Automatic Transmission Torque Converter problems of the 2006 Ford Freestar - part 1

Torque converter is stripped and failing causing no power to the drive wheels.

My mom was driving our 2006 Ford Freestar limited, it only has 85,000 miles and the transmission blew on us. When it happened we were driving up a hill at night . We called the police and an officer came to just to make sure we didn't get hit. The flashers were on the whole time, but apparently people don't pay attention, later we had found out that the torque converter was no good. I did some research and found out that from 2004-2005 model years had a recall for the torque converter. Personally all years should have been on the recall and not just 2 model years. Its extremely dangerous and we actually had to bring the van back to dealership where we purchased it from. Currently we have been without a vehicle for months.

Tl the contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the torque converter failed and the vehicle would decelerate and stall on several occasions. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 85,000.

I was driving home and transmission would not engage. I coasted out of the highway lane. I had it towed. I found out about the torque converter problem last night this van was well taken care of and no issues until now. It only has 80,000 miles on it. I also own a 2005 Freestar and the torque converter was replaced at the nearest Ford dealership due to a recall. Ford was currently in the process of recalling the 2004 and 2005 Freestars. Its the same part it seems to me that the 2006 Freestar should be included in this recall, as we have found numerous similar complaints from 2006 owners. Second calendar quarter of 2012. The recall campaign number is 11s25 for the 2004 and 2005. Anyone know if a recall for the 2006 Freestar is in process. Please help.

Tl the contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a loss of power while driving 35 mph. The failure occurred without warning. Upon researching the failure, the contact believed that the torque converter output was defective based on the information from NHTSA campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). Olathe Ford Lincoln (1845 e santa fe st, olathe, KS) was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided the contact with case numbers: 14829406 and 14829397. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

While driving 2006 Freestar around a corner without warning , it completely lost ability to go forward or backward or in any gear. We were on country road and grateful no other cars nearby, but it was cold and we are elderly. We just rolled to a stop trying to get off road as safely as possible. We had to have it towed to nearby garage. They replaced torque converter and car is now working again.

Just like with the 2004-2005 Ford Freestar recall in the year 2012 (recall number 11s25), our 2006 Freestar suddenly lost power with no warning while we were accelerating with the transmission in drive. We were lucky enough to be on a side street with not much traffic and have enough speed to safely pull over, but we had no power in any gear we chose, as if the transmission was stuck in neutral. If we were going slower, had traffic behind us, or no safe place to pull over, we might have been rear-ended. The way the vehicle behaved, it seems to be the torque converter shaft and/or torque converter, just like the problem in the 2004-2005 Freestar models which had the recall in the year 2012 (recall number 11s25).

The torque converter went out just like the 2004 and 2005 Freestar models.

Torque converter failure. Vehicle made 2 months after recall cutoff for that item. Failure happened on the hwy with my wife and 2 kids in the car.

Abrupt total loss of power transfer ;without warning. Faulty torque convert design likely to blame. Traveling along at 25 mph in dyersville iowa, on 1st Ave w, on 1/25/2017. Van has ~160k miles. No one was injured, no accident, safely made it to the side of the road. Its my personal option, that had I been in congested heavy traffic, I would pose a safety risk. If your occurring a breakdown, your mostly likely to be given some type of warning. You have time to engage hazards lights, merge over and slow down. However this 06 Ford free-star gave no warning, and this concerns me.

While driving in houston texas, 1500 miles from home, minivan suddenly stopped. We were in hov lanes on highway 290, only one lane because of construction. No worning, suspect torque convertor.

My wife was driving down the interstate and loss all propulsion to the wheels. The engine continued to run, but when applying the accelerator to attempt to apply power to the wheels she experienced no response. Once towed from the shoulder of the interstate and delivered to a certified mechanic's shop, it was determined that the torque converter had failed. We were informed that this is as common a problem with the 2006 model Freestars as it is for the 2004 and 2005 models since they share the same design and material composition. I'm curious to know why the 2006 model was not recalled when the 2004 and 2005 models were recalled since these model years are identical when considering the torque converter issue. Our Freestar has been impeccably maintained over the years with only 85,300 total miles on this car. The design life of the average transmission far exceeds 85,000 miles, thus it is clearly obvious that material, fabrication, and/or the design elements of this vehicle's torque converter assembly were substantially deficient. Our experience, along with all the other 2006 Freestar owners filing complaints on this web page provide ample evidence for expanding the Freestar recall notice to 2006 models. I earnestly implore the NHTSA to dutifully exercise its authority in reconciling this matter as stated above.

Mom was driving on the highway when all of a sudden the transmission slipped, she was on the second lane so their is cars going by at 60 miles plus on the sides, the van came to a slow stop and with cars barely missing us and causing a horrible accident. We finally had a tow truck driver that is a friend of mine come to our rescue. Mom is scared to get on the highway ever since. I got on the internet that same day and found out Ford recalled the torque converter on the 2004 and 2005 Ford Freestar but that same woman torque converter used on the 2006 model was not , the same one me and my mom were not only us but other drivers could have been seriously hurt or worse. And if I may say the van only has 77,000 miles on it. And I've seen many many complains online about this issue with the same 2006 model with different owners, please help make this right.

Torque converter failure without warning. I was driving northbound on interstate 380 on 10/6/2016 at roughly 70 mph in the left lane of traffic. I was not using the cruise control. Suddenly (around mile marker 13-14), the engine revved very high and the van decelerated. I was traveling up a hill and was dangerously decelerating in the left lane of the interstate. I managed to get over to the side of the road (cutting off a semi-truck) with absolutely no propulsion. It felt as though the engine was not connected with the drive wheels. There was no warning this was going to happen, the van just suddenly started decelerating rapidly on the interstate. I noticed quickly because the engine revved up when the transmission let go. I had the van towed to the local Ford dealership, where I left it for them to review the issue. The service person at the dealership called me back the next day and informed me that the torque converter had failed completely. I asked them if there was a recall involved with this component. They informed me that the 2006 Ford Freestar transmission was not included in the Freestar transmission recall. I looked it up on the NHTSA website and confirmed that my vehicle's transmission had not been recalled. The vehicle has roughly 98,000 miles on it, although it is a 2006 model. It appears to have the same problem as the 2005 models. The repair cost is roughly $1,400.

2006 Ford free star torque converter. Vehicle lost power in traffic. Very unsafe. Recall is for 2004-2005. 2006 has same issue.

Driving my minivan home then it made a noise ans seemed like it shifted in neutral. Did some research and it sounds like the torque converter went out. I heard it had a recall. Let me know thanks.

Transmission completely stopped while driving no warning lost all forwards and reverse. Been told it is the same problem Ford has had on many of the same models of torque converter going out.

While driving at approximately 20 miles an hour we made a turn then the vehicle just revved up and would not go in any gear. Vehicle stalled in the middle of the street and was unable to get it out of traffic. After investigating realize that this is the torque converter that has went bad and there was a recall on 2004 and 2005 for the exact same problem. 2006 use the same transmission and same tour converter so I'm not sure why it wasn't recalled also.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 164,421.

Tl-the contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicles engine would rev high. The vehicle was able to be pulled over and shut off. While sitting, the vehicle was restarted. When the vehicle was shifted out of park, and in to gear, there was no response. The transmission failed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission and torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 70,335. Ed.

Oct. 2015. Our 2006 Ford Freestar transmission and torque converter failed while in florida. A new, not rebuilt, transmission was installed by garret gordon Ford in davenport, FL. The new transmission had a hard shift between first and second gear from day one. The reason given by the dealer was "new transmission/computer adjusting. " Nov. 2015. Hard shift continued intermittently so we took it to the sarchione Ford garage in randolph ohio. They could not confirm the problem June 2015. Hard shift has continued intermittently and on occasion has failed to shift from first to second without letting off the accelerator completely. On more than 2 occasions the shift from first to second was so hard that the tires actually peeled on the road service. The sarchione Ford garage in randolph is, at this time, trying to troubleshoot the problem. Sometimes weeks go by with no problem, yet accelerating into traffic on occasion is hampered by the problem. $4000. 00 and 9 months later and the problem persists.

Our granddaughter pulled up to a stop light & when she went to pull away from it the engine revved up but the Freestar went nowhere. It the same thing Ford describes in their recall number: 12v006000recall date: 01/09/2012 where the torque converter output shaft may fail. . Unfortunately her van is considered a 2006 even tho it was manufactured on 09/05 & the van is not covered under the current recall. They cannot afford to get the van repaired but need it to take our great granddaughter to grade school & the husband needs to use it to get to work. Is there anything you can do about this problem? thanks chuck.

While driving, the van suddenly ceased to respond to applying the gas pedal. The motor continued to respond, rpms rise with acceleration attempts but the van will not move. No gear (including reverse) responds. The vehicle was rolled into a parking lot and had to be towed. At this time, repairs have not been made, but there is significant indication that the torque converter may be the issue. We are disturbed because there are multiple complaints of this issue with other 2006 Freestar owners, and there has been no recall issued or apparent responsibility taken on the part of the manufacturer. It is clear that the same parts are being affected as those recalled from the 2005 models. We are not in a financial position to fund transmission repairs and we could lose our only vehicle due to this incident. I am just grateful my husband (or my children, or someone else) was not killed in an accident caused by this failure. I intend to contact the manufacturer directly, but have not at this point. I would very much like this situation investigated with Ford, not just for our vehicle but all the people lodging complaints of this issue--here and elsewhere online.

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. While driving 25 mph, an abnormal metallic sound emitted from the front end of the transmission. The contact stated that after taking off from a stop sign, the vehicle transmission failed. The vehicle was still running but was unable to move anywhere. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter output shaft needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

I hade been driving the van for approximatly 125 miles, came to a stoplight close to my home. Stopped at the light, and when I tryed to go forward ehrn the light turned green, there was no power to thee transmission, the engine only reved up. I was facing downhill, and rolled into a store parking lot. Had to have it towed to my house. Doing research online, I found very similar cercumstances with many other Freestars. Ford had issued a recall on the torque converter for the 2004-05 Freestars, but not the 2006, which has the same part. All Freestars with this same part shuld have been recalled, not just 2 out of 4 years. I feel very cheated and now I am facing a very large repair bill.

Driving on a 2 lane road started up the side of a mountain. Drove approx. . 5 miles up hill. Without warning the engine rev'ed. Vehicle lost all power to the wheels. Engine running fine, no abnormal noises. Vehicle slowed quickly due to uphill grade. Vehicles behind me, including several large tractor-trailers had swerve into the on-coming lane due to no shoulder. Thankfully there was no traffic coming down the mountain. There could have easily been a fatal accident because of this failure. . . . Just happened to be no traffic coming down the mountain in the on-coming lane. Blocked one lane of traffic on a steep grade for over an hour waiting on a tow truck. Torque converter failed. Sent debris into the transmission. Vehicle needs torque converter and transmission replaced. . . . I have seen many people have this same complaint. . . Please NHTSA help us. . .

The Ford Freestar was exiting the highway when it lost all power without warning while coming down the off-ramp. The engine was still running. The Mini van was able to coast off the road and into an auto shop parking lot that happened to be there. Appears to be another torque converter failure.

While driving 60 down 2 lane road with family of four, light in distance was red so I started to brake. Quickly light turned green so I tried to accelerate but rpms shot up without speed going up. Transmission completely disabled. Will not even go into park. All this with no warning. I barely made it through the intersection. I think it's clear this is yet another 06 Ford Freestar torque converter failure.

Tl-the contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the transmission would not engage into gear. The service engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000. Oo.

The vehicle, without warning, shut down while in mid-drive (50+ mph). We were fortunate to be able to safely coast out of harms way. It started back up but continued to do this many more times until we finally got the van home. The Ford dealership confirmed it was a bad transmission. More specifically, the torque converter. This issue has been well documented and a recall has been issued for the 04 and 05 models. Unfortunately not for the 2006.

Replacement torque converters continued to fail after replacing original transmission and failed torque converter at 97k miles. Replaced torque converter four times in 37k miles under warranty for "shudder". Ford dealership refused to diagnose or determine the continued failures. Independent diagnosis stated failures were due to the introduction of debris from the original failure, during the installation of the replacement transmission, or the replacement was defective when installed. Ford dealer and company would not replace the transmission. Ford warranty ended on 12/12/15 and the situation remains unresolved. Fortunately shudder failures occurred on the road, but vehicle could be driven to dealership for repair. The first original failure occurred on a off ramp and other motorist's assisted in pushing it to the side, avoiding a possible rear end collision! the newest torque converter can fail at any time and could result in a serious accident. Vehicle is used only in local driving as safety considerations have to be considered first. Ford customer service in detroit refused any consideration of the situation. You cannot contact anyone with authority at Ford as they are shielded by customer service. The consumer has to consider legal options at what cost to them? there is also a problem with hard shifts from into a drive gear(r,od,d, 1) from "n" or "p". This is an indication of failure of the internal neutral to drive accumulator. Resulting from a stuck piston or seals, or springs damaged or missing. When demonstrated to the dealership service manager and mechanic they ignored it and refused to accept it and properly diagnosis the situation. The independent diagnosis said the transmission had to be replaced and the installation done under proper clean conditions and flushing of the cooler and lines. If not done properly the the situation would reoccur .

Engine running and vehicle moving. All of a sudden rpms go up to 3000+ and vehicle is coasting. No power to drive wheels. Coasted to a safe place. Luckily, we weren't on the interstate yet. Vehicle acted as in neutral. No movement in reverse or drive. Had it towed to mechanic and he is 99% sure that the torque converter is the problem. 2004 and 2005 have been recalled for this same problem. Maybe Ford should include the 2006's? bought this vehicle new and have never had a problem. Have had only Fords since 1987, and no problems with any of them. Might be rethinking my next purchase.

Accelerating from stop light, acceleration stopped while engine continued at same rpm. No prior indication of potential problem. Car rolled to a stop in center lane of road. Put on flashers, put car in park (car started to roll) and engaged parking brake. Police and tow truck called. Pushed car out of traffic lane. Very fortunate this occurred during a light traffic time or a rear end collission to my car could have resulted. Car towed to dealer for evaluation and repair. Dealer diagnosed torque converter or transmission failure. Torque converter replaced.

Water intrusion from the cowl shorted out the pcm and led to premature failure of torque converter. Ford had a TSB on the water issue but never recalled and now that has led me to having big money spent on repairs that I feel Ford should correct and pay for!.

Tl-the contact owns a 2006 Ford free star minivan. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12v006000 (power train). The failure was mileage was 60,000.