NHTSA Complaint #10402880 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

I OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE AND ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO, WHEN EVER I WOULD BACK OUT OF MY GARAGE OR PULL INTO THE GARAGE AT A SLOW SPEED, SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD LUNGE UNEXPECTEDLY EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD DEPENDING ON IF I WAS BACKING OUT OR PULLING INTO MY GARAGE. IT OCCURRED AT LEAST 3 OR 4 TIMES PER WEEK UNTIL IT FINALLY GOT SO BACK THAT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AT THAT POINT, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHARGED ME OVER $600 TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY ON THE CAR. THIS DID RESOLVE THE ISSUE SOMEWHAT, BUT AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES A MONTH I STILL EXPERIENCE THIS LUNGING OF THE CAR, BUT IT IS NOT AS DRAMATIC AS IT WAS BEFORE THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY. I WAS REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS THAT LIKE TO PLAY AROUND OUR HOUSE AND I WAS ALWAYS WORRIED I WAS GOING TO RUN INTO ONE OF THEM WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE SO I HAD TO MAKE SURE I KEPT ONE FOOT ON THE BREAK JUST IN CASE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE PUBLIC. ALSO, MY WIFE HAS A 2006 FORD 500 AND IT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AND WE HAD TO GET THE THROTTLE BODY FIXED ON IT AS WELL. I SPENT OVER $1,000 WITHIN THE SPAN OF A FEW MONTHS ON THE SAME ISSUE IN TWO DIFFERENT FORD VEHICLES. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE THROTTLE BODY MECHANISM AND FORD NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION THEY HAVE PUT CAR OWNERS IN AND THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REFUND THE COST OF ANYONE WHO HAS ALREADY SPENT $600 OR $700 TO FIX THEIR THROTTLE BODY. THE FORD DEALER TOLD ME TO KEEP MY RECEIPTS IN CASE THIS ISSUE MADE THE RECALL LIST. *TR