NHTSA Complaint #10575639 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

ON MONDAY, MARCH 17TH, 2014, AFTER $3685 IN REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE, AS WELL AS SOME RECALL WORK, AND A LOAN FOR $5321 FOR MY 2005 FORD FREESTYLE LIMITED AWD (WHICH WAS JUST PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2013 AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT A MONTH TOTAL DUE TO NUMEROUS ISSUES), I ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSMISSION WHILE PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. AS I FINISHED PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE, ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, ACCOMPANIED BY A WRENCH LIGHT AND A MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD SAYING "SERVICE TRANSMISSION SOON." THERE WAS A VEHICLE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD BEHIND ME IN THE SAME LANE; HOWEVER, I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY IN TIME BEFORE THE VEHICLE APPROACHED MY CAR. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH THEIR CVT TRANSMISSIONS AND THAT INCIDENTS LIKE THIS POSE SERIOUS SAFETY RISKS FOR THE DRIVER/PASSENGERS/OTHERS; HOWEVER, THEY HAVE FAILED TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE TRANSMISSION. ACCORDING TO THE CARFAX ON MY VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE, SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT A LITTLE OVER 142,000 MILES. I WAS QUOTED ABOUT $6500 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION TO BE INSTALLED BY THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP; HOWEVER, I CANNOT AFFORD THIS, SO I EITHER RISK THE CHANCE OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT BY CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND HAVING IT LOSE POWER ONCE AGAIN, OR I DO NOT DRIVE IT AT ALL. *TR