Ford Freestar Seats Problems
Owners have filed 121 complaints with NHTSA about seats problems on the Ford Freestar across 4 model years. The 2004 model year has the most (86). The words owners use most often: “third row” (44% of reports).
- 121seats complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 16%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Third row: mentioned in 53 of 121 complaints (44%)
- Wheel well: mentioned in 44 of 121 complaints (36%)
- Seat anchor: mentioned in 21 of 121 complaints (17%)
- Completely rusted: mentioned in 12 of 121 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do seats problems happen?
Based on 104 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 121 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Ford Freestar seats complaints by model year
| Model year | Seats complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Freestar | 3 | 5% | 125,000 |
| 2006 Freestar | 12 | 3% | 143,000 |
| 2005 Freestar | 20 | 2% | 146,750 |
| 2004 Freestar | 86 | 7% | 117,771 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Seats
Model years: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I purchased a 2006 Ford Freestyle which currently has an open safety recall for 3rd Row Seat Latch Striker Corrosion Repair. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership to have the recall repaired. The dealership confirmed the recall but days later informed me that the necessary parts are no longer…
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that the third-row seat attachments were rusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V081000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not…
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestar. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V081000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer…
The rear wheel well has rusted on both sides and completely rusted out a large hole (approx. 1 ft diameter area visibly effected) in the the body of the van. The rusted out section is where the back seat is anchored to the frame, so the rust has cause the seat to no longer be securely anchored to…
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that he discovered two large holes located on both sides of the third-row seats. The contact stated that the holes were located at the seat anchors; the structural degradation at the seat anchor were mounted to the rear wheel wells. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Freestars have seats problems?
No. NHTSA has 121 owner complaints about seats for the Ford Freestar. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Freestar seats?
Yes: 1 safety recall list seats. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about seats problems on the Ford Freestar?
The most frequent phrase is “third row”, in 53 of 121 complaints, followed by “wheel well” (44).
Other Ford Freestar problems
- Power Train problems (1,819)
- Electrical System problems (248)
- Engine problems (157)
- Structure problems (136)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (101)
See all Ford Freestar problems.