There are 815 stored owner reports matching the powertrain & transmission 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 50 of 815 matching reports. This is a limited sample of up to 50 reports, ordered by incident date when available, not the complete group. The list controls page through the loaded reports only.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)Flashing! With gear around it and car will not operate correctly i.e. no power very slow acceleration and lacking ability to change gears.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the torque converter and the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
I have a 2004 Ford freestar van and I was driving down the road and I went to pass another vehicle and I push the gas and I heard some crunchy noise is and then nothing no power at all no gears nothing I was dead in the water so I had to get out of the van and push it to the side of the road didn't have reverse didn't have drive didn't have third second or first no gears at all the transmission failed me I could have been in a very bad accident and hurt it just came out of nowhere there was no signs of anything wrong with the van and then this happens.
My son was driving down Rt 81 when the transmission stopped working Your vehicle was running fine but would not go had to drift off the highway she avoid getting hit I had to tow the van home we’re it’s still parked
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would not properly accelerate and would hesitate to accelerate and the check engine warning light would remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission torque converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted and informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V006000(Power Train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 250,000.
The transmission is grinding and popping when shifting gears.Also it has started not moving when I shift it into drive and 3rd and 1st.When I drive it I have to put it in 1st gear and change up to drive and it grinds and pops when giving it gas to go.It comes to a crawl going up hills.Has a big loss of power.The trackshion control light comes on saying it's not working.The electrical is messing up the doors are opening up when they are not supposed to going down road.It tells me that different doors are open when there not keeping the lights on in the van running down the battery.
Transmission slip , leaks , loosing ofpower, shakes from 45 mph to 55 mph , mechanic shop says it is the Torque Converter that is malfunction.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator and the vehicle continued to slow as the RPM was rising. The contact did not notice any warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled safely off the road and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was restarted however, failed to shift into higher gears while attempting to reach highway speeds. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and found NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V006000 (Power Train) which she linked to the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 158,000.
the van has less than 49k miles on it and the reverse has not worked but it will drive forward. Others have had this issue as well.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN PLACING THE VEHICLE INTO ANY GEAR, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CALLED ALL AMERICAN FORD OF HACKENSACK (520 RIVER ST, HACKENSACK, NJ 07601) WHERE HE WAS GIVEN A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V006000 (POWER TRAIN) WHICH HE LINKED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED HIM THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 55 MPH WHEN IT HAD INSTANT TRANSMISSION FAILURE. PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. VEHICLE WOULDN/T MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION OR GEAR. TRANSMISSION WAS IN PROPER FLUID LEVEL RANGE.
DRIVING DOWN RD N IT FELT AS IF SOMEONE WAS PUSHING BREAK WHILE I WAS SMASHING GAS PEDAL . LOST ALL FIRE TO CAR WOULDN'T GO NO WHERE. I WAS ON A COUNTRY RD GOING UPHILL. IT SPOTS N SPUTTER N JERKS REAL HARD GOING UP HILL LIKE MY TRANSMISSION GOING BAD BUT MOTOR SOUNDS GOOD SO I HAVE NO CLUE..
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES PER HOUR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY RPMS SHOT UP BUT I HAD NO ACCELERATION IT DID THIS WITHOUT WARNING I MANAGED TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND I WAS GOING TO CHECK TRANSMISSION FLUID BUT WHEN I PULLED THE DIPSTICK OUT FLUID SHOT OUT THE DIPSTICK HOLE. I WAS ABLE TO WALK TO A STORE & BUY TRANSMISSION FLUID THAT I ADDED. I WAITED A BIT THEN TRIED DRIVE, REVERSE, LOW GEAR, BUT NOTHING. HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK
TORQUE CONVERTOR DEFECTIVE IN SIMILAR FORD FREESTAR MODELS EDDY'S FORD DEALERSHIP SOLD RECALL VEHICLE AS IS AGAINST STATE & FEDERAL LAWS AND LIED TO DISABLED VETERANS ABOUT REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER AFTER DISCOVERY OF RECALL CAUSED PISTON HOLE ENGINE BLOCK AND TRANSMISSION DAMAGE CUTTING OUT NEAR DANGEROUS BRIDGE INTERSECTION.
MY FIANCE WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN SHE HEARD A CLICKING NOISE THEN A LOUD BANG COME FROM THE TRANSMISSION, SHE LOST ALL POWER, IF SHE HADN'T RESPONDED TO THE SITUATION AND TURN IMMEDIATELY INTO A CHURCH DRIVEWAY SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED! THE VAN WAS IN MOTION DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON 257TH ST IN THE CITY OF GRESHAM. I WAS JUST NOW RESEARCHING THE VAN AND SAW FORD RECALLED 200,000 OF THIS YEAR'S VAN DEW TO A FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTER AND OTHER ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION
I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY IN THIS VAN THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THESE ISSUES TO YOU FIRST IT WAS THE FUEL FILTER AND NOW IT'S THE TRANSMISSION I KEEP THE MAINTENANCE UP AND THINGS STILL GO WRONG
WE WERE DRIVING ON A 4 LANE ROAD AND MY 2004 FORD FREESTAR LOST ALL POWER TO THE TRANSMISSION. IT WOULD NOT GO IN ANY GEAR. DRN31 NOTHING JUST REVS UP! WE ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM A YEAR AGO AND I FLUSHED THE TRANS AND IT SEEMED TO WORK UNTIL NOW. ALL FLUIDS WERE FINE ON THE VEHICLE AND LINKAGE IS ATTACHED. IT SHOWS NO RECALLS ON THIS VAN AND I DISAGREE AS I CAN SEE ONE. THANK GOODNESS MY KIDS WERE NOT HURT AS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS WHILE IN A PARKING LOT. ALSO, THE POWER TRAIN INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED HART FORD LINCOLN AT 989-275-8922 (LOCATED AT 117 LAKE ST, ROSCOMMON, MI 48653) AND WAS INFORMED TO CALL THE NHTSA OR THE MANUFACTURER TO RE-OPEN AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 190,000. *TR
1 MINUTES AFTER YOU START DRIVING IT LOSE POWER
[XXX] 2004 FORD FREESTAR HAS A TORQUE CONVERTER RECALL WHICH MAY CAUSE THE VEHILE TO STALL AT SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. AS I WAS DRIVING FREEWAY SPEEDS THE VAN SUDDENLY LOST POWER AS I WAS IN THE #3 LANE ON THE BAY BRIDGE. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I TRIED TO GET TO THE SAFEST LOCATION POSSIBLE. THEN HAD IT TOWED TO MICHAEL STEAD FORD AND THE DIAGNOSIS STATES THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER DOESN'T RESOLVE THE ISSUE. WITH THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND FAILURE OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER IT LEAD TO ADDITIONAL PARTS TO BE DAMAGED AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY WONT COVER THE DAMAGE INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT
Showing 1-20 of 50 loaded complaints
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.