NHTSA Complaint #10521577 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING IN AND OUT AND VERY SLUGGISH AND NO POWER, BACKFIRING AND SMELLS VERY STRONG OF GAS FUMES. HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW WEEKS. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND IT SLIPPED OUT OF DRIVE AND LOST POWER. I HAD TO SLOW MYSELF DOWN AT A PACE TO TURN THE VAN INTO A SAFE AREA OFF THE HIGHWAY I WAS TRAVELING AT THE SPEED OF 60..VERY SCARY ...THE VAN WOULD NOT MOVE. I HAD THE VAN TOWED BY A FRIEND AT THE COST OF $65.00 (HE SAVED ME A LOT OF MONEY ) WHICH WAS NOT OFFERED BACK TO ME FROM THE DEALERSHIP.... I DIDN'T KNOW ABT THE RECALL OR THE PCM PROBLEM UNTIL I WAS LOOKING FOR INFO ON YTUBE..I CALLED MY DEALER WHERE I HAD BOUGHT THE VAN( AND IT IS PAID FOR) WHEN I TALKED WITH AN ADVISOR HE SAID FOR ME TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. I REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE TOW (THEY DID DO THAT AT LEAST) HE CALLED ME AND SAID THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS UNDER A RECALL AND THEY WOULD REPLACE THAT PART...3 DAYS LATER I WENT TO PICK THE VAN UP AND IT STILL WASN'T DRIVING RIGHT. STILL LOOSING POWER AND GAS SMELL AND IT FELT AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING STILL. IT WAS A SATURDAY AND THE LADY HELPING ME KNEW NOTHING COULDN'T EVEN FIND MY PAPERWORK AND HAD TO CALL THE ADVISOR. SHE SAID TO CALL HIM BACK ON MONDAY SO NEEDLESS TO SAY I TRIED TO DRIVE THE VAN AND IT JUST WASN'T DRIVABLE SO I PARKED IT.. WAS AFRAID IT MIGHT DO MORE DAMAGE IF I DIDN'T. ON MONDAY I CALLED AND SPOKE TO THE ADVISOR AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THEY ONLY DID THE RECALL PART AS I HAD REQUESTED TO BE DONE. HE ALSO SAID THE TECH TOLD HIM THAT THE VAN NEEDED A LOT OF WORK. I IN RETURN ASK WHY THEY DIDN'T CHECK OUT ALL OF THE PROBLEMS AND HIS ANSWER WAS WE DID THE RECALL AND THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO UNLESS I WANTED TO PAY $100.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC .SO NEEDLESS TO SAY MY VAN SITS UNTIL I CAN PAY OR FORD DOES SOMETHING TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. THE BALL IS N YOUR PARK FORD. *TR