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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2006 Ford Freestyle Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2006 Ford Freestyle has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 1,300 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Ford dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2006 Ford Freestyle, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2006 Ford Freestyle owner complaints

Owners have filed 1,300 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Ford Freestyle, describing incidents dated August 31, 2005 to June 12, 2026.

Most-cited components

  • Vehicle Speed Control 602 complaints
  • Power Train 484 complaints
  • Engine 258 complaints
  • Fuel/Propulsion System 151 complaints
  • Electrical System 84 complaints
  • Unknown or Other 74 complaints

Of the 1,300 complaints on file, 42 report a crash and 10 a fire; across all 1,300 complaints, owners report 18 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11743751 · Filed

    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…

  • ODI #11635407 · Filed

    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

  • ODI #11505221 · Filed

    Car struggles to change gears. ABS, ENGINE, and THROTTLE warning lights on. Rough idle, car does not accelerate when shifted into drive.

Read all 1,300 complaints

Owner-reported

2006 Ford Freestyle mileage at failure

1,177 of the 1,300 complaints on file for the 2006 Ford Freestyle give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Vehicle Speed ControlMedian 75,000 milesMiddle half 60,000–95,000 milesBased on 550 complaints
Power TrainMedian 80,000 milesMiddle half 60,000–105,000 milesBased on 445 complaints
EngineMedian 80,000 milesMiddle half 60,000–105,000 milesBased on 233 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion SystemMedian 75,000 milesMiddle half 60,000–100,000 milesBased on 144 complaints
Electrical SystemMedian 105,000 milesMiddle half 65,000–130,000 milesBased on 76 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2006 Ford Freestyle in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

DOOR LATCH MECHANISMS

NHTSA #06V383000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch · NHTSA notice

Reported October 5, 2006 · FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Potentially affected: 139,537 vehicles

Ford campaign 06S45 · Owners notified November 8, 2006 · Vehicles built February 16, 2004 – June 20, 2005 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer 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.

Notes

FORD RECALL NO. 06S45.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Other Ford Freestyle model years

Check your 2006 Ford Freestyle VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Ford Freestyle at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Ford VIN