NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2002–2007

Ford Freestyle recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 3,665 owner complaints for the Ford Freestyle, covering model years 2002 to 2007. The 2005 model year drew the most complaints (1,459), and Vehicle Speed Control is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Ford Freestyle VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

2 recall campaigns on file
3,665 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
5 model years with data (2002–2007)

most complaints: 2005 (1,459 for that model year)
top component: Vehicle Speed Control (1,617 complaints)
latest recall 06V383000 (reported Oct 5, 2006)

101 complaints reporting a crash (2.8%)
14 complaints reporting a fire (0.4%)
26 complaints reporting an injury (0.7%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Ford Freestyle complaints by model year

5 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2005 model year has the most complaints: 1,459 of 3,665, or 39.8%. Next come 2006 (1,300) and 2007 (893). The fewest are for 2002, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Ford Freestyle complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Ford Freestyle complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury
2002	1	0	0	1
2004	12	0	0	0
2005	1,459	32	3	11
2006	1,300	42	10	10
2007	893	27	1	4
All model years	3,665	101	14	26

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Ford Freestyle components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Vehicle Speed Control is the component named most often, in 1,617 complaints (44.1% of all 3,665), followed by Power Train (1,297) and Engine and Engine Cooling (347).

Components named most often in Ford Freestyle complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Ford Freestyle complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Vehicle Speed Control	1,617	44.1%
Power Train	1,297	35.4%
Engine and Engine Cooling	347	9.5%
Engine	330	9.0%
Electrical System	266	7.3%
Fuel System, Gasoline	223	6.1%
Unknown or Other	190	5.2%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	150	4.1%
Fuel/Propulsion System	127	3.5%
Structure	101	2.8%
Service Brakes	50	1.4%
Fuel System, Other	46	1.3%
Latches/Locks/Linkages	46	1.3%
Steering	40	1.1%
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)	39	1.1%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Ford Freestyle recalls

2 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name Freestyle, newest first. The 2 campaigns cover model years 2005 to 2006. The 2005 model year appears in the most campaigns (2).

2 recall campaigns

Ford Freestyle recall campaigns covering each model year
2005: 2 campaigns	2006: 1 campaign

Highlighted: the model year with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 06V383000
Reported Oct 5, 2006
Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Model years 2005–2006
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.
Consequence:
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.
Filed by Ford Motor Company
NHTSA campaign 05V515000
Reported Nov 9, 2005
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly › Mounting
Model year 2005
On certain passenger vehicles, the straps that secure the fuel tank to the vehicle body may break, causing the fuel tank and fuel tank heat shield to drop on the driveshaft (all wheel drive vehicles) or exhaust system (front wheel drive vehicles).
Consequence:
If this happens, drivers may notice a noise or a fuel leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
Remedy:
Dealers will replace both fuel tank straps. The recall began on December 1, 2005. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Filed by Ford Motor Company

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Ford Freestyle questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Ford Freestyle have?

NHTSA lists 2 vehicle recall campaigns for the Ford Freestyle, covering model years 2002 to 2007. The most recent, 06V383000, was reported on October 5, 2006 and is filed under “Latches/locks/linkages”. The 2005 model year is covered by the most campaigns (2).

Which Ford Freestyle model year has the most complaints?

The 2005 model year, with 1,459 of the 3,665 complaints in NHTSA’s file (39.8%). The next are 2006 (1,300) and 2007 (893). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Ford Freestyle complaint?

Vehicle Speed Control is the component named most often: 1,617 complaints, or 44.1% of all 3,665. Power Train (1,297) and Engine and Engine Cooling (347) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Ford Freestyle?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Ford dealer.

How many Ford Freestyle complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 3,665 complaints, 101 report a crash, 14 a fire, 26 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Ford models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Ford VIN decoder with every Ford model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Ford F-150 1995–2027 · 158 recalls · 35,790 complaints
Ford Explorer 1995–2027 · 131 recalls · 31,089 complaints
Ford Escape 2000–2026 · 95 recalls · 27,343 complaints
Ford Fusion 2006–2020 · 46 recalls · 22,383 complaints
Ford Focus 1999–2018 · 36 recalls · 22,086 complaints
Ford Windstar 1995–2005 · 33 recalls · 14,108 complaints
Ford Edge 2004–2024 · 43 recalls · 14,009 complaints
Ford Taurus 1995–2019 · 52 recalls · 12,702 complaints

All Ford models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.