no report yet
Doors: latch
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.
2005 Ford FreestyleProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,459 owner complaints about the 2005 Ford Freestyle, most often about the vehicle speed control. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 30, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2005 Ford Freestyle has problems
1,459 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
587Vehicle speed control18 crash/fire/injury
447Power train10 crash/fire/injury
142Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
129Engine and engine cooling
120Engine5 crash/fire/injury
95Fuel system, gasoline
85Service brakes, hydraulic
61Structure
41Fuel/propulsion system
21621 other systems13 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 587 | 18 |
| Power train | 447 | 10 |
| Electrical system | 142 | 3 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 129 | 0 |
| Engine | 120 | 5 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 95 | 2 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 85 | 2 |
| Structure | 61 | 7 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 41 | 0 |
| 21 other systems | 216 | 13 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2005 Ford Freestyle 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
Tank assembly: mounting
Risk. IF THIS HAPPENS, DRIVERS MAY NOTICE A NOISE OR A FUEL LEAK.
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 vehicle speed control problems start?
79kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 534 vehicle speed control complaints. 73% were reported before 100,000 miles.
24under 30k miles390under 100k miles144100k 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
47 owners mentioned a cost$4,250median
Middle half: $1,219 – $6,000
Vehicle speed control
34 owners mentioned a cost$800median
Middle half: $667 – $899
Fuel system, gasoline
15 owners mentioned a cost$800median
Middle half: $604 – $869
Service brakes, hydraulic
14 owners mentioned a cost$400median
Middle half: $351 – $475
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
2005 vs. every other Freestyle 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 Freestyle median. How we score
'05'06'07
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2005 Ford Freestyle safety ratings
2005 Ford Freestyle 5-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 4 stars (13.3% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2005 Ford Freestyle, and the recalls they led to.
- INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURENo recall
- Idle instabilityNo recall
In owners' words
What Freestyle owners report
Recent vehicle speed control complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle lunged forward. While starting the vehicle, the vehicle revved high. While driving at high speeds, the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that several times, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed.…
Says transmission data error check engine and trac control all display and only allow me to drive 20-35 MPH some time I can turn the car off and back on and the codes will shut off but they come back on in the middle of the highway what usually takes me 30 minutes takes me an hour and a half to get…
JUST GOT THE CAR AND IT STALLED ON ME TODAY, ACCELERATED AND SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. ALOT GOING ON IV READ OTHER PEOPLE'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE FORD CAUSING ACCIDENTS I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO ME I'M A NEW DRIVER
Own a 2005 Freestyle?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.