Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Freestyle owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance however, the contact was informed that the motor mount torque strap needed to be replaced. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the motor mounts had been replaced four times. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
When temperature get below freezing car doors will not latch shut and come back open. Car doors work fine when temp are higher. There is a recall already for this NHTSA# 06v383000 Ford# 06545. I have a Ford Case# [redacted] My car was not included in recall and either should be or needs to be further investigated. I don't want my kids falling out while I go down the highway and I can't wait 45 min for the car to warm up. This had done this all last winter and is doing it again and Ford refuses to do anything.
In August 2012, my 2005 Freestyle surged while in reverse with my wheels at full cut as I was backing out of my driveway, as I have been doing for the last 40 years. As I took my foot off of the gas pedal to apply the brake to switch to drive from reverse, the car surged in reverse, and the right corner of my rear bumper impacted my neighbors truck behind his front door, causing me to report the accident to my insurance company to repair his vehicle. I told the agent at my insurance company I had read about this surging problem in the Freestyle forums, and asked if the accident would be contributed to mechanical failure due to defective part, rather than driver error, as I stated before I have been backing out of this driveway for 40 years with 70's lincolns and cadillacs, all cars 5 feet longer than the Freestyle, without incident. …
Car was parked in rear of apartment complex.when I put it in reverse it lunged back without my foot on the gas, smashing the rear of the car into the apartment building wall. I did have a seat belt on but the impact caused severe neck trauma as my head was turned at the time of impact. I shut the car off. Approximately an hour later I started the car, put it in drive, and as I attempted to drive the car home, it would "lose power", the wrench light would come on, and the car would have no transmission power. I had to pull the car over, turn it off and restart it. This happened repeatedly. The local Ford dealership incorrectly diagnosed and charged me a repair for cleaning the sensor - and refused to refund me my diagnostic charges even though my car was not fixed. I did my own research to learn it was a throttle body issue. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact took the vehicle in for a state safety inspection and the inspector noticed that the subframe was rusted. The inspector stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact mentioned that two or three years before, rust was discovered during another state safety inspection. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed welding work to the subframe. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. Prime Ford saco (857 portland rd, saco, me 04072 [phone]) stated that there were no recalls for the rust failure. Since the vehicle was out of warranty, the dealer offered no further assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 7/26/18
After coming home from a trip to the grocery store, about 5 mile total round trip; I pulled into my garage. With my foot on the brake and about to move the gear lever from drive to park, the car suddenly surged forward hitting a metal storage shelf. The car surged 5 feet forward while engine rpms increased from idle (about 800) to 2500 instantly and uncommanded with absolutely no throttle increase or input. It damaged the front of my car. Our Freestyle does this often. I normally can catch it. It always happens at low speed or while the car is stopped. It happens both in drive and reverse. I have since had to discontinue letting my 18 and 16 year old son and daughter drive the vehicle because of the danger involved in these uncontrolled surges.
Door latches freeze open in cold weather as described in NHTSA campaign id 06V383000. The doors have failed to latch when entering the car as well as in motion at 50mph. A search of the cars VIN shows no open recalls however the car has not been serviced for this issue but clearly falls under the recall. Recall noticed was never received for this issue. This is a one owner car purchase and registered in ohio so it is unclear why it would not be covered by this recall. Ford has also stated that this car is not covered by the recall. This is extremely dangerous as the issue can occur when the car is in motion.
My Freestyle surges and lunges forward and backwards. I hit a car while trying to back up and park because the car surged and accelerated into reverse. This is the second time that I have had this problem in 2 years and needed to replace the throttle body. I almost hit people in a parking lot because of the sudden surge and acceleration. This is extremely unsafe and unpredictable. Needs to be recalled! Engine mount was also cracked and needed to be repaired as in many of the other cases in the class action lawsuit.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the driver side door failed to remain open while the contact entered the vehicle. The door struck the contact in the head. In addition, the power steering became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received medical attention to the frontal lobe of her head and sustained a contusion. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 194,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that the driver's side door latch would freeze in colder tempertures, preventing the door from being opened. The contact also stated that when driving at various speeds, the door ajar warning light illuminated. Additionally, the door latch independently unlatched and the door was opened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Body complaints in other Freestyle years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Ford Freestyle?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Ford Freestyle, 4% of the model year's 1,459 complaints. The component named most often is body (37 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Freestyle body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Ford Freestyle, though it has 2 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 2005 Ford Freestyle body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to body & structure 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.