Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Freestar owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the computer needed to be dried off. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The contact stated he had experienced the failure several times. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
I have a 2004 Ford freestar van and I was driving down the road and I went to pass another vehicle and I push the gas and I heard some crunchy noise is and then nothing no power at all no gears nothing I was dead in the water so I had to get out of the van and push it to the side of the road didn't have reverse didn't have drive didn't have third second or first no gears at all the transmission failed me I could have been in a very bad accident and hurt it just came out of nowhere there was no signs of anything wrong with the van and then this happens.
Conduc a mi veh culo y la trasmisi n qued en neutro en una entrada y no pude estacionarme Y no volvi arrancar Solo coje la reversa I was driving my vehicle and the transmission was neutral in a driveway and I couldn't park And did not start again Just take the reverse
This vehicle I received numerous recalls and had many problems with this vehicle. Major electrical problems. When it would rain and get car wash the electrical system would malfunction and cause engine not to run properly and check engine light would come on. In April of 2016 engine was malfunctioning and caused me to get in accident. This vehicle has since been impounded and loan company santander trying to bill me for remainder of loan and now causing major credit issues. I would like this to be covered by Ford/carmax for selling my family an unsafe vehicle which could have resulted in critical injury or worse.
The car was driving fine all of a sudden the Freestar lost power, I was doing t most 40 MPH because it was during rush hour on the i15 hwy by hesperia everything was fine and all of a sudden my car lost power and began to feel like it was loosing power and then I saw it go from forty to slower mpg and I had my foot on the accelerator I immediately pulled over as soon as I could and there was smoke and then there was fire my 1car was burnt a total loss my daughter and I barely escaped with our lives minutes before the van exploded someone had put us in her car and drove us forward saving our lives when the fire department arrived I walked back to my car and the fire had expanded far past where me and my daughter were standing. My daughter is still traumatized by the experience and so am I. …
The car was driving fine all of a sudden the Freestar lost power, I was doing t most 40 MPH because it was during rush hour on the i15 hwy by hesperia everything was fine and all of a sudden my car lost power and began to feel like it was loosing power and then I saw it go from forty to slower mpg and I had my foot on the accelerator I immediately pulled over as soon as I could and there was smoke and then there was fire my 1car was burnt a total loss my daughter and I barely escaped with our lives minutes before the van exploded someone had put us in her car and drove us forward saving our lives when the fire department arrived I walked back to my car and the fire had expanded far past where me and my daughter were standing. My daughter is still traumatized by the experience and so am I. …
Car history: the transaxle light has gone before when we travel through vt mountains, but turning off the engine and letting it sit, and restarting it, the light would go off. Upon getting home safety, our mechanics didn't find anything to repair and so left it be, and would only sometimes see it when we traveled through the vt mountains, a few times a year. All recall repairs were up to date. There were no other symptoms. Incident: as we nearing the top of a mountain, the transaxle light came on. Unlike the other times, the transmission suddenly failed to be in the correct gear, so unlike the other times, we were very concerned. We pulled over immediately, and as we reached the shoulder smoke began pouring out of the vents. …
My van has a problem with water, that is when it rains the vehicle starts having problems with several components. (ie engine misfire, transmission fails to shift properly, door looks refuse to operate properly, among other weird things) this happens every time it rains. The problem as I have being able to trace it, is that the water that comes off the front windshield and into the plastic that covers the cowl area ( where the wipers are) drips on to the main electric wire harness connection that comes from the inside of the car and connects to the engine bay wire harness. As the wire harness connector gets wet, the vehicle starts acting up. I took the van to my mechanic but he was unable to find a problem, it was dry. …
My car has spent 10 days at Ford to be serviced after having the safety recall service for the torque converter performed. The vehicle was behaving unpredictably, sometimes stalling out while idled, stalling out while in motion, sometimes idling with high or low rpms. The dealership took it back in to check the torque converter, they then said it wasn't the torque converter but the throttle body, they then cleaned that and said it's not the throttle body, it's the PCM. The PCM is taking on water from a flawed design of the above PCM where water is retained and eventually leaks on to the connector. This of course is not covered by Ford, and can cost up to $1200 to replace. This issue creates a number of different symptoms making it hard to identify the origin of the problem. Causing extended stays for maintenance. …
Had the recall for the torque converter done and now my vehicle shakes, sputters. Won't accelerate, the rpms jump up high, very loud noises coming from underneath vehicle. Sometimes it will stall out. Can't go past 25-30 MPH if it even gets up to that! My vehicle ran perfect before taking it into the Ford dealership and ever since I got it back we have had this problem. Took it back to Ford and they tried to say it was throttle cable so had that fixed and it still is doing the same things as it did after the torque converter was replaced. Can't drive the vehicle because when I go to accelerate it doesn't go or get up to the correct MPH. The whole vehicle shakes really bad and the noises it makes are very loud and sound like something is going to blow up. …
Engine complaints in other Freestar years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Ford Freestar?
NHTSA has 118 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Ford Freestar, 10% of the model year's 1,227 complaints. The component named most often is engine (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Freestar engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2004 Ford Freestar, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Freestar engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 6 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.