NHTSA Complaint #10778665 — 2006 FORD FREESTYLE

I PURCHASED A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE IN APRIL 2014. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT TRUCK EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM: WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL SUDDENLY DROP INTO LOW GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GO INTO ANY OTHER FORWARD GEAR WITHOUT SHIFTING INTO 'PARK', SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE, WAITING A MINUTE, AND RE-STARTING THE ENGINE. THIS CAN BE QUITE DANGEROUS ON A FAST MOVING FREEWAY! IN NORMAL CITY DRIVING, THE TRUCK RUNS FINE. ON LONG ROAD TRIPS, THE TRANSMISSION MAY DO THIS DOZENS OF TIMES BEFORE REACHING MY DESTINATION. IT IS ESPECIALLY A PROBLEM GOING UP LONG GRADES. IT CAN ALSO OCCUR WHEN OVERTAKING A SLOW-MOVING VEHICLE, DECELERATING, AND THEN SPEEDING BACK UP TO PASS. I CHECKED A FORUM FOR FREESTYLE PROBLEMS AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL INSTANCES OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SOME PAID HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE THEIR TRANSMISSIONS FIXED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I TALKED TO A FORD MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HE SAID THAT THE FREESTYLE (MADE ONLY IN 2006 AND 2007) HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS. HE SAID THERE IS A FAULTY TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN THE HOUSING OF THE TRANSMISSION THAT SENDS A PROBLEM SIGNAL TO THE COMPUTER THAT 'LOCKS THE TRANSMISSION INTO 'LIMP' MODE SO THE DRIVER CAN PULL OVER'. TO REPLACE IT REQUIRES BUYING THE HOUSING BECAUSE THE SENSOR IS PART OF THE HOUSING. BUT, THE COMPANY THAT MADE THE PART FOR FORD WENT OUT OF BUSINESS IN 2008. SO NO PART HAS BEEN AVAILABLE. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD HAD CONTRACTED ANOTHER COMPANY TO MAKE THE PART IN DECEMBER 2014 AND THE PART WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN JUNE 2015. IN JUNE, I CHECKED, AND NOW THE PART WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE END OF 2015. I COMPLAINED ON THE FORD WEBSITE AND THEY DENY ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS SO NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. I CAN'T USE THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO OFF AND THE HIGH RPM CAN BLOW THE ENGINE.