Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford 500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Ford told me in 2012-2013 there was a recall on the instrument cluster, the previous car owner had brought to dealership and fix. Well the same issue is occurring now ( 138kmiles) I started the car 4/1 and the reverse lights stay on, dash board gauges are off ( no speed, RPM, fuel gauge working) the vents wont work. I continued to drive car for about 1-2 miles ( at felt like 35-45mph) and as I am driving the computer reset ( car did not turn off, this is still when the car is in motion) and all the gauges started to work. Ford said that the recall is closed and there is nothing they can do except have me spend money for them to diagnose. The same problem is occurring on this car the Ford recall suppose fixed in 2013. Ford needs to research this same issue as it is dangerous when this does occur. I would like a resolution to this issue. I do have a case # with Ford case # 14495583.
Throttle - engine shut off when pushing gas pedal. This has happened 3 times... When entering and exiting the beltway or hwy. Extremely dangerous. I've so far been able to drift onto shoulder of the road twice but the third time there was no shoulder. I was stuck in the traffic lane with no power. I had heart spasms due to fear of being run-over. This problem needs a recall issued. Similar problems have been identified in other Ford models. I do not want to be killed or have this problem result in a serious accident. I do not want to have a heart attack due to engine failure! Help! This has happened three times in November 2016. I'm fearful of going out to important appointments like my cancer treatments at mercy medical center that requires me to be on highways with speeds up to 60 MPH. (dates 11/19, 23 and 28/2016,)
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford 500. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle jerked without warning. The engine light and failed safe mode light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and shut off. The vehicle was able to be restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was driven one mile and then stalled. The throttle control and transmission lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted and was taken to a local mechanic where it could not be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 178,300.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford 500. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, but the failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford 500. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally failed to start. When the vehicle finally started, the check engine and maintenance warning indicators illuminated and the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed, but no failures could be found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl-the contact owns a 2005 Ford 500. The contact stated that when driving, the instrument panel failed to illuminate. In addition, the reverse lights illuminated when the vehicle was in drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,000. Djr updated 8/17/15
Flickering of instrument panel, fuel gauge, speedometer, RPM's intermittently for a long time... All completely dead now. Reverse lights on at all times..blah blah..same as everybody else . This is bs. Never buy a Ford again.
I was driving at the approx. Speed of 58mph and my car starting skipping and chugging. I slowed down and as I begun to slow down my car gave me a diagnosis code of failsafe engine mode, then my car completely shut down with no power at all. It was hard to pull off the rode and steer the car off the road because the steering wheel tightened up. I pulled over and let the car sit for a few minutes and then tried re-cranking the car. I was able to re-crank the car and drove further up the rode. I continued to have these problems. I drove approx. 10 miles from the first indication that happened and the car continued to cut off and give me the same error message approx 4 more times before I was able to get home with the car. I let the car cool for an hour or so and immediately took the car to a local mechanic. …
Instrument cluster stops working at random, no fuel, speed or RPM information. All the warnings lights come on and brake lights illuminate even when brake pedal is not used. This problem has gone from intermittent to almost always happening. Most recently the car has lost the ability to accelerate on the freeway while I was driving it. Had to limp off to the side to try to reset vehicle. After getting to the shoulder of the freeway, I could only drive the car no faster to 35 MPH because there was no throttle response and it would not shift out of first gear. This problem also effects shifting into reverse. When it is occurring you will notice a hard shift into reverse that tears up the gears. This seems to happen every couple months with no notice.
I have had several problems with this Ford 500. The side mirror caught on fire and had to be replaced at my expense, the lights in the dash would go in and out and when they were out I did not have back lights which had to be fixed at my expense and the worse problem is the air condition does not work while driving around town but will work on the highway while driving over 40 miles per hour. I have sent approx. $1000.00 on this problem and it is still not fixed. This vehicle has low mileage at approx 50,000 miles and has only been driven by adult drivers.
Electrical complaints in other 500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Ford 500?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Ford 500, 20% of the model year's 99 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford 500 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2005 Ford 500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford 500 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 129,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.