2006 Ford Five Hundred

AIR BAG SYSTEM FAILED , WAS TOLD BY DEALER NONE OF THE AIR BAG IN THE AUTO WILL WORK WITH THE PASSENGERS AIR BAG DEFECTIVE.. WE REPLACED THE SEAT BUT THAT ONE ALSO DIDN'T WORK SO THIS PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO OUR AUTO. WE HAVE HIGH MILEAGE BECAUSE MY WIFE DRIVES 600 MILES A WEEK TO GO TO WORK {ALONE} NO ONE HAS EVER EVEN SAT IN THIS SEAT THIS IS THE PASSENGERS SEAT AIR BAG THAT IS DISABLING THE SYSTEM. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY DON'T CARE. *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN THE ENTIRE GAUGE CLUSTER (I AM TALKING ABOUT THE SPEEDOMETER, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, THE GAS GAUGE, AND THE TACHOMETER) SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY AND COMES BACK ON RANDOMLY. TEN DAYS AFTER INITIAL INCIDENT THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE GAUGE CLUSTER SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND STAYED OFF. THE SPEEDOMETER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL ARTICLES ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC, AND THE BELIEF IS THAT IT IS DUE TO FAULTY SOLDERING ON THE BACK OF THE UNIT. *TR

TRAVELING SOUTH ON I-26 ACROSS THE TN/NC BORDER THROUGH SAM'S GAP ON A SNOWY DAY LED ME TO DRIVE VERY SLOW AND COME TO A STOP AT THE TRUCK INFORMATION AREA AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. WHEN I SAW A LARGE TRANSFER TRUCK PULL OUT ONTO THE ROAD AND PROCEED DOWN THE HILL I FELT IT WAS SAFE TO FOLLOW. THIS TRUCK WAS MOVING A LOT FASTER THAN I WAS AND I WAS "COVERING THE BRAKE" AND TAPPING IT OCCASIONALLY DOWN THE STEEP INCLINE, BUT THERE WAS ICE ON THE ROAD AND WHEN I TAPPED THE BRAKES THE CAR BEGAN TO SPIN AND HIT THE CONCRETE MEDIAN ON ALL 4 CORNERS OF THE VEHICLE WITH PRETTY STRONG FORCE. THE SEAT BELT CORRECTLY LOCKED DOWN ON THE DRIVER SIDE, BUT THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND I COULD SMELL LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING. I ASSUMED THIS WAS THE COMPOUND USED IN THE AIR BAG. WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED, I WAS GIVEN A CITATION FOR DRIVING TOO FAST FOR THE CONDITIONS AND ANOTHER BECAUSE THE INSURANCE RECENTLY LAPSED. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOOK THE CAR TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL (DRIVING TOO FAST FOR THE CONDITIONS BY THE WAY) AND DECLARED THE CAR DRIVABLE SINCE THERE WERE NO FLUIDS LEAKING AND THE CAR WOULD STILL CRANK. THE FUEL SYSTEM HAD TO BE RESET, BECAUSE IT CORRECTLY SHUT OFF DUE TO THE IMPACT. THE SEATBELT WAS LOCKED DOWN COMPLETELY AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. SINCE THERE WAS NO SNOW BEYOND THE SAM'S GAP AREA, I DECIDED TO DRIVE HOME AND PARK THE CAR BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE MONEY FOR A HOTEL OR FOR ADDITIONAL TOWING AND THE PERSON AT THE NC WELCOME CENTER SAID WE WERE EXPERIENCING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. SO RATHER THAN FREEZE TO DEATH OR ASK SOMEONE ELSE TO PUT THEMSELVES IN DANGER TO COME GET ME I DROVE HIM WITH THE AIRBAG / SEATBELT LIGHTS ALARMING. THE BODY SHOP PERSON I SPOKE WITH SAID THAT I NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE RESTRAINT/AIRBAG SYSTEM BEFORE THEY CAN WORK ON IT BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF THE SYSTEM DEPLOYING WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN 2006, THE CONTACT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING BRAKE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATES UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE AND CHANGED THE BRAKES EACH TIME. THE VEHICLE FAILED COMPLETELY AND WAS TOWED TO HER RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,922. UPDATED 3/3/09 *CN THE AIR BAG ILLUMINATED WHEN A PASSENGER SAT IN THE SEAT. THE SHIFTER WAS HARD TO MOVE. THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT WAS BROKEN. UPDATED 03/04/09. *JB

CRASHED INTO TELEPHONE POLE TRYING TO MISS A CAT AND BROKE POLE IN HALF ON MOTHER'S DAY (5/11). NONE OF THE SIX AIR BAGS IN MY 2006 FORD 500 DEPLOYED. SPOKE TO MANUFACTURER THEY SAID SINCE I SPOKE TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY FIRST THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE AIR BAGS IN MY VEHICLE NOT WORKING. I FEEL THIS IS A MALFUNCTION AND FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FEATURES DUE TO HAVING TWO SMALL CHILDREN. THE BODY MAN WHO LOOKED AT THE CAR SAID IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SENSORS THE BAGS SHOULD HAVE WORKED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY ADVISED ME TO TALK WITH THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE DROVE OFF THE ROAD AND INTO AN EMBANKMENT OF A CREEK FLIPPING THE VEHICLE ONTO ITS ROOF. THE FRONT AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY ALTHOUGH THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE SEAT BELT WAS WORN. A FENCE POST WAS DAMAGED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND TREATED FOR BUMPS AND BRUISES TO THE BODY AND HEAD. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.