Three problems related to underbody shield have been reported for the 2004 Ford Freestar. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Ford Freestar based on all problems reported for the 2004 Freestar.
The panel that the latch is bolted to was corroded and came of leaving no place for the latch on the drive's side to attach to.
I was rotating my tires and noticed that inside each rear wheel well there was a panel patched in from the factory that was rusting terribly, with the drivers side being much worse and almost completely falling off the body. With some further investigation I discovered that the panel actually holds the anchors for the rearmost folding seat. As I stated, the drivers side is almost rusted off the car and there is a giant hole that is letting water and snow inside the van and ruining the carpet and padding. I frequently carry multiple children,some in child safety seats, and could not imagine what would happen during a collision if the rear seat anchor were to separate from the van. I seriously hope that there is some kind of recall, as this vehicle is not yet 10 years old and the rest of the body is still in great shape. This is not just a surface rust issue, it is a safety hazard to anyone owning this type of van and the manufacturer should be held responsible for fixing it as I'm sure the repair is not easy or cheap.
3rd row seat would not latch on the driver side of the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was determined that the anchor used to attach the seat has completely rusted and is no longer functioning. The rust is from the tire well and the tire is visible from inside the vehicle. The 3rd row seat is now unusable and unsafe.