The Lemon IndexFord Freestyle reliability.
Is it reliable? Not really. 3.8× the average car's complaints.
Avoid · 2005–2007
What owners say on YouTube
2005–2007 Freestyle · 199 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Fewest complaints
2006.
Only 3 Ford Freestyle years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2006 drew about 3 times the average car's complaints.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 3 Ford Freestyle years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/ford-freestyle/" title="Ford Freestyle reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="284" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/ford-freestyle/">Lemon Index</a> (Ford Freestyle reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 198 YouTube videos about the Ford Freestyle, 2005 to 2007, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2007. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Ford Freestyle.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Ford Freestyle reliable?
Not really. It draws 3.8× the average car's complaints. No year beat the average car. The year with the fewest complaints, 2006, still drew 2.8× the average.
Is the Ford Freestyle a good car?
Not overall: it draws more complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2005-2007: Lemon Index 375; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2006 drew the fewest complaints and 2007 the most.
What are the best Ford Freestyle years to buy?
Only 3 Ford Freestyle years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2006 drew the fewest complaints (about 3 times the average car's complaints).
What Ford Freestyle years should you stay away from?
Only 3 Ford Freestyle years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Ford Freestyle have?
3 safety recalls across the 3 model years we track. Most: 2005 (2), 2006 (1). Each year's page lists them.
What are the most common Ford Freestyle problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name brakes, transmission & drivetrain and speed control most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 290 | about 3 times the average car's complaints | 171 | service brakes, hydraulic (46%) | 2 | — | 19–20 |
| 2006 | 276 | about 3 times the average car's complaints | 102 | service brakes, hydraulic (31%) | 1 | — | 19–20 |
| 2007 | 790 | about 8 times the average car's complaints | 166 | speed control (41%) | 0 | — | 19–20 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: en.wikipedia.org. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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