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Ford review: 2006 ford freestyle 23

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8:55 pm EDT
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i have a 2006 ford freestyle that has 100, 000 miles on it. i have recently had a problem with the sudden surges in reverse or drive when my foot is on the brake and i am stopped. this can be dangerous if you were not aware to hold tight to the brake to keep from hitting someone or something in front of you or behind you. i have tried to have this repaired at two local ford dealers who state that they cant repair my vehicle due to a national shortage for this part. i drive 100 miles a day round trip to work and back. i do not have another car to drive and need to get my car fixed. do you have any suggestions as to how i could go about doing this? also, if there are so many problems and issues with this throttle body, why hasnt it been recalled?

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23 comments
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sammiepeeps
Lake Hughes, US
Aug 30, 2012 10:06 am EDT

I'm having same problems...I'm at about 73, 000. I've had no problems with this car since I bought it used at 24, 000. Recently the surging has become awful. I thought I was crazy until I started researching this topic. I've had Fords for years, not sure this will sway my opinion for future purchases but I just wish that they would fess up and do what's right. Money is so tight right now. Stay safe everyone.

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Freestyle with roof rack
South Salem, US
Aug 08, 2012 5:44 pm EDT
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Look on utube for ford freestyle throtle body cleaning. I followed the instructions and cleaned mine at about 60K. It was incredibly caked and dirty. It was a wonder it ran at all. Never had any issues after that. I also found a fix for the cvt transmission issues - traded the car in before the issues raised their head.

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union
, PT
Aug 08, 2012 11:25 am EDT

As long as you have the UNION THUGS building cars you will always have a problem.

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Cpet2012
, US
Aug 08, 2012 11:10 am EDT

We have had nothing but problems with our 2006 Ford Freestyle since 63, 000 miles... throttle body was on national backorder for 6 months... and then when I checked back again still on backorder. that was in '09. Still have problems with the throttle body but I learned how to drive it with caution DON"T use the area at slow speeds in parking lots or at lights/stop signs. Now, it has been sitting in the shop for 5 weeks because the CVT transmission went out.. can't afford it but yet still have a PAYMENT. Tried to trade it in but we still owed too much on it! Family of 5 with 2 boys attending college, money is hard to come by!

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PLANESMART
Las Vegas, US
Jul 06, 2011 6:54 pm EDT
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The squeeky wheel gets the grease...Ford knows they screwed up .This is the worst...the most costly and UNSAFE mistake made by the Ford Engineers. Don't be afraid to E-mail the district mgrs, pound on your local Service Mgrs desk and scream...$1400.00 is outrageous. This unit .(..Throttle Body..) can be changed in 15 minutes. ..and cost Ford a FEW bucks.. I SCREAMED...got mine for free.
NEXT...9 out of ten times the throttle body just needs to be CLEANED..You can do this yourself.(ALWAYS CONSULT THE PROPER APPLICABLE FORD REPAIR MANUAL FOR SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS PROIR TO DOING THIS PROCEDURE)
1-Remove the rubber air intake
2- Open the throttle valve and clean the Throat.
3- Go to your local car repair shop to have the Computor reset. Ford will charge you a FORTUNE.
4-Add a can of Carb and injector to your fuel tank (LUCAS )
5- This should solve your problem...Good Luck

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New Mexico Pete
Los Lunas, US
Jul 06, 2011 3:32 am EDT
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Have 2006 Ford Freestyle. Same problem with Throttle Control and sender and pump assembly fixed, $1, 441 later or so I thought. A couple of weeks ago started up again. Car at dealer right now. They want to do the same job again, I'm waiting to hear the cost. Will probably not get it done. Last time I buy a Ford.

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KarenLynn25
Wadsworth, US
May 28, 2011 4:27 am EDT

I think Ford needs to address the common thread between many complaints I am seeing here and ones I've seen over the past two years about all of the transmission replacements that have had to go into the Ford Freestyles. We purchased a 2006 Ford Freestyle used from a Ford dealership with about 16, 000 miles and within the three year warranty. Well, at just under 20, 000 miles and about 4 or 5 months after the warranty expired we had to dump $5200 into a new transmission within a week before Christmas 2009. Talk about heart-breaking and depressing. No transmission should need to be replaced that soon (with good care I might add) and Ford, despite much complaining and contacts at all levels, did not care one bit. They made no effort to help reconcile the problem, pay even a portion of the large sum of money, nor did they seem to care that we were so disappointed with their customer service that we will probably never buy Ford again (despite my husband's family being loyal Ford customers for many years!). You would think after all the troubles the auto industry went through, they would care about customer retention, but I guess not. All I can say is that I have an 11 year old Toyota Corolla and have never had any problems with it and love that car. I'd buy a Toyota again without hesitation (and they stepped up when their customers had problems!).

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Bunky444
Las Vegas, US
Mar 27, 2011 7:56 pm EDT
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Throttle body...Get a good spray Carburator cleaner...Remove the inlet Rubber housing to the t/b... fully open the throttle body butterfly valve but turning the ignition key on (do not start) and depress the gas pedal..Using the carb cleaner, clean the t/b inlet completly by spraying carb cleaner on a lint free rag . Re-assemble.. Now get a bottle of Lucas carb and injector cleaner and add it to the fuel tank next fill-up. Repeat using additive every other fill-up. This dirty t/b problem is normally caused by using cheap Regular fuel (no cleaning additives) . Use a good name regular or a higher grade fuel that has cleaning additives.. Problem solved ...total cost.. less than ten bucks... better than $1, 000.00 for a new t/b.. P.S. if you need your computer reset, take it to your local Garage..Not the Dealer...Save yourself a few more bucks.

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AntiqueDive
Ellsworth, US
Oct 13, 2010 10:37 am EDT
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Yikes. We have a 2007 FreeStyle and I was online checking to see about purchasing another one next year; passing the 2007 off to our college student.

Just found out they are now the TaurusX and are no longer being made. Maybe that's a good thing :)

Anyway, I'd also heard the Flex was being discontinued (which was the replacement for the TaurusX); not that I would have ever wanted one of those - ugly.

I'm tired of Ford constantly changing things around. We have been loyal Ford buyers for decades, but I am thinking about looking at Toyota or Honda for my next vehicle.

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mtrogdon
Liberty, US
Sep 07, 2010 1:19 pm EDT

brakes replaced twice, cvt transmission replaced once at 125, 000 then
replaced three weeks later with another unit. they can't even get the replacement transmissions in right. after the first was installed i got it back and the air cinditioner wasn't working right, now i have a
check engine light coming on and will have to see about that.
we love the freestyle because of all the grandkids but this $6500 transmission has made it impossible to go on vacation with them this year

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Freestyle with roof rack
South Salem, US
Aug 16, 2010 9:59 am EDT
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This is some great feedback. I just got off the phone with the service manager at the local Ford dealership and have an appointment to drop my 2006 Ford Freestyle off tomorrow for the same surging problem mentioned above. Car had 64K miles and original transmission. I need to check out the advice given above above regarding cleaning out the throttle body. We purchased the extended warranty so fortunately we are still covered for another year. However there is that deductable issue. It would be great not to have to replace the transmission, throttle body, etc if some cleaning is all that is needed. With that said, this is still a cause for concern that Ford should have. With all the trouble Toyota had over sticky throttle pedals, I don't see this being any different. Regardless if it is a matter of cleaning or defective parts, surgin vehicles are not something I want to be on the road with.

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dancer226
Magnolia, US
Aug 16, 2010 8:50 am EDT

Having same problems with my 2006 Ford Freestyle. The transmission has been replaced. (Car was only a year
and a half old!) Car is surging in reverse and forward when I let off of the brake. Ford replaced anti roll. Said
it was broken. Paid $667.00. My car is still surging when letting off of the brake. I am hot! Took it back to
the dealership this morning.

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williewonka
Dillsburg, US
Jul 28, 2010 5:16 pm EDT

I have an 06 Freestyle bought it 6 mos. ago. 2 weeks ago it was surging, the wrench came on and we lost power in the car. Took it in they replaced the mass air flow sensor for 400.00. Today guess what, did it again only this time
it stalled out. Going to garage tomorrow, thanks for all your comments now I will make sure I dont get taken for a module.

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gordon donahue
Nashua, US
Jul 17, 2010 2:53 pm EDT

I too have an 06 freestyle with 78000 miles on it. It's been surging for the past couple of months. I brought it to ford they said it was the mass air flow sensor, $ 414.00 4 days later it's doing the same thing. Now they say it shows the transmission module is bad. NO it's not leave it alone! I said, then I remembered having trouble with the automatic throttle up last winter, I had put some fuel system cleaner in the tank and the problem stopped. Well guess what I put more fuel system cleaner in and it's been fine. I found information on the internet saying you should disconnect the air cleaner line from the throttle body and wipe it out with a rag, and use some throttle cleaner on the throttle body, it gets all carboned up. I haven't done that yet but am going to this week. Ford isn't doing a recall because they know this is the problem, not faulty parts. The dealers are making thousands replacing parts that are not needed. Oh ya they agreed the transmission module was fine, and said it's the throttle body, and it's on backorder . They can keep it!

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dnb15
lebanon, US
Jul 11, 2010 11:38 am EDT

we also purchase a 2006 ford freestyle, and at about 53, 000 miles the wrench light came on. the part is on ... you guessed it.. backorder! with no warranty left, the wrench light seems to be the kiss of death.

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Bluwolf
Cincinnati , US
Jan 14, 2010 10:49 pm EST

We have a 2005 Freestyle, with 65, 000 miles. We really liked the car at first.Very roomy, reasonably priced, 5 star crash rating, etc., etc. The first problem was major electrical, many things malfunctioning including the CVT. On the second try, the Ford dealer replaced the wiring harness which solved the problem, under warranty. Our car in now on it's THIRD set of REAR brakes. We just recently replaced the front brakes for the first time. The bearings in the C V Transmission went out 1, 500 miles ago, so the ford dealer told us. We chose to have our CVT repaired instead of a completely rebuilt one. Cost, $ 3, 300 instead of $ 5, 200. Ford dealer called 3 days later, couldn't get the old bearings out, needed to go with the rebuilt one. My last 3 vehicles have been Ford F 150's. I currently am driving a 2003 model. Not one problem. I am SO disappointed and angry with Ford over the Freestyle and it's obvious design problems. If Ford wants to continue it' new found domestic leadership role, it better take responsibility for this kind of crap they are selling. I'm Mad as Hell, and I'm not going to be quiet about it!

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n1ts1rk
, US
Jan 06, 2010 6:05 pm EST

We too have had problems with our ford freestyle, we are now at 77, 000 miles replacing our transmission with unfortunately another Ford Freestyle transmission. We have also had our car surge forward and back in parking lot speeds. As far as I am concerned Ford needs address these problems that I believe they have known about and I want to find out about starting a class action suit against them I am sure there are others out there have had these problems and this car company needs to be held responsible!

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eastcoastgirl
Fort Worth, US
Aug 27, 2009 2:17 pm EDT

I'm having the same problem with my 2006 Freestyle. It started when my car was at almost 71, 000 miles. Have had the vehicle surge forward or backward on me on 5 separate instances and was fortunate not to hit any other vehicles in close proximity. Have been waiting for the part since July 28th and am being told that it may not be available till November. Ford refuses to pay for any of the cost for the repair (when the part finally comes available!) and will not pay to give me a loaner car. I don't have the luxury of leaving my car parked till November or incurring the cost of a rental car for that period of time. As it stands my car is unreliable and, in my opinion, unsafe.

I've filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and have made calls all the way up to the Executive Offices of Ford Motor Company. I would urge others to consider doing the same.

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draperjr
San Diego, US
Aug 26, 2009 9:21 am EDT

Same problem here on a 2006 Freestyle with only 50, 000 miles- started nearly on the exact 50k'th mile too...

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koonas2
Chester, US
Aug 20, 2009 11:34 am EDT

I was just told by the Ford dealer that I also have a trottle body problem. I have 64, 000 miles on my 2006. If this a problem that is happening on all of these cars at the same time shouldnt Ford take care of this at there cost?

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giancarlo
Miami, US
Aug 19, 2009 10:27 pm EDT

i have the same problem

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Alan Ludlow
Madison, US
Aug 10, 2009 7:07 pm EDT

We too have replaced a transmission on our 2006 freestyle. Friday this week, I took it back. Same problems, this time they told me that they think it is the trottle body. Seems they discovered this on one earlier this week. They told me it would be december this year before they can get the part. Madison, GA

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The Professor
, US
Jul 27, 2009 2:18 pm EDT

We also have 2006 Ford Freestyle with a similar problem. Has about 60, 000 miles on it. While maneuvering at parking lot speeds, engine surges. Causes the vehicle to try to run out from under you, almost hitting close objects. Happens in both Drive and Reverse. Ford dealer says it is a known throttle body problem and there is a large backlog of replacement orders. It is July now, and may not be a replacement available until November. Very dangerous! Saw this problem called out on the internet by other owners.

On that same vehicle the transmission has already had to be replaced!

On that same vehicle the wider side of the divided middle seat will no longer lay down. Saw this on the internet also.