Problems with 2005 Ford Five Hundred POWER TRAIN

2005 ford 500 six-speed automatic transmission shifts to neutral when driver is attempting to pass at highway speeds. so far other drivers have also complained to ford. so far ford is not acknowledging this as a serious problem and has not issued a recall. *tr

Hi i'm from mexico and i got a problem with my ford five hundred 2005 transmission which i have read a lot of consumers also got, in fact i was on my way to the job (in the chaotic city of mexico) when suddenly it began to jerk and then the car got no traction, i cant accelerate neither sustain velocity, fortunately the car that was behind me realize of my problem and aware the traffic to de-accelerate, after that i stop the car and see that it was spilling oil from the transmission. i turn it off and restart the engine but the car still does not move by itself so i wait for the wrecking crane to take the car with the dealer. what impressed me is that the car only got 25,000 miles and it was spilling oil. the told me that the transmission must be changed, but my warranty run out on january and the change of will have a cost of 10,000 us dollars. i'm writing to you to check with ford this problems cause the lose the lose control of the engine and the jerk spilling oil will probably have caused an accident. *tr

I purchased a used 2005 ford 500 ltd awd in may 2008. i was told it was a lease turn in. the mileage was very low, under 30,000 miles. the factory warranty expired in july 2008. in october 2008, my dash began malfunctioning. the gauges would go completely dead. i could not tell how fast i was going, how much gas i had left or the temperature of the engine. nothing on my dash would work. it varied from lasting seconds to appx a half an hour. i drove home one night (it took me appx 25 minutes) not knowing how fast i was going or how much gas i had left. also, the reverse lights were on when my car was in both drive and park. i stopped at a red light (my car was in drive) and the reverse sensor alarm went off when a car pulled up behind me. we took it to the dealership we bought it from & were told it was a cluster in the dash that was a "known problem with this vehicle" but because it was not a "safety issue" ford did not have to recall this. i feel that not being able to know what speed you are driving down the highway to be a huge safety issue. also having your reverse lights on while the car is in park or drive seems a bit dangerous as well. we had it repaired and it cost us over 400.00. about 2 weeks ago, we had to have another "cluster" repaired that was making my transmission shake & the check engine light as well another warning light appear. it was a sensor that went bad and was making my car think it was out of gas. this cost us almost 350.00 to repair. not sure what's going on with the sensors/clusters on these cars but it seems to be a safety issue to me. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford five hundred. when driving above 50 mph, the vehicle shakes and experiences difficulty switching gears. the vehicle has not been diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 56,000. updated 10/16/08 *bf the consumer was informed there was a possibility there was some internal damage to the transmission. updated 10/20/08.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford five hundred. while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle suddenly downshifted gears and the rpms began to increase. the vehicle did not increase in speed and it stayed in one gear. the problem occurred five times. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 41,000. the failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

For the past month or so my ford five hundred (2005 @ 64,000 texas hwy miles) has been shifting hard and changing gears erratically, while making clunking noises. we took it to our repair shop and they were mystified so they sent it to their transmission specialty shop. it turns out that they have another five hundred in the shop getting its transmission replaced because of the same problems. we just had the transmission flushed and oil changed but that did not help. the transmission shop contacted the ford dealer service center and they gave them the codes to 'flash' the newest codes into the transmission & throttle computers. no change. they tested new transmission modules with no change. so now they say they have to change out the transmission @ $4,300. this is not good! the transmission specialist says this is the 4th five hundred he has had this problem with and that they cannot get parts to repair the transmission so they have no other option but to replace it. i contacted my ford dealer and they also say they cannot get parts for the transmission. tomorrow i am going to the big guys at ford and get an answer from them about what is going on. *tr

I have an 05 ford 500, 2 wheel drive, w/6 speed at/trans. at 30k miles it developed a transmission "slippage/jerk" when slowing to a stop from 35mph or less. i have also noticed the same when accelerating at highway speeds or climbing a hill when i hit passing gear. i cannot use the cruise control in hilly terrain because of this problem. it feels as if the whole front end of the car will jerk loose. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford five hundred. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact accelerated to switch lanes; however, the gears would not shift. he heard a loud, banging noise under the hood of the vehicle and it began to jerk. the contact was forced to remain at the speed he was traveling before attempting to accelerate. the same failure recurred three days later. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that there was downshifting failure, and recommended that the transmission be replaced. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the failure mileage was 40,100 and current mileage was 42,000.

I have a ford five hundred limited. the car has stop running while the car is in gear and moving. it also stopped when i started to drive from a stop light. while it was being fixed at the car dealership it stop (died) on them several times. the ford dealer company thought it was the power steering pump because the power steering pump was making a knocking sound. they also noticed that if they was to turn the wheel it would usually die on them. the dealership has replaced the battery, powersteering pump, belt and the throttle and the car still dies. my understanding from them is that they have never come across this problem before. what made me take the car in to begin with was that i went to start the car after playing tennis for about 45 minutes and it wouldn't start. the battery was somewhat dead and the security light was flashing rapidly. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford five hundred. while driving 55 mph, the vehicle slipped out of gear and the rpm's increased. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not provide a remedy. the contact feels that a crash could occur due to the over acceleration. the current mileage was 120,000 and failure mileage was 60,000.

Purchased my 500 9/05 it only had 5 miles on it. 6 months later loud explosion in engine which began to leak some sort of fluid got the car towed to dealer purchased was told a/c leaking oil and they had to replace the manifold i wasn't even using the a/c was march!!! my dash console had to be replaced since it was defective and the computer also had to be reprogrammed since the car wouldn't start in 30 degree weather this happened in jan06......my fuel straps were replaced due to recall and my door locks were replaced due to recall and i had 22k miles when the back brakes began making a terrible grinding noise when backing up took to dealer said that although car is under warranty brakes are under wear and tear and would not be covered now which didn't make any sense since the front brakes were good how could back brakes go bad before front brakes unless you only drive your car in reverse????? i paid the $400 to fix since was informed 500 rotors cant be turned ever will always have to purchase new ones......then 6 months later brakes were recalled and i did request refund which i did receive. however i now have 44k no longer have warranty since expired and i didn't buy extended warranty brought car in to ford since transmission light was turning on and off along with the traction control light then had trans censor replaced was told that was problem then 2 days later light still turning on and car will not reverse took into dealer again was told trans axle broke in half and need new trans which costs $5300 car is only work 9k!!!! ford company said they will offer assistance only of 3k since out of warranty they also informed me that had i purchased the extended warranty i would only be paying $100 nothing like throwing that in your face. i have no choice but to pay it need a car and am a single parent of 2. also back doors trim is coming apart passenger since is completely rotted out. *tr

Driving at approximately 40-45 miles per hour a loud noise emanated from the bottom of the car, engine rpms raced from 1500 to 4500, a clattering noise followed sounding like a metal spoon dropped into a running garbage disposal, car dramatically slowed complete loss of acceleration control, steering control uncertain as car wandered. no unusual events occurred prior to this incident, its occurrence came without warning and was totally unexpected. event occurred on two lane rural road,vehicles following and oncoming had to take evasive action but no collision occurred. passengers stranded. vehicle towed to dealership. right axle shaft broken in half. right axle carrier bearing broken transmission and splines damaged. old parts are available. axle shaft and carrier bearing were replaced and transmission splines filed down. *tr

Car randomly stalls. on occasions when the accelerator is depressed the car does not move it stutters, i even tried to depress the gas pedal to the floor and still nothing. i have taken my car to the local ford dealer for service. the only thing that i was told "the computer chip in the transmission needed updated." ok this hasn't corrected my problem. i am afraid that this could cause me to get into an accident. i have two small children, i hope that they are not in the car when it happens. i am assumely that the reason this hasn't been recalled yet, is because ford doesn't have a repair for this. besides the obvious, replacing the transmission. please look into this. you may need to drive one, i will let you use mine. just so this gets taken care of. *tr

Vehicle shifts hard when hitting passing gear on highway like transmission is slipping or going out. lose all power and car will buck back and forth. also does it when transmission down shifts and then tries to upshift when accelerating and engine warm. *tr

2005 ford five hundred with 51000 miles had check engine light come on. car accelerates unexpectedly when shifting into reverse or from reverse to drive then lunges forward or backward like it will take off on its own. the engine surge can be felt even standing still at times. told it is the throttle body and have been waiting for part as it is on backorder. this is an 800.00 repair and i have been waiting almost a month. someone could be injured when these vehicles lunge forward or backward unexpectedly. i see many many similar complaints with this model car and this particular part. i believe it should be recalled before someone is injured or worse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford five hundred. the contact stated that when the heat index was above 80 degrees, the check transmission and wrench symbols would illuminate on the instrument panel. as a result, the engine would lose some of its power whenever the contact decelerated. the contact would shut the vehicle off and upon restart it would operate as normal, but the warning lights would continue to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the valve body was replaced, but the failure continued. the manufacturer had not been notified. the approximate failure mileage was 101,000 and the current mileage was 131,000.

I have taken my 2005 ford 500 to my local ford dealer so many times i can not count for the same recurring issues. this vehicle always lunges when i put in gear in reverse or forward. the car lunged backward striking a parked car the first week i got it. i paid for all damage cause i didn't want to claim new car on my insurance. while driving on highway engine starts to decelerate while trying to pass car or change lanes..big problem in traffic..have to floor it till it kicks into gear. dangerous. then, everytime it rains, all 4 doors fill with water..i have to lift up rubber at the bottom..clear the holes..wait for 5 minutes each door. every winter the driver side door latch freezes up and i can't close the door..i thought they dealer fixed the door latch due to a safety recall..that is not the case..several times, i have had to drive to work 15 minutes holding the door shut while driving down the highway.dangerous. i have had it lubed with several products, doesn't work..the service manager at my local ford dealer showed me how to hold the door handle open while using a screwdriver to free the latch..handy little trick. i keep silicone lube spray, screwdriver, pliers, and a jumper box in the car at all times.i have called ford motor co. many times..always got run around and no straight answers. finally last week after calling 5 times, i was transferred to a supervisor that explained to me that the other 10 times i called.no complaint was filed and informed me on the complaint process..i just purchased a new taurus and am hoping to let my son use the 500 to drive to college daily..i am concerned about his safety in this car..so unless these issues are addressed and corrected, i don't know what to do..i have put a lot money into this car.what happen to the lemon law. this car is a lemon. *tr

Purchased ford five hundred in february 2006, an sel automatic. around 15,000 miles began noticing transmission issues, mostly hesitation when shifting into gear. first major incident occurred oct. 22, 2006 while traveling at 65 miles per hour on the freeway, engine revved while pressing the gas pedal but vehicle slowed as if it was in neutral. then it punched violently and resumed driving normally. we pulled over thinking something major was wrong with the vehicle. we began our journey again and had several incidents of minor punching of the transmission, like it was slipping out of gear and going back in again. after we returned home, these problems were very intermittent. about 2 weeks later while driving on the freeway, the vehicle slipped out of gear and almost came to a complete stop before re-engaging. we brought it to the ford dealer the second week in november. they said they could not duplicate the issue, however they said there was a computer technician log that suggested a reset. they reset the computer, changed the oil, checked the transmission fluid, etc. a few days later the transmission was back to slipping intermittently. on november 20, 2006, the severe punching began again, so bad this time the vehicle almost came to a complete stop. we had to shift the gear into 2nd before it engaged and we were able to accelerate. since we were on vacation, we had to continue on our trip with the transmission slipping in and out of gear. when we returned from our trip, back to the ford dealer we went. we took the transmission technician guy for a test drive and luckily we were able to duplicate the problem. he was amazed, hadn't seen anything like it before. he talked to other transmission tech's who were stumped by the problem, too. he ended up calling ford headquarters and spoke with the engineers. they decided a complete replacement of the transmission was in order because they weren't sure what was causing the problem. *jb

Brand new 2005 ford 500 purchased on september 24 2005 began at 15000 miles with brake problems. same problem occurred at 30,000 miles. my job is 100% sales and my car is my only revenue provider. at 35,000 car showing problems when hitting the gas, it would not run. at 39,000 miles an electric short circuit. at 39,000 i asked the dealer to recheck the whole car that it was showing transmission and brake problems. at 43,000 miles now is sitting in the ford dealer where i purchased at since last friday sept 22,2006. the ford dealer mechanical director was inside the car and me test driving it, and could not believe the problems with the transmission. his words were' if this was my car i would not be sitting in it, it's a risk to anyone's life" today, ford informed me that they have to bring the transmission down and open it. they ask me every time to sign in acceptance they will pay for everything. it is being reported to consumer affairs department tomorrow, i have notified the bank who gave me the loan. this does not include all the car rental expenditures i've had to incur in addition to constant repairs prior to car reaching 1 year. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford five hundred. while driving 30 mph the vehicle began shaking and then idling as if it wanted to shut off. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and inspected where it was determined that the valve body box was failing and the cost for repair would be $1800.00. the vehicle has not been repaired and the contact is trying to get the manufacturer to cover the cost of the repair. the contact called the manufacturer and a complaint was filed and the contact was advised that her claim would be reviewed. the failure mileage was 25,281 and the current mileage was 74,000. updated 11/10/09 *cn the consumer stated the vehicle shut off several times, the gauge act erratically. updated 11/18/09

Harsh and delayed shifting. lunges forward when in drive at stop even with foot on brake, same in reverse. car shifts fine for first 20-30 minutes then starts to shift hard up and down... seems to get worse as car gets warmer

Dt*: the contact stated while applying pressure to the accelerator pedal and the vehicle hesitated. the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. the manufacturer was contacted. updated 05/30/06.*ak

2005 fore five hundred- the following problems have occurred; 1)four times the check transmission light has come on , and car then was unable to drive faster than 40 mph. each time car was brought to the dealership for repairs, including replacing modules and the trans axle pan. currently the car at the dealership for this problem. 2) on two separate occasions driver's side front window would go to the down position when the button was pressed for the up position. the window motor and harness were replaced after the first incident. currently at dealership for this problem also. *nm

On the two occasions that we had snow this past winter, my ford 500 began to surge uncontrollably and the engine failure light came on when accelerating. it became necessary to pull to the side of the road and turn the vehicle ignition off. when i restarted, the trouble light was off and i continued my journey home. within a few minutes the same problem occurred, engine failure light and the surging. needless to say, it took quite awhile to get home. i brought the vehicle to an authorized ford dealer the fist time and they could not find anything wrong. after the second snow storm, and the same symptoms, the dealer said the problem occurred because the filter was installed backwards. somewhat skeptical, i accepted their explanation because of my good relationship with the dealer owner and service manager. while at work the other day, i noticed a co-worker with a similar type vehicle and inquired as to how she liked the ford 500. her response shocked me when she stated that she liked the vehicle, but had trouble this past winter in the snow. she described the same problem that i had experienced and now i wonder how many other 2005 ford 500 owners have experienced the same problems. i am hoping that you will be able to assist me in determine the cause of this problem. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford five hundred. while approaching a stop sign, the vehicle would no longer go forward. the vehicle would only move in reverse. the contact was close to her residence and drove there in reverse. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they checked the fluid levels and the transmission light. a diagnostic was performed and the pcm and tcm were reprogrammed. in april of 2008, the vehicle hesitated and the check engine light illuminated. the contact took the vehicle to a service center for another diagnostic and was charged over $500. the current mileage was approximately 17,000 and failure mileage was approximately 4,000. updated 07/15/08. *lj updated 07/15/08

Dt: last sunday the consumer discovered she had a flat tire. when she attempted to start the vehicle, the motor starting racing and making a loud noise like it was revving up. the transmission light came on. the consumer placed the vehicle in park then put it into drive and it would not move at all. the transmission would not engage. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer who could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. they think it was just a glitch. *jb

Dt: the contact owns a 2005 ford 500 sel. the vehicle was made with a six speed automatic transmission. when going down hill it has a overdrive in the transmission. when the consumer removed his foot from the accelerator the vehicle began to speed up going down hill and if pressing the brakes for a long distance, the brakes will get hot. manufacturer told him that this was the way the vehicle was designed. the contact felt that there should be some way to turn the overdrive off. he owned other ford vehicles that had the option to turn the overdrive off. *ak *jb

Dt: 2005 ford 500 sedan did not have an intermediate or second gear for gearing down to going down mountains. this was a safety issue, and needed to be brought to ford's attention. *ak *nm

In parking spot. just started car. foot on brake. shifted car to reverse gear. after a couple or more seconds, the car lurched, with my foot on the break, and nearly hit a pedestrian walking behind my car. upon researching this symptom, i discovered other owners of the five hundred, freestyle and taurus reporting the same symptoms. the culprit appears to be a malfunctioning throttle body, which is or was in short supply for replacement. this particular incident is not the first time i experienced this event. this is just the first time a pedestrian was at risk. the pedestrian can be contacted for verification. *tr

Vehichle constantly shifting. "searches" for for correct gear. had computer replaced and a week later reoccurred. reprogrammed computer again and reoccurred. ford unable to repair. losing 6-8 mpg.*ak

Upon putting the vehicle in park it will put itself into reverse. this happened twice. going down hill the at 50 mph the speedometer will drop to 20 mph. losing two to two and one half miles to a gallon. contacted the dealer. took the vehicle in. ford had the vehicle for four weeks. ford stated there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. however, the problem recurred. *ak