NHTSA Complaint #10416321 — 2005 FORD FREESTAR

TRANS WENT OUT 10/09 WITH 69613 ML. HAD IT REPAIRED. SAID IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER. ON 2/11, 88K ML ON VAN, 18K ML ON REBUILT TRANS, IT WENT OUT AGAIN. I WAS LUCKY, BOTH TIMES IT QUIT WHEN MY WIFE WAS IN THE DRIVE WAY SO NO ONE WAS HURT. I HAVEN'T HAD IT REPAIRED AS YET, STILL DECIDING IF IT IS WORTH HAVING IT REPAIRED A 2ND TIME IF IT IS NOT GOING TO BE SAFE/DEPENDABLE. NOW I HERE THE CASE IS CLOSED! THE SUBJECT VEHICLES SUFFERED FROM A DESIGN ISSUE WHEREBY WATER COULD RUN DOWN ONTO THE COWLING AND THEN DRIP ON THE (PCM), WHICH COULD BE MANIFESTED IN A VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS. IN ADDITION TO CAUSING AN ENGINE TO STALL, IT COULD ALSO CAUSE THE TRANS TO SHIFT POORLY, HAVE ERRATIC POWER, AN INABILITY TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO EITHER FORWARD OR REVERSE, AND CAUSE HIGHER IDLE RPM IN PARK. DURING THIS INVESTIGATION ODI WAS CONCERNED WITH THE EFFECT OF THE ENGINE STALLING OR A DRASTIC AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER EITHER OF WHICH MAY CREATE A SAFETY RISK. IN REVIEWING THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS, COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO HERE AS ENGINE STALLS, THE NUMBER WAS FOUND TO BE BELOW WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A DEFECT TREND. ACCORDINGLY THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST. THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED. EDT YOU MEAN TO TELL ME NHTSA DOESN'T FIND A DRASTIC AND SUDDEN LOSS OF THE TRANS TO CREATE A SAFETY RISK. DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE OR PULLING INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THE TRANS SUDDENLY QUITS, NO WAY TO MOVE OUT OF HARMS WAY. THERE ARE OVER 1500 MESSAGES ON EDMUNDS.COM , TELLING THE SAME STORY, BUT THAT'S NOT BEING LOOKED INTO. I SINCERELY HOPE THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR COMPLAINTS AND INFORMATION RELATING TO THE DEFECT AND TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE IT IS WARRANTED. *TR