NHTSA Complaint #10429243 — 2006 FORD FREESTYLE

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN ROUTE TO WORK OR THE GROCERY STORE, MY 06 FORD FREESTYLE SEEMED SLOW AND SLUGGISH TO RESPOND AS I WOULD BE WAITING AT A RED LIGHT FOR THE GREEN. WHEN THE LIGHT DID TURN GREEN AND I WOULD PRESS THE GAS PEDAL TO GO, THE CAR WOULD SHUT OFF. A FEW TIMES THERE WERE CLOSE CALLS AS THE CAR BEHIND ME WOULD BE UNAWARE I WAS HAVING TROUBLE AND ALMOST REAR-END ME. WHEN THE CAR WOULD CUT OFF, I WOULD PROCEED TO RESTART THE CAR AND THEN PRESS THE GAS TO GO. THE CAR SEEMED TO RESPOND EXTREMELY SLOW LIKE I WOULD HAVE THE GAS PEDAL PRESSED TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO GO 20 - 25 MPH. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, THE CAR WOULD SEEM TO LURCH FORWARD OR BACKWARD (DEPENDING ON IF I HAD THE CAR IN DRIVE OR REVERSE) AS SOON AS I WOULD TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. AFTER THE 3RD OR 4TH TIME THIS HAPPENED, I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL SHOP WHO HAD TO REFER ME TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO BE LOOKED AT, FORD EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AS IT WAS CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION MISHAP IN THE CAR. SO OVER $900 LATER, THE CAR WAS FIXED. I DID DO MY RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL OTHER 06 FORD FREESTYLES HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. EVEN THE SERVICE MAN AT THE FORD DEALER WHO FIXED MY CAR SAID THAT HE HAD JUST HAD HIS 06 FREESTYLE REPAIRED FOR THE SAME REASON. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIES TO DO SOMETHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM LIKE A RECALL. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE REAR-ENDED, IN AN ACCIDENT, OR POSSIBLY DRIVE THROUGH MY HOUSE. A RECALL WOULD BE BEING PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF WAITING TO BE REACTIVE. BEING PROACTIVE SHOWS THAT THE FORD CARES FOR ITS CONSUMERS AND APPRECIATES THEM AS WELL. SAFETY SHOULD BE PRIORITY #1!!! *TR