NHTSA Complaint #10415040 — 2005 FORD FREESTAR

LAST SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING OUR 2005 FORD FREESTAR (JUST OVER 86,000 MILES) IN REVERSE. HE STOPPED, PUT IT INTO DRIVE AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. NOT REVERSE, NOT DRIVE, NOT FIRST OR THIRD--NOTHING. FORTUNATELY HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT PUSHED INTO A PARKING STALL AND OUT OF THE ROAD. UPON LOOKING ONLINE TO FIND OUT INFORMATION REGARDING A TRANSMISSION WARRANTY, HE DISCOVERED THAT MANY, MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH '04 AND '05 FREESTARS AND THAT FORD'S ONLY RESPONSE IS TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER SAME, DEFECTIVE PART. WE WERE NOT HURT IN ANY WAY, BUT IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE SOMEONE IS ON A FREEWAY OR IN AN INTERSECTION AND IS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS--MAYBE EVEN FATAL--ACCIDENT BECAUSE THEIR TRANSMISSION IS SUDDENLY NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. FORD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS OVERSIGHT AND RECALL ALL '04 AND '05 FORD FREESTARS. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AS OF YET, BUT WILL BE DOING SO THIS WEEK. COST OF REPAIR: UNKNOWN. *TR