Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Ford Freestyle owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated as she was driving 5 MPH and coming to a stop, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond and the vehicle kept accelerating. The brake pedal was soft. The contact stated she continued to depress the brake pedal until it responded, and she was able to pull to the side of the road and park the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated the dealer was made aware of the failure and advised to schedule an appointment to get the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not provide assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 175,600.
I was driving on the highway when suddenly the vehicle started surging and was losing power last Wednesday 11/13/19. Another time, was with my whole family, the ac, cruise control, and car stereo was on when suddenly the vehicle lost power all of a sudden. I got scared because I did not want to get into an accident particularly on the highway. Ford motors please, do something about my vehicle. Also, the vehicle does not stop when it should every time I apply the breaks. Whether on the streets, the highway, making turns, and at a stoplight, it always goes an extra distance before actually coming to a full stop. The brake pads are all OEM from the Ford dealer in my town. I'm always worried that my vehicle will one day give me the slip and get me into a vehicular accident. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while approaching a stop sign and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle would accelerate without warning. The contact stated that the brake pedal had to be depressed to the floorboard in order for the vehicle to come to a complete stop. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,658.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked and accelerated when the brake pedal was depressed. The failure recurred ten times. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 162,000.
Car struggles to change gears. ABS, ENGINE, and THROTTLE warning lights on. Rough idle, car does not accelerate when shifted into drive.
My '06 Ford Freestyle has been having problems with surging forward especially when moving slowly back and forth into a parking spot. At times it even stalls. The surge causes the car to rapidly accelerate and I'm forced to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car, wall, person, or whatever is in front of me. It usually happens when the ac is on. I have taken the car to a Ford service station on three different occasions and they have been unable to detect the problem. On the first attempt, they could not duplicate my concern. The next two times I went into the car with the technicians and they did experience the surging motion. However, when running the diagnostic on the car, no problems were indicated. Most recently, the electrical system was updated on the car and I was sent home, as the technicians said they drove the car and no longer felt the surging. …
We purchased a brand new 2006 Ford Freestyle in March, 2007. On June 14, 2011, and to a lesser extent, periodically since vehicle purchase, the vehicle's engine surged while my foot was on the brake pedal; the vehicle failed to accelerate to normal speed; and, it acted like it didn't want to shift into next gear. The June 14, 2011 occurrence was the worst one, plus, the wrench light came on. Our local Ford dealership diagnosis is that the throttle body needs to be replaced...at only 37,200 miles. Repair estimate from the dealership to replace the part is $836.48. Dealership also determined that an engine mount bracket/gasket needs to be replaced for cost of $424.00; rear brakes will be needed within 5,00 miles for $374, if new rotors are needed; and, new battery is needed now for a cost of $138...all this at only 37,200 miles. …
I have three complaints regarding my vehicle. I purchased a 2006 Freestyle in June of 2006. In October 2006 my son and I were involved in an accident. There was extensive front end damage resulting in over $10,000 in repairs. The car jumped over two ravines, both times severely impacting the ground. Almost the entire front part of the car had to be replaced, including the radiators, grill, bumper,etc. The air bags did not deploy. Also, I have had to have the tires replaced two times making the latest the third set of tires on this vehicle. The set of tires I just had replaced were 60,000 mile continental touring tires. They had uneven, choppy, wear and were approximately 8 months old. I am on the second set of brakes, both front and rear and have had the rear rotors replaced.. The vehicle currently has approximately 39,000 miles on it. …
Prematurely worn rear brake pads and rotor damage. Ford initially had a recall on the rear brake pads due to faulty material composition. Since the pads were replaced by recall I have experienced a similar failure on two other occasions. The first failure was about 17000 miles, followed by 33000 miles and at 47000. The vehicle is currently at 67000 miles and the rear pads and one rotor have failed again. Front brake pads where replaced as a courtesy by the Ford dealer at 47000 and front rotors have never been replaced. I spoke with the locak Ford dealership regarding the premature wear and they acknowledge that a problem exists but Ford has not recalled or corrected anything. As a result of that conversation I contacted Ford customer care and was contacted by an investigator to discuss the brakes among other problems. …
While backing up the car lunges when foot is still on the brake. Car will occasionally lunge forward when pulling out of a parking spot or when stopped at traffic light or stop sign. Very unsafe!!!!!! Must make sure my foot is on the brake hard when stopped or be ready to quickly brake when backing up. The ac is sometimes on when this happens and the temperature is in the upper 80's. We live in colorado springs, co and 80 degree temp are pretty hot here. Lately it has been in the 90 degree + range and the issue has been happening more. My wife mostly drives this car and our teenage daughter, new drive with a permit, is learning to drive, this is not safe!!!. Please put pressure on Ford to fix this safety item. Seems like May others are having the same issue. Will it take for someone to be seriously hurt or killed before this gets looked at? …
Brake complaints in other Freestyle years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2006 Ford Freestyle?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the brakes of the 2006 Ford Freestyle, 5% of the model year's 1,300 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › pads (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Freestyle brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2006 Ford Freestyle, though it has 1 recall 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 2006 Ford Freestyle brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to brakes 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.