Overview & Reviews

With its Freestar, Ford learned the hard way that in the world of automobiles, there are few segments more cutthroat than the minivan category. Moms have ruthlessly high standards when it comes to their family transportation, and only those haulers with the most compelling mix of refinement, convenience features and luxury amenities survive. The Ford Freestar's sales had been disappointing from the outset, and as a result, 2007 was its last year of production. Crossovers, Ford believes, are the future of family transportation.

Ford's minivan wasn't completely without merit. Safety is an important factor in minivans, and in this area, the Freestar didn't come up short. It earned a perfect five stars in NHTSA frontal crash tests, and mothers and their pint-sized soccer stars were protected with features like standard stability control and optional side curtain airbags. Unfortunately, its success in this area paled in the face of its litany of shortcomings, which included sluggish acceleration, dismal fuel economy, ungainly handling and an unimpressive cabin.

For these reasons, savvy used minivan shoppers will find the Ford Freestar a relatively unsatisfactory proposition. If you're looking for a minivan, you'll no doubt find your needs better served by one of its competitors.

Most Recent Ford Freestar

The Ford Freestar was a seven-passenger minivan. Three trim levels were offered: SE, SEL and Limited. The Freestar could also be had in a cargo van body style, making it ideal for contractors needing a light-duty hauler.

The base SE trim was reasonably well equipped, with air-conditioning, full power accessories, a CD player and keyless entry all standard. The SEL added tri-zone air-conditioning, a power driver seat and second-row captain's chairs. The top-of-the-line Limited included upgrades such as chrome wheels, leather upholstery and automatic climate control.

Two engines were offered. A 3.9-liter V6 for the SE provided 193 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. The SEL and Limited trims got a 4.2-liter V6 that generated 201 hp and 263 lb-ft of torque. Neither engine was especially frugal, turning in real-world fuel economy numbers that were among the poorest in the segment.

At first blush, the Freestar's cabin seemed like a winner. But a closer look revealed shortcomings. Materials looked nice but to the touch became apparent as subpar for the segment. The legroom in the second row was cramped. The lack of versatility didn't help either. Those second-row seats were heavy and tough to remove. And though the third-row seat folded flat, it didn't offer a 60/40 split like virtually all others in its class. At 135.7 cubes, cargo capacity fell short relative to others in the segment.

In editorial reviews, the Ford Freestar earned praise for having reasonable around-town power and a forgiving ride. The engines didn't fare as well when pushed, though, as they ran out of breath when quick passing was attempted. Performance was exacerbated by the van's aged four-speed automatic transmission -- most competitors used more advanced five-speed units. Also, the engines had a rougher, noisier power delivery than nearly any other V6 in the minivan segment. In consumer ratings, the Freestar was panned for its poor ride quality and dismal fuel economy.

Past Ford Freestar models

Ford introduced the Freestar back in model-year 2004 to replace the aged Windstar, which was sold from 1995-2003. Although Ford touted it as an all-new vehicle, the Freestar minivan was little more than a rebadged Windstar with minor upgrades, including a freshened interior equipped with a fold-flat third-row seat. A pair of more powerful V6 engines replaced the Windstar's 3.8-liter V6. Unfortunately, Ford's minivan put on weight during the transition, so even with the larger of the V6s, it was no faster than before and slightly less fuel-efficient to boot. This made the Freestar about as appealing as, well, the Windstar. Straight off the bat, it was trampled by the competition, both import and domestic, and Ford did little to rectify the situation.

The Freestar remained pretty much unchanged for its production duration, so buyers shopping for one on the used market will find few differences between the model years.

User Reviews:

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  2006 Freestar Limited (4.2L) - 2006 Ford Freestar
  By SuperOldSchool - January 27 - 9:44 pm

  I love this van and its great family transportation,also very good as a hauler for construction projects. It rides smoothly and has plenty of power. I have 65k on the van. I personally think too many things have gone wrong. Fortunately all covered under warranty: Front brake rotors replaced 2x due to warping. Fuel pump replaced (worked fine but squealed), rear window vent motor replaced, catalytic converter replaced. Funky AdvanceTrak issues sometimes,weatherstrip on windshield was falling off. I know the AX4N trans is known to have major issues so I just hope ours lasts. I do all maintenance myself - full syn fluids, trans every 15k, P/S every year, coolant etc

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  A capable people hauler - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Steve May - December 27 - 8:53 am

  No, this is not a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Sienna - both of them IMO are overpriced and you might as well as go for the Korean vans then. The FORD is a capable, SAFE, comfortable and quiet people hauler. It has sufficient room and handles fine. It feels and drives built solid! The steering is good and the brakes are strong. The motor is quiet and is plenty of torque whether its loaded or not - 4.2L will do that. And yes, it does not get 20 mpg in town but the engine barely works to get the job done.....that means a long life providing its taken care of. We have a friends with an 4.0L AERO STAR with 190K on it...going strong! A good van and a good deal!

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  Dont Buy A Freestar Van - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Found On Road Dead - November 26 - 6:19 pm

  Dont buy a Freestar van. Strict with Honda or Toyota vans. This is my last Ford. This van orginal cost was $30K. It cost me $3,000 to get this van fixed with only 40K miles and I still have problems.

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  BAD TRANSMISSION - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Tina - November 22 - 3:55 pm

  My transmission went out at 50,000 miles without any warning. I was nearly hit as there was no shoulder to pull over to. I was accelerating around a corner then absoultely nothing. Without proof of transmission service at exactly no more than 30999 miles warrantee is void. NO transmission should go out at 50000 miles, yet Ford is not recalling this problem. Shame on you Ford. Never again.

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  Freestars A Winner - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Twavic - November 16 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely love my new Freestar. I have owned several Windstars and my biggest complaint was always their lack of pep. Not so with the Freestar -- its new engine size offers pep, easy handling, interior comfort and top notch safety features. I love this mini van enough to want to sell it -- being a fussy owner, thats saying a lot. Congrats to Ford on a real winner.

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  Still satisfied - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Family Priorities - September 23 - 8:52 am

  We shopped around quite a bit with all brands of vans at the time, and Ford had the best safety at the time and historically. Safety of GM and Chrysler were unacceptable. Hondas was same as Chrysler, and had history of trans issues. Toyota had brought up their safety to match 5 star, but only more recently, and had history of engine sludge issues. Drives well, comfortable even on long trips, and plenty of room for kids and all associated junk. No major problems up to now. Good gas mileage and surprising performance for something of this weight, which is really what we needed for a double stroller, etc.

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  Poor components - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Dr. Gonzo - September 10 - 10:19 am

  Bought van new. Main problems have been with poor components. Examples: Have had to replace both front power window motors, driver seat heater, driver seat adjustment motor, and 6CD/radio has been replaced TWICE, fuel pump died on the highway at 60K. Fortunately no problems with engine/transmission not even leaking/burning oil with almost 90K on it. Poor fuel economy as I can only get to 18mpg on highway. Ive owned Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Mazda and Hyundai and this will likely be the last domestic vehicle I ever own.

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  Transmission Problems - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By G.D. Henderson - September 5 - 12:18 pm

  The car has been good, except when it stranded me and my family in a remote stretch of Texas road when the transmission suddenly failed without any warning whatsoever. Turns out it was the faulty spline design of the torque converter, where the splines (gear type teeth) stripped out. Cost wss over $1200.00 for repair, $300.00 rental car and $200 towing - plus missing a family Labor Day gathering at my mothers. After reading of the huge number of transmission failures on this vehicle on other web sites, I now question the reliability of this vehicle and may shift over from Fords. Being a registered Mechanical Engineer, I know how important reliability is, especially for your family.

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  2004 Ford Freestar - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By nadineb - August 28 - 9:35 am

  Worst vehicle that I have every owned. Feared for my safety in this vehicle. I would not recommend it to anyone. I will not purchase another Ford vehicle ever again because of having such a bad experience with this vehicle. Review NHTSA site for numerous complaints.

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  Recall is Needed-Transmission - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Anabel - August 20 - 2:57 pm

  If the transmission issues would not happen. This van would be great. But the reliability of the vehicle and the safety of my children and whomever is in it comes first. This vehicle is unsafe. Please go to NHTSA or safercar.gov and draw your own conclusion.