Ford Freestar 2004–2007
Single generation · Ford MV1 (second-generation Windstar derivative)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20263,223 complaints, 2,863 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 2,863
- Median of reported failures
- 87,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Transmission and driveline (57.7%)
- Recalls
- 2
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 64,000 and 117,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Ford Freestar 2004–2007 · 2,863 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 172 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 57 complaints (2.0%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 41,000
- 25%
- 64,000
- Median
- 87,000
- 75%
- 117,000
- 90%
- 151,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 57 | 2.0% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 22 | 0.8% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 26 | 0.9% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 22 | 0.8% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 22 | 0.8% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 27 | 0.9% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 31 | 1.1% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 53 | 1.9% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 65 | 2.3% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 89 | 3.1% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 109 | 3.8% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 91 | 3.2% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 129 | 4.5% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 139 | 4.9% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 136 | 4.8% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 149 | 5.2% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 172 | 6.0% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 169 | 5.9% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 139 | 4.9% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 121 | 4.2% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 162 | 5.7% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 78 | 2.7% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 104 | 3.6% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 71 | 2.5% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 87 | 3.0% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 71 | 2.5% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 73 | 2.5% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 42 | 1.5% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 68 | 2.4% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 27 | 0.9% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 72 | 2.5% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 27 | 0.9% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 44 | 1.5% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 33 | 1.2% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 26 | 0.9% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 10 | 0.3% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 20 | 0.7% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 12 | 0.4% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 9 | 0.3% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 2 | 0.1% |
| 200,000+ | 57 | 2.0% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 3,223 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004–2007 Ford Freestar, and 2,863 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 64,000 and 117,000 miles. The median is 87,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (57.7% of complaints, typically around 85,000 miles), the electrical system (7.8% of complaints, typically around 95,000 miles), the engine (4.9% of complaints, typically around 103,000 miles).
2 recall campaigns cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2004–2007 Ford Freestar last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2004–2007 Ford Freestar were filed by 87,000 miles and 90% by 151,000 miles — figures drawn from 2,863 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
57 reports (2%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Freestar reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2004–2007 Freestar: the 3-minute check
Generated from 2,863 mileage-tagged complaints, 2 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 2 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check torque converter / automatic transmission on 2004–2005 (recall); 2006–2007 vans report similar failures without a recall cars. Torque converter output shaft splines strip, causing sudden and complete loss of motive power with no warning while driving. NHTSA ODI logged 227 owner complaints of sudden power loss, 124 attributed to spline…
- Check automatic transmission (4f50n) on 2004–2007 cars. Broader transmission durability complaints across the run — slipping, harsh engagement and failure — continuing the driveline reputation the Windstar redesign was meant to fix.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 64,000 and 117,000 miles, with a median of 87,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 85,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Ford Freestar 2004–2007
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Engine and its cooling system97 reports80,00057,000–102,000Engine and its cooling system: 97 reports, median 80,000 miles, middle half 57,000 to 102,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline1,860 reports85,00065,000–111,000Transmission and driveline: 1,860 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 65,000 to 111,000 miles.
- Electrical system250 reports95,00068,000–126,000Electrical system: 250 reports, median 95,000 miles, middle half 68,000 to 126,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control101 reports96,00070,000–124,000Throttle and speed control: 101 reports, median 96,000 miles, middle half 70,000 to 124,000 miles.
- Body structure138 reports101,00074,000–141,000Body structure: 138 reports, median 101,000 miles, middle half 74,000 to 141,000 miles.
- Engine157 reports103,00083,000–131,000Engine: 157 reports, median 103,000 miles, middle half 83,000 to 131,000 miles.
- Seats122 reports120,00093,000–154,000Seats: 122 reports, median 120,000 miles, middle half 93,000 to 154,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and driveline | 1,860 | 57.7% | 85,000 | 65,000–111,000 |
| Electrical system | 250 | 7.8% | 95,000 | 68,000–126,000 |
| Engine | 157 | 4.9% | 103,000 | 83,000–131,000 |
| Body structure | 138 | 4.3% | 101,000 | 74,000–141,000 |
| Seats | 122 | 3.8% | 120,000 | 93,000–154,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 101 | 3.1% | 96,000 | 70,000–124,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 97 | 3.0% | 80,000 | 57,000–102,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 80 | 2.5% | 37,000 | 23,000–45,000 |
| Steering | 53 | 1.6% | 86,000 | 55,000–123,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 50 | 1.6% | 94,000 | 47,000–130,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Ford Freestar 2004–2007 · 2,863 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 21% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 53% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 76% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 98%: the remaining 2.0% of reports (57) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
21% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 57,000–102,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 65,000–111,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 68,000–126,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 83,000–131,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 74,000–141,000 mi
- Seats — middle half 93,000–154,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 70,000–124,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
53% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 65,000–111,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 68,000–126,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 83,000–131,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 74,000–141,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 70,000–124,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 57,000–102,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Seats — middle half 93,000–154,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
76% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Transmission and driveline — median 85,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 80,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 68,000–126,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 83,000–131,000 mi
- Body structure — middle half 74,000–141,000 mi
- Seats — middle half 93,000–154,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 70,000–124,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 87,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 57.7% of complaints (1,860 reports, 1,681 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 85,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 65,000 and 111,000 miles.
A single system taking 57.7% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The electrical system accounts for 7.8% of complaints (250 reports, 224 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 95,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 68,000 and 126,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 4.9% of complaints (157 reports, 143 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 103,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 83,000 and 131,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 4.3% of complaints (138 reports, 123 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 101,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 74,000 and 141,000 miles.
Seats account for 3.8% of complaints (122 reports, 105 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 120,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 93,000 and 154,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 3.1% of complaints (101 reports, 89 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 96,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 70,000 and 124,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2004 model year drew the most — 1,600 complaints — while 2007 drew the fewest at 77. The median year sits at 773.
That makes 2004 an outlier: roughly 2.1 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 2 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 3,223 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 43 (1.3%)
- Fires
- 28
- Injury reports
- 46
- Fatality reports
- 1
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Torque Converter / Automatic Transmission 2004–2005 (recall); 2006–2007 vans report similar failures without a recall
Torque converter output shaft splines strip, causing sudden and complete loss of motive power with no warning while driving. NHTSA ODI logged 227 owner complaints of sudden power loss, 124 attributed to spline stripping; Ford recalled roughly 205,896 MY2004-2005 Freestar and Mercury Monterey vans in 2012 (Ford campaign 11S25, NHTSA 12V-006) and replaced the torque converter.
Automatic Transmission (4f50n) 2004–2007
Broader transmission durability complaints across the run — slipping, harsh engagement and failure — continuing the driveline reputation the Windstar redesign was meant to fix.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1,600 | 1,413 |
| 2005 | 1,093 | 977 |
| 2006 | 453 | 407 |
| 2007 | 77 | 66 |
Recalls (2) — is your car included?
Mar 2013 · 2004–2007 · SeatsIn the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of…
The 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
What can happen. In the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of personal injury.
The free fix. 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.
Jun 2012 · 2004–2005 · Power TrainThis condition results in a sudden loss of motive power with no warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. Ford is recalling certain model year 2004 and 2005 Ford Freestar and Mercury monterey vehicles. The torque converter output shaft may fail.
What can happen. This condition results in a sudden loss of motive power with no warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converter free of charge. The safety recall began on august 9, 2012. Owners may contact the Ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
What owners reported
October 2004 - less than 500 miles on van - brakes went out. Tracklight came on. Van was towed to dealer and they replaced sensor on it. Rakes have gone out again - carried back to same dealership and they could not duplicate problem. Brakes would go down, afraid would not stop, and would finally catch after pumping…
2004 · 20 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
I just came across this website and wish i wrote this a year ago because i would have made a complaint then. I have had many issues with the lights flickering, coming on automatically when it rains, my interior lights staying on and actually catching fire because it had gotten so hot. My radio used to turn on by…
2004 · 20 miles · Problems owners could not categorise
I was driving the vehicle and it was raining outside and as i was driving all of a sudden my car just died in the middle of the freeway no warning ,no nothing just died i almost was rear ended, i took it to a mechanic who said the PCM is not sealed properly and got wet and fried out this is unbelievable that Ford…
2004 · 62 miles · Electrical system
Re: recall 11s25 a transmission failure just happened to my wife today on the long island expressway at exit 43 area. She was passing a car in the passing lane doing 60 and suddenly lost power, she was lucky she was able to get over the 3 required lanes to safety. I had received a letter a few months ago about the…
2004 · 72 miles · Transmission and driveline
Built from 2,863 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page