2005 Ford 500 problems & reliability
99 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford 500. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 31 | 31% |
| Power Train | 28 | 28% |
| Electrical System | 20 | 20% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 18% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 7% |
| Structure | 7 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 4% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 117,000 miles (middle 50% between 90,750 and 147,000 miles), based on 84 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford 500. While driving 70 mph, an unknown warning indicator illuminated while driving and the engine stopped running. The vehicle stopped accelerating and the contact had to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle did not restart and was left on the side of the road. Mike castrucci…”
Engine · filed Dec 12, 2019
“My 16 year old was involved in a single vehicle crash on may 2, 2019. Her airbags did not deploy and she has suffered a severe, traumatic brain injury and is unlikely to make any meaningful recovery”
Air Bags · filed May 9, 2019
“2005 ford five hundred. Consumer writes in regard to malfunctions with the vehicles tire jack. *as the consumer stated when the jack raised the vehicle it twisted. A screw was bent on the jack causing the vehicle to drop and bump the consumer on the head. The consumer requested a new jack. *js”
Equipment · filed May 8, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford 500.
Ford: see document search button for owner letter. Momentary engine idle rpm surge may be intermittent and may occur, due to deposits buildup in throttle body, at low speeds, while parking or entering driveway and check…
CSP-12N03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 29, 2012
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2005 Ford 500 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2005 Ford 500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 117,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.