Thanks, if I still have the car in April I will. Still love the van but have a chance at possibly getting a newer FreeStyle at a great price.

You can send in your repair bills in to Ford now to get a reimbursement for the repair. Since it's cash you shouldn't have to wait for the parts to be ready in April like me.

 

They want to inspect the vehicle after you get the notice to make sure it properly repaired....... Then submit the bill.... then they will tell you to get lost or maybe pay a 1/3 of it....

 

It's a "safety recall" Ford won't risk opening a door to the hoards of lawyers who would be foaming at the mouth to start a class action lawsuit against them.

I would think they would find it cheaper to pay the bills then dealing with a lawsuit. But only time will tell.

 

Is there any news about whether or not the repair program has started?
We were told that it would be "When new parts become available". Will we be assured that we will get "New" parts and not something that has been laying around on the shelf for years and is no better than the original.
Lots of questions pop up when a recall takes so many years to become a reality.

 

Hi All. The program has begun. My local Ford dealer has started making repairs ( Northeast PA ). In my case ( having paid for the repair already ) I had to take the repair receipt to the dealer for approval and they issued me a check. I got the check yesterday, however it was for about half of my cost. Ford said they are only paying for the torque converter not any trans replacements. I think that this is unfair because 1. I took my van to a Ford dealer for repair 2. I was told by that Ford dealer that the trans was damaged and needed to be replaced in addition to the torque converter.
My check was for 1450.00 ( the max Ford says they will pay )about 2000.00 short, does anybody have any advise on how to get Ford to cough up the rest?

Thanks

PS. I will say that for people who only had the torque converter replaced and paid less the 1450.00 the process was very easy. Go to the dealer show them your receipt and get a check a week later. At least that is how it worked for me.

 

Lawyer up? Maybe have a lawyer talk to Ford and see if they change their tune.

Ford can pay for the repairs, like all companies they are trying to pay for the least to see if they can get away with it. I would keep hounding them until they coughed up the rest of the money they owe you.

It sucks that Ford is going to make people have to fight for what is rightfully owed to them. That's how you loose customer loyalty.

Good luck.

Looks like F250blue was right when he said Ford would only pay 1/3 of the bill after they inspect the vehicle. Too bad.

 

From my end of it, I get the shaft. I get paid 4 hrs of labor (it was dropped from 6, and takes 6) to pull the suspension, subframe, play "cinderella in the cot" with the engine, remove the trans, pull the torque convertor, and replace the seal. Then put it all back together.
We're all getting the shaft on this, because until the last Taurus/Freestyle is silently rusting in the junkyards, I'll still be stuck fixing this junky old transmission.
I can't wait until someone brings one in that isn't shifting right and expects this reecall to fix it. It won't help at that point.
Guess I"ll have to wait for that battle, but I'm sure it won't be too long!

 

My 2007 just left me on the side of the road 300 miles from home with no warning. Driving along the interstate and suddenly no response from transmission. Could have been deadly! Dealer says torque convertor. The recall does not include my vehicle but it still had the same problems as the 04 and 05. be careful! it will quit with no previous indication of a problem.

 

UCS - it has nothing to do with fluid. One of the tests is to check the fluid level with engine off start it and the check fluid level. If the TC is turning the fluid level will drop. The problem is the spline shaft and spline receiver in the torque converter shearing. My trans was in good shape fluid was fine. And this just happened on my 2006 and I AM NOT INCLUDED in the recall. So I have made a complaint with Ford and NHTSA. It my understanding that the 2006 is still under investigation per NHTSA. However I am lining up my info for a law suit, and found US v Ford CIV.A.No.76-29 and here is the excerpt:

United States District Court, District of Columbia.
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. FORD MOTOR COMPANY, Defendant.
Civ. A. No. 76-29.
July 6, 1978.
United States brought action against automobile manufacturer seeking order declaring that certain model automobiles contained defect relating to motor vehicle safety and requiring manufacturer to immediately notify owners, purchasers and dealers of existence of defect and to remedy the defect free of charge. The District Court, John Lewis Smith, Jr., J., held that risk to drivers of automobiles caused by defect in windshield wiper pivot assemblies on certain model automobiles was an unreasonable risk under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, requiring automobile manufacturer to immediately notify owners, purchasers and dealers of existence of defect and remedy the defect. Judgment for plaintiff.
CONCLUSIONS OF LAW * * *
8. "Motor vehicle safety" as defined by the Safety Act, means:
(T)he performance of motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment in such a manner that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of accidents occurring as a result of the design, construction of performance of motor vehicles and is also protected against unreasonable risk of death or injury to persons in the event accidents do occur, and includes nonoperational safety of such vehicles. 15 U.S.C. ยง 1391(1).
9. The basic purpose of the Safety Act is to reduce motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and property damage.
11. Even if drivers pull to the side of the road and bring their vehicles to a stop on the shoulder they are still exposed to the risk of being struck from behind by a moving vehicle. Some drivers, unable to proceed because of loss of forward visibility, have even brought their vehicles to a stop in the middle of lanes intended for moving traffic. Having brought their vehicles to a stop, drivers imperiled by the windshield wiper failure have exited their vehicles in order to extricate themselves from the unsafe circumstances into which they have involuntarily been thrust. This too exposes them to the further risk of being struck by a moving vehicle. Vehicle collisions and attendant injuries have been associated with windshield wiper failure in the past.
For the foregoing reasons, the Court concludes that the Design Level I and Design Level II pivot assemblies contain a "defect" and that said "defect" poses an unreasonable risk within the meaning of the Safety Act.
Accordingly, finding will be entered for the plaintiff. Counsel for the government will present an appropriate order within five days.

Gee ya think a torque convert failure would be held to the same if not higher standard.

PS: My trans never acted up or gave signs of failure. Working one minute and not the next.

 

The recall letter says Ford will only paid $1450 to reimburse people who already had it done. The letter also states that it should take less than 1 day for the repair but ours has been in the shop for 5 days at Mall of Georgia Ford. My advice for anyone in the Greater Atlanta area is to take it to anyone but Mall of Georgia Ford. As for the 2006 and 2007 I figure it's just a matter of time before they get included in the recall because it's obvious they have the same crappy torque converter shafts. I seriously doubt the new ones being put in are any better than the originals. We will see.