NHTSA Complaint #10435730 — 2005 FORD FREESTAR

OUR 2005 FREESTAR MINIVAN WOULD STALL AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE WITH NO WARNING. WE PURCHASED THIS VAN IN 2005 FROM OUR LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND HAD PULLED INTO AN INTERSECTION WHEN IT STALLED, SHE WAS FORTUNATE THAT SHE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE VAN WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING WHEN YOU PUT INTO GEAR AND HAD NO REVERSE GEAR. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND FOUND OUT THE PCM HAD GOTTEN WET AND THAT THERE WAS A TSB ISSUED FOR THIS VEHICLE AS IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THIS MODEL. THE MECHANIC DRIED OUT THE PCM, RE-SEALED THE AREA PER THE TSB AND WE WERE BACK ON THE ROAD. THIS WAS IN AUGUST 2010 SO THE VAN WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD. FOUR MONTHS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN THAT THE VAN SHUT DOWN FOR THE SAME REASON. THE GARAGE RE-DID THE WORK AND VERIFIED THE AREA WAS SEALED OFF. FIVE MONTHS LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN SO WATER HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN ABLE TO GET BACK IN THERE. WE TOOK IT BACK TO OUR LOCAL FORD MECHANIC AND THEY RE-SEALED THE AREA AFTER DRYING OUT THE PCM, AND 3 MONTHS LATER WE WERE IN THE SAME SITUATION. WE HAVE NOW REPLACED THE PCM WITH A NEW ONE, BUT I HAVE NO FAITH THAT THE WATER PROBLEM IS GONE. EACH TIME THE PCM FAILS, THE VAN WILL SHUT DOWN LEAVING YOU WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. EACH TIME WE HAVE GOTTEN LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT AND THAT WE WERE WITHIN OUR HOMETOWN SO WE COULD HAVE THE VAN TOWED TO THE GARAGE. THIS IS A FAMILY VAN THAT AT ANY TIME ONE OF OUR CHILDREN COULD BE DRIVING WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, AND WITH THEM NOT HAVING AS MUCH DRIVING EXPERIENCE AS MY WIFE AND MYSELF, THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT IS GREATLY INCREASED. WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS SO FAR, ONLY THE EXPENSES, BUT I DON'T WANT TO KEEP SAYING "I'M GLAD WE WEREN'T PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC WHEN THAT HAPPENED." IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT IT COULD HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME.