DEFECTFILE
Vehicles / Ford / 500 / 2005

2005 Ford 500

99 federal complaints (147 component records) · 0 recall campaigns on file · 1 service bulletin
See all 3 model years of the Ford 500 →
Federal complaints
99
Recall campaigns
0
How to read this file. Complaint records are unverified owner submissions to the federal safety agency. Counts are raw, not adjusted for sales volume or vehicle age. Recall campaigns apply to the model; only a VIN check shows whether this car is affected or repaired. Parts shown are named by an editorial note or listed as a search directory; none is a diagnosis. Full methodology.

Fault profile

Complaint-component records on this vehicle, grouped by family. A complaint naming two systems counts once in each.

Engine & cooling
32
Power train
28
Electrical system
21
Speed control
18
Fuel system
8
Body & structure
7
Other
6
Air bags
5
Complaints are owner-reported and not verified by the agency.

When it fails

The timing of this vehicle's reported failures, from the complaint file itself. A cluster tells you what to expect and when; it is shaped by reporting behavior as well as by the vehicle.

Vehicle age when the failure occurred

0 years old: 0 complaints01 years old: 0 complaints2 years old: 1 complaints3 years old: 1 complaints4 years old: 2 complaints5 years old: 3 complaints56 years old: 6 complaints7 years old: 3 complaints8 years old: 23 complaints9 years old: 17 complaints10 years old: 13 complaints1011 years old: 12 complaints12 years old: 6 complaints13 years old: 8 complaints14 years old: 4 complaints15 years old: 0 complaints1516 years old: 0 complaints17 years old: 0 complaints18 years old: 0 complaints19 years old: 0 complaints20+ years old: 0 complaints20+
Years between the model year and the owner's reported failure date. Based on 99 of 99 complaints with a usable failure date.

Odometer when the failure occurred

0,000 - 20,000 miles: 0 complaints020,000 - 40,000 miles: 1 complaints40,000 - 60,000 miles: 6 complaints40k60,000 - 80,000 miles: 10 complaints80,000 - 100,000 miles: 9 complaints80k100,000 - 120,000 miles: 18 complaints120,000 - 140,000 miles: 13 complaints120k140,000 - 160,000 miles: 11 complaints160,000 - 180,000 miles: 8 complaints160k180,000 - 200,000 miles: 2 complaints200,000+ miles: 6 complaints200k+
Owner-reported mileage at failure, in 20,000-mile bands. Based on 84 of 99 complaints reporting a plausible odometer (500 to 500,000 miles; unverified).

Known issues

The component families with the most complaint records against this vehicle. Counts, crash and fire figures belong to the whole family, not to any single named issue. Parts listed are related system parts, not a diagnosis.

Engine & cooling

32 complaint records
"WELL I TOOK IT TO MIDAS THEY SAID THROTTLE PEDAL WAS BAD SK I REPLACED IT AND THE THROTTLE BODY WELL IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING .. *TR..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse engine & cooling parts in the directory →

Power train

28 complaint records
"AWD MALFUNCTION ERROR MESSAGE COMES UP, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT IS ON RANDOMLY. THE VEHICLE DURING RAIN AND SNOW IS NOT ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ITS FEATURES DUE TO MALFUNCTION. *TR..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse power train parts in the directory →

Electrical system

21 complaint records1 fire report
"WELL I TOOK IT TO MIDAS THEY SAID THROTTLE PEDAL WAS BAD SK I REPLACED IT AND THE THROTTLE BODY WELL IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING .. *TR..."- one owner's federal complaint about this system; it may not describe the issue named above
Parts
No specific part is named for this issue. Browse electrical system parts in the directory →

Service bulletins and warranty extensions

Manufacturer communications to dealers on file with the federal agency: repair instructions, service campaigns, and warranty extensions. A warranty extension means the manufacturer may pay for a repair the recall table does not cover.

BulletinTypeComponentSummary
CSP-12N03
Nov 2012
EngineFORD: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. MOMENTARY ENGINE IDLE RPM SURGE MAY BE INTERMITTENT AND MAY OCCUR, DUE TO DEPOSITS BUILDUP IN THROTTLE BODY, AT LOW SPEEDS, WHILE PARKING OR ENTERING DRIVEWAY AND CHECK ENGINE LAMP MAY ILLUMINATE.

Before you buy this vehicle

A test-drive checklist generated from this vehicle's own complaint and recall record.

  1. Cold-start it yourself and listen for the first thirty seconds.Knocking, ticking that fades as it warms, or blue or white smoke on startup are the sounds of this vehicle's engine cluster. Check the oil level and the coolant color, and ask whether the engine or its head gaskets have ever been out.
  2. Drive it from a dead stop, twice, on a hill if you can.Shudder, hesitation, or a lurch under light throttle is how this vehicle's largest complaint cluster shows itself. Then ask for the transmission service history in writing; repeat repairs are a pattern, not a fluke.
  3. Sit in it with the engine off and test everything that has a switch.Windows, locks, lights, the cluster, the radio. Electrical faults are this vehicle's story and the hardest to see on a drive: an intermittent no-start waits for the second week of ownership. Ask for the battery's age and whether any control module has been replaced.
  4. Ask for the service history in writing, then read it against this page.The complaint families above are where owners of this vehicle report trouble. Repairs in exactly those systems are evidence the car had the problem; no such repairs could mean it never developed it, or that it was never fixed. The test-drive items above are how you tell those apart.

Parts search directory

The generic parts list for this vehicle has its own page: a search launcher for every system, filtered by fuel type and era but not by engine, trim, or brake type. It is not a diagnosis and not a fitment guarantee.

Open the parts directory for this Ford 500 →