NHTSA Complaint #10505039 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MY CAR HAD AN UNEXPECTED LURCHING/LUNGING PROBLEM WHENEVER I WAS PULLING IN & OUT OF PARKING SPACES. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS, SINCE I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY SLAM ON MY BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. I NOTICED ON SEVERAL FORUMS THAT THE SUGGESTED FIX WAS TO HAVE THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED, SO ON 9/17/12, I HAD MY REGULAR MECHANIC PERFORM THIS REPAIR. IN DEC 2012, I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM FORD STATING THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE THROTTLE BODY OR REIMBURSE ME IF I HAD ALREADY HAD IT DONE. THIS LETTER WAS APPARENTLY A RESULT OF COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS WITH NHTSA AND A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT FILED OVER 2 YEARS AGO. NO SOONER HAD I APPLIED FOR THE REFUND WHEN THE SECOND ISSUE (THAT THE FORUMS ALL DESCRIBE) STARTING OCCURRING - I.E. A LOUD WHINE WHENEVER I HAVE THE CAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. THE SOUND GOES AWAY ONCE IN DRIVE, BUT I'VE HAD 3 GARAGES TELL ME THIS IS A SIGN THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. THE REPAIR COSTS ANYWHERE FROM $4,000 TO $7,000. NUMEROUS DOCUMENTATION EXISTS THAT THESE CVT TRANSMISSIONS ARE FAILING AROUND 100,000 MILES AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE PART NO LONGER MAKES IT, SO ONLY REBUILT TRANSMISSIONS CAN BE USED. APPARENTLY FORD HAS THE MARKET CORNERED ON THOSE AND THERE IS A HUGE BACK-ORDER PROBLEM TO EVEN GET THE WORK NONE. ALL THIS INDICATES A PROBLEM ON FORD'S PART, BUT A LACK OF RESPONSE UNTIL ANOTHER CLASS ACTION IS THROWN AT THEM WHICH IS ALREADY IN THE WORKS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING MY CAR, SINCE IT SEEMS INEVITABLE THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ABOUT TO DIE. I DO NOT WANT TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, BUT I DO WANT THE NHTSA TO PUT PRESSURE ON FORD TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM SINCE MOST OF THESE VEHICLES ARE REACHING THE MILEAGE POINT WHERE THE FAILURE IS BOUND TO OCCUR AND AN ACCIDENT WILL HAPPEN. THE THROTTLE-BODY PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY RELATED TO THE CVT PROBLEM SO PLEASE HAVE THEM FIX IT. *TR