NHTSA Complaint #10155873 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

THIS IS A GENERAL COMPLIANT ABOUT MY 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE PROBLEMS STARTED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER DRIVING THE CAR AWAY FROM THE DEALER. 1. I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND THE RUBBER COVER FELL OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. 2. THE NEXT THING WAS THE KEYLESS REMOTE WORKED ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME TO OPEN THE PASSENGER DOORS. 3. THEN AFTER ABOUT THE FIRST 500 MILES OF DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATED IN MY HANDS WHEN COMING TO A STOP. 4. ALSO WHEN DRIVING THERE WERE SEVERAL ANNOYING SOUNDS. 5 FINALLY, AND THIS IS THE MOST ANNOYING OF ALL, I CAN'T RUN THE HEATER IN THE COLD WEATHER BECAUSE EXCESSIVE HOT AIR COMES FROM THE DEFROST VENTS EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE CONTROL SET TO 'FLOOR VENTS' ONLY. NOW WHAT HAS THE FORD DEALERS DONE ABOUT THE PROBLEMS? 1. I REPLACED THE RUBBER COVER ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. 2. THE DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX THE KEYLESS REMOTE PROBLEM. THEY CLAIM IT IS WORKING FINE EVEN THOUGH I TOOK IT TO INDEPENDENT ALARM TECH WHO TOLD ME THE 'UNLOCK ALL' RECEIVER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. 3. THE OSCILLATION OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE STOPPING WAS ' FIXED' BY ONE DEALER BY GRINDING DOWN A WARPED BRAKE ROTOR. THIS REPAIR, WHICH I OBJECTED TO FORD NOT REPLACING THE ROTOR WITH A NEW ROTOR, ONLY LASTED A FEW THOUSAND MILES AND THE PROBLEM RECURRED. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO REPLACED THE BAD ROTOR. 4. ONE OF THE ANNOYING SOUNDS WAS FIXED BY ONE DEALER BUT NOT ALL OF THE SOUNDS. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER AND ALL WERE FIXED. 5. THE DEALERS REFUSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM OF EXCESSIVE HOT AIR COMING FROM THE DEFROST VENT. I HAVE TO DUCT TAPE OVER THE DEFROST VENT TO BE ABLE RUN THE HEATER. THEN I HAVE TO PULL THE DUCT TAPE AWAY IF THE WINDSHIELD FOGS OVER INSIDE THE CAR. IN GENERAL I THINK THE QUALITY OF THIS CAR IS THE WORST THAT I HAVE EVER OWNED AND I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL NEW CARS IN MY ALMOST 70 YEARS OF AGE. *JB