THE 2004 FORD FREESTAR MINIVAN HAS TWO SAFETY ISSUES. UNFORTUNATELY, THE FIRST AFFECTED A FAMILY MEMBER. I E-MAILED FORD QUITE SOME TIME AGO AND THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE. THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK AUTOMATICALLY LOCKS (RETRACTS) ONCE THE VEHICLE BEGINS MOTION AND SUCKED IN A FAMILY MEMBERS SKIN ON THE MIDDLE OF THE LOWER ARM AS THE RIGHT PASSENGER'S ARM RESTED ON THE RIGHT DOOR THAT WAS MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SERVING AS AN ARMREST. INSTANTLY MY MOTHER'S ARM WAS BRUISED AND SHE IS NOT A LARGE PERSON...THIS WAS NOT AN ISSUE OF EXTRA BODY MASS. SIMPLY PUT, HER SKIN WAS SUCKED INTO THE LOCK PULL WHEN IT AUTOMATICALLY RETRACTED. IN ADDITION, IF A PASSENGER RESTS HIS/HER ARM ON THIS ARMREST-DESIGNED DOOR WITH FINGERS BETWEEN THE REST AND THE WINDOW WHERE THERE IS A WELL OF SPACE, AND THE DRIVER HAPPENS TO PUT DOWN THE PASSENGER WINDOW, THE PASSENGER'S FINGERS CAN BE SUCKED DOWN WITH THE WINDOW. *AK
2006
ENGINE
I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN MY TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY QUIT WORKING AND MY RPM'S SHOT UP TO 5000. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL SHOP WHERE I WAS REFERRED TO COTTMAN TRANSMISSION TO GET IT EVALUATED. COTTMAN TRANSMISSION SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS FULL OF WATER AND COMPLETELY BURNED UP. THEY SAID THAT THESE VANS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WATER LEAKING THROUGH THE WIPER VENTS ONTO THE TOP OF THE PCM AND WATER ENTERING INTO THE TRANSMISSION. UPON MORE INVESTIGATION I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT FORD HAS EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND STILL HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. THEY HAVE ISSUED A RECALL ON SOME OF THE 04 AND 05'S FOR TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUES THAT SOUND LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 06'S. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I WAS TRAVELING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH MY WIFE AND KIDS AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP I COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS, POSSIBLY EVEN FATAL, WRECK BECAUSE OF FORD'S FAILURE TO CORRECT A PROBLEM THAT THEY KNOW EXISTS! THANKYOU. *TR
