2005 Ford Five Hundred

DASH GAUGES, LIGHTS, INOPERABLE. STUCK IN VARIOUS POSITIONS. TURN SIGNALS ARE INOPERABLE AND REVERSE LIGHTS ARE ON IN THE DRIVE POSITION. REVERSE WARNING INDICATORS BEEP WHEN IN TRAFFIC AT STOP LIGHTS OR WHEN OTHER VEHICLES GET CLOSE TO REAR OF VEHICLE. AIR BAG INOPERABLE WARNING LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME. EXISTING RESEARCH BY NHTSA INDICATES EXTERIOR LIGHTING WORKING ON PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS. INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES TURN SIGNALS AND REVERSE LIGHTS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN CLUSTER FAILS. POSSIBLE AIR BAG FAILURE COUPLED WITH INOPERABLE TURN SIGNALS AND INCREASED RISK OF ACCIDENT AS WELL AS REVERSE LIGHTS ON IN DRIVE ARE MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS. *TR

AROUND 102, 000 MILES, DURING A SNOW STORM, I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED AWD LIMITED ON A MAIN ROAD. AS I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR SEEMED TO "LURCH". I REACTED BY REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE GAS, IN FEAR THE CAR WAS SLIDING ON ICE, AND THE WRENCH ILLUMINATED ON MY DASH, AS IT DISPLAYED "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE". THE CAR CONTINUED TO DRIVE, AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT HANDLING VERY SMOOTHLY. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. I WAITED TEN SECONDS AND STARTED THE CAR. EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I BEGAN TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD AGAIN, AND THE SITUATION REPEATED. THE CAR SEEMED TO SHIFT VERY HARD, AND THE WRENCH ILLUMINATED AND "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE" WAS DISPLAYED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO ILLUMINATED. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AGAIN. ONCE I TURNED IT BACK ON, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. TWO DAYS LATER, I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND WHEN THE CAR WAS RECONNECTED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD TURNED OFF. ATLEAST ONE MONTH PASSED WITH NO PROBLEMS OR RE-OCCURRENCES. HOWEVER, THIS MORNING, THERE WAS ANOTHER SNOW STORM. WHILE I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR LURCHED AGAIN, THE "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE" DISPLAYED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. BOTH OCCURRENCES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED BY THE INABILITY OF MY CAR TO DRIVE WELL IN THE SNOW. BOTH TIMES MY CAR HAS FISHTAILED HORRIBLY, AND BEEN DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR UNTIL THIS WINTER, AND I HAVE HAD IT SINCE AUGUST OF 2008. *TR

APPARENTLY, I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO BRING THIS ISSUE TO THE NHTSA'S ATTENTION. I LIKE SO MANY OTHER, HAVE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY INSTRUMENT PANEL ON MY FORD FIVE HUNDRED. I WOULD LIKE FOR A RECALL TO BE ISSUED AS IT HAS NEARLY CAUSED ME AN ACCIDENT TODAY, AND CAN LEAD TO OTHER HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR OTHERS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON MY CAR HAS FAILED COMPLETELY, AND MY SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, AND ALL OTHER GAUGES SHUT OFF. WHENEVER I DRIVE MY CAR, THE REVERSE (OR WHITE) LIGHT TURNS ON DESPITE THE FACT THAT I MIGHT BE DRIVING FORWARD AT 55MPH ON A HIGHWAY. I THINK CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TOWARDS A RESOLUTION. THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS REGARDING THIS VERY ISSUE.

WHILE DRIVING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BLACKED OUT AND WHEN IT CAME BACK ON THE INSTRUMENTS ALL REGISTERED 0. AFTER THE INITIAL INCIDENT IT HAS CONTINUED TO ESCALATE. ON OR ABOUT DECEMBER 26, 2010 THE PANEL BLACKED OUT AND THE CAR BOGGED DOWN AND I HAD TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD, TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART TO GET IT TO RUN NORMALLY. THERE IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE.

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO HAD THE PANEL RESTORED. THE DEALER COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE FAILURE WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN AS THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

AS I WAS SLOWING TO TURN OFF OF A STATE HIGHWAY, MY CAR SHUT OFF AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE THAT SAID "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE." I WAS SOMEWHAT ABLE TO STEER, SO I COMPLETED MY TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET, WHERE THE CAR DRIFTED TO A STOP. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CAR WOULD START BUT IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF, DISPLAYING THE SAME ERROR MESSAGE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED A FAILED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. THEY ORDERED A REPLACEMENT PART, WHICH WAS THEN INSTALLED. INCIDENTALLY, THE PART HAD SINCE BEEN REDESIGNED BY FORD. ONCE THAT PART WAS REINSTALLED, THE COMPUTER WAS REFLASHED TO "LEARN" THAT A NEW THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY WAS INSTALLED. THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT LEARN THE NEW PART, THOUGH, SO A NEW COMPUTER HAD TO BE ORDERED AND INSTALLED. OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THIS SAME PROBLEM (SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING) HAD OCCURRED, BUT IN EACH CASE I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBLEM. THIS WAS DANGEROUS IN THAT MY CAR SIMPLY SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING,MAKING A LEFT TURN ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY NOBODY WAS COMING THE OTHER DIRECTION, SO I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIFT THROUGH THE ONCOMING LANE TO ANOTHER SIDE STREET. ALSO, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE MY CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP HAVING THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY FIVE OTHER FORD FIVE HUNDRED VEHICLES IN THE SHOP AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR ELECTRONIC THROTTLES AS WELL.

I TOOK MY 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED SEL IN FOR A SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE TORQUE STRUT MOUNT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE TOP MOTOR MOUNT WAS BROKEN. PRICE TO REPAIR IS $619. AFTER DOING MORE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS APPARENTLY A DEALER KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE PARTICULAR CARS! SO, WHY DOESN'T FORD MOTOR COMPANY ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THESE FAULTY PARTS INSTEAD OF MAKING CONSUMERS PAY THESE RIDICULOUS REPAIR BILLS??! *TR

TRAVELING ON MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY AND ATTEMPTING TO PASS TRACTOR TRAILER DEPRESSED THROTTLE AND TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED TO NEXT LOWER GEAR THAN SLAMMED INTO THE NEXT LOWER GEAR. LOSS OF ALL ACCELERATION TRANSMISSION ILLUMINATED. THAN TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO HAVE ELECTRONICALLY DISENGAGED FROM ENGINE (NO FORWARD MOVEMENT AT ALL, MIND YOU I WAS TRYING TO PASS) ENGINE REVOLUTIONS INCREASED TO OVER 7,000 RPM. BOTH TRANSMISSION LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER A BRIEF REST AT SIDE OF RODE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND COULD BE MOVED BOTH LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. AFTER 5 OR 10 RESTARTS BOTH ERROR LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED. *TR

OUR CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING. IT OFTEN HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT ALSO ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS AND AT ALL SPEEDS. THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD, THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WILL ALL LIGHT UP, AND THEN THE ENGINE WILL SHUT DOWN CAUSING US TO HAVE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND TRY TO PULL OVER TO SAFETY. WHEN WE TRY TO RESTART THE CAR IT WILL SPUTTER AND DIE AGAIN. OCCASIONALLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT TO A PARKING LOT, WE HAVE HAD TO BE TOWED HOME. WE HAVE REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND SPARK PLUGS. THE FORD DEALERSHIP DROVE IT AND RAN DIAGNOSTICS ON IT FOR WEEKS AT A TIME AND FOUND NOTHING TO TELL THEM ANYTHING. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY WEEK OR SO FOR NEARLY A YEAR, AND NO ONE CAN TELL US WHAT'S WRONG. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY, AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN FOR A MONTH. MANY PEOPLE'S DESCRIPTION OF A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION BODY MATCHES OUR DESCRIPTION, BUT THAT PART IS, APPARENTLY, ON BACKORDER. THE CAR IS ESSENTIALLY UN-DRIVABLE, BECAUSE WE CANNOT COUNT ON IT TO GET TO US WORK ON TIME OR SAFELY. *TR