Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2005 Ford Freestar, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train677
- Electrical system85
- Engine53
- Vehicle speed control39
- Engine and engine cooling35
- Structure33
- Seats20
- Service brakes, hydraulic20
- Steering19
- Unknown or other10
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 18 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 18 2005 Freestar vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 15 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2005 Ford Freestar failed the safety check 3.02% of the time — 31% more often than the average 2005 passenger car (2.30%). Median odometer at inspection: 136,464 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 13.0–13.5 L/100 km (about 17–18 mpg US), CO₂ 299–311 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freestar Van · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 14.7 | 11.0 | 13.0 |
| Freestar Wagon · Minivan · Regular gasoline | 15.2 | 11.3 | 13.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
5 Transport Canada recalls for the 2005 Ford Freestar.
| 2013074 6 Mar 2013 | Structure On certain vehicles originally sold or currently registered in areas of heavy road salt usage during winter months (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,… |
| 2012004 6 Jan 2012 | Powertrain On certain vehicles, the torque converter could fail. This would result in a loss of vehicle propulsion which, in conjunction with traffic and road conditions,… |
| 2007297 12 Sept 2007 | Lights And Instruments Certain vehicles fail to comply with requirements of CMVSS 108 - Lighting System and Retroreflective Devices. The Daytime Running Light (DRL) system is inopera… |
| 2006055 9 Mar 2006 | Other On certain vehicles equipped with Power Liftgate option, in the event of a liftgate strut malfunction, the liftgate may fall freely without warning after the li… |
| 2005130 29 Apr 2005 | Seats And Restraints Certain Ford Freestar vehicles modified for wheelchair accessibility by Liberty Motor Company Inc. do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS 210. The second… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles manufactured from March 24, 2003, through November 7, 2006, equipped with a third row seat and originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The third row stowable seat can experience corrosion and structural degradation at the seat anchor mechanism mounted to the rear wheel wells. As a result of the corrosion, the third row seat may not fully latch into its seating position.
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AND 2005 FORD FREESTAR AND MERCURY MONTEREY VEHICLES. THE TORQUE CONVERTER OUTPUT SHAFT MAY FAIL.
ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH THE POWER LIFTGATE OPTION, THE POWER LIFTGATE MOTOR AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGES AFTER THE LIFTGATE IS POWERED OPEN.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2005 Ford Freestar: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636308 | SLIDING DOOR(S) CONTACTING THE REAR QUARTER GLASS. *TT THIS INFORMATION UPDATES PREVIOUS INFORMATION, DATED 03/01/2002. *TT |
| 10205034 | Safety recall 13S01 - Corrosion on sheet metal that supports 3rd row seat latch strikeers - requests for recall service action |
| 10183770 | For 2004-2007 Freestar or Monterey vehicles Safety Recall 13S01 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where the sheet metal that supports the folding 3rd row seat latch strikers could experience corrosion and may compromise the mounting point for the forward portion of the 3rd row seat. Initially, this condition may result in seat movement when passengers sit on or put weight on the seat, or difficulty latching the front of the seat when in its seating position. If corrosion is severe, the seat latch strikers may become detached from the |
| 10109070 | The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer |
| 10058103 | FORD/MERCURY: SAFETY RECALL REGARDING SHEET METAL SUPPORT FOR FOLDING 3RD ROW SEAT LATCH STRIKERS CAN EXPERIENCE CORROSION AND WILL COMPROMISE MOUNTING POINT CAUSING SEAT TO MOVE. MODEL 2004-07 FREESTAR, MONTEREY. *PE |
| 10021907 | ADVANCED TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM - SHORT DURATION ACTIVATION. *KB |
| 10021217 | POWER STEERING HOSE LEAK NEAR COOLER EXTREME COLD CLIMATE AREAS ONLY -4 DEGREES AND COOLER. *KB |
| 10020701 | ADVANCED TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM - DURATION ACTIVATION. *KB |
| 10019067 | REAR CLIMATE CONTROL NOISES - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10019009 | ABS LIGHT ON AND DTCS C1175/C1236, C1165/C1235 - REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR. *TT |
| 10018071 | RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B2296 - SERVICE TIP. *TT |
| 10017923 | SERVICE WIRING HARNESS REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES - SERVICE TIPS. *TT |
| 10017893 | TRACTION CONTROL LAMP - ABS LAMP - ABS SELF ACTIVATION WITH DTC C1288. *TT UPDATED 11/8/07. *NJ |
| 10017862 | VEHICLES WITH A CVT TRANSAXLE, MAY EXHIBIT A FLUID LEAK FROM THE TRANSAXLE OIL PAN AREA. *TT |
| 10017552 | A BROKEN OUTER C/V JOINT ON VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 5/1/2005. *TT |
| 10016816 | STEERING WHEEL AND OR VEHICLE VIBRATION-VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR INTERGRITY 16 INCH TIRES ONLY. *SC |
| 10016808 | ERRATIC FLUID LEVEL READING ON TRANSAXLE DIPSTICK-LEAKS-4F50N, AX4N, AX4S TRANSAXLE. *SC |
| 10016806 | DTCS P0760 AND P0763-4F50N TRANSAXLE-VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 3/15/2005. THIS MAY BE DUE TO A SHORTED TRANSAXLE INTERNAL HARNESS, CAUSED BY A SHARP EDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE SIDE COVER CASTING. *SC |
| 10014704 | STEERING WHEEL. *EH |
| 10014636 | INABILITY TO PLAY HOME MADE CD ON SINGLE CD AUDIO SYSTEM WITHOUT MP3 CAPABILITY. *EH |
| 10014607 | INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DTC U1262 AND OR U1135. *EH |
| 10014604 | INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DTC U1130. *EH |
| 10014310 | WELD BONDING PROCEDURE. *TT |
| 10014279 | REAR BRAKE LINING ACCELERATED WEAR. *TT |
| 10014261 | POWER SLIDING DOORS AND POWER LIFTGATE INOPERATIVE WHEN USING THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE AND/OR REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY TRANSMITTER OPEN/CLOSE BUTTONS - DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) C1999. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing
Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment
Service Jack Failure
Engine Stalling
Transmission Torque Converter Failure
TORQUE CONVERTER OUTPUT SHAFT FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation