no report yet
Seats
Risk. In the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of personal injury.
2006 Ford FreestarProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 356 owner complaints about the 2006 Ford Freestar, most often about the power train. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 17, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Sfoskett~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2006 Ford Freestar has problems
356 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
254Power train5 crash/fire/injury
40Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
31Engine2 crash/fire/injury
19Vehicle speed control
12Seats
8Engine and engine cooling
8Service brakes
7Fuel/propulsion system
6Seat belts
4816 other systems1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 254 | 5 |
| Electrical system | 40 | 1 |
| Engine | 31 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 19 | 1 |
| Seats | 12 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 8 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 6 | 0 |
| 16 other systems | 48 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2006 Ford Freestar recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Body: hatchback/liftgate
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A LIFTGATE STRUT MALFUNCTION, THE LIFTGATE CAN FALL FREELY WITH NO PRIOR WARNING.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do power train problems start?
95kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 237 power train complaints. 54% were reported before 100,000 miles.
7under 30k miles129under 100k miles108100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
21 owners mentioned a cost$2,900median
Middle half: $1,918 – $3,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2006 vs. every other Freestar year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Freestar median. How we score
'04'05'06'07
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2006 Ford Freestar safety ratings
2006 Ford Freestar in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2006 Ford Freestar, and the recalls they led to.
- Corrosion of Third-Row Seat AttachmentLed to recall 13V-081
- Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts FailingNo recall
- Engine StallingNo recall
In owners' words
What Freestar owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
My Ford Freestar without warning or anything just wouldn’t go after stopping at a stop sign. It was like it was stuck in neutral. But it was in drive. In 2003 and 2004 there was a recall on the transmission. My van is a 2005 but the transmission was manufactured in 2004. Which is one of the years…
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost all motive power and would not shift to any gear other than park. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The…
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost significant motive power before briefly hesitating and jerking. After restarting the vehicle, it returned to normal functionality, but the failure had since become a regular…
Own a 2006 Freestar?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.