicle again, with my husband and I having jobs and two kids. I feel unsafe in my van, even if we are to get it fixed, we have to hope the torque converter does not go while we are driving before the recall.

Just exited intersate, van simply stopped moving forward, needed to replace transmission spline, cost 1385. 76 plus towing. Front window also stopped working, various electric problems including battery draining for no reason, locks work sporatically, damp weather causes problems with electrical, chugging of engine ect.

This is the second issue I have had with water getting into the pcm(computer). The first occurrence (03/10) I had the car towed to the Ford dealership and was advises per the obdb scan codes that the transmission needed an overhaul. I told the dealership that I had just pulled the car out of my driveway and had no reverse and had slippage in other gears, it was raining very heavily that day- I asked the dealership if it could be an issue of moisture getting into pcm(computer), the dealership said that that was not the issue. I then had the car towed to a reputable transmission repair shop, there I was told that my car was the third to Freestar to have been brought in with an issue of water getting into the pcm(computer). The owner of the transmission shop was able to let the pcm dry out for three days and reinstall with no transmission issues. The second event (04/11) happened after several days of rain; while driving to work the instrument panel displayed the following lights: check engine, brakes, abs, fuel, battery, and trans axle light. The vehicle stalled out in the middle of traffic, and I had the car towed back to my mechanic who advised that the fuel pump and fuel pump module was defective and replaced. However, the trans axle light was still appearing intermittently. I took the vehicle back to transmission shop for second time, and through careful trouble isolation, they determined that the pcu was telling the torque converter to shift into fourth gear while coming to a stop. They allowed the pcu to dry out, but then determined that the transmission module had shorted out and that it need to be brought to dealership to reprogram pcu. I contacted the dealership who stated that they are not aware of any moisture/water issues with Freestars and I advised them that I am filing a complaint NHTSA and will also forward letter to Ford motor company.

I bought the vehicle used in 2008. When traveling at approximately 60-70 mph the vehicle will suddenly jerk as if it's turned off and back on. This occurs 2-3 times on every highway trip of 15-20 miles. This also happens on shorter trips 2-3 times a week. When I start the vehicle the radio automatically turns on and resets the stations and digital clock. The battery seems to have trouble keeping a charge. Overnight the battery may weaken and the vehicle will fail to start. After the failed start all the needles on the control panel dials will vibrate and create a "clicking/ticking" noise which ends after 3-6 seconds. Subsequently, a jump-start is required to start the vehicle. I cannot afford expensive diagnostics so I simply keep jumper cables handy and plan around trips that may leave us stranded without assistance. I have maintained routine service like oil/fluid changes and have not had any reports on a defective battery. All indications point to a defective pcm (powertrain control module). I've done some personal research and found this to be an underlying problem for many issues affecting the 2004 Ford Freestar minivans. This problem has not been fixed. Due to the projected cost estimates of more than $1000 to diagnose and resolve, I cannot afford to have a mechanic work on it.