2006 Ford Freestyle Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Freestyle years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 5 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,300 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Ford Freestyle. That ranks 2nd out of 5 Freestyle model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (602 complaints, 46%), typically at around 75,000 miles. Complaints mention 42 crashes, 10 fires, 18 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 1,300owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 42complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Ford Freestyle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 602 | 46% | 75,000 | “throttle body” (36%) | $1,200 |
| Power Train problems | 484 | 37% | 78,000 | “throttle body” (24%) | $7,750 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 144 | 11% | 68,594 | “throttle body” (27%) | $1,200 |
| Engine problems | 114 | 9% | 98,000 | “throttle body” (31%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 85 | 7% | 71,250 | “throttle body” (55%) | $1,450 |
| Electrical System problems | 84 | 6% | 103,000 | “throttle body” (15%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 74 | 6% | 73,232 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 53 | 4% | 85,000 | “throttle body” (32%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 49 | 4% | 30,182 | — | — |
| Structure | 28 | 2% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 18 | 1% | 94,321 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 1% | 106,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 15 | 1% | 48,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 14 | 1% | 36,935 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 13 | 1% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 1% | 19,562 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 1% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 1% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 1% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 1% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 0% | 52,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 0% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 20,123 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 134,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Ford Freestyle recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles currently registered in the following states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and wyoming. The side door latch mechanisms may experience water intrusion allowing the latch mechanism to freeze in cold weather.
Risk: As a result, the door latch pawl may not return to the latch position when the door is closed, and the door could open while the vehicle is moving.
Fix: Dealers will install a shield over the front latches; seal a drain hole in the rear window trim molding on the freestyle rear side doors; and apply grease to all front and rear side-door latch mechanisms free of charge. The recall began on november 8, 2006. Owners may 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
- Idle instability (PE11018) — opened May 11, 2011, closed Feb 7, 2013.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I recently got my transmission replaced for my 2006 Ford Freestyle in December 2025. Yet, I am having transmission issues on my car now. Bates Ford was the dealership who replaced my transmission, but I feel as if where they got my replaced transmission from was not honest about the product it sold…
Transmission is slipping not getting power when gas is pressed down Rpms are jumping not going into gear. Making a terrible sound in park. Passenger door not closing
Car struggles to change gears. ABS, ENGINE, and THROTTLE warning lights on. Rough idle, car does not accelerate when shifted into drive.
Took the vehicle in to local Ford for 120000 mile service and was informed the subframe was rusted and starting to separate. The part is no longer available and maybe they could find a used one as they have had to do in other cases. Not sure why just the front subframe is bad and no other part of…
I was driving down the road and my car just stopped like it went into Neutral but it was in drive the car starts up but when Iâm Drive doesnât go anywhere
Other Ford Freestyle years
← 2005 Freestyle · 2007 Freestyle →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Freestyle | 893 | 0 |
| 2006 | 1,300 | 1 |
| 2005 Freestyle | 1,459 | 2 |
| 2004 Freestyle | 12 | 0 |
| 2002 Freestyle | 1 | 0 |
See all Ford Freestyle problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Freestyle?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, power train, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 602 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Ford Freestyle?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Ford Freestyle a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Freestyle model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.