NHTSA Complaint #10750219 — 2007 FORD FREESTYLE

APRIL 2015, MY VEHICLE STARTED MAKING KNOCKING/GRINDING/TICKING NOISES ONCE IT WAS STARTED. SOMETIMES THE TRANSMISSION WOULD FAIL TO SHIFT INTO GEAR(S). I PRODEEDED TO PHYSICALLY MOVE MY SHIFTER INTO GEAR(S) A FEW TIMES. THE TRANSMISSION THEN SHIFTED INTO GEAR(S), MAKING A HARD "CLUNK" SOUND. SOUNDING LIKE THE TRANSMISSION HAD 'DROPPED' INTO GEAR; AS IF IT HAD A LOW TRASMISSION FLUID LEVEL. MIND YOU, RECENTLY, A LOCAL SHOP CHANGED MY OIL AND ALL FLUIDS WERE CHECKED AND REFILLED IF NEEDED. THE SHOP INFORMED ME ABOUT CODE P0942, BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS CODE BEFORE IN THEIR LIFE! ENGINE-CODES.COM STATES: "P0942 - HYDRAULIC PRESSURE UNIT" WITH A RATING OF 3/3 (3=HIGH). I CALLED A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED ABOUT THIS CODE; WHICH DOESN'T IDENTIFY THE ACTUAL PROBLEM/ISSUE; RESULTING IN NO SPECIFICS. ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY VEHICLE STARTED TO SURGE, AND THE RPM'S CONTINUOUSLY FLUCTUATED (WHILE THE CRUISE WAS ON). MY VEHICLE THEN STARTED TO SHAKE, AND MADE A THUMPING/CRUNCHING NOISE, FOLLOWED WITH THE FORWARD PROPULSION CEASING TO EXIST. I FRANTICALLY TURNED MY FORE WAYS ON, AND DRIFTED UNTIL AT A COMPLETE STOP ON THE SHOLDER OF THE HIGHWAY. AGAIN, WHILE I PHYSICALLY SHIFTED GEAR(S), THE TRANSMISSION SOUNDED LOW ON FLUID, AS IF NO (VALID) SHIFTING OF GEAR(S)S AND ALSO MAINTAINED A HUMMING NOISE. FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT, MY 12 YEAR OLD SON, GRABBED MY HAND AND ASKED ME TO PRAY WITH HIM; PRAY THAT WE'D MAKE IT HOME WITHOUT GETTING HURT (OUR SAFETY). NUMEROUS TIMES OUR VEHICLE SHOOK TREMENDOUSLY WHEN OTHER VEHICLES PASSED BY. ONCE HOME, I WAS STILL CALMING MY SON DOWN, WE BOTH NEEDED TO SLEEP. THAT NIGHT, MY SON AND I EXPERIENCED A TRAMATIC (NIGHTMARE LIKE) SITUATION. NOW, FORD CUSTOMERS ARE FORCED UPON (A) SAFETY HAZZARD(S). YES, PREVENTABLE SAFETY HAZZARD(S), IF DEALT WITH ASAP.