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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  Great Van - 2007 Ford Freestar
  By FreestarFan - July 31 - 6:17 pm

  I bought my Freestar new in Feb 07 and have had no problems at all. Rides great on the interstate and does pretty good on gas mileage. Like the ease of dropping down the 3rd row seat into the floor and gives the dogs somewhere to lay. Plan on keeping it for years!

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  Not Built Ford Tough - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Robert M - July 14 - 12:18 am

  transmission failed at 88000 miles.The failure was not do to neglect or abuse. this was 2 weeks before the warranty was up. and Ford of Canada is telling us to bad. they say water must have got into the transmission and thats what caused the internal parts to get rusty, but are not sure how it got in there. after calling them they tell us its not covered. so much for "Built Ford Tough" & "Quality is #1"

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  2004 Ford Freestar is unreliable - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Lisa - July 13 - 1:55 pm

  I bought my Freestar new in 2004 and it has been a good car until the this year. I have 85000 miles on my Freestar and the transmission left me stranded on the side of the interstate with no warning at all. $3000 later I am back running. If you look at the Freestar forum on the Edmunds.com website you will see many others like me who have had transmission problems with all year models of the Freestar beginning at 42000 miles. I was lucky to get 85000 out of mine before it quit.

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  freestar - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By sstmfadwn - July 11 - 2:00 am

  it is the best van you would ever drive

• 

  Quality junk minivan - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Tigervol5 - July 2 - 10:42 am

  This the worse car that I have owned. It was a lemon. I have spend over $24000 for new car that I have expected to last least 8 years. Less than 5 years later with only 70,000 miles, I have major problem with transmission which will cost over $2500 to $3000 to fix. I will never buy Ford product here on.

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  Love It - 2007 Ford Freestar
  By Supermom - June 25 - 7:25 pm

  I love my van. I was inspired to get one by my mother in law who has the 04 model. I took that one on a trip and fell in love. I lept at the chance to get my own and I couldnt be happier. I have had it for a year and it runs like a top. Only oil changes, tire rotations. It has been on several 400 mile trips, with not a single problem. I would recommend this car to a friend.

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  F-O-R-D - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By Unsafe vehicle - June 20 - 3:57 pm

  The traning went at 78oos some miles and caught the fiberoptic system on FIRE!! GEE ANOTHER TRANSMISSION DOWN THE DRAIN, seems to be the thing with Freestar vans. I think there should be a CIVIL ACTION LAW SUITE against Ford. I sure hope the owner of FORD never gets in a Freestar and cathes fire. Thank god we are alive, we just made it out of the van!!

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  From 1998 Windstar to 2005 Freestar - 2005 Ford Freestar
  By Brian - June 8 - 3:23 pm

  Since 2001, I had a 1998 Ford Windstar with 3.8Liter. after being fed up with 1998 Ford Windstar with blown head gasket which the coolant level keeps going down and I had transmission replaced prior in 2007 for 1998. Since January 2nd 2009, I had to trade in for a 2005 Ford Freestar which it was available at the dealer. The 2005 version is lot better and big improvements over the 1998 version. However, I noticed that the 2005 version is 1200 lbs heavier than the 1998. But it feels very stable ride, except the fuel mileage. I am getting around 19 - 20 mpg even though it stated for 24 mpg. I use the vehicle mainly for my work and carrying loads once in a while and also do some towing.

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  2004 Freestar (Limited) - 2004 Ford Freestar
  By theoneilclan - May 24 - 2:00 am

  We bought the Limited fully loaded and with DVD add-on. My wife likes the easy foldup middle seats, and the pop-in-the-floor rear seat. The steering wheel controls are very good, the interior styling looks much like a BMW, and the center-dash controls are very good too. She likes the separate driver/passenger auto-air setting. As the husband, I like my wife to be driving with the 2nd generation air-bags, the air-canopy systems and the self-sealing tires. We traded in a 3yr old Windstar w/ 26K in order to get this van.

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  Glad to own a Freestar with 4.2 litre - 2006 Ford Freestar
  By Tony - May 5 - 12:51 am

  Owning a 98 windstar I had decided to remain with Ford due to the great reliability of the windstar. My Freestar with the 4.2 litre is very powerful! Transmission shifting is much more smooth and improved, the 4 disc brake system is superior to the disc and drum system, the traction control and stability control is excellent in the winter months. I have puchased this vehicle used with 56000 Kilometers and the only issue I presently have is a faulty backup sensor, everything else is peachy. The DVD entertainment is worth a million dollars on those long trips with the kids. The ride is smooth, feels solid and powerful when passing on the freeway. My next vehicle will be a Ford again, the Flex.