2006 Ford Freestyle: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 1,300 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is vehicle speed control (38% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Oct 2006
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 1,300 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I recently got my transmission replaced for my 2006 Ford Freestyle in December 2025. Yet, I am having transmission issues on my car now. Bates Ford was the dealership who replaced my transmission, but I feel as if where they got my replaced transmission from was not honest about the product it sold to me. Please help!”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2026
“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 · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2025
“Car struggles to change gears. ABS, ENGINE, and THROTTLE warning lights on. Rough idle, car does not accelerate when shifted into drive.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jan 2023
Show 7 more owner reports
“Took the vehicle in to local Ford for 120000 mile service and was informed the subframe was rusted and starting to separate. The part is no longer available and maybe they could find a used one as they have had to do in other cases. Not sure why just the front subframe is bad and no other part of the frame structure also the car has had rustproofing done on it. Reading on the internet this seems to be a common problem with these subframes.”Owner report · Structure · May 2022
“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 · Engine · Mar 2022
“The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the rear driver's and passenger's side doors would not close securely. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer to be inspected however, the local dealer was contacted by phone and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in a recall. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V383000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.”Owner report · Latches/Locks/Linkages · Jan 2022
“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 offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2022
“The contact owns a 2006 Ford Freestyle. The contact stated that she noticed that after it rained, the front passenger's side floor would fill up with water. The contact was unsure where the leak was located. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,372.”Owner report · Structure · Jul 2021
“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.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Dec 2020
“I just bought a 2006 freestyle from a local dealer and had transmission issues on the way home on the 2nd day of ownership. Carcomplaints.com has many complaints listed from with the cvt transmission with exorbitant repairs costs well over $5000.00”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2020
When filing, owners marked a crash in 42 of these complaints and injuries in 18 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
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.
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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2006 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Freestyle by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Ford Freestyle reliable?
NHTSA has 1,300 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2006 Ford Freestyle. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control (38% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2006 Ford Freestyle problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 75,000 miles or less.
Does the 2006 Ford Freestyle have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.