Problems · by component

2005 Ford Freestyle service brakes, hydraulic problems

85 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Ford Freestyle cite service brakes, hydraulic, 6% of all 1,459 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
85
6% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ALL WHEEL DRIVE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES AND WHEEL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 224,000. ...UPDATED 03/13/17 *BF *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 11, 2017Service brakes, hydraulic, Traction control systemODI 10944292
“WAS COMING UP TO A STOP LIGHT AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE. WHEN I PUT ON BRAKES, IT ACCELERATED MORE. TO AVOID HITTING 3 CARS IN FRONT OF ME, I WENT OVER A CURB, UP A HILL AND OVER AND EMBANKMENT. THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A SIDE STREET. THE IMPACT OF COMING OFF THE EMBANKMENT BLEW 2 TIRES AND TOTALED OUT THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS TOTALED THE CAR. AS FAR AS THE SPEED OF THE CAR, I WAS DOING 35 UNTIL THE ACCELERATION FAILED AND WHEN I PUT ON THE BRAKES, IT WENT FASTER. I READ ON YOUR WEBSITE WHERE FORD WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH LUNGING AND THIS SOUNDS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR. ESPECIALLY WHEN I READ FROM OTHERS THAT HAVE POSTED THERE PROBLEMS WITH THIS. I DO BELIEVE THAT FORD NEEDS TO DO A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT BAD. I DID GO TO THE ER TO GET CHECKED OUT BUT BESIDES SEAT BELT BURN, I WAS FINE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 15, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 10480561
“SCARY CAR. A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN CAR IS IDLE/FOOT ON BRAKE THE CAR WOULD SURGE FORWARD ON ITS OWN. THIS IS CREEPY. FIRST TIME HAPPENED WHEN PARKING IN FRONT OF A WALL. LUCKILY, I HAD ENOUGH ROOM TO NOT HIT THE FRONT. I JUST CAME HOME AND ROLLED INTO PARKING SPACE. MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE BUT OUT OF NOWHERE IT JUST WENT BY ITSELF SO MY NATURAL RESPONSE WAS TO BRAKE REALLY HARD. IT SLOWED THE SURGING, BUT DANG IT! IT SCARED THE BEGEZZY OUT OF ME. IF I WASN'T ALERT, I THINK THAT WALL WOULD DAMAGE THE FRONT CAR...LET ALONE HIT SOMEONE(S) IF THEY ARE IN FRONT OF THIS IDLE CAR. SECOND TIME WHEN MY HUSBAND ROLLED INTO THE MALL'S PARKING SPACE AND IT DID IT TOO. I SAT NEXT TO HIM AND IT WAS JUST FREAKY WEIRD. IT HAPPENED 3 OTHER TIMES ALSO. FORD BETTER RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM SEEING HOW MANY COMPLAINTS ARE POSTED ONLINE ALREADY. I HAD TO LOOK IT UP ONLINE AND FOUND A MAJOR CAR MAGAZINE STATED IT WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM. IF THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, I THINK I WILL HAVE TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER CAR MAKER. THIS FORD FREESTYLE 2005 AWD LIMITED IS A SCARY CAR: AIR CONDITIONER AND IDLE/FOOT ON BRAKE = SURGING OR LUNGING FORWARD. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 25, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10456509
“I HAVE A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL LUNGING INCIDENTS WHERE THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO LUNG FORWARD OR BACKWARD WHEN BACKING OUT A PARKING SPACE ETC.. THE FIRST TIME I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT WAS ON 08/25/09. THE NEXT TIME WAS ON 09/22/09. THE DEALER ORDERED A NEW THROTTLE BODY. THERE WERE SO MANY ISSUES WITH THE THROTTLE BODY ON THIS CAR THAT THEY WERE ON BACK ORDER. THE DEALER ALLOWED ME TO DRIVE FOR 5697 MILES BEFORE THE PART ARRIVED. I REQUESTED A RENTAL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT JUSTIFY A RENTAL. ON 02/08/10 MY NEW THROTTLE BODY WAS INSTALLED. TODAY IS 02/22/2012 AND I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE ALL OVER AGAIN. THE FORD FREESTYLE IS BY FAR THE WORST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. I AM ON MY SECOND SET OF (REAR) BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACED. OUR AIR CONDITIONER ONLY WORKS PROPERLY DURING THE WINTER. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS PAGES OF FORUMS WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES DEALING WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUES ON THE EXACT SAME CARS. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST FORD FOR THE THROTTLE BODY ISSUE. I HAVE PAGES OF DOCUMENTED ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 22, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed controlODI 10449008
“I HAVE MORE THAN ONE COMPLAINT. 1) SHORTLY AFTER BUYING MY USED 2005 FREESTYLE I WOULD BE DRIVING BOTH AT HIGHER AND LOWER SPEEDS AND I WOULD LOOSE ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO GAS OR STEERING. IT WAS LIKE IT WAS LOSING POWER BUT IT WAS STILL RUNNING. I HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES WHEN THIS WOULD HAPPEN. I WAS LUCKY THAT WHEN I BOUGHT MY FREESTYLE IT WAS "CERTIFIED" AND UNDER WARRANTY, OTHERWISE THE REPAIRS WOULD HAVE COST ME OVER $1200. MY FORD DEALER REPLACED THE KIND OF SENSOR/BRAIN AS THEY CALLED IT. HAS BEEN WORKING SENSE. 2) AIR COMPRESSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED NOW. I THOUGHT THE A/C WASN'T BLOWING COLD ENOUGH, I FINALLY TOLD IT TO A REPAIR SHOP I TRUST AND HE SAID HE COULDN'T UNDERSTAND I HAD ANY COOL AIR AT ALL. 3) BRAKES, REAR MOST OF ALL, HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. WAY TOO SOON AND ANYTIME IT'S WET THEY SQUEAL LIKE CRAZY. GUESS I NEED TO HAVE THEM CHANGED AGAIN. 4) TRANSMISSION ISSUES ARE STARTING NOW. I ROUGHLY HAVE 90K MILES AND HOPED THIS WOULD BE MY LAST CAR FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS. I HATE TO TRADE IT IN AND START ANOTHER CAR PAYMENT AND LET THIS CAR GET BACK OUT TO SOME OTHER UNSUSPECTING SOUL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 22, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Electrical systemODI 10444768
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT NOTICED THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL APPLYING EXCESSIVE PRESSURE UNTIL THE BRAKES RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE, BUT SUGGESTED HAVING THE BRAKES REPLACED. THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A MANUFACTURER RECALL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 300. UPDATED 03/14/12*LJ UPDATED 03/3/12”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 20, 2012Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10444687

Showing 6 of 85 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 13, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.