2006 Ford Freestar Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report one dominant problem: sudden loss of drive in the minivan's automatic transmission, most often traced by shops to the torque converter. Complaints usually describe the engine continuing to run while the van coasts to a stop, with no warning light beforehand. Secondary reports cover electrical oddities (radio and lighting resets, speedometer faults) and third-row seat mounts corroded away from the body.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Sudden loss of drive (torque converter / transmission)

   • 254 complaints (71%)
   • median 94,750 mi at 7.5 yrs old (235 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,550 (median of 36 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2024

   Owners describe the van suddenly behaving as if shifted into neutral: engine revs rise and no power reaches the wheels in any gear, sometimes at highway speed, sometimes when leaving a stop. Several say the van was towed and a shop or dealer identified the torque converter as the failed part, and in some cases the whole transmission was replaced or rebuilt. Complaints repeatedly note that no warning light came on before the event and that the 2004-2005 model years were covered by a torque converter campaign while this year was not, according to what owners say they were told. Reported from roughly 35,000 to 180,000 miles, most often in the 70,000-120,000 mile range, with no consistent weather or driving condition.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for service records showing whether the transmission or torque converter has been replaced or rebuilt, and by whom. On a test drive, listen for shudder or slipping on a hill and confirm the van engages drive and reverse promptly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2006 Ford Freestar and as of jan 9 2012 they have recalled 04-05 for the transmission blowing up! Torque converter ,pump and output shaft to give you the pats! My family was in the van on the 400 hwy driving on jan 22 2012 with two children and my van shouts down no control,driving 105-110 in the middle lane.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10445686, filed 2012-01, 110,760 miles

   “Mom was driving on the highway when all of a sudden the transmission slipped, she was on the second lane so their is cars going by at 60 miles plus on the sides, the van came to a slow stop and with cars barely missing us and causing a horrible accident. We finally had a tow truck driver that is a friend of mine come to our rescue. Mom is scared to get on the highway ever since. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10920604, filed 2016-11, 65 miles
2. 2
   Seats

   Third-row seat mount corrosion and fracture

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the third-row seat latch or its mounting panel rusting through and detaching from the body, in one case while driving, leaving a hole at the wheel well and making the seat unusable. Some owners say they were told the van was not covered by the seat recall, or that corrosion was too severe for the remedy to be performed. Mostly reported above 130,000 miles on older vans, frequently in vehicles with water intrusion near the rear wheel well.

   Recall 13V081000

   What to check: Open the third-row seat and inspect the latch and wheel-well mounting area for rust, flaking metal, or prior repairs. Ask whether the seat recall was performed and whether the van is registered in a covered state.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My third row seat latch rusted off and completely fell out while driving. I had a big hole right by the driver side back tire. I had to screww a piece of metel over the hole cause water would splash in. I cannot use my third seat any longer.”

   NHTSA complaint #11394540, filed 2021-02, 155,000 miles

   “The entire unit that locks the 3rd row seat came loose from the wheel well due to corrosion. I looked up the recall information, and there is a recall for my van make and model year, but due to the fact that I bought this van new in northern kentucky, and have lived in northern kentucky ever since, Ford has decided that the recall does not apply to me, although clearly, it is exactly what has happened under the recall. Northern kentucky borders ohio, and ohio vehicles are included in the recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10608719, filed 2014-07, 132,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Electrical gremlins: radio resets, flickering lights

   • 20 complaints (6%)
   • median 90,500 mi at 7.0 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • filed 2006–2025

   Owners describe the radio losing its presets and clock, volume changing on its own, lights flickering at night, a speedometer that reads wrong or stops working, and intermittent no-start or turn-signal bulb failures. Some say the dealer replaced the stereo or an alternator more than once without resolving it, and others were told it was generically an electrical problem. Spread from about 26,000 to 220,000 miles, with several reports after 100,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the radio, clock, and all dash gauges behave normally, and test the speedometer against a known speed. Ask whether the battery and alternator have been replaced and whether any wiring repairs were made.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving in heavy traffic during a snow storm with my 9 year old daughter on the freeway my 2006 Ford Freestar started jerking and trying to stall out when trying to get off the freeway to safety speedometer was showing I was driving 120 at a stop light. The RPM's were at a 3 while sitting still. If the van had stalled on the freeway the incident would have been horrific. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10505096, filed 2013-03, 94,000 miles

   “My radio goes off by itself, and all light flicker even when driving of a night. It is now making a sound like tight belts...but does not appear to have any ready to break. Ford you really messed up on this one! I no longer like having a Ford car! I have had 3 different alternators on the car and it has not helped!”

   NHTSA complaint #10916521, filed 2016-10, 220,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Engine stalling or cutting out, sometimes after rain

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the engine shutting off or refusing to accelerate with little warning, and some tie the behavior to wet weather, saying it happens when it rains and takes longer to recover each time. One owner described shaking and a burning smell in the rain; others said dealers could not reproduce the fault. Reported across a wide mileage range, several above 100,000 miles, with some owners linking it to rain or damp conditions.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the crankshaft position sensor connector service was done, and whether the throttle body has been cleaned or replaced. Note any hesitation or stalling during a test drive, especially in damp weather.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car will just lost power are shut off with no warning, and when I take it in to the Ford dealership they can never find anything wrong, and it will do this after a good rain it's like something is getting wet and not working right, it just has to power I have 2 children and this is the only car I have , and I don't like driving it because of this reason I do not want to be killed in this car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10786934, filed 2015-10, 143,000 miles

   “I was driving on a highway in my Ford Freestar 2006 and the minivan seized, I lost control of the vehicle. The brakes were not working properly and I had drifted off onto the side of the highway were the grass and a few turns helped slow down my vehicle. I had to immediately jump out of the vehicle because there was smoke coming from the engine, but the vehicle would not stop. When the vehicle finally stopped, I jumped out and an ambulance assisted putting out the fire. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10534443, filed 2013-08, 100,000 miles
5. 5
   Vehicle speed control

   Speed control and unintended acceleration or lurching

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the van lurching or accelerating on its own, sometimes with cruise control engaged, and other times hesitating or failing to accelerate from a stop. A few mention brake-pedal or braking behavior intertwined with the acceleration complaint. Reported from about 12,000 to 110,000 miles, on a mix of city and highway driving.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test the cruise control and throttle response at low speed in a safe area, and ask whether the throttle body or pedal assembly has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving the car when it suddenly stopped responding when pressing on the gas pedal. The vehicle eventually rolled to a stop. The engine was running, but the car would not move forward or reverse. Turns out it was the torque converter (transmission). It cost $1200 to repair. Very unusual for this to happen to a car with only 49000 miles. I googled the problem and got many hits. Ford had recalled the 2004 and 2005 models for this problem. Why not the 2006?”

   NHTSA complaint #10553336, filed 2013-11, 49,000 miles

   “Some times while backing up the car would lurch. While driving the car would suddenly accelerate while cruise control was engaged oreven just by it self. Sometimes the car was having problems accelerating from a stop.”

   NHTSA complaint #10587890, filed 2014-05, 96,340 miles

Buying note. The transmission is the main thing to vet on this model year: get documentation of any torque converter or transmission work and budget for it if none exists. Also inspect the third-row seat mounts for rust and check that electrical items and gauges work consistently.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.