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Ford Freestar Transmission Problems

1900 messages,  Last post on Jun 14, 2013 at 12:47 PM

You are in the Ford Freestar Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Freestar, Mercury Monterey, Transmission, Van


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Messages Page 32 of 191

#305 of 1900 2005 Mercury Monterey by kennedyzdad

Jul 11, 2008 (8:02 am)

Well, my Monterey that I posted about a few days ago, has now been fixed by the dealer, it's costing me $3,800 and has a 3 year 100,000 mile warranty. I won't be able to pick it up until I'm back from vacation. I had to borrow my parents vehicle which actually saved me more money because if not, I would be renting something for a week.
 
I'm debating on trading it in for a Honda Odyssey that has the touring package. If any of you haven't looked at these, they are very nice. I did love my Monterey but now I can't say that.
 
I'm very angered by this and would like Ford to be held accountable. I wonder if Dateline would be willing to address this issue with FORD. Just a thought!!!

#306 of 1900 Another one bites the dust..... by mbcorbin

Jul 11, 2008 (9:05 am)

I have known for about a year that my van wasn't acting right. I have a 2004 Mercury Monterey with 68,000 miles on it. I know nothing about cars, but could tell that something was wrong. The light for the transaxle has been flashing for years off and on. Was told by Ford that it was nothing....just to ignore it. The automatic doors work sometimes, not others. If someone pulls on the door of the van while it is locked, the alarm goes off, but the door opens. The heated seats haven't worked in years. The problem is that every time we have had it looked at, no one can figure out what the problem is.
 
Yesterday we were driving back from a trip and decided to stop for a meal. As we pulled off of the interstate, the van started going into neutral and slipping when my husband tried to accelerate. We did make it home, but as we drove into the driveway it would not make it up a small hill. This morning I tried to leave and it starts and the RPMs rev up, but it won't move. I'm so frustrated since I have wanted to trade it for so long. The problem is that since it's a Ford, it isn't worth very much. Now I regret not trading it sooner!!!

#307 of 1900 Re: Here's my update [heatherd7476] by jgenovese

Jul 11, 2008 (12:12 pm)

Replying to: heatherd7476 (Jul 11, 2008 7:31 am)
Heather,
If it is any consolation; You are not alone. We were struggling financially even before our van quit working and we are struggling even more now. We still have not recovered from it financially and it will be a year in December! On the bright side, I really believe that this thing is about to take off. The more people that post their story, the more people will know about it. At the very least, other families will be forwarned of the danger. Also, at some point, some media outlet, news magazine or news organization will take an interest and take it to the next level. In the meantime, you can post your complaint on the NHTSA website rather than via a letter. They will at least have to acknowledge that they received it and there will be an electronic record of it. More mportantly, it will be one more bit of proof that they knew that this problem existed and took no action. They need to be held accountable as well as Ford because it is their job to protect families like ours from companies like this! I hope that you have the resources to pay for your repair and get you van back on the road soon. Hopefully, someday we will all be reimbursed by Ford for this disaster that they KNOWINGLY perpetrated on us all.
 
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD

#308 of 1900 Re: 2005 Mercury Monterey [kennedyzdad] by jgenovese

Jul 11, 2008 (12:22 pm)

Replying to: kennedyzdad (Jul 11, 2008 8:02 am)
I understand completely! We had to rent a Toyota Sienna for 2 weeks while our van was repaired. Let me tell you, the Toyota is a masterpiece of a vehicle. As soon as we are able, we will unload the Freestar and get a Sienna. he problem right now is that the Ford has a very low resale value, (Shocking, I know!). Even with the money we would get from selling the Freestar, we still can't afford anything new. As far as dateline, I have been trying to get the attention of my local media outlets, including my local NBC affiliate, WBAL, Channel 11 in Baltimore, MD. I have been told, off of the record, that no one will touch this story for fear of losing ad revenue from Ford.Here is the kicker though, if we get it to the proportion of the Explorer debacle from a few years ago, it would be ratings death for the media to NOT cover it. The problem is, in order for it to get to that level, either someone will have to be killed as a result of this defect or some sharp, media savy attorney will have to get ahold of it, or someone with some connections to the right people could bring it to their attention. the good news is that, starting with this webpage and these 300 + posts, we have a really excellent grass roots movement underway. So, enjoy your vacation and stay tuned! Don't let this go. That is what Ford is counting on!
 
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD

#309 of 1900 Re: 2004 Monterey transmission out at 34,000 [qfamily] by qfamily

Jul 13, 2008 (1:42 pm)

Replying to: qfamily (Jul 09, 2008 11:18 am)
Update: After several phone calls to Ford customer service, we were able to get our cost for the torque converter fix on our 2004 Monterey reduced from approx $1500 to $250. Our dealership knocked $400 right off the bat and contacted Ford for us, but then said that was the best they could do. I told our dealership rep that I wasn't picking the van up until I spoke to Ford customer service. I then called the Ford helpline 1-800-392-3673, made my case, and kept calling for 3-4 days until I got an answer. Again, we have very low miles on our Monterey and the 3 yr warranty had expired. I can only recommend anyone with the same problem should be persistent, go through your dealership first, then Ford, and just keep at it. We had some success (not a total victory, we're still out $250 for the fix + $350 for a rental). Good Luck.

#310 of 1900 2005 Freestar Limited Tranny out by cocohead

Jul 15, 2008 (4:35 pm)

I was backing out of the drive going an incredible 2 miles an hour when the transmission decided to stay stuck between neutral and 1/100 the first gear speed.
Made it to the stop sign at he end of the street ( about 50 feet from the driveway ) and just barely got it back up into the driveway. This vehicle was babied and well maintained and still you get this? I work at Ford and I'll be damned if I ever buy anything from them again!

#311 of 1900 Re: 2004 Monterey transmission out at 34,000 [qfamily] by amydoll

Jul 15, 2008 (5:57 pm)

Replying to: qfamily (Jul 13, 2008 1:42 pm)
But you got a Ford part, right? So what the heck is the money good for? The part is dangerous & I wouldn't knowingly drive a car that could give out like that AGAIN, kwim?

#312 of 1900 Re: 2005 Freestar Limited Tranny out [cocohead] by jgenovese

Jul 17, 2008 (9:30 am)

Replying to: cocohead (Jul 15, 2008 4:35 pm)
What do you do for Ford? I am hoping that a Ford insider will assist us in our endeavor of holding Ford accountable for this disater they have saddled us with.
 
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD

#313 of 1900 Re: 2004 Monterey transmission out at 34,000 [qfamily] by jgenovese

Jul 17, 2008 (9:35 am)

Replying to: qfamily (Jul 13, 2008 1:42 pm)
Consider yourself very lucky. If you don't mind answering, did you have the 30K transmission flush done prior to your transmission failure and did you receive a rebate when you purchased your Monterey? Your answers will be very illuminating and will greatly assist the rest of us whom Ford has left hanging with $3000.00 + repair bills. Let us know how your torque converter holds up and, if you think of it when you pick your van up, ask the dealer what makes the new part any better than the old one and how long can you expect it to last.
 
Jim Genovese
Annapolis, MD

#314 of 1900 Re: 2004 Monterey transmission out at 34,000 [jgenovese] by qfamily

Jul 17, 2008 (2:03 pm)

Replying to: jgenovese (Jul 17, 2008 9:35 am)
I did not have a 30,000 mile flush, but I let them know that I knew it was not required, just recommended. I can't remember if we got a rebate, I'm thinking we did not. I did, however, purchase the extended service plan when I purchased the vehicle (much to my husband's chagrin because we live 20 min. from the dealership), that covered all oil changes and service maintenance up to 20,000 miles. It added a good $30-$40 per month to my payment. I didn't think to ask the service manager about the part, my young child was running around the waiting room. I do credit my dealer service manager with helping a lot. He called and e-mailed Ford to see about the resolution and if we could get it resolved. He was very supportive and did not brush me off, nor did he try to give me any excuses.
I hope this information helps.

Messages Page 32 of 191

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