NHTSA Complaint #10584581 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

LAST WEEKEND THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT IN OUR 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVING FINE WITH NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. WE WERE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45 MPH WHEN WE SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CLUNKING NOISE WE HEARD THE SOUND OF METAL CLANGING AROUND UNDER THE CAR AND HITTING THE ROAD...THE FRONT WHEELS BEGAN SKIDDING AND IT FELT AS IF THE BACK OF THE CAR LIFTED OF THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT I FELT AS IF I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS DRIVING BEHIND US, AS IT IS VERY LIKELY WE WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. I PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE CAR OFF, GOT OUT AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH AND SAW OIL RUNNING OUT OF THE CAR ONTO THE ROAD. WE THEN NOTICED THE TRAIL OF MANGLED METAL IN THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT I KNEW WE WERE IN BIG TROUBLE. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. GARAGE CALLED ON MONDAY ONLY TO TELL US THAT A USED TRANSMISSION FOR THIS CAR IS VERY HARD TO FIND AND THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ONE LOCALLY...AND FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT REPLACING WITH A NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD COST $6000-$7000, MAYBE MORE SINCE THIS TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND WE COULDN'T TURN IT IN FOR A CORE. SOMETHING IN THE TRANSMISSION ACTUALLY CAME APART CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO BIND AND LITERALLY TEAR ITSELF APART. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED FOR $6,500 AND HAVE ONLY OWNED IT FOR 11 MONTHS. I AM SEEING THAT THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. NOT ONLY CAN I NOT AFFORD THIS REPAIR, THERE IS NO WAY I AM GOING TO SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY ON A TRANSMISSION THAT IS LIKELY TO FAIL JUST AS THIS ONE DID. SO I AM WITHOUT A CAR WITH 4 CHILDREN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW I'M GOING TO AFFORD ANOTHER ONE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT WITH THIS CAR AND FORD SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO FIX THIS. *TR