NHTSA Complaint #10461373 — 2006 FORD FREESTYLE

I PURCHASED MY 2006 FORD FREESTYLE IN JUNE OF 2007. INITIALLY I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE COMFORT, SIZE, AND GAS MILEAGE OF MY NEW CAR. AROUND 2 1/2 YRS LATER I STARTED NOTICING WHEN MOVING FROM PARK TO REVERSE MY CAR WOULD SOMETIMES STALL OR LUNGE BACKWARDS. IT WAS ONLY OCCASIONALLY AND AT THE TIME I WAS TOLD I PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE IT IN GEAR ALL THE WAY BEFORE REVERSING. I HAD TO SWITCH FROM PARK TO REVERSE VERY SLOWLY AND ALWAYS BE READY TO HIT THE BRAKE IN CASE IT DECIDED TO LUNGE ON ITS OWN. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE AWAY EXCEPT NOW I HAVE PROBLEMS ACCELERATING. ALMOST ALWAYS ON THE HIGHWAY NOW MY CAR WILL LOOSE POWER AND THE WRENCH LIGHT WILL COME ON. ONCE I PULL OVER AND RESTART IT , IT SEEMS TO TEMPORARILY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS HOWEVER BEYOND DANGEROUS. SEVERAL TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED IN PLACES ON BUSY HIGHWAYS WHERE THERE IS NO SHOULDER. I HAVE TO TRAVEL IN THE SLOW LANE NOW 100% OF THE TIME AND I TRY TO AVOID MAJOR INTERSTATE AT ALL COSTS. I HAVE INVESTED A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY INTO SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE TURNED OUT TO NOT BE THE PROBLEM. I FEEL LIKE THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY NOW, BEFORE IT ENDS UP KILLING SOMEONE. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE A GREAT FAMILY CAR BUT NOW I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO EVEN LET CHILDREN RIDE WITH ME. I AM ALSO VERY UPSET THAT AFTER PAYING DOWN OVER A 20K LOAN TO 5K THAT I WILL HAVE TO BUY ANOTHER CAR. I PLANNED ON HAVING THIS CAR FOR YEARS AND YEARS. I ATTEMPTED IN 2009 AND IN 2011 TO TRADE THE CAR IN FOR A NEW CAR AND THE $ VALUE OF TRADE IN IS VERY LOW. THE DEALERSHIPS ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS AND OFFER A VERY SMALL AMOUNT FOR A 7 PASSENGER 2006 WITH ONLY 85K MILES ON AND IT GETS GREAT GAS MILEAGE COMPARED TO MOST SUVS OR VANS THAT SEAT 7. *TR