2006 Ford Five Hundred

IN JUNE 2007, MY WIFE TOOK OUR 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED (SEL) TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE. SHE WAS INFORMED AT THE TIME THAT SHE NEEDED TO HAVE THE REAR BRAKE PADS REPLACED. THE CAR HAD ONLY 26,800 MILES ON IT. I WAS IN DISBELIEF AND TOLD HER NOT TO ALLOW THE WORK. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTO SERVICE CENTER THAT I TRUSTED THE NEXT DAY. SURE ENOUGH, THE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAD THEM DO THE WORK. I THEN COMPLAINED TO THE LOCAL DEALER THAT THIS WEAR RATE WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND CARS NORMALLY GO SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER BEFORE NEEDING REAR PAD REPLACEMENT. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THEM STATING THAT THE "BRAKE WEAR ON YOUR VEHICLE IS CONSIDERED TO BE WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS" . I KNEW THIS WAS NOT TRUE. IN JULY, I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR CO. STATING THAT THEY WERE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE REAR PADS TO 36,000. I RECEIVED A REFUND FROM THE DEALER. JUST RECENTLY AT 68,584 MILES, WE HAD TO HAVE THE PADS REPLACED ONCE AGAIN. I DON'T THINK THIS IS ACCEPTABLE WEAR FOR THESE PADS. IT COST US $227.01 TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. MY WIFE USES THIS CAR FOR BUSINESS, SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL NEED TO PLAN ON REPLACING THESE PADS EVERY YEAR. INTERESTINGLY, THE FRONT PADS HAVE NOT WORN OUT YET. THE SECOND PROBLEM WE HAVE HAD IS WITH THE TIE ROD END LINKS WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 53,671 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO PERFORM THIS REPLACEMENT ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE I'VE OWNED, MANY HAVE GONE WELL OVER 100,000 MILES. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IN THIS RESPECT. *TR

THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BRAKES/ROTORS ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD THEM REPLACED 2 YEARS STRAIGHT AND NOW THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR AND THE SAME PROBLEM IS DEVELOPING. THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS PAID FOR BY FORD. A YEAR LATER, CROWN FORD INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY, BUT REDUCED THE COST BY ONLY CHARGING ME FOR PARTS, WHICH WAS OVER $300.00+. UPON GETTING A FRONT-END ALIGNMENT, I WAS TOLD BY FIRESTONE THAT THE REAR ROTORS WILL SOON NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE WITH THIS CAR AND BRAKES AND I FEEL I AM BEING MISLEAD. MY FORD 2006 WAS PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2005. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE CONTACT HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. A MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE GRINDING INTO THE ROTORS. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THE BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE LOW MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED AT HIS EXPENSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NO RECALL WAS AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. HE DISCOVERED SEVERAL OTHER CONSUMERS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING FAILURES WITH THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGES ON THEIR VEHICLES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,544.

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

AT 37,000 MILES (MOSTLY FREEWAY MILES) I WAS GETTING A LOUD GRINDING SOUND FROM MY REAR BRAKES. DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PADS WERE TOTALLY WORN AWAY AND THE ROTORS WERE RUINED. THE MECHANIC SAID IT LOOKED AS IF THE CALIPERS WERE NOT OPENING PROPERLY, CAUSING A CONTINUAL DRAG OF THE PADS AGAINST THE ROTORS. THE FRONT PADS AND ROTORS ALSO NEEDED REPLACING AS THEY WERE WORN BEYOND THE POINT OF BEING RESURFACED. TOTAL BILL = $1,200! I LATER FOUND OUT FORD HAD KNOWN ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE PADS, BUT I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTICE FROM THEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A SCRAPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND REAR BRAKE FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED. THE PADS AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. TSB NUMBER 10021463 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) WAS REFERENCED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 12-15-08 *BF UPDATED 12/17/08. *JB

THE NEW CAR REAR BRAKES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE ROTORS AND WHEN WET THE BRAKE PADS EXPAND CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK EXCESSIVELY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS CONDITION IS EXTREMELY EXCESSIVE AT VERY VERY SLOW SPEEDS. WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT HOURS AFTER A RAIN THE EXCESSIVE BRAKES CAN EVEN CAUSE NECK PAIN. MY CONCERN IS THAT EVEN THOUGH I KNOW FORD WILL REPLACE THESE BRAKE PADS AS PROMISED: I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE ROTORS THAT HAVE VERY EXCESSIVE WEAR WILL BE TUNED AND NOT REPLACED. IT APPEARS TO THE NAKED EYE THAT A QUARTER OF AN INCH HAS BEEN WORN OFF OF THE ROTORS, AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 12500 MILES ON IT. FORD IS AWARE OF THE BRAKE PROBLEM, BUT IS WAITING FOR THE EXCESSIVE WEAR TO REPLACE THE PADS. WHAT SHOULD I DO? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE BRAKE PADS RUB THE ROTORS AND HEAT THE PADS AND ROTORS DURING STOPPING. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ONCE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE FAILURE AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,800 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1.