NHTSA Complaint #10453712 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

ISSUES NOTICED WITH ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS WITHIN A YEAR OF PURCHASING BRAND NEW VEHICLE. DEALERSHIPS NEVER FOUND ANYTHING WRONG. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER. RADIO WOULD GO OUT, ALL LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD WOULD GO OUT ETC. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'D ALL COME BACK ON AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. NOTICED MOSTLY DURING RAINY AND HUMID DAYS. THEN ONCE IN A WHILE VAN WOULD CHUG AND ACT DOGGY. IN DECEMBER 2008, WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY CITY STREET, VAN JUST STOPPED "DRIVING" AND WOULD REV. DIDN'T HAVE MONEY TO FIX UNTIL APRIL OF 2009 SO IT SAT IN OUR DRIVEWAY. HAD IT TOWED TO TRANSMISSION SHOP AFTER CALLING FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS DOUBLE THE COST FOR THEM TO FIX. TRANSMISSION SHOP TOLD ME THAT THE SPLINES STRIPPED OFF THE TORQUE CONVERTER CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. REPAIR COST FOR TRANNY REBUILD #1: $1,830.97. SHORTLY AFTER, THE A/C STOPPED WORKING (SUMMER 2009). REPLACED CONDENSER FOR PRICE OF PARTS AS NEIGHBOR WHO'S A TECHNICIAN PROVIDED FREE LABOR. VAN RAN OKAY FOR ABOUT A YEAR. THEN IN SUMMER 2010, STARTED RUNNING SLUGGISHLY AGAIN AND STILL HAD ISSUES WITH POWER LOSS (AS STATED IN BEGINNING). FOUND INFO ONLINE ABOUT EVERYONE HAVING ISSUES WITH PCM SO REPLACED THAT AS WELL FOR $500. WORKED FOR A COUPLE MONTHS BUT THEN IN DECEMBER 2010 VAN STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH POWER LOSS AGAIN AND CHUGGING. LITTLE DID I KNOW, THIS WAS THE START OF THE TRANNY BEGINNING TO FAIL AGAIN! JULY 2, 2011 TRANNY FAILED AGAIN. DOING 50MPH IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION ZONE. AGAIN, TOLD BY TRANSMISSION SHOP (DIFFERENT SHOP AS WE WERE 9.5HRS FROM HOME), THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED AGAIN AND TRANNY NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. COST TO REBUILD TRANNY #2: $1,850.00. STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH SLUGGISHNESS, THINKING WATER GETTING INTO PC STILL. TIRE PRESSURE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON FOR YEARS, HAVING ISSUES WITH SLIDING DOORS, BACK UP SENSORS, A/C ETC. I'M TIRED OF THIS LEMON!!!!! *TR