Hello - first post here. Some friends are selling their 05 Monterey and I've got some questions for the experts.

I'm not all that familiar with the Freestar/Monterey, but a quick online search shows many many unhappy customers and a very bad reputation for reliability. Lots of transmission and engine sensor issues is what I've seen the most of. Even the reviews on Edmunds.com basically say this was the worst van you could get at the time and the biggest selling point for a used one now is the low price.

Are they really that bad?

Are there fixes or upgraded parts available to make these vans reliable - especially the transmission?

Are these worth owning at any price?

Thanks,
Shawn

 

I personally haven't had any major problems with my 04 Monterey I've owned since new. It has 105,000 miles on it now. I had the driver seat heater and a power window replaced under warranty early on. Later I had to replace the coil pack ($80) and the cam position sensor ($90), and a reverse warning system speaker ($120). Otherwise just normal maintenance like batteries, brakes, and tires. I'm handy enough with wrenches to do certain repairs so its not a big deal to me. I never had any transmission problems or electrical glitches like some owners. I did have the torque converter recall done, even though the other one seemed to be fine. I would just inquire with the owners if they have receipts from any work done. Also maybe get the VIN and look to see if the recall was done on the torque converter. I've seen plenty of these vans with 200,000+ miles on them.