2004 Ford Freestar Problems: Transmission / driveline (1,217 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2004 Ford Freestar is Transmission / driveline (63% of 1,217 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 1,217 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2004 Ford Freestar?

761 of 1,217 filings named Transmission / driveline (63% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (75 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering, Wheels, and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 2004 Ford Freestar

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 761 complaints · 62.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 16
  • Fires 14
  • Injuries 21
  • Deaths 1
All Ford Freestar years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 761 of 1,217 owner complaints (62.5%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 761 complaints, 62.5% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 crash reports 6 fire reports 761 · 62.5% Engine (ENGINE): 75 complaints, 6.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 crash reports 5 fire reports 75 · 6.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 66 complaints, 5.4% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 66 · 5.4% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 55 complaints, 4.5% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 55 · 4.5% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 44 complaints, 3.6% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 crash reports 44 · 3.6% Steering (STEERING): 21 complaints, 1.7% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 21 · 1.7% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 20 complaints, 1.6% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 20 · 1.6% Wheels (WHEELS): 20 complaints, 1.6% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 20 · 1.6% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 18 complaints, 1.5% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 18 · 1.5% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 753 complaints, 61.9% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 9 crash reports 5 fire reports 753 · 61.9% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 761 62.5% 4 crashes · 6 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 75 6.2% 2 crashes · 5 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 66 5.4% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 55 4.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 44 3.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 21 1.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 20 1.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 20 1.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 18 1.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 753 61.9% 9 crashes · 5 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2004; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2003. 2004-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2004-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2004-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2004-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2005-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2005-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2007-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2008-Q1: 21 owner reports 21 2008-Q2: 26 owner reports 26 2008-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2008-Q4: 32 owner reports 32 2009-Q1: 31 owner reports 31 2009-Q2: 30 owner reports 30 2009-Q3: 54 owner reports 54 2009-Q4: 55 owner reports 55 2010-Q1: 54 owner reports 54 2010-Q2: 51 owner reports 51 2010-Q3: 48 owner reports 48 2010-Q4: 36 owner reports 36 2011-Q1: 46 owner reports 46 2011-Q2: 45 owner reports 45 2011-Q3: 48 owner reports 48 2011-Q4: 29 owner reports 29 2012-Q1: 45 owner reports 45 2012-Q2: 54 owner reports 54 2012-Q3: 50 owner reports 50 2012-Q4: 28 owner reports 28 2013-Q1: 34 owner reports 34 2013-Q2: 29 owner reports 29 2013-Q3: 30 owner reports 30 2013-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2014-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2014-Q2: 22 owner reports 22 2014-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2014-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2015-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2015-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2016-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2017-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2018-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Nov 2003 Jul 2025 Recall campaign 03V457000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V457000 Recall campaign 04V446000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V446000 Recall campaign 06E056000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E056000 Recall campaign 12V006000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V006000 Recall campaign 13V081000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V081000 Investigation DP09004 ● Investigation DP09004 Investigation PE09033 ● Investigation PE09033 Investigation EA09016 ● Investigation EA09016 Investigation PE10033 ● Investigation PE10033 Investigation PE11033 ● Investigation PE11033 Investigation PE11039 ● Investigation PE11039 Investigation EA12003 ● Investigation EA12003 Investigation EQ12010 ● Investigation EQ12010
  • Campaign 12V006000 was reported 2,693 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2004-Q1 Owner reports 1
2004-Q2 Owner reports 6
2004-Q3 Owner reports 6
2004-Q4 Owner reports 3
2005-Q1 Owner reports 2
2005-Q2 Owner reports 11
2005-Q3 Owner reports 14
2005-Q4 Owner reports 1
2006-Q1 Owner reports 5
2006-Q2 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 4
2006-Q4 Owner reports 4
2007-Q1 Owner reports 5
2007-Q2 Owner reports 8
2007-Q3 Owner reports 6
2007-Q4 Owner reports 15
2008-Q1 Owner reports 21
2008-Q2 Owner reports 26
2008-Q3 Owner reports 23
2008-Q4 Owner reports 32
2009-Q1 Owner reports 31
2009-Q2 Owner reports 30
2009-Q3 Owner reports 54
2009-Q4 Owner reports 55
2010-Q1 Owner reports 54
2010-Q2 Owner reports 51
2010-Q3 Owner reports 48
2010-Q4 Owner reports 36
2011-Q1 Owner reports 46
2011-Q2 Owner reports 45
2011-Q3 Owner reports 48
2011-Q4 Owner reports 29
2012-Q1 Owner reports 45
2012-Q2 Owner reports 54
2012-Q3 Owner reports 50
2012-Q4 Owner reports 28
2013-Q1 Owner reports 34
2013-Q2 Owner reports 29
2013-Q3 Owner reports 30
2013-Q4 Owner reports 14
2014-Q1 Owner reports 6
2014-Q2 Owner reports 22
2014-Q3 Owner reports 16
2014-Q4 Owner reports 5
2015-Q1 Owner reports 12
2015-Q2 Owner reports 7
2015-Q3 Owner reports 13
2015-Q4 Owner reports 6
2016-Q1 Owner reports 9
2016-Q2 Owner reports 10
2016-Q3 Owner reports 10
2016-Q4 Owner reports 3
2017-Q1 Owner reports 5
2017-Q2 Owner reports 9
2017-Q3 Owner reports 6
2017-Q4 Owner reports 11
2018-Q1 Owner reports 6
2018-Q2 Owner reports 5
2018-Q3 Owner reports 5
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 10
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 4
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 3
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 4
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 2
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 03V457000
Recall campaign 1 04V446000
Recall campaign 1 06E056000
Recall campaign 1 12V006000
Recall campaign 1 13V081000
Defect investigation 1 DP09004
Defect investigation 1 PE09033
Defect investigation 1 EA09016
Defect investigation 1 PE10033
Defect investigation 1 PE11033
Defect investigation 1 PE11039
Defect investigation 1 EA12003
Defect investigation 1 EQ12010
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering, Wheels, and Transmission / driveline.

  1. Recall campaign 03V457000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    Consequence:
    IF THIS LINE BECOMES DISCONNECTED, IT MAY CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR FLUID TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, WHICH COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE POWER STEERING LOW-PRESSURE LINE TO ENSURE THAT IT IS SEATED PROPERLY AT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN NOVEMBER 10, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 04V446000

    Wheels

    Report date
    Component:
    Wheels (WHEELS)
    Consequence:
    IF THE CRACKS WERE TO PROGRESS, THIS COULD EVENTUALLY RESULT IN WHEEL SEPARATION. WHEEL SEPARATION MAY LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, AND POTENTIALLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT HUB, ROTORS, AND WHEEL BEARINGS. THE RECALL BEGAN SEPTEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 06E056000

    Safety recall 06E056000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 12V006000

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION RESULTS IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WITH NO WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 9, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 13V081000

    Safety recall 13V081000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    In the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of personal injury.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new third row seat latch striker mounting brackets, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 1,217 complaints · page 1 of 49
2025-07-11Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11672730
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the torque converter and the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
2025-07-07Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11671789
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Flashing! With gear around it and car will not operate correctly i.e. no power very slow acceleration and lacking ability to change gears.
2024-08-27Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11611067
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have a 2004 Ford freestar van and I was driving down the road and I went to pass another vehicle and I push the gas and I heard some crunchy noise is and then nothing no power at all no gears nothing I was dead in the water so I had to get out of the van and push it to the side of the road didn't have reverse didn't have drive didn't have third second or first no gears at all the transmission failed me I could have been in a very bad accident and hurt it just came out of nowhere there was no signs of anything wrong with the van and then this happens.
2024-03-18Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11578163
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My son was driving down Rt 81 when the transmission stopped working Your vehicle was running fine but would not go had to drift off the highway she avoid getting hit I had to tow the van home we’re it’s still parked
2023-10-03Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11548039
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would not properly accelerate and would hesitate to accelerate and the check engine warning light would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission torque converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted and informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V006000(Power Train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 250,000.
2023-02-16Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11507656
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Conducía mi vehículo y la trasmisión quedó en neutro en una entrada y no pude estacionarme Y no volvió arrancar Solo coje la reversa I was driving my vehicle and the transmission was neutral in a driveway and I couldn't park And did not start again Just take the reverse
2023-01-18BACK OVER PREVENTIONUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11502520
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The transmission is grinding and popping when shifting gears.Also it has started not moving when I shift it into drive and 3rd and 1st.When I drive it I have to put it in 1st gear and change up to drive and it grinds and pops when giving it gas to go.It comes to a crawl going up hills.Has a big loss of power.The trackshion control light comes on saying it's not working.The electrical is messing up the doors are opening up when they are not supposed to going down road.It tells me that different doors are open when there not keeping the lights on in the van running down the battery.
2022-08-08Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11478141
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I just purchased the vehicle used and recently discovered there was a recall on these vehicles. The vehicle I purchased keeps stalling and is not getting any power. I’ve had the vehicle checked by the car lot and they say there is nothing wrong.. the vehicle died out on me already twice while I was driving.
2022-04-05Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11459751
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator and the vehicle continued to slow as the RPM was rising. The contact did not notice any warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled safely off the road and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was restarted however, failed to shift into higher gears while attempting to reach highway speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and found NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V006000 (Power Train) which she linked to the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 158,000.
2022-03-01Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11454728
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Transmission slip , leaks , loosing ofpower, shakes from 45 mph to 55 mph , mechanic shop says it is the Torque Converter that is malfunction.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2004 Ford Freestar?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 761 of 1,217 reports (63%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2004 Ford Freestar?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Steering, Wheels, and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2004 Ford Freestar?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources