Motor Almanac

Ford / Freestar / 2006

2006 Ford Freestar

Family: Freestar · filed with NHTSA as FREESTAR

Summary

  • Of the 353 complaints that name a component, 72% concern Powertrain (254).
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 3 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
356
Recalls
3
Investigations
3
NCAP overall
Not rated
Combined MPG
17–18
Annual fuel cost
$3,450–$3,650
Median mileage at complaint
95,000 mi (n = 325)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
3 / 4 / 1 / 0

What owners report

Powertrain

254 complaints · 72% of complaints that name a component · median 95,558 mi (n = 237)

Owner report 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 that was recalled so w…
Owner report 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 vehicle was not repaired. A…

Electrical System

40 complaints · 11% of complaints that name a component · median 94,000 mi (n = 34)

Owner report The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestar. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the speedometer failed to function as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1…
Owner report I HAVE MY 2 GRANDCHILDREN WHO HAVE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY. I BOUGHT THIS VAN TO GET THEM TO DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS, ETC WITH WHEEL CHAIR. I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME AND STOPPED AT THE LIGHT. AS SOON AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I PROCEEDED THOUGH THE INTERSECTION AND THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED. THE VEHICLE JUST WOULD NOT MOVE…

Engine

39 complaints · 11% of complaints that name a component · median 100,000 mi (n = 35)

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FREESTAR. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND PLACED IN REVERSE, THE RPMS INCREASED. THE FAILURE HAD BEEN OCCURRING FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT SAID THEY WERE NO LONGER FIXING THAT ISS…
Owner report WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. IT WAS LIKE THE ENGINE WOULDN'T GO. HAD TO HAD IT TOWED WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND I WAS TOLD IT MIGHT BE MY TRANSMISSION.

1% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2004–2007)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
20041,22759
200588630not compared
200635619not compared
2007642not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

13V081000 · SEATS

Filed 2013-03-07 · 196,667 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Remedy: 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.

06E056000 · FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Filed 2006-06-13 · 58,640 vehicles

Defect: CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE INTERFACE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON MAKING THE CONNECTION MAY BELIEVE THAT THE QUICK CONNECTOR IS FULLY ATTACHED.

Risk: FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.

06V069000 · STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE

Filed 2006-03-09 · 12,728 vehicles

Defect: ON CERTAIN VANS EQUIPPED WITH THE POWER LIFTGATE OPTION, THE POWER LIFTGATE MOTOR AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGES AFTER THE LIFTGATE IS POWERED OPEN.

Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A LIFTGATE STRUT MALFUNCTION, THE LIFTGATE CAN FALL FREELY WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. ANYONE STANDING BENEATH THE LIFTGATE MAY BE INJURED IF THE LIFTGATE FALLS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE POWER LIFTGATE MODULE TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE LIFTGATE COULD FALL FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
EQ12010STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT2012-09-282012-12-31
EA12003SEATS2012-04-232013-05-0213V081000
PE10033POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)2010-08-232011-07-15

EQ12010: Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing

EA12003: Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment

PE10033: Engine Stalling

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
Freestar Cargo Van FWD3.9L 6cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive162218$3450
Freestar Cargo Van FWD4.2L 6cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive152117$3650
Freestar Wagon FWD3.9L 6cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive162218$3450
Freestar Wagon FWD4.2L 6cylAutomatic 4-spdFront-Wheel Drive152117$3650

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2006 Ford FreestarNot RatedNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated

Service bulletins

Ford issued 15 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about engine and engine cooling.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2016-09-21ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FANThe Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate …
2016-04-21SEATSFor 2004-2007 Freestar or Monterey vehicles Safety Recall 13S01 has been issued for vehicles that are operated in high corrosion areas for an extended period, where the sheet metal that supports the folding 3rd row seat latch strikers could…
2016-04-21SEATSSafety recall 13S01 - Corrosion on sheet metal that supports 3rd row seat latch strikeers - requests for recall service action
2014-09-09EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITYFORD/MERCURY: SAFETY RECALL REGARDING SHEET METAL SUPPORT FOR FOLDING 3RD ROW SEAT LATCH STRIKERS CAN EXPERIENCE CORROSION AND WILL COMPROMISE MOUNTING POINT CAUSING SEAT TO MOVE. MODEL 2004-07 FREESTAR, MONTEREY. *PE
2006-02-24ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINECUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 06B37. CRANK POSITION SENSOR CONNECTOR INSPECTION. THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR HARNESS CONNECTOR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FULLY SEATED IN THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. IF THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR BECAME …
2006-01-01EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONERREAR CLIMATE CONTROL NOISES - SERVICE TIP. *TT
2006-01-01TIRESLOW TIRE INDICATOR ON - TPMS SYSTEM SENSOR WAKE UP. *TT
2005-11-14ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITIONIGNITION DIAGNOSTICS. TO INCLUDE LINCOLN ZEPHYR 2006. *TT
2005-09-01AIR BAGSRESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE B2296 - SERVICE TIP. *TT
2005-06-07SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTORSAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Freestar, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Freestar model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.