2004 Ford Freestar Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Freestar years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 4 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,227 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Ford Freestar. That is the most of any Freestar model year in the database (4 years). The most reported problem area is power train (851 complaints, 69%), typically at around 85,000 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 14 fires, 21 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 8 defect investigations involving it.
- 1,227owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 8NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Ford Freestar problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 851 | 69% | 85,000 | “torque converter” (33%) | $3,850 |
| Electrical System problems | 118 | 10% | 95,000 | “torque converter” (14%) | — |
| Structure problems | 94 | 8% | 114,000 | “wheel well” (35%) | — |
| Seats problems | 86 | 7% | 117,771 | “third row” (44%) | — |
| Engine problems | 69 | 6% | 100,000 | “torque converter” (16%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 49 | 4% | 80,700 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 44 | 4% | 37,050 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 33 | 3% | 101,277 | — | — |
| Steering | 27 | 2% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 26 | 2% | 98,400 | — | — |
| Suspension | 25 | 2% | 88,654 | — | — |
| Wheels | 25 | 2% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 15 | 1% | 95,421 | — | — |
| Visibility | 15 | 1% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 14 | 1% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 11 | 1% | 76,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 1% | 38,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 8 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 1% | 47,278 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 0% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 0% | 52,900 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 0% | 27,200 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 4 | 0% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 0% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 84,100 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 94,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Ford Freestar recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seats
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles manufactured from March 24, 2003, through November 7, 2006, equipped with a third row seat and originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The third row stowable seat can experience corrosion and structural degradation at the seat anchor mechanism mounted to the rear wheel wells. As a result of the corrosion, the third row seat may not fully latch into its seating position.
Risk: In the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new third row seat latch striker mounting brackets, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
Power train:automatic transmission:torque converter
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2004 and 2005 ford freestar and mercury monterey vehicles. The torque converter output shaft may fail.
Risk: This condition results in a sudden loss of motive power with no warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converter free of charge. The safety recall began on august 9, 2012. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Wheels:hub
Problem: Certain minivans may have been produced with front wheel hub assemblies that were not heat treated correctly. This condition may lead to the development of small cracks in the hub.
Risk: If the cracks were to progress, this could eventually result in wheel separation. Wheel separation may lead to loss of vehicle control, and potentially result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front hub, rotors, and wheel bearings. The recall began september 20, 2004. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections
Problem: On certain minivans, the power steering low-pressure line may not be fully seated at the rack and pinion steering gear.
Risk: If this line becomes disconnected, it may create the potential for fluid to come into contact with the exhaust system, which could result in smoke or fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the power steering low-pressure line to ensure that it is seated properly at the rack and pinion steering gear. Owner notification began november 10, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing (EQ12010) — opened Sep 28, 2012, closed Dec 31, 2012.
- Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment (EA12003) — opened Apr 23, 2012, closed May 2, 2013, led to recall 13V081000.
- Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment (PE11039) — opened Dec 21, 2011, closed Apr 27, 2012.
- Service Jack Failure (PE11033) — opened Sep 13, 2011, closed Dec 7, 2012.
- Engine Stalling (PE10033) — opened Aug 23, 2010, closed Jul 15, 2011.
- Transmission Torque Converter Failure (EA09016) — opened Nov 10, 2009, closed Feb 2, 2012, led to recall 12V006000.
- Torque converter output shaft failure (PE09033) — opened Jul 15, 2009, closed Nov 17, 2009.
- Engine stalling (DP09004) — opened Jun 4, 2009, closed Sep 7, 2010.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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…
Flashing! With gear around it and car will not operate correctly i.e. no power very slow acceleration and lacking ability to change gears.
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…
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 weâre itâs 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…
Other Ford Freestar years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Freestar | 64 | 1 |
| 2006 Freestar | 356 | 2 |
| 2005 Freestar | 886 | 3 |
| 2004 | 1,227 | 4 |
See all Ford Freestar problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Ford Freestar?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, structure problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 851 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford Freestar?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Ford Freestar a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Freestar model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.