NHTSA Complaint #10486736 — 2005 FORD FREESTAR

RECEIVED RECALL FOR TORQUE CONVERTER- HAD IT REPLACED ON AUG 20, 2012. ON NOV. 19TH THE VAN WOULDN'T GO PASS 20 MPH. DROVE SLOW APPROX. 3 MILES TO DESTINATION. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO CHECK OUT PROBLEM AT INITIAL CONTACT WAS TOLD THEY KNEW OF NO PROBLEMS RELATING TO TORQUE CONVERTER REPLACEMENT. AFTER CHECKING VAN OUT WAS TOLD THAT WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, AT SECOND CONTACT WAS TOLD THEY WERE AWARE OF TORQUE RECALL ISSUES BUT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE FOR US. WE HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION PRIOR TO NOV 19TH. WHEN ASKED, WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT FLUSH AND REPLACE FLUIDS WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER RECALL SERVICE AS THIS EXTRA COST WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. WE WERE TOLD BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT IF FLUIDS WERE NOT CHANGED THAT IT COULD CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL WHICH IT DID. WAS QUOTED A HIGH COST TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION, ENDED UP USING DISABLED VEHICLE AS A TRADE 'AS IS' TO PURCHASE A WORKING VEHICLE. OTHER ISSUES WITH VEHICLE PRIOR TO LAST INCIDENT WERE ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS NOT WORKING, SLIDING DOORS WOULD REOPEN UPON CLOSING, HAD TO TURN OFF AUTO DOORS, BACKUP WARNING QUIT WORKING, TRACTION CONTROL BUTTON DIDN'T WORK, DVD PLAYER WOULD START RUNNING ON ITS OWN. *TR