Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Five Hundred. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the "fail safe engine mode" and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle stalled with the RPM revved up. The vehicle jerked while driving at an undisclosed speed. The dealer nor the independent mechanic was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 122,832.
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 car flew into the ditch and the snow was so deep it was compacted in the entire engine so it was impossible to restart the car. It was akso -37 below temperature. It took me almost a half hour to get to her and she almost froze to death. She sustained frost bite on her hands, toes, ears, and cheeks. She almost died. Issue 2, my daughter was driving and all of the sudden a loud noise and she couldn't steer. The rear control arm bracket that is part of the subframe busted causing the control arm to no longer be attached to the frame. …
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 about 50 miles and drive up to sixty miles per hour. . On going problem and I am running out of money, can you help, please
The engine keep going into limp mode. The car stalls out while at lights an stop signs, power steering goes out on highway an other roads making it impossible to steer or steer out of others ways, limp mode causes car to not be able to keep up with traffic on highway and other roads. Engine jerks forward an shifts irractically an shifts an downshifts hard.
When I test drove this vehicle the RPM fluctuated and jerking as if it was a manual opposed to automatic as increasing speeds. There was a recall letter mailed to me a few years later and Ford dealership claimed the issue was resolved. Within a few days it began again. I have owned this vehicle 10 years with the same safety issue and have had to pull over numerous times when the rpms dont reset while on the highway to avoid accidents. I am now filing a formal complaint because I was rear ended due to this issue by a person with no insurance. How can I get this to go away before someone is hurt
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Five Hundred. After placing fuel in the vehicle, white smoke emerged from the engine compartment. The contact opened the hood and flames emerged from the engine and the smoke turned black. The fire department extinguished the fire; however, the fire erupted again and would not stop until the battery was disconnected. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer was not contacted and the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 250,000.
I was in heavy traffic and the car just stalled out on me while sitting at a light. Had to put my hazards on and try to restart car, restarted and then as soon as I put it into drive it stalled again. This happened 3-4 times until I could move to the next light and stop and go through the whole process all over again. Finally got on the highway and got home. Thought it was a fluke. Happened a second time while picking up children from daycare. Stalled out while at low RPM and would not restart. Had to have it towed. Had fuel filter replaced. Happened a third time at the store. Had to have it towed. Towed it to the dealer and the dealer spent over 6 hours to come to the conclusion that throttle body needed to be cleaned and PCM reprogrammed/updated. Without much confidence, they returned the car to me and said they could not replicate the problem. …
One day driving my Ford Five Hundred as I am gettin on the freeway the car didnt accelerate effectively activating RPM surges but the car wouldn't speed more than 30mph doing so taking long nearly causing a accident in addition to slowing flow of traffic after finally getting home and parked the next day the car didn't start it would crank but wouldn't start I had a mechanic come look at the car everything was in order the PCM would also click when trying to start after doing research I discovered NHTSA had a recall for Ford Five hundreds 12n03 and in the summary it included throttle and PCM reprogramming and cleaning or replacing the throttle body. Therefore I brought the car to a Ford dealership and they confirmed theses being the cars issues however Ford dealership said that my PCM needed to be replaced not reprogrammed which is not covered under 12n03 protection program.
Suspension: continuous rattle issues in the rear suspension. Bushings? Sway bars?? Who knows. No one can seem to pinpoint the problem. Happens only during driving. Consistent noise from the rear. Fuel: problems with fuel sensor. Failed reading. All gauges light up. Run OBD and all fluid levels / pressure fine. No reason for the failure. Dealership told me the throttle body was an issue and the sensor inside same. However, after numerous web based searches I found that throttle body issues are definitely an issue. Found that removing the air cleaner box for filter replacement can cause sensor issues. Why? Since my last oil change I have had at least three failures here. This is dangerous, expensive and should be taken care of.
I was at red light person crossing road I was I. Drive foot on brake, rpms shot up engine reeves cat lunged forward I pressed harder in brake almost hit person. At the time no warning lights. Then at pharmacy drive thru w car I. From and I. Back of me car did same thing. I had to press brake hard to prevent moving hitting car in from of me. I was in drive but foot on brake! No warning lights at time. Had throttle body replaced still had similar problems progressing little did I know when throttle body is replaced has to be reprogrammed by Ford! Spent so much money and time trying to figure out problem. This is a flaw w Ford 500 2005 throttle body many complaints and test does never issues recall, unsafe. I could have killed someone.
Engine complaints in other Five Hundred years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Ford Five Hundred?
NHTSA has 107 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Ford Five Hundred, 21% of the model year's 510 complaints. The component named most often is engine (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Five Hundred engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.