There are 14 stored owner reports matching the fuel system leading-label group for the 2004 Ford Freestar in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 14 of 14 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK EXHIBITED RUST CORROSION AS A RESULT FUEL LEAKED FROM THE OUTER PART OF THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.
I CURRENTLY OWN A 2004 FORD FREESTAR MINIVAN. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING START PROBLEMS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW. I DROVE THE CAR ABOUT 10 MILES TO GET GAS. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF TO FUEL UP. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO TRY TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE AND IT WORKED. DROVE THE CAR 1/4 MILE DOWN THE ROAD TO AUTOZONE TO HAVE THE BATTERY TESTED. THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE REPAIRED AFTER THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. ABOUT 5 DAYS AFTER THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. I CALLED AAA TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THE AAA MECHANIC TRIED TO START IT BEFORE JUST TOWING IT. HE MOVED THE SHIFTER TO NEUTRAL AND BACK AND STARTED TO VEHICLE RIGHT UP. MAYBE I DID NOT HAVE THE SHIFTER IN THE PROPER POSITION? SINCE THEN, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT STARTED UP QUITE A FEW TIMES....AT RANDOM TIMES, OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. I WAS STRANDED AT THE DOCTORS OFFICE WITH A NO START. CALLED AAA AGAIN FOR A TOW AGAIN. HOWEVER, RIGHT BEFORE AAA GOT TO ME....THE VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT UP. I CANCELLED THE AAA CALL AND DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THE FORD DEALERSHIP CAN NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AS TO WHY THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. IT STARTS EVERY TIME FOR THEM. THE ALTERNATOR AND THE STARTER ARE FINE. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THERE ARE NO TRANSMISSION ERROR CODES BEING EMITTED.I HAVE A HUNCH THAT THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. IT ISN'T ANYTHING ELSE. THE FORD DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED THAT THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THE PCM BUT COULD NOT SEE ANY WATER CORROSION. SO THEY DID NOT REPLACE IT. SO NOW, I AM FACED WITH PICKING UP THE VEHICLE AND NOT KNOWING WHEN I'LL BE STRANDED AGAIN BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. *TR
INTERMITTENTLY, WHEN I AM IDLING IN DRIVE (LIKE AT A LIGHT) WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE VAN WILL BEGIN TO SURGE AND LURCH FORWARD, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY. ONLY PRESSING HARD ON THE BRAKE WILL KEEP IT FROM MOVING FORWARD AND CAUSING A CRASH. SOMETIMES HAPPENS IN REVERSE ALSO. THE TACHOMETER WILL SURGE UP TO HIGHER RPMS AND BACK DOWN AS IT LURCHES. SOMETIMES, IF IT IS VIOLENT ENOUGH, THE BATTERY LIGHT WILL FLASH OFF AND ON AS IF THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO STALL. SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WITH A NEARBY VEHICLE. *JB
STARTING ABOUT A YEAR AGO THIS VEHICLE SHOOTS GAS OUT WHILE TRYING TO FILL UP. GAS WILL SHOOT OUT ALL OVER WHOMEVER IS PUTTING IT IN. IT ALSO SHUTS THE PUMP OFF WITHOUT BEING FULL.THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME. *TR
JUST PURCHASED THIS USED 2004 FREESTAR. WITHIN DAYS THE ENGINE WOULD FAIL WHILE DRIVING. TRANSMISSION SHIFTING ISSUES. NOT STARTING. ETC.. HAD TRANSMISSION REPLACED BEFORE KNOWING OF RECALL ON THAT ITEM. STILL HAD THE ISSUES. PULLED OUT PCM AND IT WAS FILLED WITH WATER. INSTALLED NEW ONE. I LIVE IN FLORIDA. RAINY SEASON. ISSUES HAPPENED AGAIN WITHIN A WEEK. NEW PCM REMOVED AND WAS FILLED WITH WATER. I MYSELF FOUND THE SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE ISSUE AS WELL AS SEVERAL COMPLAINTS BY OWNERS ON THE INTERNET. MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WALKER FORD SWEPT THE ISSUE UNDER THE RUG AND WANTED TO CHARGE $900 TO FIND THE LEAK. I SHOWED THEM THE BULLETIN THAT THEY WERE UN AWARE OF. THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE MY PCM WITHOUT CHARGING ME AGAIN. WENT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND PAID FOR NEW PCM AND TOLD THEM TO PERFORCE SERVICE BULLETIN. SEEMED FINE UNTIL LAST 6 MONTHS. STARTING TO STALL A LOT. HIGH HUM WHEN ACCELERATING AND TURNING. MORE RESEARCH ONLINE AND I FOUND 2 MORE RECALLS ON VEHICLE. THE PCM ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL. FIND OUT HOW TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE ISSUE AND PERFORM IT FOR FREE WITH A NEW PCM. *TR
PURCHASED USED VEHICLE FROM MARSHALL USED CARS IN SACRAMENTO, CA, WHERE RESIDE CURRENTLY. PURCHASED 05/2011, PAID FULL NO LOAN AT TIME OF PURCHASE. PURCHASED ADD. EXT. WARRANTY WHICH WAS 6MONTHS. FROM THE DOS TIL PRESENT DATE; I HAVE PAID, AND WAS MISLEAD IN ALL THE INSURANCE COVERING MAJOR DEFECTS, OWNER(ME) HAD CAME OUT OF POCKET PAYING FOR SERVICE TO FIX WARRANTY PARTS. NOW THIS IS THE CURRENT AND SERIOUS ISSUE. I AM DISABLED, I HAVE A DISABLE CHILD. MY VEHICLE WAS REPORTED UNDER VIN TO FORD CORPORATE TO NOTATE FOR SERVICE TO BE CHECK AND WORKED ON AT LOCAL FORD DEALER. COMPLAINED ABOUT MULTIPLE (4) ISSUES. DEALERSHIP MISLEAD ME, AND DID NOT PERFORM WORK. ONLY WORK THEY DID WAS REPLACE 1 RECALL 10/12. AFTER RECALL SERVICE I (OWNER) RECALL MANUFAC. MADE CLAIM, AGAIN AND THEN WENT TO DEALER. I WAS TURNED AWAY...AND TOLD TO DO NORMAL MAINTENANCE BEFORE PUTTING A SERVICE CLAIM IN. THIS IS A PROBLEM. I AM NOT IGNORANT TO THE ANATOMY OF A VEHICLE. I AM VERY LITERATE ON UNDERSTANDING VEHICLE OPERATIONS AS WELL AS MAINTAINING MAINTENANCE. I CAN SAY THIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE AWARE OF EVERY ISSUE SO I WONT HAVE A DISABLED VEHICLE. VEHICLE MILEAGE APPLIED FROM THE DATE RECALL REPLACED 5800 WITHIN THE TIME TIL I MADE ANOTHER CLAIM IN OCT 2013. TOOK VEHICLE IN, TOLD TO CHECK EVERYTHING. DID. BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK AND VEHICLE WAS IN SERVICE DEPT FOR WEEK WHICH ROLLED OVER TO NOV 1, 2013. VEHICLE WAS DX AND FOUND TO BE THE SAME THING I MADE A CLAIM ABOUT. VEHICLE HAS A DEFECTED RECALL PART. PART WAS NOT REPLACED. AND OWNER IS NOW LEFT WITH A DEFECT RECALL PART, PLUS MORE DAMAGE ON OTHER PARTS RELATED TO TORQUE CONVERTER, FUEL LINE, 3RD BENCH, FRONT R-WHEEL HUB. I HAVE MULTIPLE HEALTH APPTS TO MAINTAIN FOR ME AND MY CHILD'S DISABILITY. MY CHILDREN NEED TO GET TO SCHOOL, AND I MISSED LEGAL APPT DATES FROM COURT. *TR
WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK IT WILL KICK THE GAS BACK OUT THE FILLER HOLE - SPRAYING GAS A GOOD 3 FT. IN ORDER TO GET GAS INTO THE TANK YOU HAVE TO FILL VERY SLOW AND AFTER MANY TRIES AND NOZZLE SHUT OFFS YOU CAN FILL THE TANK. WHEN THIS SYMPTOM STARTED IT HAS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SPUTTER GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE PRESSURE BUILDS SO BAD IN THE TANK, IT IS SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE GAS CAP DUE TO EXCESS PRESSURE BUILD UP. NOW WE HAVE TO LEAVE THE CAP ON LOOSELY SO PRESSURE WON'T BUILD UP, IRONICALLY THE GAS CAP INSTRUMENT LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. *TR
THIS IS THE SECOND ISSUE I HAVE HAD WITH WATER GETTING INTO THE PCM(COMPUTER). THE FIRST OCCURRENCE (03/10) I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS ADVISES PER THE OBDB SCAN CODES THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED AN OVERHAUL. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP THAT I HAD JUST PULLED THE CAR OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND HAD NO REVERSE AND HAD SLIPPAGE IN OTHER GEARS, IT WAS RAINING VERY HEAVILY THAT DAY- I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF IT COULD BE AN ISSUE OF MOISTURE GETTING INTO PCM(COMPUTER), THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE. I THEN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP, THERE I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS THE THIRD TO FREESTAR TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN WITH AN ISSUE OF WATER GETTING INTO THE PCM(COMPUTER). THE OWNER OF THE TRANSMISSION SHOP WAS ABLE TO LET THE PCM DRY OUT FOR THREE DAYS AND REINSTALL WITH NO TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE SECOND EVENT (04/11) HAPPENED AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF RAIN; WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAYED THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS: CHECK ENGINE, BRAKES, ABS, FUEL, BATTERY, AND TRANS AXLE LIGHT. THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, AND I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO MY MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE TRANS AXLE LIGHT WAS STILL APPEARING INTERMITTENTLY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR SECOND TIME, AND THROUGH CAREFUL TROUBLE ISOLATION, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PCU WAS TELLING THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO SHIFT INTO FOURTH GEAR WHILE COMING TO A STOP. THEY ALLOWED THE PCU TO DRY OUT, BUT THEN DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION MODULE HAD SHORTED OUT AND THAT IT NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP TO REPROGRAM PCU. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHO STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY MOISTURE/WATER ISSUES WITH FREESTARS AND I ADVISED THEM THAT I AM FILING A COMPLAINT NHTSA AND WILL ALSO FORWARD LETTER TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
2004 FORD FREESTAR, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. PULLED INTO DRIVEWAY AND OBSERVED SMOKE FROM UNDER VEHICLE. FURTHER OBSERVED THAT UNDERCARRIAGE WAS SATURATED WITH A LIQUID. OBSERVED GASOLINE FLOWING FROM VEHICLE TANK AREA AND BELOW DRIVERS AREA AT UNDERCARRIAGE FROM GASOLINE LINES. VEHICLE DID NOT CATCH FIRE AND WAS TOWED TO FORD DEALER. FILED REPORT WITH FMC. *TR
I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS FUELING MY 2004 FREESTAR AFTER I BEGAN DRIVING ON GRAVEL ROADS HERE IN CENTRAL MISSOURI. THE TANK VENT KEPT GETTING CLOGGED UP AND WHEN I TRIED TO FILL FUEL TANK, PRESSURE WOULD BUILD IN TANK CAUSING FUEL TO COME SPRAYING OUT OF FILL SPOUT. I HAD GAS SPRAYED ON HANDS AND CLOTHING REPEATEDLY. I FINALLY HAD A MECHANIC REROUTE FUEL VENT LINE TO AIR INTAKE IN MOTOR COMPARTMENT. NOW I NO LONGER HAVE TROUBLE. IT COST ME ABOUT $ 250 TO HAVE THIS DONE. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS A FLAW IN DESIGN. MY MECHANICS INLAWS HAVE THE EXACT MODEL AS MINE AND HAVE SAME PROBLEMS. PLEASE ADVISE ABOUT REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR. THANKS! *TR
WHEN FILLING VAN WITH GASOLINE, GAS SHOT BACK OUT, HITTING PERSON IN FACE AND ARMS. *TR
EVERY SINGLE TIME GAS IS BEING PUMPED INTO THE CAR THE PUMP STOPS SEVERAL TIMES. IT CAN TAKE UP TO 20 MINUTES TO COMPLETELY FILL THE GAS TANK. NOT ONLY DOES IT JUST STOP, IT FREQUENTLY SPITS GAS BACK OUT. THE GAS, WHICH IS A CHEMICAL, HAS GIVEN AT LEAST 2 PEOPLE CHEMICAL BURNS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND WHILE THIS IS A "KNOWN ISSUE", THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE AND/OR REPAIR UNLESS I PAY FOR IT OUT OF MY POCKET. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IT HAPPENS OFTEN ENOUGH TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE, IT IS DANGEROUS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY BE A RECALL DUE TO THE CHEMICAL BURNS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. ALSO THE POTENTIAL DEVASTATION THAT COULD HAPPEN IF SOMEONE AT A GAS STATION THROWS A STILL BURNING CIGARETTE BUTT DOWN AND IT LANDS IN THE REMAINS OF THE GAS THAT HAS BEEN SPIT BACK OUT AND ONTO THE GROUND. ALTHOUGH NO SMOKING SIGNS ARE POSTED, I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE STILL SMOKING WHILE PUMPING GAS. *TR
'04 FORD FREESTAR QUICK CONNECT ON FUEL LINE WILL COME LOOSE, SPRAYING FUEL ON MUFFLER AND EXHAUST SYSTEM! NO REPAIR KIT AVAILABLE. HAVE TO BUY COMPLETE FUEL LINE. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME ON THIS SAME VEHICLE. I'M AN AUTO-TECH AND HAD TO REPAIR THIS SAME VEHICLE BEFORE FOR THE SAME THING.
THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPEN. I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN ON MY 2004 FREESTAR 3.9L OHV EFI ENGINE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO WEBBFORD DEALER IN HIGHLAND IN FOR THE SAME THING AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD FORDMOTOR TECHS LOOK AT IT AND THEY THINK THEY HAD FIX IT. THE FIRST TWO TIMES IT HAPPEN I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A SEMI TRUCK BECAUSE CAUSE THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN. I HOPE NO ONE EVER GET KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT IN THIS VAN. *NM
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Sep 14, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.