| Model year | 2005 |
| Year of manufacture | 2005 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.9 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 3 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 1 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
1.6 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 357 miles |
| Most recent distance | 34128 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler Town and Country |
Summary:
Terrible, terrible
Faults:
The transmission went out at only 21589 miles on an out of town trip, the computer is constantly needing repair, and the engine stalls. It's a piece of garbage and we hate it.
General Comments:
My wife an I regret trading our town and country in...
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 17th August, 2006
| Model year | 2004 |
| Year of manufacture | 2004 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.2 liter Automatic |
| Distance when acquired | 17 miles |
| Most recent distance | 25500 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Explorer |
Summary:
Too expensive, uncomfortable, undependable
Faults:
Breaks squeaked/grinded at 1000 miles. Ford replaced ALL 4 completely at 2500 miles.
Multiple and increasing rattles in van, dealer states is typical for this year/model.
Electrical problems started at 18,000. Includes: clock/radio resets randomly; dash flashes off/on; engine/RP M's rev up for seconds on own; automatic sliding doors close on own; one sliding door randomly does not lock/unlock or automatically open.
General Comments:
Seats hard and uncomfortable.
3rd row bench seat extremely hard and uncomfortable.
With random electrical things happening to van, feels undependable... never know if and when something serious will happen.
Gas mileage so-so at about 17 mpg average.
Loud road noise and rattles cause me much aggravation.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 12th April, 2006
| Model year | 2006 |
| Year of manufacture | 2006 |
| First year of ownership | 2006 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.2 Gasoline Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
9.0 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 49 miles |
| Most recent distance | 100 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Grand Prix |
Summary:
Brand New and Great! Will keep you updated
Faults:
The car is brand new, so I cannot address the question of 'What has gone wrong with the car?'...yet.
I was skeptical in getting a Ford at first, so I hope I made a good choice - time will tell.
General Comments:
I love this van so far and will keep updating this review as time passes, 15k, 30k, 60k etc.
For the money, there was nothing on the market that could touch the Freestar. With a $4k incentive and $200 below invoice, I think I got a great deal.
The van is loaded and feels/drives very nice. Very solid feeling on the road, seats are comfortable and there is tons of room for everyone and everything.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 7th February, 2006
Follow-up 1: Have had the van about 2 months/4000 miles now and still love it. I did have 2 problems.
1) Rear vent window motor burned out and needed to be replaced.
2) One day, upon start, the AdvanceTrac light was flashing and the car would not go over about 25mph, bucking and kicking the whole time. I turned the AdvanceTrac off and it was fine. After sitting for a few hours, the car was back to normal. Took it to the dealer and they found some 'strange' codes, but were not able to 'fix' anything - just reset the computer. Has not done anything bad since.
3) I have this strange whistling noise, like Morse code. I can't pinpoint where or what it is. At first I thought it was from the rear and a sign the fuel pump was going, then I thought it was in the front and could be the water pump. Not sure and the dealer says it's normal belt noise - not. We'll see on this one.
Over all I still love the van and hope it will last a while. I realize the Windstar/Freestar gets bad reviews, I am just hopeful I got a good one.
| Model year | 2005 |
| Year of manufacture | 2004 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.2 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
10.0 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 98 miles |
| Most recent distance | 23000 miles |
| Previous car | Subaru Impreza |
Summary:
Wonderful mini van. Kids love it!
Faults:
Missing the rear wiper nut cover (Replaced promptly by the dealer when I got my first oil change)
Other than that.. NO problems.
General Comments:
So far my family loves our Freestar. It replaced my wife's trusty 1995 Subaru Impreza All Wheel Drive which she misses, but we needed the room.
It has a wonderful ride, quite interior, comfortable seats (Both front and middle. The rear bench is for children, but OK for adults) Purchased with the DVD entertainment package which is wonderfully integrated with the front stereo/CD/Cassette player and 3 zone AC/heating unit.
Mechanical and electrical reliability is excellent so far.. so I guess Ford finally worked out all the bugs from the previous Windstar on this model. Fit and finish surprisingly excellent!
(I own a BMW)
Dealer included a 100 month 100k miles power-train warranty to ease my reservations about this domestic vehicle. I would highly recommend this mini van to anyone looking for a reliable (so far) and comfortable family vehicle.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th August, 2005
I too can appreciate your sckepticism towards buying a Ford product, but all in all, I think you made a good choice.
For the price, the Freestar is perhaps the best combination of room and convenience offered in a mini van by any manufacturer. Granted Honda and Toyoto are perceived to have better build quality, but, you pay a lot more for them and I really don't think ether models are completely trouble free. They do have great resale values though.
Even though my children have all grown and left the nest, I intend on trading my Kia Sedona for a new Freestar this year. My wife really likes the hide-a-way rear seat that can also be configured to face the rear, similar to the station wagons of old.
I am a bit leary about buying another Ford product, the previous Fords I've owned have proven to be less than stellar, but, according to some automotive journalists, Ford is hanging their reputation on both the Freestar and Freestyle. This remains to be seen. My Sedona was less than stellar too.
You mentioned that your dealer threw in a 100 month / 100,000 mile warranty to persuade you. Is this a Ford or an after-market warranty, what is the retail price of the warranty and, what does it cover? I might be open to a little arm twisting myself to make a deal.
Well good luck with your purchase, keep us posted on your adventures with Ford and your Freestar.
We bought a used 2005 Freestar two years ago and have loved it. It really does handle like a sports car, compared to other minivans I've driven. We bought it with 28k miles; now have 70k and still have the original tires! (Michelins) I don't believe in rotating tires; the fronts are due to be replaced soon but the rears have plenty of tread, probably another 20k or so.
We have a lower model with the 3.9L engine and average about 19mpg. Freeway trips have gotten as high as 24mpg. We added a frame-mount tow hitch and tow our boat, which is an old 15' fiberglass tri-hull with an outboard motor. (1200lbs?) The Freestar tows it like a breeze - can't even feel it behind us. Even without trailer brakes, it stops just fine.
We're beginning to hear a few squeaks and rattles, but nothing serious. And it was a rental vehicle before we bought it! I'm really impressed by Ford on this vehicle. Wish I could say the same about the dealer's shop, though...
| Model year | 2004 |
| Year of manufacture | 2004 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.2 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
6.6 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 4000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 5400 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Aerostar |
Summary:
Overpriced. I would recommend it only if you can get it cheaply
Faults:
Car stalled several times while driving (intermittent problem, dealer still haven't fixed the problem yet).
Check engine light went on.
Groaning noise from the front wheel when turning from a stop sign (happened three times).
Doors and hood out of alignment (fixed very nicely by dealer).
Power sliding door opens part way and stops (fixed by dealer).
Brakes make a scraping noise in the morning on the first stop of the day. Does not make noise the rest of the day.
General Comments:
Gas mileage (actual MPG) is disappointing.
Engine revs too high in first gear. This might be the cause of the bad MPG. Maybe Ford is trying to capture the boat and trailer towing market.
Leather seat is hard and uncomfortable.
Hard to get to the third row seats.
Trunk storage could use a cover, so we can store things on top of the cover without crushing the things under the cover.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 8th June, 2005
As for your brakes, Ford will tell you that the sound you hear is from moisture in the brakes. As for the leather seats, I highly recommend Armor all leather wipes. They clean and soften the leather. Ford's leather seats aren't what they used to be, but regular cleaning and conditioning will soften them up. The Freestar is actually a Windstar in different clothing with a different engine.