Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Five Hundred. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. The contact restarted the vehicle and the transmission worked as designed for a while. While traveling up a hill or at a stop light, the vehicle would drift backwards. The contact had to let the vehicle drift to shift into gear. At times the vehicle failed to shift. The engine and wrench warning lights were illuminated. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Five Hundred. When the contact placed the vehicle in reverse, it rolled forward and struck another parked vehicle. There was no damage to either vehicle and no injuries. A police report was not filed. When the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, it operated normally. Tom peck Ford (located at 13900 automall dr, huntley, il 60142, [phone]) was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. Consumer was told something was wrong with the air bag by the dealer tom peck.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Five Hundred. The contact stated that the vehicle had an unexpected acceleration as the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle or place it in reverse when the failure occurred. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. Additionally, the contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to accelerate out of first gear. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 56,000.
I have a 06' Ford Five Hundred that I purchased certified used in 07'. Within a few months I started experiencing surging problems especially when the A/C was running. The dealer replaced the instrument cluster in 08' but did not fix the problem. On each return to the dealership they could not fix the problem. On my last visit to the dealer they cleaned the throttle body and said that would fix the problem. This did not fix the problem and they could not diagnose the problem. This problem has caused me to rearend a vehicle in 2009. Ford is not responding to the problem at all. After 3+ years of trying to figure out what the problem is I all but have given up. That is until today when the repair shop that I use on a regular basis hired a new mechanic who was able to diagnose the problem. The problem turns out to be the throttle position sensors in the throttle body. …
Throttle body is defective due to build up within the throttle body's valve causing it to stick open or stay closed during reverse and forward driving. This in return causes a surge where at any unsuspecting moment the vehicle wood attempt to drive either in reverse or forward on its own regardless you physically pressing the brakes or the gas pedal. This is an obvious problem wiz 2005 2006 and 2007 Ford 500 and some models other than the 500 such as Ford freestyle Ford montego. This is a very dangerous issue and if not already will cause bodily injury or death. In my particular incident my vehicle have surged on a bypass causing me to almost rear end a large truck at speeds up to 70 miles per hour. There had also been countless incidents of my vehicle reverting into safe mode where my car I had slowed from 70 to 75 miles per hour down to 20 miles per hour within seconds. …
I'm not sure if this is a power train or other problem, car lurches dangerously at low speeds, and when changing gear into and out of reverse. I hit a post parking in August of 2010 due to this, and it's been getting gradually worse. Took it to the dealer who replaced a broken upper motor mount that was connected to the transmission. Didn't help, although it seemed like a good guess at the time. It helps to keep foot firmly on brake when changing gear or holding still, while the car tries to lurch forward (or back) with unplanned acceleration. Seems to be getting increasingly worse and now I don't feel it's safe to let anyone else drive it, like at valet parking. Taking it back to dealer tomorrow, but we let warranty expire recently darn it. We get so many fake spam warranty-expiring phone calls that I got confused and dropped the ball. …
I was on my way home coming down farrow rd. And my car stalled out, so I slowly pulled in the median turn car off and back on. When I got ready to pull out of the median the car wouldn't go no faster than 5 miles and hour. So I had my friend help me pull it out of the road and take me home and tow my car to the house. When I got it home there wasn't any acceleration, rpms wont move at all, car has power and cranks but when I put it in drive it won't go anywhere. It stalls and cuts off, even in neutral no acceleration. Everything lights up and cuts on but no acceleration. …
2006 Ford Five Hundred, internal failure of CVT transmission (torque converter and shaft), no notice. Drove and entered parking spot, put car in reverse and no gear. Put back in d and no gear. Wrench light then came on and became a rather expensive 10 mile tow car was well taken care of and now needs transmission at 75K. Unbelievable numerous nationwide complaints but no responses by Ford. Please note Ford no longer uses this type of transmission in their vehicles. They own the rebuilt parts and costs are in thousands range to replace. Not acceptable. Unsafe and should be held accountable to provide safe, reliable vehicles. Have owned numerous fords and never an issue. This is a true hazard! Now vehicle is nothing more than a driveway ornament where the cost to repair is more the entire value of the vehicle! Updated 02/08/17 the consumer requested a status update. Updated 12/1/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Five Hundred. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate and the power train wrench icon illuminated. The contact was able to shut off and restart the vehicle in order to operate normally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic throttle body sensor failed, sending the vehicle into "limp mode", and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted on several occasions. The contact mentioned that the electronic throttle body sensor was replaced twice. The vehicle recently went into "limp mode" again. The dealer performed a diagnostic test, but a failure code could not be found. The vehicle was also test driven, but the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford Five Hundred. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the wrench warning indicator for the transmission illuminated. The contact turned the vehicle off and back on, but it lost acceleration. Also, when the vehicle was placed in drive or reverse from a park position, it lunged forward and the brakes had to be applied immediately. Furthermore, the vehicle stalled four times since it was purchased two months ago. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing; however, an appointment was scheduled with duncan Ford (19999 virgil h goode hwy, rocky mount, va 24151) for August 26, 2019. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 102,797.
Transmission complaints in other Five Hundred years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2006 Ford Five Hundred?
NHTSA has 104 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2006 Ford Five Hundred, 29% of the model year's 364 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (31 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Ford Five Hundred transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.