The 2004 Ford Freestar has 9 recalls, the most serious being three distinct safety concerns: front wheel hubs that can crack and separate from the vehicle, a torque converter that can fail and cut drive power without warning, and a power steering fluid line that can leak onto the exhaust system and cause a fire.
The third-row seat latch is the subject of two related recalls. In vehicles driven or registered in high road salt regions, corrosion can attack the forward latch for the third-row seat, and in a rear-end collision an unlatched seat can move forward and raise the risk of injury to occupants. Prior repair attempts did not fully resolve the issue across all affected vehicles and regions. There is also a separate recall covering certain Freestar vehicles modified for wheelchair accessibility by Liberty Motor Company: the second-row bench seat is missing required child seat anchor hardware, leaving some seating positions without the attachment points needed to secure a child safety seat properly.
At a glance
What can fail
The third row seat anchor mechanism in the rear wheel well can corrode and degrade, preventing the seat from fully latching into place.
What the fix does
Dealers will install new third row seat latch striker mounting brackets at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
Road salt corrosion can damage the latch mechanism that holds the third row seat's front section in place, potentially preventing it from latching fully and increasing crash injury risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will install new latch striker brackets in a protected location and add protective panels to wheel wells to block water and salt.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The torque converter output shaft may fail in certain 2004 and 2005 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the torque converter at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The torque converter may fail, causing loss of engine power to the wheels. This could lead to unexpected loss of vehicle propulsion and increase crash risk.
What the fix does
The dealer will replace the torque converter assembly.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The second row bench seat has only one set of lower anchors instead of two, and lacks tether anchor brackets for the two outer seats. This prevents proper child car seat installation in those positions.
What the fix does
Two tether anchors and two lower anchor brackets will be installed on the second row bench seat.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Front wheel hub assemblies may lack proper heat treatment, allowing small cracks to develop in the hub.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front hub, rotors, and wheel bearings.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front wheel hub assemblies weren't heat treated properly, which can cause small cracks to form. If cracks grow, the wheel could separate from your vehicle, causing loss of control and a potential crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace both the front wheel hub and rotor assemblies on your vehicle.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The power steering return line may not be fully connected at the steering gear. If loose, steering fluid can leak onto the hot exhaust system, creating smoke or fire risk.
What the fix does
Dealer will inspect the power steering return line connection at the steering gear.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The power steering low-pressure line may not be fully seated where it connects to the steering gear, potentially causing a leak.
What the fix does
Your dealer will inspect the power steering line connection to the steering gear and reseat it properly if needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
