Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I had this car repaired twice at a professional mechanic shop that cost me thousands of dollars. Every time, the car comes to stop or dies on me. I replaced the fuel filter one time that is underneath the car. Now the car is sitting in my garage because of the fuel pump not functioning and does not make that sound anymore when you turn the key on.
I purchased a Ford 500 07 in March of 2010. Prior to the 60,000 mile warranty ending, I took the car back twice for a surging problem going from drive/reverse. The first time the shop could not find a problem. The second time the service mgr. And daughter did a test drive. Right off the bat the car surged. He called me and told me to bring the car back one morning so he could keep it all day. I could not do this at the time, this is my only means of transportation. On 10/2/10 while backing up in the emergency lane on the interstate. My car accelerated on it own, while moving backwards. I hit the brake the accelerator went to the floor. I lifted my foot off the brake it took off again. The RPM hand was going crazy. I had no control. The car went into a spin, I ended up in the ditch while hitting another car. Luckily we are still alive....updated 08/08/16
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. …
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. …
while we are in idel for a period of time the car wants to surge forward without pushing on the gas. it wants to rev withough the has pedal being pushed. It does it at red lights, stop signs, and if Im in a drive through.
Tl contact's client owns a 2005 Ford Five Hundred. While the client was driving 35 MPH, she removed her foot from the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate. She attempted to apply the brakes, but the speed continued to increase. The client also applied the emergency brake and encountered a pickup truck traveling in the same direction. She crossed over the double-yellow line on a 2-lane road and passed the pickup truck. The driver of the pickup informed police that he noticed brakes being applied, smelled, and saw blue smoke coming from the vehicle. The vehicle continued accelerating. The air bags deployed. The client then side swiped a guardrail for approximately 40 feet. The front tire blew out and the vehicle was pushed across the roadway. A police report was filed. Two passengers sustained injuries. …
NHTSA investigations
Idle instability
On November 29, 2012, Ford Motor Company (Ford) initiated Customer Satisfaction Program 12N03 to extend warranty coverage terms for repair of engine idle RPM surge caused by throttle body deposits in all model year (MY) 2005 through 2007 Ford Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego vehicles.The program extends the coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Five Hundred years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (118), 2005 (104) and 2007 (70) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 32% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Ford Five Hundred acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Ford Five Hundred model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford Five Hundred acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles; 21% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (3 mentions).
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.