Good car, but buy the extended warranty
CVT transmission blew at 71k.
Seat cover quality is terrible.
Heater shuts off for no reason.
This is an excellent family car.
Mechanically, we have been very fortunate compared to some other owners.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th February, 2011
Do not buy - it'll blow up
We have had SERIOUS ISSUES.
The transmission blew at 150,000kms!!! Read more reviews; this happens a lot! Some people have had them go 3 times.
We've had to replace the alternator as well.
There were a number of other small stupid stuff that adds up to.
On its own though - I did love this car - just can't afford to replace the tranny every 50,000kms - that's once a year with how much we put on it!!
It handles well in snow because it's AWD, but otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.
Interior also gets very dirty - the type of seat material used - just soaks up everything, so it constantly looks stained. We've carpet cleaned it a few times.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 6th December, 2010
Okay, you bought it with high KM's. Do you have a service history and do you know what this vehicle was subjected to before you bought it? Probably not. There is a lot you could do to damage a transmission by this many KM's. Buying used vehicles is always a gamble unless you know the previous owner, and know how they treated the vehicle.
Also, you said the tranny blew at 150K KM's and then claim you don't want to pay for a new tranny every 50K KM's. Why would you have to replace it in 50K KM's if you got 150K KM's out of the original?
I agreed with the above commenter. I owned a 2006 Freestyle and it ran beautifully; we just upgraded to a Flex because we could. One thing very few know is it has special CVT tranny fluid; it's light blue in colour, and due to be changed along with the filter every 70,000kms (44,000 miles).
Our transmission never once gave us any problems, but we kept it in good shape and maintained it properly.
The lesson here is maintain your vehicle, and if you don't know if it's been done, get it done so you know it has been for sure.
I love the design, but have serious concerns about whether this was a poorly designed model
Factory tires wore out fairly early, 25,000 miles, brakes had a recall. No big issue.
The fabric seats stain really easy and cannot be cleaned.
Ongoing 2 year problem, not sure if it's computer or transmission/engine related. At times the car lunges when put into gear (have to have foot firmly on brake), idles pretty hard sometimes, and on a few occasions just will not 'go'. Has to be turned off and back on, then it runs OK. Right now it's in to the dealer for second time for this. First time they could not diagnose with their computer or get it to repeat. Hope this time they can get it fixed/figured out.
Upon reading at Edmunds, I am not the only Freestyle owner experiencing this issue. The dealer (this morning) did not have a record of me bringing it in for this issue last year. But, I have the receipt and showed it to him. I was told they have never seen the problem before. Hmmmm.
I love the versatility and comfort of my freestyle.
It seats 6, and the back seats fold down so we can bring our camping gear with us.
While not a 4x4 or AWD, it is high enough off the ground that I can (carefully) take it on bumpy roads and not grind the bottom.
It has great pick up and power in traffic.
Gas mileage is lower than my mini van and SUVs, plus insurance is cheaper than a truck or SUV, so it's an economical vehicle.
The safety rating of this vehicle is outstanding, one of the big reasons I got it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 3rd June, 2010
1st Mar 2012, 17:41
I am looking into buying a used '05 Freestyle, but I am worried because it has 150k miles on it.
I like the look of it and the room, and the used car dealership I'm going to is willing to give me an in house loan, because I have poor credit. Unless I find something else they have for the price that I love, I might just go with this one, but I'm skeptical looking at some of these reviews. Mostly the miles got me looking to start with, and now I'm just not sure... Any help please?! Thanx.