Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestyle. When starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse or drive at 2 MPH, the vehicle would lunge forward or backwards as the brake pedal was depressed. In addition, the check engine and the wrench warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 190,000.
Several times my vehicle surges forward when moving at slow speeds or braking. This has happened while driving forward and reverse. More noticeable when the A/C is on. Even when my foot is on the brake . I can hear the engine revving when this is happening - even though my foot is on the brake.it also loses power on the freeway and becomes very sluggish in acceleration.the vehicle would lose power unexpectedly when driving 10 MPH and up. Also I had a minor accident,the vehicle accelerated by itself and I hit a wall in my garage. Also, it would not go forward and when put in reverse it would accelerate--this happened in the middle of traffic during rush hour. We finally took it to the dealer to have it looked at, they told us it was the throttle body and our master tech guarantee did not cover the expense. …
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled with the battery, oil pressure, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.
On my 2006 Freestyle, that I purchased on 4/01/2014 from northway motor car in latham, ny,it suddenly jerked forward and shut off today. Upon trying to restart the vehicle ran on an unstable idle and both my service engine and engine wrench light appeared on the dash. The Freestyle would not move, upon putting it into gear it ran low idle and then shut down. Once my local garage ran a diagnostic test it referenced the throttle body being bad?? So now looking up recalls I find natsa action number :pe11018. Of course the extended warranty program 12n03 is only to 10 years or 150,000 miles. Great !!! I now have 180,100 miles and a loan for still over $3000. I am under the 10 year mark but over the milage, despite buying this from a major car dealer who could have had this problem fixed before selling it to me when it only had 148,322miles !!!! …
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle lunged forward. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle revved high. While driving at high speeds, the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that several times, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who cleaned and replaced the throttle body. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Says transmission data error check engine and trac control all display and only allow me to drive 20-35 MPH some time I can turn the car off and back on and the codes will shut off but they come back on in the middle of the highway what usually takes me 30 minutes takes me an hour and a half to get to some times 2 hours I can't run my AC cuz that over does my alternator and heats my car I've only had it a year and it's been giving me problems 5 months after getting it I have kids and it gets rough going slow in the heat and hoping if I press to much on the gas please help I am broke and have nothing but this car left and I've spent $2000 for people to tell me nothing is wrong with it
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle was making a jerking motion. The contact also stated that the wrench warning indicator illuminated. The contact shut the vehicle off and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestyle. While driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was driven to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer stated that the electronic throttle body sensor failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000. Updated 8/6/15 updated 10/26/2017
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Freestyle years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (258), 2005 (249) and 2007 (167) model years. Engine complaints make up 20% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Ford Freestyle engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Ford Freestyle model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford Freestyle engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles; 16% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (114 mentions), followed by the cooling system (14).
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.