2005 Ford Freestar Problems: Transmission / driveline (881 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2005 Ford Freestar is Transmission / driveline (71% of 881 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 881 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2005 Ford Freestar?

626 of 881 filings named Transmission / driveline (71% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (53 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Body / frame and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2004 has 1,217 reports on file; this year has 881. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2005 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 4 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 626 complaints · 71.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 8
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 18
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2004 →
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 626 of 881 owner complaints (71.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 626 complaints, 71.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 crash reports 626 · 71.1% Engine (ENGINE): 53 complaints, 6.0% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 53 · 6.0% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 44 complaints, 5.0% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 44 · 5.0% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 25 complaints, 2.8% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 25 · 2.8% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 24 complaints, 2.7% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 24 · 2.7% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 21 complaints, 2.4% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 fire reports 21 · 2.4% Steering (STEERING): 11 complaints, 1.3% of reports Steering (STEERING) 11 · 1.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 8 complaints, 0.9% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 8 · 0.9% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 7 complaints, 0.8% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 7 · 0.8% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 499 complaints, 56.6% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 3 crash reports 499 · 56.6% 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) 626 71.1% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 53 6.0% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 44 5.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 25 2.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 24 2.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 21 2.4% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 11 1.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 8 0.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 7 0.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 499 56.6% 3 crashes · 0 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 2005; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2006. 2005-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2008-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2008-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2008-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2009-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2009-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2009-Q3: 43 owner reports 43 2009-Q4: 33 owner reports 33 2010-Q1: 57 owner reports 57 2010-Q2: 41 owner reports 41 2010-Q3: 46 owner reports 46 2010-Q4: 43 owner reports 43 2011-Q1: 44 owner reports 44 2011-Q2: 35 owner reports 35 2011-Q3: 43 owner reports 43 2011-Q4: 35 owner reports 35 2012-Q1: 43 owner reports 43 2012-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2012-Q3: 30 owner reports 30 2012-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2013-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2013-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2013-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2014-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2014-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2015-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2015-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2015-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2015-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2005 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 06V069000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V069000 Recall campaign 06E056000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E056000 Recall campaign 12V006000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V006000 Recall campaign 13V081000 ◆ Recall campaign 13V081000 Investigation PE09033 ● Investigation PE09033 Investigation EA09016 ● Investigation EA09016 Investigation PE10033 ● Investigation PE10033 Investigation PE11033 ● Investigation PE11033 Investigation EA12003 ● Investigation EA12003 Investigation EQ12010 ● Investigation EQ12010
  • Campaign 06V069000 was reported 417 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 12V006000 was reported 1,485 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2005-Q1 Owner reports 4
2005-Q2 Owner reports 1
2005-Q3 Owner reports 4
2006-Q1 Owner reports 4
2006-Q2 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 1
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 1
2007-Q2 Owner reports 3
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 5
2008-Q1 Owner reports 11
2008-Q2 Owner reports 18
2008-Q3 Owner reports 10
2008-Q4 Owner reports 11
2009-Q1 Owner reports 15
2009-Q2 Owner reports 16
2009-Q3 Owner reports 43
2009-Q4 Owner reports 33
2010-Q1 Owner reports 57
2010-Q2 Owner reports 41
2010-Q3 Owner reports 46
2010-Q4 Owner reports 43
2011-Q1 Owner reports 44
2011-Q2 Owner reports 35
2011-Q3 Owner reports 43
2011-Q4 Owner reports 35
2012-Q1 Owner reports 43
2012-Q2 Owner reports 20
2012-Q3 Owner reports 30
2012-Q4 Owner reports 16
2013-Q1 Owner reports 16
2013-Q2 Owner reports 16
2013-Q3 Owner reports 9
2013-Q4 Owner reports 7
2014-Q1 Owner reports 3
2014-Q2 Owner reports 15
2014-Q3 Owner reports 16
2014-Q4 Owner reports 12
2015-Q1 Owner reports 14
2015-Q2 Owner reports 10
2015-Q3 Owner reports 8
2015-Q4 Owner reports 8
2016-Q1 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 6
2016-Q3 Owner reports 7
2016-Q4 Owner reports 4
2017-Q1 Owner reports 8
2017-Q2 Owner reports 7
2017-Q3 Owner reports 7
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 5
2018-Q2 Owner reports 3
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 4
2019-Q1 Owner reports 7
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q2 Owner reports 11
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 3
2022-Q3 Owner reports 2
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 3
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 06V069000
Recall campaign 1 06E056000
Recall campaign 1 12V006000
Recall campaign 1 13V081000
Defect investigation 1 PE09033
Defect investigation 1 EA09016
Defect investigation 1 PE10033
Defect investigation 1 PE11033
Defect investigation 1 EA12003
Defect investigation 1 EQ12010
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

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

In short, these campaigns were filed about Body / frame and Transmission / driveline.

  1. 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 →

  2. Recall campaign 06V069000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A LIFTGATE STRUT MALFUNCTION, THE LIFTGATE CAN FALL FREELY WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. ANYONE STANDING BENEATH THE LIFTGATE MAY BE INJURED IF THE LIFTGATE FALLS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE POWER LIFTGATE MODULE TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE LIFTGATE COULD FALL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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 →

  4. 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 8 of 881 complaints · page 1 of 36
2026-06-07Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11742615
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When I was driving my van was loosing power even when I was pushing the gas I had to pull over before a car was about to hit me. I look it up online it had a recall in 2013 but I bought van from someone last year and I called the ford place about the recall and they said couldn’t do it Mac hik in Jackson
2025-07-17Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11674191
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the third-row seat attachments were rusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V081000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 317,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
2025-05-12Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11660471
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission seized and remained in neutral. The vehicle jerked and shortly returned to normal functionality; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the gear shifter light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure became a recurring failure, and the contact parked the vehicle, and the vehicle was no longer driven. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V006000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was unknown.
2024-10-17Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11620383
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped in the middle of the street, however the engine was still on. The contact stated that the gear shifter did not function as intended. The contact stated that the gear shifter did not shift. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact and her son pushed the vehicle to the nearest parking lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
2024-06-27Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11597284
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving and my transmission stopped working left me stranded
2024-06-18Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11595095
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and releasing the accelerator pedal, the contact noticed an abnormal clucking sound. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated he was able to continue driving; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that upon depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle only responded when the RPMs were high, and the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter output shaft had failed. The mechanic determined that the torque converter and the output shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V006000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 350,000.
2023-07-14Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11532243
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that upon selling the vehicle, she allowed another individual to test drive the vehicle; however, as the contact was driving on an incline, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the flex shaft had failed. The contact then stated that upon research, she became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V00600 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V081000 (Seats). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that due to the condition of the vehicle the recall repair could not be performed. The contact was concerned that when the vehicle was taken to the dealer, the VIN was entered and displayed a different color. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
2023-03-10Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11511200
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The rear wheel well has rusted on both sides and completely rusted out a large hole (approx. 1 ft diameter area visibly effected) in the the body of the van. The rusted out section is where the back seat is anchored to the frame, so the rust has cause the seat to no longer be securely anchored to the car. The hole has also caused electrical wires to get wet when water gets into the van and intermittently and unpredictably causing failure of electrical features, including headlights and blinkers, while driving.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2005 Ford Freestar?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 626 of 881 reports (71%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2005 Ford Freestar?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Body / frame 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 2005 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