2006 Ford Freestyle

Family: Freestyle · filed with NHTSA as FREESTYLE

Summary

Of the 1,247 complaints that name a component, 48% concern Accelerator & Cruise Control (602).
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.
1 recall filed for this model year.
1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 1,300
Recalls: 1
Investigations: 1
NCAP overall: Not rated
Combined MPG: 19–20
Annual fuel cost: $3,100–$3,300
Median mileage at complaint: 75,000 mi (n = 1,187)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 42 / 10 / 18 / 0

What owners report

Accelerator & Cruise Control

602 complaints · 48% of complaints that name a component · median 75,000 mi (n = 555)

Owner report I PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE AND THE SPEED INCREASED WHILE I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I CHANGED GEARS TO DRIVE AND IT DID NOT INCREASE ON ITS OWN. ONCE AGAIN ON REVERSE AND HAD ANOTHER SUDDEN INCREASE OF SPEED WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. IF I WASN'T CAREFUL IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

Owner report WHEN LETTING UP ON MY BRAKE PEDAL FROM A STOP MY CAR WILL RANDOMLY ACCELERATE AND LUNGE FORWARD. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2017. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO EFFECT MANY FREESTYLE OWNERS, AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR MY FAMILY.

Powertrain

484 complaints · 39% of complaints that name a component · median 78,000 mi (n = 450)

Owner report 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

Owner report THE WRENCH LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON OUT OF NOWHERE AND THE CAR ISN'T DRIVABLE. WE KEEP REPAIRING THINGS BUT THEN IT COMES UP WITH DIFFERENT CODES.

Engine

258 complaints · 21% of complaints that name a component · median 78,500 mi (n = 237)

Owner report 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 I’m Drive doesn’t go anywhere

Owner report The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled with the battery, oil pressure, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but of…

4% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2005–2007)

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 year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2005	1,459	125
2006	1,300	56
2007	893	27	not compared

Recalls

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

06V383000 · LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Filed 2006-10-05 · 139,537 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
PE11018	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2011-05-11	2013-02-07

PE11018: Idle instability

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Freestyle AWD	3.0L 6cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	17	22	19	$3300
Freestyle FWD	3.0L 6cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	18	25	20	$3100

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

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2006 Ford Freestyle 4-DR. w/SAB	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	★★★★☆
2006 Ford Freestyle 4-DR	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 23 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about electrical system.

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.

Date	Component	Summary
2024-05-24	POWER TRAIN	Motorcraft® Continuously Variable Chain-Type Transmission Fluid (XT-7-QCFT in non-Canadian markets, CXT-7-LCF12 in Canada) is no longer manufactured and will only be available until inventory depletes. The recommended replacement fluids are…
2016-09-21	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL	The 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 …
2012-11-29	ENGINE	FORD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. MOMENTARY ENGINE IDLE RPM SURGE MAY BE INTERMITTENT AND MAY OCCUR, DUE TO DEPOSITS BUILDUP IN THROTTLE BODY, AT LOW SPEEDS, WHILE PARKING OR ENTERING DRIVEWAY AND CHECK ENGINE LAMP MAY …
2007-11-28	SERVICE BRAKES, AIR	FORD MERCURY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. CERTAIN 2005 THROUGH 2007 FWD AND AWD FORD FIVE HUNDRED, FREESTYLE AND MERCURY MONTEGO VEHICLES - REAR BRAKE WEAR. ALSO HAVE AN OWNER'S LETTER. *NJ UPDATED …
2007-04-01	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE	MIL WITH DTC P0106 AND/OR P0109. *KB
2006-08-01	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL	BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *KB
2006-01-01	SUSPENSION:FRONT	GRUNT OR SQUEAK FROM FRONT SUSPENSION DURING FULL LOCK TURNS - SERVICE TIP. *TT
2006-01-01	SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER	HEATED SEATS INOPERATIVE. *TT
2006-01-01	SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY	SECOND ROW SEAT RECLINE CONCERN. *TT
2006-01-01	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL	INTERMITTENT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGE SWEEP/RESET - MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS ON - REVERSE LIGHTS ON - VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE 2/17/2006. *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 Freestyle, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Freestyle 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.