JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT 05 FORD FREESTAR VAN, 3 MONTHS AGO IN MY DRIVEWAY IT REFUSED TO GO FORWARD, I PARKED IT BECAUSE I HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO DRIVE. MORNING OF DECEMBER 30, 2019 MY OTHER AUTOMOBILE TIMING CHAIN BROKE SO I'VE BEEN TRYING FRANTICALLY TO FIX THIS VAN, I'VE REPLACED AIR CLEANER SENSOR, THROTTLE BODY SENSOR, AND SPEED SENSOR. NOTHING. I HAVE REVERSE BUT NO DRIVE, ENGINE SEEMS TO RUN FIN…
2005 Ford Freestar powertrain problems
moderate 654 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500
Complaints
654
Recalls
0
Crashes
3
Avg fix
$2,500
What owners are reporting 16 most recent
WHILE DRIVING MY FORD FREESTAR I LOST POWER I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BUT THE VAN WOULD NOT MOVE AT THAT POINT. COULD GET THE RPM'S UP BUT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE PLACE I TOOK IT TO SAID IT SEEMS TO BE THE TRANSMISSION. I CANNOT AFFORD THIS AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION HAD I BEEN GOING FASTER. THE VAN IS STILL FINANCED AND I OWE TO MUCH TO EVEN SELL IT. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME??? …
TRAVELING NORTH ON I-75 IN MICHIGAN, OUR VAN LOST ALL GEARS AT 50-60 MPH WITH NO WARNING OR NOISE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THE VAN WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE ON A DOWNHILL STRETCH OF ROAD AND WE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. THE ENGINE WOULD REV AND THERE WAS POWER, BUT NO GEARS. WE WERE GOING SKIING FOR THE WEEKEND AND WERE ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. WE WERE ABLE TO GET A WRECKER (AFTER SITTING IN …
2005 FORD FREESTAR - 2ND TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IN MARCH 2009 THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON OUR 2005 FREESTAR. NO WARNING, LIKE ALL OTHERS WITH PROBLEMS, IT WAS LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL & WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. SERVICE TECH INFORMED US THAT 2005 FREESTARS HAVE TRANSMISSION ISSUES/TORQUE PROBLEMS. OUR WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, & WE HAD TO PAY $3200 FOR NEW TRANSMISSION. COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH NHTSA. TH…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE AND EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER HONOLULU FORD LOCATED AT 1370 N KING ST…
DRIVING THE VAN ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO REV AND THE VAN SLOWED DOWN WAS LUCKY TO FIND A EXIT AND COAST SAFELY TO A STOP HAD THE VAN PULLED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP SHAFT BROKE IN THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR 0VER TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS
IN 2014 WE BOUGHT A FORD FREESTAR, FOUND OUT LATER THE TORQUE CONV. WAS RECALLED AND REPLACED. I TOOK THE VAN TO FORD IN OUR AREA AND THEY FLUSHED OUT THE CONVERTER $185+ AND THAT WORKED FOR A MONTH OR SO AND IT DID IT AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK TO FORD AND THEY KEPT IT A WEEK BEFORE THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I REPORTED ABOUT THIS VAN BEFORE TO STEVE KENNER NVS-215KJS 12V-006 I BELIEVE TH…
I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY 2005 FORD FREESTAR. RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS WARNING SIGHS SUCH AS GRINDING OF THE GEARS, SLIPPING OF THE FEARS OR LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. CAR ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL THROUGH ALL GEARS. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION WITH A MECHANIC REVEALED A FAILURE OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR
VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET, LUCKILY IN A 25MPH ZONE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH MY TWO CHILDREN (INFANT AND 3 YEAR OLD). VEHICLE WOULD START IN PARK, BUT AS SOON AS A GEAR WAS ENGAGED, IT WOULD STALL. DEALER ENDED UP REPLACING THE TCM (TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE) STATING THAT WATER "SHORTED" IT OUT DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL. THE SERVICE MANAGER HIMSELF STATED THAT FORD …
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD DECELERATE RAPIDLY AND THEN WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE …
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2005 Ford Freestar?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 654 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
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