Problems · by component

2006 Ford Freestyle service brakes, hydraulic problems

49 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Ford Freestyle cite service brakes, hydraulic, 4% of all 1,300 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
49
4% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“OUR CAR LUNGES WHEN AT LOW SPEEDS. USUALLY FROM A STOP AS I LET OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL IT LUNGES FORWARD. AGGRESSIVELY PUSHING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPS THE VEHICLE. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN THE AC IS ON. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 4, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Vehicle speed controlODI 10460519
“I BOUGHT MY 2006 FORD FREESTYLE WITH 23,000 MILES WITHIN 4 MONTHS I STARTED EXPERIENCING A WHINING NOISE. THE NOISE STARTED GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER, I THEN STARTED TO FEEL THE CAR WANTING TO ACCELERATE WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 5 TIMES. THE CAR WOULD STALL AND THE WRENCH LIGHT WOULD COME ON. I WOULD TURN IT OFF AND LET IT COOL A LITTLE AND IT WOULD START RIGHT UP AGAIN. THE PROBLEMS CONTINUED ESPECIALLY IN THE HEAT. I LIVE IN MIAMI FLORIDA AND IT WAS JUST ABOUT EVERYDAY THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THEN FINALLY IT HAPPENED, THE CAR JUST DIED ON ME. I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WITH 30,000 AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE NO LIGHTS CAME ON. I LET THEM SERVICE THE CAR AND THEY TOLD ME EVERYTHING WAS OK. THE DEALER TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT, HE ALSO TOLD ME THE THROTTLE BODY WENT AND INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD WENT AS WELL. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING FORD COULD DO THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO CALL. FORD WAS THE WORST AT CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT I EVER EXPERIENCED. THEY SAID NO TO EVERYTHING BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. AFTER SPENDING ALMOST $6,000 THE DEALER TOLD ME…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 14, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Power trainODI 10451722
“I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED FORDS HOWEVER THIS IS BY FAR THE SCARIEST FORD CAR EVER AND TO ME THE UNSAFEST!! I PURCHASED MY FORD FREESTYLE BACK IN OCTOBER 2010. EVER SINCE THEN MY CAR SEEMS TO HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN. WHEN I AM COMPLETELY STOPPED MY CAR WILL AUTOMATICALLY LUNGE FORWARD AND EVEN STALL WHEN I AM TURNING MY WHEEL. I HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD CHILD WHO I DRIVE EVERYDAY TO SCHOOL IN THIS DEATH TRAP AND IT SCARES ME TO DEATH. I HAVE TRIED TALKING TO MY FORD DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS SINCE THE CAR WAS LIKE THIS WHEN I BOUGHT IT BUT OF COURSE THEY WANT ME TO SPEND ALL THIS MONEY I DO NOT HAVE ON REPAIRS...AFTER INTERNET RESEARCH IT APPEARS THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. WHY ISN'T ANYONE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER? IT IS VERY SCARY AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CAR IS LUNGING FORWARD AND BACKWARDS IF BACKING UP WHEN MY FOOT IS CLEARLY ON THE BRAKE AS WELL AS STALLING . I HOPE SOMEONE WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE SOMEONE ENDS UP IN AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEAD BECAUSE OF THIS!! THAT WOULD BE A SERIOUS LAWSUIT I AM SURE. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE PLEASE PLEASE DO A RECALL ON IT NOW IF NOT FOR ME FOR THE SAKE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 8, 2012Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10450735
“MY FORD STARTED JERKING BACKWARDS WHEN I PUT REVERSE OR LUNGING FORWARD WHEN I START DRIVING FORWARDS. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, ONCE IN THE JEKYLL ISLAND WHEN WE WERE ON VACATION (ALL THREE DAYS) IN JULY 2011 AND ALSO WHEN RECENTLY LIKE THREE MONTHS AGO, OCT 2011. I FIRST NOTICED WHEN I WAS BACKING OUT FROM A HOTEL PARKING LOT. I THOUGHT I AM GOING TO IT THE OTHER CARS. ALSO, I CHANGED THE BRAKES TWICE, ONCE FROM THE DEALER AND ONCE FROM THE AUTO MECHANIC. MY MILEAGE SO FAR IS 50K AND THIS IS A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. I CONSTANTLY FACE BRAKE PROBLEMS IN THIS VEHICLE. AND ALSO OTHER PROBLEMS.(LIKE FRONT AXLE) COULD SOMEONE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS, PLEASE!!! *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2012Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, Power trainODI 10442412
“I WAS TRANSPORTING MY CHILDREN ON A HOT DAY. WE WERE IDLING WITH THE A/C ON. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION. I HAD MY FOOT PRESSED FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE THEN LUNGED FORWARD SEVERAL FEET. THERE WERE NO IMPACTS OR ACCIDENTS, BUT AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL. IT WAS SPUTTERING AND KEPT LUNGING AS IF I HAD REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE CLUTCH THE CHECK ENGINE / WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE DIED. I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES, AND IT DID EVENTUALLY TURN BACK ON, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS SLUGGISH AND CONTINUED LUNGING. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER, JACKSON FORD-MERCURY TAG #540, AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THEY CHECKED THE AIR CONDITIONER AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SAME DEALER A SHORT TIME LATER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND AGAIN THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. AS THE SEASON CHANGED, THE PROBLEM CLEARED UP. WE WERE NO LONGER USING THE A/C. THE FOLLOWING SUMMER, SAME CONDITIONS, SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIP BIG VALLEY LINCOLN FORD MERCURY RO # 625097 AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AND PROVIDED THE REPAIR TAG NUMBER. AFTER PERFORMING A…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 13, 2011Service brakes, hydraulic, Vehicle speed controlODI 10440708
“PREMATURELY WORN REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTOR DAMAGE. FORD INITIALLY HAD A RECALL ON THE REAR BRAKE PADS DUE TO FAULTY MATERIAL COMPOSITION. SINCE THE PADS WERE REPLACED BY RECALL I HAVE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR FAILURE ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS ABOUT 17000 MILES, FOLLOWED BY 33000 MILES AND AT 47000. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT 67000 MILES AND THE REAR PADS AND ONE ROTOR HAVE FAILED AGAIN. FRONT BRAKE PADS WHERE REPLACED AS A COURTESY BY THE FORD DEALER AT 47000 AND FRONT ROTORS HAVE NEVER BEEN REPLACED. I SPOKE WITH THE LOCAK FORD DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE PREMATURE WEAR AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS BUT FORD HAS NOT RECALLED OR CORRECTED ANYTHING. AS A RESULT OF THAT CONVERSATION I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER CARE AND WAS CONTACTED BY AN INVESTIGATOR TO DISCUSS THE BRAKES AMONG OTHER PROBLEMS. THE INVESTIGATOR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE BRAKE WEAR WAS A PROBLEM AND ONLY STATED THAT IT WAS A WEAR ITEM. WHEN ASKED WHY THE REAR BRAKES FAILED AT A RATE SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN THE FRONT BRAKES THE INVESTIGATOR REFUSED TO COMMENT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 19, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10430811

Showing 6 of 49 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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