2005 FORD FREESTYLE Traction Control System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ALL WHEEL DRIVE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES AND WHEEL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 224,000. ...UPDATED 03/13/17 *BF *JS

IT FIRST STARTED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND MY WRENCH LIGHT SUDDENLY CAME ON. MY VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO "SAFE MODE"WHICH CAUSED MY CAR TO STOP LOSING ALL POWER. I LOOKED UP MY VIN NUMBER AT FORD.COM AND IT SAID A RECALL IS IN ACTION BY THE COMPANY TO REMEDY A SAFETY OR EMISSIONS-RELATED CONCERN RELATED TO A VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. I CONTACTED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT FORD AND THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AND WAS TOLD ITS NOT A RECALL IT WAS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT EXPIRED IN MAY 31ST 2013. JUST ON OCT 4 2014 I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY WITH MY WIFE AND CHILDREN AND THE CAR SUDDENLY PUT IT INTO SAFE MODE AND ABRUPTLY STOPPED! IM SORRY BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A SAFETY CONCERN TO ME AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RECALL. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 SEL FREESTYLE WITH ABOUT 130K MILES ON IT. THIS MORNING WHILE DRIVING TO WORK WITH SPEED OF 55MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ABS AND AWD LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYED "CHECK TRACTION CONTROL" AND "AWD MALFUNCTION", THEN ENTIRE PANEL WENT DARK (RPM, GAS, OIL, SPEED AND ODOMETER). I NOTICED THAT THE GAUGES WERE MAKING A TICKING NOISE AT THAT TIME AS WELL. I PULLED OFF THE MAIN HWY AND SHUT CAR OFF, I THEN TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR. ALL OF THE GAUGES LIT UP AGAIN, BUT CAR WOULD NOT START, ACTED LIKE BATTERY/ALTERNATOR WAS SHOT. HAD TO GET IT TOWED HOME AND WAS LATE TO WORK. NOT SURE WHERE TO START TO SOLVE THE ISSUE, HAVE SEEN TOO MANY POSTS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. I THINK THAT FORD NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE THE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES...

BOUGHT IT 7/23/2013, DAY ONE FINE. DAY 2, SPOUSE IN CAR, WITH 3 CHILDREN, CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT, TRACK CONTROL LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WRENCH LIGHT ALL CAME ON. .ON THE HIGHWAY. CAR LOST SIGNIFICANT POWER, ALMOST RESULTING IN ACCIDENT, CAR BUCKING AND USING SIGNIFICANT RPMS TO ACCELERATE . RESTARTED THE CAR AFTER 3-4 TIMES, LIGHTS GONE CAR RUNNING SMOOTHLY. DAY 3, SAME THING. I'VE OWNED IT FOR 6 DAYS! TERRIFIED FOR MY FAMILY AND OTHER DRIVERS WITH THIS VEHICLE. TOO MANY SAFETY COMPLAINTS ON THE VEHICLE/TRANSMISSION FOR FORD NOT TO RECALL. AN AMERICAN COMPANY PUTTING AMERICANS AT RISK FOR HARM. *TR

WENT TO START MY 2005 FORD FREESTYLE - THE RPMS ON THE VEHICLE INCREASED SLIGHTLY, THE WRENCH, TRACTION CONTROL AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE, THERE WAS A LOUD THUNK NOISE. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND TRIED IT AGAIN. SAME THING, I HAD TO DRIVE IT APPROX. 2 MILES, THERE WAS NO POWER, BUT IT GOT ME TO MY CLASS. WHEN I CAME BACK OUT TO MY CAR AN HOUR AN A HALF LATER, ONLY THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE DROVE NORMALLY. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE. AT FIRST THEY SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A $4000 REPAIR. THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES WERE GENERIC AND THEY COULD NOT TELL FOR SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THIS BEHAVIOR USUALLY STARTS AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS SAT FOR A FEW...

TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES OF THE CAR BEING TURNED ON (DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN MOTION). STEERING GETS REAL SENSITIVE. *TR

2005 FORD FREESTYLE HAS "AWD MALFUNCTION" MESSAGE (FORD DIAGNOSTIC CODE: P1889). MALFUNCTION MESSAGE COMES ON SPORADICALLY. NO CLEAR REASON FOR THE MALFUNCTION. HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING OR IDLING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE REVERTS TO 2WD. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING (ESPECIALLY IN WET, SNOWY, ICY CONDITIONS) AND HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO FORD DEALER, WITH NO SUCCESS IN FIXING. THE DEALER FOLLOWED WHAT FORD SAYS TO DO ACCORDING TO THE CODE AND CAN'T FIX PROBLEM. DEALER HAS REPLACED OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP SENSOR WITH NO CHANGE IN ISSUE. NOW WANTS TO TRY TO CHANGE THE TRACTION COUPLER AT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WITHOUT ANY GUARANTEE THAT WILL WOK EITHER. FORD DOES NOT HAVE A CLEAR FIX FOR ISSUE AND WILL NOT COVER COSTS OF REPAIRS FOR AWD DEFECT.

DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SUDDENLY AND CATASTROPHICALLY FAILS, APPARENTLY DISABLING SEVERAL CRITICAL SAFETY FEATURES. THE MALFUNCTION AT FIRST OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY, THEN MORE FREQUENTLY, BUT NOW OCCURS CONTINUOUSLY. A LOCAL FORD DEALER HAS REPLACED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TWICE WITHOUT RESOLVING THE PROBLEM, INDICATING THAT ORIGINAL FORD EQUIPMENT MAY BE DEFECTIVE. THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER NEEDLES SUDDENLY DROP TO ZERO AND FREEZE. THE DIGITAL DISPLAY SHOWS 'ODOMETER DATA ERROR.' ALL WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COME ON AT ONCE. WITHOUT THESE INSTRUMENTS, THE DRIVER CAN NO LONGER MONITOR VEHICLE PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS SPEED AND ENGINE TEMPERATURE. THE MALFUNCTION DEFINITELY DISABLES THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS AND TRACTION CONTROL. IT MAY VERY WELL ALSO DISABLE THE AIR BAG SYSTEM SINCE THE SELF-CHECK DISPLAY ALSO DOES NOT WORK. *TR