2005 Ford Five Hundred

THE GAUGES PERIODICALLY GO FLAT AND THE REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS, THEY'VE ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB 06-17-9). THE PROBLEM IS A FAULTY SOLDER JOINT AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS NOT DUE TO NORMAL WEAR FROM DRIVING BUT FROM POOR DESIGN AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. FORD SHOULD CORRECT THEIR MISTAKES.

I PURCHASED A USED 2005 FORD 500 LTD AWD IN MAY 2008. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A LEASE TURN IN. THE MILEAGE WAS VERY LOW, UNDER 30,000 MILES. THE FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN JULY 2008. IN OCTOBER 2008, MY DASH BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING. THE GAUGES WOULD GO COMPLETELY DEAD. I COULD NOT TELL HOW FAST I WAS GOING, HOW MUCH GAS I HAD LEFT OR THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ENGINE. NOTHING ON MY DASH WOULD WORK. IT VARIED FROM LASTING SECONDS TO APPX A HALF AN HOUR. I DROVE HOME ONE NIGHT (IT TOOK ME APPX 25 MINUTES) NOT KNOWING HOW FAST I WAS GOING OR HOW MUCH GAS I HAD LEFT. ALSO, THE REVERSE LIGHTS WERE ON WHEN MY CAR WAS IN BOTH DRIVE AND PARK. I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT (MY CAR WAS IN DRIVE) AND THE REVERSE SENSOR ALARM WENT OFF WHEN A CAR PULLED UP BEHIND ME. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WE BOUGHT IT FROM & WERE TOLD IT WAS A CLUSTER IN THE DASH THAT WAS A "KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE" BUT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A "SAFETY ISSUE" FORD DID NOT HAVE TO RECALL THIS. I FEEL THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO HAVING YOUR REVERSE LIGHTS ON WHILE THE CAR IS IN PARK OR DRIVE SEEMS A BIT DANGEROUS AS WELL. WE HAD IT REPAIRED AND IT COST US OVER 400.00. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, WE HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER "CLUSTER" REPAIRED THAT WAS MAKING MY TRANSMISSION SHAKE & THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AS WELL ANOTHER WARNING LIGHT APPEAR. IT WAS A SENSOR THAT WENT BAD AND WAS MAKING MY CAR THINK IT WAS OUT OF GAS. THIS COST US ALMOST 350.00 TO REPAIR. NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SENSORS/CLUSTERS ON THESE CARS BUT IT SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT BEGAN TO JERK WHEN ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, IT WOULD ACCELERATE SLOWLY UPON TAKE-OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO LUBRICATED A COMPONENT (THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE OF WHAT COMPONENT) BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 03/24/11*LJ UPDATED 05/23/11

I HAVE A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED AND THE DOORS WILL NOT LATCH IN COLD WEATHER AND OPEN WHILE VEHICLE IS MOVING; WE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SAID THEY HAD THAT RECALL BUT NOT IN MY STATE, SAID IT WASN'T COLD ENOUGH IN OUR AREA; WELL , IT IS AND IT HAPPENS EVERY WINTER WITH THIS CAR. FORD SHOULD FIX THIS AS IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR MY FAMILY. *TR

MY 05 FORD 500 HAS 58,000 MILES ON IT AND NOW THE DASH LIGHTS FLASH/GO OFF AND THE GAUGES READ 0. THE REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON TOO. IT WAS VERY SCARY WHEN IT HAPPENED. IT APPEARS TO BE AT RANDOM: NO PARTICULAR TIME OF DAY, NO CERTAIN WEATHER, AND AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED. I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ALSO HAVE FORD 500S AND SAY THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THEM AS WELL. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY DISPLAY A FAIL SAFE MODE MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WOULD THEN STALL ONCE THE MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WOULD THEN BE TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE ALWAYS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE ECU WAS REPLACED APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE WOULD ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY (ETB) ON 2005 FORD 500, FREESTYLE, AND MERCURY MONTEGO. CAUSES CAR TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD IN DRIVE OR REVERSE WITHOUT USING ANY PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL. MUST PLACE FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO AVOID RUNNING INTO SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY WHILE PARKING. FORD HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB 05-25-13) ON THIS BUT HAS NOT NOTIFIED ANY OWNERS OF VEHICLES AFFECTED TO DATE. IT APPEARS THAT FORD HAS COME UP WITH A NEW REPLACEMENT PART FOR THE ETB UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL THAT WAS JUST MADE AVAILABLE IN JULY 2010. I PAID A LOCAL FORD DEALER $128.08 TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AND ANOTHER $615.83 TO HAVE IT FIXED. I WAS TOLD THE ETB PART NUMBER WAS "5F9Z-9E926-AA". ANOTHER NUMBER FOR THE NEW ETB PART ON MY SALES SLIP DATED 07/30/10 WAS FMC 6F9Z 9E926 A. THEY CALLED IT A KIT FOR THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. THE PRICE FOR THE KIT WAS $495.86. SINCE I HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM COMING UP ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, I THOUGHT I WOULD TURN IT IN FOR YOUR INVESTIGATION. SINCE THE AFFECT OF THE DEFECTIVE ETB ACTUALLY CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO MOVE ON ITS OWN, FORWARD OR REVERSE, AND REQUIRES YOU TO USE YOUR BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING ADJOINING OBJECTS, I THOUGHT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ON SEVERAL FORD AND MERCURY 2005 PRODUCTS, IT IS NOT THE MONEY, IT IS THE SAFETY ISSUE I AM MOST INTERESTED IN. TO PARALLEL PARK OR GET INTO A PARKING STALL WITH THIS PROBLEM WAS A REAL CHORE KEEPING YOU FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS YOU TRIED TO MANEUVER IN AND OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. IF YOU DID NOT HOLD YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR WOULD MOVE IN ITS OWN EITHER IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND A TRUE SAFETY HAZARD, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PROBLEM ON THE RECALL LISTS FOR MY CAR OR OTHERS AFFECTED IN THE FORD TSB. NOR HAVE AUTO OWNERS BEEN NOTIFIED BY FORD OR OFFERED COMPENSATION FOR THE EXPENSE TO HAVE THE KIT INSTALLED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIOLENTLY JERK AND SURGE INTERMITTENTLY. ALSO, THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY WOULD INTERMITTENTLY BECOME STUCK IN THE OPEN THROTTLE POSITION. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THE THROTTLE BOTTLE MODULE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.