2005 Ford Five Hundred problems & reliability
510 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
10 complaints report injuries (14 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 Ford Five Hundred vehicles were involved in 45 fatal crashes with 33 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 136 | 27% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 104 | 20% |
| Electrical System | 95 | 19% |
| Engine | 58 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 49 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 41 | 8% |
| Structure | 33 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 24 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 22 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 20 | 4% |
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 74,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,100 and 105,589 miles), based on 432 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2005 Ford Five Hundred. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, where the flywheel was replaced twice with used parts because the part had been discontinued. The contact stated that…”
Power Train · filed Aug 19, 2025
“I am having problem with the reset button in my 2005 five hundred ford, the oil light stays on after oil changes, no one does not know how to reset, the reset button does not work, several mechanic told me not to worry about it , but the car can't pass the smog, it reads not ready, they told my to take a ride for…”
Engine · filed Mar 9, 2024
“I have 2 very serious and dangerous issues. The 1st issue, the car will shut off while driving and without warning. I'll be cruzing down the highway and out of no where it shuts off. I then do not have breaks or power stearing. This last Winter my daughter was driving it and it shut off while she was on black ice. The…”
Engine · filed Aug 22, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Idle instability
Preliminary Evaluation PE11018 · opened May 11, 2011 · closed Feb 7, 2013
- INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE07058 · opened Nov 16, 2007 · closed Mar 11, 2008
Technical service bulletins
50 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford Five Hundred. The 10 most recent:
Motorcraft® Continuously Variable Chain-Type Transmission Fluid (XT-7-QCFT in non-Canadian markets, CXT-7-LCF12 in Canada) is no longer manufactured and will only be available until inventory depletes. The recommended…
SSM 52567 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 24, 2024
When performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium ATF, MERCON® V has replaced all versions of Motorcraft® Premium ATF and can be used going forward. Mixing Motorcraft® Premium ATF…
SSM 52243 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2024
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Traction control lamp on--no dtc's present, or dtc p1889 in differential electronic module (dem). *nj
08-4-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2008
Ford mercury service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. Certain 2005 through 2007 fwd and awd ford five hundred, freestyle and mercury montego vehicles - rear brake wear. Also have an owner's letter…
0710 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 28, 2007
MIL WITH DTC P0106 AND/OR P0109. *KB
19722 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2007
Battery light illuminated. *kb
19312 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2006
Continuously variable transaxle (cvt) noise diagnosis. *tt
06114 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Intermittent instrument cluster gauge sweep/reset - multiple warning lights on - reverse lights on - vehicles built before 2/17/2006. *tt
0662 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Oil leak from power transfer unit. *tt
06411 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
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
The 2005 Ford Five Hundred has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 Five Hundred?
- · 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 74,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.