Transmission Failure problems of the 2005 Ford Freestar - part 2

Pe09033 & ea09-016, a sudden and unexpected loss of motive power due to an internal transmission failure in the subject vehicles. From what I understand the transmission was replaced around 50,000 miles for this same reason and now it has happened again.

Abrupt transmission failure.

While in driving in wintry conditions on NY rt 86, my wife's vehicle suddenly lost drivetrain power, sending the rpm's of the vehicle 5000 range. My wife was able to coast to the emergency lane due to the lack of traffic. The vehicle was unable to move due to the loss of transmission power. My wife and two kids were left to fend for themselves for 2 hrs on the side of the road while traffic whizzed by at 70+ mph just inches away. Ny state trooper just stopped and left offering no assistance. Finally, aaa tow showed up just before I arrived from work, to tow the vehicle to a shop. Thank god they were not struck by a drunk of distracted driver or going uphill. Do I think this is a safety issue? definitely. Picture your family driving in their 05' Ford Freestar. While slowly crossing a set of railroad tracks in traffic, the transmission fails leaving the vehicle unable to move. The driver panics struggling to figure out what's wrong, shifting gears, trying anything. Then the gates go down signaling a train is coming. Your families vehicle and maybe the family behind theirs are trapped. Your family may not have the time to get out. What if you have two or more children in child safety seats. Could you imagine trying to decide which one gets out first. I can think of many scenarios in which the vehicles ability to operate is a serious safety issue. I can understand somewhat that parts can wear out on vehicles 10-15 y/o, but not on vehicles less than 5/4 y/o. Even the mechanic in the tiny town in NY knew just what the issue was when he saw the vehicle. This issue is not new, the problem is known. I am sure Ford is not about to depart with $$$ voluntarily to fix this safety issue because of their great big heart, or ethics! the organizations who we pay through gov't should keep us protected and demand a recall.

2005 Ford Freestar transmission failed without warning. This van is a lemon. My 4 kids and I were driving, and transmission failed without warning. Had no previous problems with this van before this incident,,, Ford should have a recall for this problem as I know this is happening frequently to Ford owners.

Transmission failed driving down major highway. Vehicle has only 61000 miles.

Transmission suddenly failed when attempted to leave driveway in the morning. Car: 2005 Ford Freestar. There is no drive no reverse gear nothing.

I was driving my 2005 Ford Freestar van on 11/21/09 when the transmission failed at 60 miles an hour. I steered the van onto the shoulder of I-35, called a tow truck and had it hauled to sebald's motors in askov, the closest Ford dealer. They completed repairs on the transmission amounting to #2,210. 18.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While driving 45 mph all of the gears in the transmission failed. She had to coast to the side of the road-way. The vehicle has been towed to her home. The vehicle has not been inspected, nor has any repairs been made. The failure and current mileages were 61,000.

We were accelerating after a stop light, traveling at approx. 25 mph when the vehicle failed to continue to move forward. We coasted and put the vehicle into park in a left turn lane. The vehicle would not shift into any gear. We had the vehicle towed and found out that our transmission needed to be replaced. There were no warning signs or warning lights in the vehicle that would indicate a problem with the vehicle. The repair shop could not explain the reason for the malfunction. Our transmission fluid was clean and they could not explain the reason the transmission failed. The van only had 50,645 miles at the time and it was 4. 5 years old. We replaced the transmission with an out of pocket expense of $2682. 60. There was no explanation from Ford motor company after phone calls were made.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford free star. The contact stated that the transmission failed and was replaced with a rebuilt transmission. Within 18 months, the rebuilt transmission failed. The vehicle was not repaired and neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contacted in regards to the failure. The failure mileage was 88,109. Updated 04/08/11.

Transmission failed without warning while driving down a city street. Had to coast to a safe place to park the car until we can get it towed. Dealership is now saying $3200 to replace the apparently defective transmission.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar which was purchased brand new in 2005. While accelerating at a stop sign, the transmission failed without warning. The engine shut off and vehicle lost power in the middle of a busy intersection. There were no warning lights that illuminated on the instrument panel. There were no recalls; however, the contact stated he found over 700 complaints online regarding the same failure. The current and failure mileages were approximately 75,000.

I was stranded with my family on the way to st. Louis by my 2005 Ford Freestar. It's at a shop in springfield, IL (thanks to my insurance company). The said it was a transmission failure. The cost was $1300 thanks Ford.

As with alot of Freestar 2005 owners. . . The transmission failed at 50,000 miles. No hint of failure. . . Just pulled up to stop sign and would not move when traffic was clear. My wife and another couple had to push the car across the intersection too reach a safe haven. Lucky that other cars traveling on that road gave the pushers the right of way and nobody was injured. It was a very bad situation to be in. Ford needs to address this as my cost is over $3500. 00 to replace the transmission that should have lasted much, much longer.

Transmission failure at 71,817 miles. Transmission has no forward or reverse. Complete transmission failure after great service and maintenance.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While driving 10 mph, the vehicle changed gears and automatically shifted into neutral without the gears being moved. The contact attempted to place the vehicle into drive, but was unsuccessful. She then placed the vehicle into reverse and was able to move the vehicle to a secure location away from the road. The vehicle failed completely and lost total power. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the technician stated that the transmission failed. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $3,600. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure and current mileages were 94,000.

Transmission failure with no notice. Highway speeds on I-65 rpm's go up speed goes down. Coast on I 65 to a stop and call tow truck. Vehicle does not go f or rev and gears. Transmission is dead. Transmission gives no warning prior to total failure.

With no warning our 2005 Ford Freestar van transmission failed (mileage 63,146). Car was driven ~25 miles to workplace. Started car to return home and nothing happened when car was put in gear. Received quote stating transmission has internal problems and must be replaced. Price of quote was $3506. 00 - repairs have not been made at this time. Found local garage that rebuilds transmissions. Currently, in the process of towing to local garage. Waiting for 2nd quote on rebuild. After searching forums / websites I have found an alarming number of identical incidents with the Freestar minivan. I am hoping NHTSA will take action against Ford motors as soon as possible before someone is seriously injured because of this design failure.

I've a 2005 Ford Freestar whose transmission failed at 81,220 miles. The car was religiously maintained and was not driven roughly. It has a power steering / transmission cooler attached. I tried to back up out of my driveway and the car would not move; it acted like it was in neutral. I had a mechanic open up the transmission and learned that the splines had failed. Had to spend $2,000 replacing it with a used 2007 Freestar transmission with 12,000 miles on it. Here's what a Ford mechanic, with 25 years experience, has said about the Freestar transmission: the technician wrote the following: the Freestar transmission without the defect and well maintained should be able to make 200,000 km (124,000 miles) if the vehicle is driven in a normal manner and the transmission is not abused. The Freestar is known for having converter failure. There is nothing you could of done to prevent the converter pump splines from stripping. Ford used a metal that was not strong enough for the gear. It was defective. They should of stood behind that defect and warrantied the repair but they did not. I have replaced over 50 of these myself. The transmission is defective and should be recalled.

Car is only 3 years old with 39k miles on it. The transmission failed while driving on a city street. Car would no longer drive. Completely lost the ability to shift or do anything. Brought car to a stop at a light and it would no longer operate. I took it to Ford dealer and they said it was a serious transmission failure. Ford says warranty ran out at 36k miles and cost to repair is estimated at over $3,000. Searched on the internet and found numerous other complaints by Ford Freestar owners. My research shows a clear pattern of consistent transmission failure at relatively low mileage. This points to a defect by the manufacturer and flies in the face of normal consumer expectations that when you buy a brand new car, its transmission should last longer than 30 or 40 thousand miles! I was also shocked to find that NHTSA has not yet initiated an investigation despite numerous complaints filed with the agency itself. I then called NHTSA to ask what it takes to start an investigation. I assume that the agency has a typical standard or set of guidelines that it follows to determine whether an investigation is called for, but no one at NHTSA would give me that information or would direct me to anyone else at the agency who could provide that information. Essentially, I was told "just file a complaint" and go away. No other help was available to me as a consumer and a taxpayer. I'm deeply disappointed with the process and I hope that the step of filing the complaint makes the agency more responsive than it has been so far.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled, but the engine continued to run. The vehicle was towed to an auto repair shop and they stated that the transmission failed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the transmission has failed completely. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 58,000.

Transmission failed in 2005 Ford Freestar minivan while 375 miles away from home on vacation. Had to leave it at Ford dealership while being repaired.

Transmission completely fails with now warning.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. While driving 25 mph down a steep decline, the transmission failed to operate. The contact lost slight steering control on the mountainous road. After regaining control, the vehicle came to a complete stop and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. Additionally, within the past eight years, the transmission was replaced twice. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

While driving 65 mph the transmission failed completely. Pulled to the side of the road and transmission never engaged in any gear again. In repair shop.

My 2005 Ford Freestar's transmission failed on 09 Feb 2008. I was driving 55mph down the highway when my rpms spiked with no load on the engine. The automatic transmission went into a neutral state and I steered the van and coasted off the road, there were no signs that the transmission was having any problems. I had to be towed to the closest dealership, 50 miles away. The van has 66k miles. If this incident had of happened on the interstate, bridge or in some other busy location, I'm sure this would have caused some injuries.

Without warning the transmission failed. I was im the middle of the street when this happened, lucky it wasn't a busy street.

Sudden transmission failure without prior notice.

2005 Ford Freestar. Consumer states problems with vehicle transmission the consumer stated the transmission failed as she was driving on the interstate last year.