2004 Ford Freestar service brakes, hydraulic problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-60 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ABNORMALLY DEPRESSED INTO THE FLOORBOARD. THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COMPLETELY REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 77,566 WAS AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE WHILE BRAKING, BUT THE LIGHT CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS SENSOR FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE CORRECTED BECAUSE THAT SENSOR WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 81,401.”

“THIS HAS BEEN ON AN ON GOING PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW (THIS IS THE 4TH TIME FORD SERVICED THE VEHICLE). AFTER A RAIN STORM MY FREESTAR DOES NOT START OR WILL START & STALL. TODAY, AFTER RAINING ALL NIGHT, I WAS DRIVING MY 3 KIDS TO SCHOOL APX 0800HRS, AS I WAS TURNING ONTO ROCHELLE AVE FROM CHESTNUT ST IN ROCHELLE PARK, NJ THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION WITH LOSS OF ALL POWER INCLUDING THE BRAKES WHICH CAUSED ME TO ROLL INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY THE GARBAGE TRUCK WAS ABLE TO STOP BEFORE HITTING MY VEHICLE. I HAVE FOUND THAT YOU HAD AN OPEN CASE UNDER ID NUMBER PE10033 THE PCM HAS BEEN CHANGED 3 TIMES AND REPAIRED ONCE, ON THE FOLLOWING DATES AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: 5/13/2010 ALL AMERICAN FORD, 520 RIVER STREET, HACKENSACK, NJ 3/19/2011, 12/13/2011 & 1/13/2012 ALL AMERICAN FORD, 375 RT 17 SOUTH, PARAMUS, NJ ON ALL THESE OCCASIONS IT WAS WATER FROM RAIN THAT EFFECTED THE PCM.”

“DRIVING AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN: NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES, NOTHING WORKED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER INDICATION OF FAILURE. WAS ABLE TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP VEHICLE USING EMERGENCY BRAKES. *TT”

“THE BRAKE PROPORTIONING SYSTEM (FRONT/REAR) DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKES. THIS ALLOWS THE CALIPERS TO OVEREXTEND AND FREEZE CAUSING REAR BRAKE FAILURE AND HYDRAULIC FLUID LOSS. THIS REQUIRES THE REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR CALIPERS EVERY 15K MILES THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AT APPROXIMATELY 15K INTERVALS. THIS IS THE REVERSE OF MOST VEHICLES THAT DO THE MAJORITY OF THEIR STOPPING WITH THE FRONT BRAKES. *TR”

“FOR THE FIRST 16 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP MY FORD 2004 FREESTAR SEL WAS IN THE SHOP 15 TIMES FOR ELECTRICAL FAILURES. EVEN THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO GET THE VAN RETURNED UNDER THE LEMON LAW AND FORD REFUSED. I HAD ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND TOLD ALL WAS NORMAL UNTIL I DEMANDED THEY CHECK THE FRONT BRAKE AND THEN WAS TOLD THEY WERE BAD. AT ABOUT 65,000 MILES MY TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING WENT OUT. I WAS JUST LEAVING THE INTERSECTION AND FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT REAR ENDED. NOW JUST LAST MONTH, DECEMBER 2009 IT WAS DISCOVERED MY RIGHT REAR BRAKE CALIBER HAS BEEN DRAGGING FOR SOME TIME AS THE INSIDE BRAKE PAD WAS WORN DOWN TO THE METAL. LEFT SIDE WAS FINE. *TR”