Noises During Shifting problems of the 2004 Ford Freestar

The vehicle started shifting roughly and within a matter of hours, failed to move when in reverse. I took it to my mechanic and after inspecting, water was found in the transmission. The transmission had to be pulled and rebuilt. Approximately six months later, I heard a whinning noise then a clicking when accelerating, coming from the left front side of the vehicle. I took it in to be inspected and once again they found water in the transmission, which was not covered under the warranty.

I have a 04 Ford Freestar that continues to have transmission problems. It started early around 40k. Fmc service stated “just a leak�. Repeat complaints equaled “nothing found, etc, etc�. Beginning last year it would lose power and backfire while the transmission would not engage and almost caused my wife and daughter to be broadsided when she tried to pull out in traffic and the van did not go forward. The transmission would slip and not engage to second gear. I took it to aamco and paid $1800 to have it fixed. They said they had to basically replace everything. Now, a year later and it is doing it again, but this time by not engaging into second gear, it caused a person behind me to get hit in the rear because he thought I would turn as a normal car would, but I couldn't accelerate due to the trans. Additionally now it will shudder, shake and lose power at 40 to 50 mph. It is not even drivable as I tried to go out to the store today and it made terrible noises and shook like crazy when put into reverse. Tried to go up my driveway and it shook even harder and made terrible grinding noises in drive, 3rd and 1st gear. Does not matter what position the shifter is in, it has problems. Looked at the dip stick for the trans and it is rusted showing that obviously now some type of water is in the system too. I am disabled and on a disability income and do not have the funds to have this repaired again. Ford will do nothing for it unless of course I want to pay to have it rebuilt at $4000. This van is a danger to all on the road and luckily no one has been killed as a result of it not pulling out into traffic as it should. Please force Ford to buy back these vans and refund the expenses of people who had to pay to have it fixed. For me, it looks like it is going to be a double trouble problem. I do not know what to do, I know it will just break down again if I do have it fixed. The van needs to be taken to a junk yard and crushed to save lives.

We were driving in the outskirts of town at about 40 mph or so, getting ready to slow down when I tried to accelerate but I couldn't. At first, I thought I had not brakes but I was able to brake. I parked the vehicle and tried to shift the gear in reverse to see if it would work. The vehicle was running but I could not drive or reverse. I turned the vehicle off and I restarted it but it wouldn't budge. My husband & I had to push the car to the side and wait for someone to tow us back to town. The engine was still working as we left the air conditioner on due to the heat outside. We had recently had the alternator repaired, now the mechanic we had look at our vehicle stated that the transmission is no longer working. This vehicle has 77769 miles. There was no warning that the transmission had given out. No noise or warning to let us know that it would leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere. From what I have read online, we are not the only people who this has happened to. Our vehicle is now no longer under warranty. I have the vehicle parked and it will probably remained parked until I can afford to purchase a new transmission. I am still paying for this vehicle.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. When attempting to drive, he cold not shift the vehicle into any of the gears. Prior to the failure he heard a very peculiar noise. The dealer was notified, but because the warranty expired he was not provided with any assistance. The failure mileage was 83,000.