What breaks most · 2004 to 2007 model years
Ford Freestar problems by year
Owners have filed 2,435 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Freestar across model years 2004 to 2007. Three years stand out: 2004 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2005 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2006 for powertrain and transmission complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2004, 2005, 2006
- Complaints on file
- 24352004 to 2007, all trims
- Worst year
- 20041195 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 2919 fires · 41 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 85kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 14Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1195 | 16 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (831) | |
| 846 | 8 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (642) | |
| 332 | 3 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (243) | |
| 62 | 2 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (37) |
What fails on the 2004 Ford Freestar
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 70% |
831 | 6 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2004 Ford Freestar |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 9% |
113 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2004 Ford Freestar |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
91 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2004 Ford Freestar |
| Seats | 7% |
83 | 1 | — |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 5% |
64 | 3 | Shop engine parts for the 2004 Ford Freestar |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 4% |
49 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2004 Ford Freestar |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 4% |
44 | 2 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2004 Ford Freestar |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 3% |
32 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2004 Ford Freestar |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Was driving and my tach meter was going all over 3 4 lost all power while driving down the rd. Also trac control is always off goes on and off
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Transmission cant shift car out of park without trying several times also transmission has trouble shifting out of first gear car tjhen has trouble picking up speed when you first pull onto the road creating a dangerous situation for getting rear ended by other cars
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While driving home one dark night vehicle quit engine revved like it was in neutral. Coasted to a safe area to pull off of road. Vehicle would not go forward or reverse. We were stranded in the dark miles from nearest residence was finally able to contact my son .he towed us home
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Freestar years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2004, 2005, 2006 carry the most filings on the Ford Freestar. The 2004 alone has 1195 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Ford Freestar problem?
On the 2004 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 831 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Freestar problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Freestar complaints that include mileage is about 85,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.