Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Ford Five Hundred owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Battery just goes dead over night. Signal lights melted and quit working. Cluster panel just shuts off while running and can't use air, radio, windows, locks, seats, etc. Car shuts off while driving down the road. Have replaced all parts suggested by codes. Still no fix. Wont shift from first gear after cluster panel shuts off. There are hundreds other complaints. This is dangerous and should be an electrical recall. Happens running driving and sitting still.
Electronic throttle body stoppped working. Car abruptly lost all power in busy traffic, lucky to be alive. I was driving in the left lane and all of a sudden all power was gone and the car wouldn't go! I had it diagnosed by aaa repair shop in los angeles. Have to pay 900 to get new throttle body unit.
Door froze shut and ever since manually opening the message center states driver door ajar and passenger door ajar and they are not. But I can't reset driver controls until doors show closed. Have run code in my car and only code is p0193 fuel rail pressure sensor. No codes for doors.
Wrench light came on and it feels like you lose power momentarily. When it kicks back in, it lunges and will almost give you whiplash. This happens sporadically during acceleration usually on a highway.
Ford 500 lurches severely at random times while the engine is engaged. This happens most dangerously at high speeds, due to driver's inability to control vehicle adequately to defend against potential crashes or control speed during turns. This has caused problems on the snow and ice here in alaska because uncontrolled acceleration reduces traction. Also occurs at low speeds, which is more easily controlled through braking, but requires extreme caution if engaging vehicle when pedestrians or other vehicles are near. It has surprised and scared me on many occasions since I first purchased this car a month ago, but the reason I am writing this is because I had a scary incident today when pulling out of a grocery store parking lot (pedestrians in front of me when it suddenly jumped as soon as engine engaged). …
Cruising approx 65 MPH. I heard a thud (like running over a pot hole). The car lurched FWD then seemed to shut off, however it was still running. The RPM dropped below 1000 and the throttle would not work. Placed car in neutral and moved to the side of the road. Noticed the wrench lite was illuminated. Turned the car off and restarted. The car seemed to drive fine after that with no lite. Took the car to have the codes checked. Two codes showed: throttle stuck closed and the throttle forced to idle (apparently a safety feature). Two days ago had to have the PCM and TCM updated and replaced the upper motor mount. From previous complaints there are several with the car taking off and a few of with my issue. All seemed to be attributed to the throttle body malfunctioning which is apparently the case here. …
Car surges forward/backward when engaged in gear from dead stop and brake is released without having even touched the accelerator. Seems to be worse when heating/cooling fan is on, especially on recirculate, and rpms will surge/race at dead stop with brake firmly applied when the steering wheel is turned to either side. Problem is especially noticeable in parking lots or anywhere in low speed stop/go driving conditions. Concerned for pedestrian safety as I have had the car jump unexpectedly and nearly hit them. Check engine light came on a couple of weeks ago and car went into limp home mode indicating error codes p061b & p2016 which means the throttle body needs to be replaced after driving in deep snow, extremely cold temperature after car had been sitting for 3 days, the check engine light has cleared but the car continues to have the surging issues though it does seem worse in …
Addendum to odi id number : 10386714 the fuel pump, fuel filter had to be replaced, and the injectors flushed - cost $800 ++. Dealer now states codes show PCM needs to be replaced. Repair covered under federal emissions warranty (8 years or 80,000 miles) due to my current mileage being 79,008 miles. Dealer covered car rental until part arrives and is installed. I have a "bucking" behavior, after traveling approximately 2 hrs at speeds over 60mph (interstate travel). The car would lurch severely and hesitate, the engine revved very loudly, and the speed reduced to 40 MPH, even though I had my foot to the floor on the gas pedal. After driving off the highway, it would do the same thing at city speeds and had little to no acceleration. Dealer said the codes showed it was the fuel pump and it would do the bucking and lack of acceleration after the pump heated up. …
5/20-7/18/11 car accelerated quickly and lurched backward with brake on while backing out of parking space; wrench light came on. Error codes were for alternative fuel control module and throttle actuator control system. Sometimes car lurched forward while braking, engine revved, car shuddered, and wrench and/or check engine light came on. Started happening almost daily. Very scary and unpredictable. Mass air flow sensor and EGR valve were replaced. Had same issues 2 days later. Throttle body and vacuum hoses were replaced. Contacted Ford and they refused to cover parts and labor because car was no longer under warranty. Last repair was done 30 days ago and I've had no more problems, but it cost me $1600 to repair.
I have a "bucking" behavior, after traveling approximately 2 hrs at speeds over 60mph (interstate travel). The car would lurch severely and hesitate, the engine revved very loudly, and the speed reduced to 40 MPH, even though I had my foot to the floor on the gas pedal. After driving off the highway, it would do the same thing at city speeds and had little to no acceleration. Dealer said the codes showed it was the fuel pump and it would do the bucking and lack of acceleration after the pump heated up. Dealer said the car was unsafe to drive. The fuel pump, fuel filter had to be replaced, and the injectors flushed.
Fuel System complaints in other Five Hundred years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2006 Ford Five Hundred?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2006 Ford Five Hundred, 10% of the model year's 364 complaints. The component named most often is storage (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Five Hundred fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2006 Ford Five Hundred. 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 2006 Ford Five Hundred fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
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.