Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Five Hundred owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Car was brought in for throttle recall 3/28/13. Upon the return, the car began experiencing erratic surges of RPM/speed. Gears did not shift right with intermittent acceleration until vehicle shut off while driving on highway, barely escaping accident. Vehicle would not start & had to be brought back to dealer. Dealer stated it was a pre-exiting condition despite vehicle not having any prior issues before recall service. Dealer diagnosed & agreed to replace fuel filter. Vehicle restarted, but still with intermittent acceleration and improper gear shift surges at any speed. On 4/6/13, while driving on highway vehicle experienced several engine failures, narrowly escaping accident again. Shortly after while completely stopped, vehicle lunged forward hitting another vehicle from behind, causing severe damage to both bumpers along with engine failure. …
During any wet weather, water intrudes into my doors and becomes trapped. When opening the doors, the water gushes out and you can hear water sloshing around inside. There has also been leakage from the front and rear passenger doors of water into the interior of my vehicle from the bottom of the doors being filled with water. During the cold weather, this water then freezes my locking mechanisms when opening and closing the doors. There is a recall for this exact issue with my model, but according to Ford my VIN is not included even though the issue also affects my car. There have been times when my door with "lock" but it is not completely closed and has opened while moving. Fords only resolution for me has been to fix the issue at my cost, and they will reimburse me "if" my car would be included in the recall. …
After it rained, the temperature dropped below freezing. My door was difficult to open, but would not close or latch. It was frozen open. There is already a recall on this, but Ford dealers in the area says it does not apply to cars in the south. A recall is a recall. First of all, both tn and OK get snow and ice, and a recall is a recall. If I decide to move back to maine with this car, then I'll be able to get it fixed for free? What if decide to go skiing in colorado, but cannot leave because my door latches freeze?
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Five Hundred. The contact stated that the front driver's and front passenger doors did not shut when it rained or when the weather was cold. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
I was driving down the road about 45/55 MPH going around a slight turn when all of a sudden the rear lower control arm and the mount its bolted to snaps lose and I start doing 360s thank god no one was in the other lane they'd be dead probably. Ford needs to fix this pos car cuz that's definitely a manufacturer problem
In extremely cold temperatures, the door will not latch or will pop open while driving. It has happened multiple times, but only in below freezing temperatures. Ford recall notice 06s45 describes it perfectly, but somehow my Ford Five Hundred is not included in the recall.
I have taken my 2005 Ford 500 to my local Ford dealer so many times I can not count for the same recurring issues. This vehicle always lunges when I put in gear in reverse or forward. The car lunged backward striking a parked car the first week I got it. I paid for all damage cause I didn't want to claim new car on my insurance. While driving on highway engine starts to decelerate while trying to pass car or change lanes..big problem in traffic..have to floor it till it kicks into gear. Dangerous. Then, everytime it rains, all 4 doors fill with water..I have to lift up rubber at the bottom..clear the holes..wait for 5 minutes each door. …
Starting in December we have had numerous starting problems with this car. We have had it back to the dealership Five times for this problem and three other times for other warranty problems. When you go to start the car is turns over but will not start or it will start then die. When it acted up we also had a loss of power once it would start the second time it went to dealer for the problem we could not get it stated at all and it had to be towed. After the last repair it now is getting only about 19 miles to the gallon in combined driving. We have asked Ford to buy the vehicle back and three times we were told a Ford regional rep would call us back to work with us and they never would call us back. We are currently trying to have Ford buy the vehicle back or replace it through the bbb dispute replacement but they will not. …
I have been trying to work with Ford ref # 366023289, and korum Ford in puyallup for a "water intrusion" problem on our Ford Five Hundred. After investigating this problem I see thousands of people with the same problem. I have kept good records of these emails and have a bill from korum. If you search for the problem it is everywhere, and people are suffering financially dealing with it because Ford is not holding up their end. There is one recall on "door latches" leading to some of the water intrusion, but it is so horrible for the ones like us who have puddles of water in the driver's side and water in the doors sloshing around. Korum supposedly fixed the problem, then charged us for the fix because our extended warranty has ran out, although we've complained many times while it was still a good warranty. …
Driving our Ford Five Hundred 2005 sel at 30 miles per hour my wife and felt a sudden crack on the drivers right rear side. I stopped the car and saw that the position of the tire was not adequate and suspected a damper situation, not so. Luckily we were 5 blocks away of a friendly Ford dealer, we drove with painfully squeaking tire there and when inspected the rear cross member had a crack where the welding of the adjusting camber caster is. We thanked the lord we were not on the highway as it would have been certain death. I know this is a structural failure as is the whole rear cross member part and believe is sufficient for a recall of all Ford Five Hundred Ford the car has only 55,000 miles an is a 2005 sel model.
Body complaints in other Five Hundred years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Ford Five Hundred?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, 6% of the model year's 510 complaints. The component named most often is body (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Five Hundred body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, though it has 2 recalls for other components. 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 Five Hundred body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to body & structure 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.