Hundreds of complaints about a defective transmission in the 2004-05 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey have led to an investigation by the NHTSA. Owners are reporting that their transmissions are failing without warning, many time at highway speeds.

According to reports, the vehicle will suddenly surge forward and then immediately lose all power, forcing the driver to coast without power to a safe spot on the road — often times impossible in traffic situations.

Most likely the problem is related to the output shaft splines in the torque converter, which split and cause the to vehicles suddenly lose power. To date, no recall has been announced.

In the meantime, Freestar owners are reporting they're being given three choices:

1. Rebuild existing transmission for $2,200+ and no warranty
2. Install after-market transmission with 2 year parts/labor warranty for $2,500+
3. Get a genuine Ford transmission replacement with 3 year parts/labor warranty for $3,200+

Everyone seems to think Ford is missing a 4th option: replacing the obviously defective transmission free of charge!

Possible Recourse & Actions You Can Take

Let Your Voice Be Heard

This step is crucial. Don't just complain on forums; The sites below actually manage your complaint in ways that allow useful statistics and they report dangerous trends to the authorities. Law firms often contact these sites for help with Class Action lawsuits. Make sure to file your complaint on all three sites, we can't stress that enough.

1. Step 1: File Your Complaint at CarComplaints.com

   CarComplaints.com is a free resource dedicated to uncovering car problem trends and informing the consumer. File Your Complaint

2. Step 2: Notify the Center for Auto Safety

   The Center for Auto Safety is an organization that informs consumers about auto safety issues. Notify the CAS

3. Step 3: Report a Safety Concern to the NHTSA

   The NHTSA directs highway safety and has the authority to force recalls to be issued following investigations. Report Your Concern

View Ford Freestar Transmission complaints on CarComplaints.com.

Become Involved in a Class Action Lawsuit

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Ford Motor Company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn Office (styled Judy Azose v. Ford Motor Company, Case No. CV 10-3634). The lawsuit alleges that the transmissions and torque converters in 2004-05 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans suffer from an engineering design defect that results in sudden, without warning transmission failure.

The Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey class action lawsuit complaint reportedly alleges statutory violations of the New York General Business Law section 349, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, violation of Magnuson-Moss and unjust enrichment.

Download a PDF of the full class-action lawsuit. For more details on the lawsuit, contact the lawyers which are listed in the PDF.

Ford Freestar Owner Testimonials

“I dont even know what to say. My transmission just went with absoluteley no warning whatsoever. There was no shoulder leaving me in the middle of the highway with two kiddos and two toddlers. I would expect more consideration from ford. They obviously know about the problem, I just wish they would start the recall before someone gets seriously hurt. You'd think they would have learned a bit from the problems toyota has faced for the same reasons.”

annamhire66
Lexington, OK, USA

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