Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
19–20 mpgcombined; city 17–18, highway 22–25; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$16,240–$17,100U.S. average; Ohio $14,510–$15,280 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2006 Freestyle. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 1,300 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Freestyle. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Vehicle speed control
602
25
0
1
Power train
484
11
0
7
Engine and engine cooling
144
3
1
0
Engine
114
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
85
2
0
0
Electrical system
84
1
6
7
Unknown or other
74
4
1
3
Fuel/propulsion system
53
1
0
1
Service brakes, hydraulic
49
1
1
0
Structure
28
4
0
9
Electronic stability control (ESC)
18
0
0
0
Service brakes
16
0
0
0
18 more parts
Equipment
15
0
0
0
Suspension
14
0
0
0
Fuel system, other
13
0
0
0
Tires
11
1
0
0
Air bags
10
2
0
2
Steering
9
0
0
0
Visibility
9
0
2
0
Exterior lighting
7
1
4
3
Latches/locks/linkages
7
0
0
0
Seat belts
6
1
0
2
Seats
3
0
0
0
Traction control system
2
0
0
0
Child seat
1
1
0
2
Interior lighting
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, electric
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2006 Freestyle over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. THE SIDE DOOR LATCH MECHANISMS MAY EXPERIENCE WATER INTRUSION ALLOWING THE LATCH MECHANISM TO FREEZE IN COLD WEATHER.
Risk: AS A RESULT, THE DOOR LATCH PAWL MAY NOT RETURN TO THE LATCH POSITION WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED, AND THE DOOR COULD OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SHIELD OVER THE FRONT LATCHES; SEAL A DRAIN HOLE IN THE REAR WINDOW TRIM MOLDING ON THE FREESTYLE REAR SIDE DOORS; AND APPLY GREASE TO ALL FRONT AND REAR SIDE-DOOR LATCH MECHANISMS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 8, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 23 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2006 Freestyle, the latest on May 24, 2024. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (6), engine and engine cooling (4), power train (3), engine (2), seats (2).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Preliminary evaluation PE11018 Idle instability · covers 2 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2006 Freestyle.
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Freestyle Front-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 20
Freestyle 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 22 / 19
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data