Is the 2006 Ford Freestar a bad year?
356 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 254.
Consider selling
Half of all transmission complaints about the 2006 Ford Freestar were filed between 78k and 120k miles. You're at 96,000 miles.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2006 Freestar owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 96,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 254 (71%) | 78k–120k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Electrical system | 40 (11%) | 68k–108k miles · around this mileage | 12-volt battery replacement $100–$400 · Starter motor replacement $350–$1,200 |
| Engine | 38 (11%) | 87k–126k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Speed control | 19 (5%) | 69k–130k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 11 (3%) | 26k–128k miles · around this mileage | Fuel pump replacement $220–$1,500 · Fuel injector replacement (one injector) $300–$1,200 |
| Brakes | 10 (3%) | 28k–96k miles · around this mileage | Brake pad replacement (one axle) $115–$390 · Brake pads and rotors replacement (one axle) $200–$1,084 |
| Body structure | 5 (1%) | 55k–115k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Steering | 5 (1%) | 56k–122k miles · around this mileage | Steering rack and pinion replacement $700–$2,100 |
| Seats | 12 (3%) | 101k–174k miles · ahead | — |
| Seat belts | 6 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 6 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Air bags | 5 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 96,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 356 complaints: 3 mention a crash · 4 mention a fire · 1 reports an injury · 7 say the car was towed.
1 complaint was filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Mar 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
I had just gotten of the interstate when my 2006 Ford freestar would not drive. I coasted in a parking lot. This is a very busy street.
January 2010 10:30PM while driving with my family (Husband, 2 KIDS-7/9 yrs old) at 40MPH up a steep hill, the transmission dropped out of drive and wouldn't shift.
While driving on the highway the torque converter would malfunction causing the vehicle to hesitate and make a rumbling sound.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 96,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2006 Ford Freestar: 3
The third row stowable seat can experience corrosion and structural degradation at the seat anchor mechanism mounted to the rear wheel wells. As a result of the corrosion, the third row seat may not fully latch into its seating position. In the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of personal injury.
Certain aftermarket fuel filters sold under the purolator brand name, p/n F65277, shipped from january 16 through june 2, 2006, for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Failure of this connection could lead to fuel spillage and, in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
On certain vans equipped with the power liftgate option, the power liftgate motor automatically disengages after the liftgate is powered open. In the event of a liftgate strut malfunction, the liftgate can fall freely with no prior warning. Anyone standing beneath the liftgate may be injured if the liftgate falls.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Ford: 4
Repair instructions Ford sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2006 Ford Freestar. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
NHTSA defect investigations: 3
Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing
Corrosion of Third-Row Seat Attachment
Engine Stalling
Neighbouring years
2005 Freestar: 885 complaints, consider selling · 2007 Freestar: 64 complaints, keep it.
Every Ford Freestar year
2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · All Freestar years side by side
Other Ford models: Ford 500 · Ford Bronco · Ford Bronco Sport · Ford C-Max · Ford Contour · Ford Crown Victoria · Ford E-150 · Ford E-250 · Ford E-350 · Ford E-450 · Ford EcoSport · Ford Edge · Ford Escape · Ford Escape Hybrid · Ford Escort · Ford Excursion · Ford Expedition · Ford Explorer · Ford Explorer Sport · Ford Explorer Sport Trac · Ford F SD · Ford F-150 · Ford F-150 Hybrid · Ford F-150 Lightning BEV · Ford F-250 SD · Ford F-350 SD · Ford F-450 SD · Ford F-550 SD · Ford Fiesta · Ford Five Hundred · Ford Flex · Ford Focus · Ford Focus Electric · Ford Ford · Ford Freestyle · Ford Fusion · Ford Fusion Energi · Ford Fusion Hybrid · Ford Maverick · Ford Maverick Hybrid · Ford Mustang · Ford Mustang GT · Ford Mustang Mach-E · Ford Ranger · Ford Taurus · Ford Taurus X · Ford Thunderbird · Ford Transit · Ford Transit Connect · Ford Windstar. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2006 Ford Freestar a bad year?
356 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 254. At 96,000 miles the tool says: Consider selling. Half of all transmission complaints about the 2006 Ford Freestar were filed between 78k and 120k miles. You're at 96,000 miles.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Freestar?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (254), electrical system (40), engine (38), speed control (19), fuel system (11). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 78k–120k miles.
How many recalls does the 2006 Ford Freestar have?
3 recall campaigns list this model year: Seats (NHTSA 13V-081), Fuel system (NHTSA 06E056000), Body structure (NHTSA 06V-069). A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.