Your vehicle report
2005 Ford Freestyle
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,459
- Received Feb 2005 to Jun 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates120 complaints · 8.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power116 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking87 complaints · 6.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #06V383000On certain passenger vehicles currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and wyoming. The side door latch mechanisms may experience water intrusion allowing the latch mechanism to freeze in cold weather.
- Recall #05V515000On certain passenger vehicles, the straps that secure the fuel tank to the vehicle body may break, causing the fuel tank and fuel tank heat shield to drop on the driveshaft (all wheel drive vehicles) or exhaust system (front wheel drive vehicles).
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 32 crashes, 3 fires, 14 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates
- Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
7 more problems
- Transmission fails or loses power while driving
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion
- Transmission will not engage reverse gear
- CVT transmission fails or loses power
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 30 |
| 2006 | 32 |
| 2007 | 63 |
| 2008 | 46 |
| 2009 | 64 |
| 2010 | 218 |
| 2011 | 447 |
| 2012 | 239 |
| 2013 | 86 |
| 2014 | 74 |
| 2015 | 41 |
| 2016 | 45 |
| 2017 | 20 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 23 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 1,459 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 120 | 8.2% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 116 | 8.0% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 87 | 6.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 54 | 3.7% | – | NHTSA recall #06V383000 |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 48 | 3.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 46 | 3.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 43 | 2.9% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 40 | 2.7% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 40 | 2.7% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 40 | 2.7% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 35 | 2.4% | – | |
| CVT transmission fails or loses power | 26 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 23 | 1.6% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 23 | 1.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 20 | 1.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 19 | 1.3% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 16 | 1.1% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 14 | 1.0% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 13 | 0.9% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 12 | 0.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #06V383000October 5, 2006139,537 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
On certain passenger vehicles currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and wyoming. The side door latch mechanisms may experience water intrusion allowing the latch mechanism to freeze in cold weather.
As a result, the door latch pawl may not return to the latch position when the door is closed, and the door could open while the vehicle is moving.
Remedy
Dealers will install a shield over the front latches; seal a drain hole in the rear window trim molding on the Freestyle rear side doors; and apply grease to all front and rear side-door latch mechanisms free of charge. The recall began on november 8, 2006. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA recall #05V515000November 9, 2005123,206 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting
On certain passenger vehicles, the straps that secure the fuel tank to the vehicle body may break, causing the fuel tank and fuel tank heat shield to drop on the driveshaft (all wheel drive vehicles) or exhaust system (front wheel drive vehicles).
If this happens, drivers may notice a noise or a fuel leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both fuel tank straps. The recall began on december 1, 2005. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2005 Ford Freestyle.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN