2005 Ford Five Hundred

MONDAY, JUNE 28TH MY VEHICLE SEEMED TO SLIGHTLY ACCELERATE WHEN I WAS BACKING IT INTO A PARKING SPOT. THEN ABOUT A WEEK LATER (JULY 06TH), I WAS STOPPED IN A LINE OF OTHER VEHICLES, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHERE IT WOULD ACCELERATE, ONLY THIS TIME, IT HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 5 TIMES CONSISTENTLY. MY VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED WITH A MESSAGE THAT READ, "FAIL SAFE ENGINE MODE". THE NEXT DAY, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT IN TO A FORD DEALER TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. THEY SAID THAT THIS IS FREQUENT ISSUE WITH THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT'S UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THESE CONDITIONS. THEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN A CASE WHERE A CUSTOMER'S THROTTLE WAS WIDE OPEN AND ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY AND IS SHOCKED THAT IT HASN'T BEEN RECALLED YET. HE SUGGESTED IT NOT LEAVE THE LOT UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE DONE. WE LEFT IT AT THE DEALERSHIP TO GET REPAIRED, BUT TOOK HIS ADVICE. WE BELIEVE THIS A DEFAULT IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE THROTTLE BODY, AND CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. WE HOPE THIS WILL GET INVESTIGATED, SO NO ONE IS INJURED. *TR

FORD FIVE HUNDRED LUNGED DRAMATICALLY AS I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE IN ORDER TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND YIELD TO A PEDESTRIAN THAT HAD BEGUN TO CROSS THE STREET. IT TOOK AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO FIGHT ENGINE'S ACCELERATION AND STOP THE CAR. UPON REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, THE CAR ATTEMPTED TO RE-ACCELERATE HARD AGAIN, SCARING THE PEDESTRIAN ENOUGH THAT THEY WAVED ME THROUGH AND REFUSED TO CROSS UNTIL I PASSED BY. THE NEXT DAY, WHILE PARKING THE CAR IN A PUBLIC GARAGE, THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD VERY HARD, AGAIN REQUIRING MAXIMUM EFFORT TO PREVENT ACCELERATING. THIS TIME I WAS HEADED INTO A CONCRETE WALL AND STOPPED 2 INCHES SHORT. FOR THE FIRST TIME, CAR ENTERED FAILSAFE MODE AND PRESENTED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (THIS LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED). DEALER INFORMS ME COMPUTER REPORTS CODES OF P610B AND P2106. THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY AND REPROGRAM THE PCM. WHILE I HAD EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE YEARS; I NEVER GOT RESOLUTION (UNABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM) AND HAD NEVER RECEIVED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH THIS CODE BEFORE. INVESTIGATING THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR HAS LED ME TO DISCOVER THAT MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT UNIQUE AND IS A RECURRING ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE. FURTHER, THE COSTLY REPAIR BEING RECOMMENDED APPEARS TO BE A STOP-GAP FIX AT BEST WITH NO CERTAINTY OF ACTUALLY FIXING THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED LTD AWD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION TWICE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND AGAIN WHEN HE MADE A LEFT TURN, WITH HIS FOOT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED; HOWEVER, A REPORT WAS NOT TAKEN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 131,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY AND ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT DRIVER INTENT. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR WHETHER THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000. UPDATED 08/24/10*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY ACCELERATES AT A RATE OF 65 MPH WHEN HER FOOT IS NOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS WIRING PROBLEMS THAT LEADS TO THE HEADLIGHTS CAUSING THEM TO FAIL. THE WIRES OVERHEAT AND SOMETIMES FLICKERS. THE CASING MELT AS WELL AND THEN THE LIGHTS BEGIN TO SMOKE. UPDATED 08/25/10 *JB

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH THE VEHICLE WENT INTO SAFETY MODE. THIS CONDITIONS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO DOWN-SHIFT. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DAMAGED. ANOTHER TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE OF THROTTLE BODY CAUSED DAMAGES TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS ON BACKORDER. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MANUFACTURER SPECULATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER OF 2009. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 52,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE THROTTLE BODY IN HIS ENGINE FAILED. WHEN MINIMAL PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT FAILED TO MOVE AND SUDDENLY IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. PART# 5F9Z9E926B HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER SINCE NOVEMBER 2009 WHICH HAS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE HIS VEHICLE FOR OVER A MONTH. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO WARRANTY HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,812.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS; HOWEVER, WITHIN A FEW MINUTES SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED AND THAT THE PARTS ARE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO PURCHASE THE PARTS FROM A LOCAL JUNK YARD. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT OVER 1,000 PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER AND THAT THEY ARE UNSURE OF WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

TL*THE 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. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE BECAME AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET AND LANDED ON ITS SIDE. AT THAT TIME, ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER TWICE AND LANDED AT A RECENTLY PLANTED FLOWER BED. THE DRIVER SEAT BELT DISENGAGED AS WELL. PART OF THE CRASH WAS CAUGHT ON TAPE BY A PENNSYLVANIA DOT SURVEILLANCE CAMERA. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 22,000. UPDATED 04/29/08. *LJ

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CAR ACCELERATES UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE SHE STARTS THE CAR AND DRIVES A SHORT DISTANCE AT 10 MPH AND COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR WILL THEN ACCELERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. SHE HAS TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER (FREEMONT FORD) A DOZEN TIMES AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. THE CONTACT SAID THAT THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALER.