2005 Ford Five Hundred

I HAVE A RECALL OF NOV 2006 ON MY 2005 FORD 500 FOR THE DOORS FLYING OPEN AFTER FREEZING VIN [XXX] AND ROBIN OF FORD CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS STATES FORD WILL NOT PICK THIS CAR UP (AS IT HAS DEFECTIVE BRAKES AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED TO YOU AND HAS AN AFFIDAVIT OF NON USE FILED). FORD IS REFUSING TO PERFORM WORK ON THE RECALL. *JB UPDATED 07/11/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I PURCHASED A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED IN JULY 2005. I HAD NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT A LARGE AMOUNT OF BLACK BRAKE DUST ACCUMULATED ON THE REAR WHEELS. THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN 80 TO 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MINIMAL BRAKING. AT 6000 MILES I NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR WHEELS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REAR BRAKE PADS HAD WORN OUT AND RUINED THE ROTORS. THEY REPLACED THE ROTORS AND BRAKES ON WARRANTY. AT 32,000 MILES DURING A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE THE SHOP MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE REAR BRAKES WERE GONE. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR AND HAD COMPLETED THE LAST BRAKE REPLACEMENT AND ASKED THEM IF PREMATURE REAR BRAKE WEAR WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 500 HUNDRED. THEY DID NOT RESPOND. I ASKED THEM IF THEY THOUGHT IT UNUSUAL FOR THE BRAKES TO WEAR OUT TWICE IN 32,000 MILES? I TOLD THEM THAT ALL OF MY OTHER VEHICLES WHICH WEAR/ARE DRIVEN IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS USUALLY DO NOT NEED A BRAKE REPLACEMENT UNTIL THEY ARE AT 80,000 MILES OR MORE? THEY TOLD ME THAT IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE MY DRIVING HABITS. I DO NOT DRIVE ANY DIFFERENTLY NOW THAT I HAVE OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS. THEY TOLD ME ON THIS SECOND VISIT FOR A BRAKE PROBLEM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE ME TO INSPECT THE BRAKES AND IF THEY DID NOT FIND A MECHANICAL PROBLEM, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THEY CAME BACK TO ME AND SAID THAT THE REAR CALIPERS WERE STICKING. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. THE REAR ROTORS AND PADS WERE REPLACE AGAIN. FOR SOME REASON TWICE NOW THE REAR BRAKES ARE FAILING LONG BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS HAVE EVENT 25% OF THEIR WEAR GONE. IT APPEARS THAT THE REAR BRAKES ARE DOING MOST OF THE BRAKING AND THE FRONT ARE DOING LITTLE. THIS MAY CAUSE A SAFETY PROBLEM . *JB

WHILE CONDUCTING A WEEKLY INSPECTION AND PRESSURE CHECK OF MY TIRES, (CONTINENTAL CONTITOURING CONTACT AS P215/60R17) A SPLIT MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 2" IN LENGTH WAS OBSERVED IN THE SIDEWALL OF ONE TIRE. THE SPLIT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CAUSED BY ANY ROAD DAMAGE OR OTHER EXTERNAL FORCE. THERE IS NO AIR LEAKAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPLIT. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE AND NEW TIRES HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO REPLACE THIS SET. *JB

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.

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

I TOOK MY 2005 FORD 500 WITH 18,000 MILES TO THE DEALER FOR A NOISE IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AND AFTER REPLACING THE STRUT UNDER WARRANTY TO TAKE CARE OF THE NOISE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR NEEDED NEW REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY REAR BRAKES SHOULD BE REQUIRED AND CERTAINLY NO EXCUSE FOR THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHEN THE VEHICLE ONLY HAVE 18,000 MILES AND THE FRONT BRAKES ARE FINE. IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS A DESIGN PROBLEM SINCE THE REAR BRAKE WHEELS ARE DOING MOST OF THE WORK. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS BY FORD AND NHTSA. *JB

SUBJECT: EXCESSIVE REAR BRAKE WEAR ON 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. NEW CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP ON APRIL 17, 2005. REAR BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED AND ROTORS TURNED BY FORD DEALERSHIP ON APRIL 13, 2006 AT 29,976 MILES. FORD DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ON NOV. 17, 2006 AT 46,691 MILES. WHY DID THE FORD FACTORY REAR BRAKE PADS/ROTORS GET 29,976 MILES AND FORD DEALERSHIP INSTALLED REAR BRAKE PAD/ROTORS GET ONLY 16,715 MILES? PADS FRONT: FORD FACTORY INSTALLED STILL ON CAR WITH 46,691 MILES: LEFT FRONT: OUTSIDE 6MM THICK INSIDE 8MM THICK RIGHT FRONT: OUTSIDE 6 MM THICK INSIDE 8 MM THICK PADS REAR: FORD DEALERSHIP INSTALLED NEW 0 MILES LEFT REAR: OUTSIDE 8 MM THICK INSIDE 10 MM THICK RIGHT REAR: OUTSIDE 8MM THICK INSIDE 10 MM THICK FORD RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF BRAKE PADS IS LESS THAN 3 MM. THE FRONT PADS ARE 6 INCHES LONG AND THE REAR PADS ARE ONLY 2 INCHES LONG. WHY ARE THE REAR PADS ONLY 1/3 THE SIZE OF THE FRONT PADS? THE REAR WHEEL RIMS ARE ALWAYS BLACK WITH EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST. THE FRONT WHEEL RIMS HAVE VERY LITTLE BRAKE DUST. THE REAR WHEELS WHEN JACKED UP AND SPUN BY HAND SEEM TO DRAG ON THE PADS/ROTORS. OTHER CARS I HAVE WILL SPIN BY HAND 8 TO 10 SECONDS. THE FORD 500 WILL SPIN ONLY 3 SECONDS. IS IT POSSIBLE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ARE THE PROBLEM FOR THIS DRAG AND WEAR? THE FORD DEALER IS HELPFUL, BUT FORD WARRANTY IS ONLY 18,000 MILES/12 MONTHS ON FACTORY INSTALLED BRAKES, AND 12,000/12 MONTHS ON FORD DEALERSHIP INSTALLED BRAKES. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE FORD MOTOR CO. CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER. THEIR ANSWER WAS THAT THERE ARE NO BRAKE PROBLEMS. FORD DEALERSHIP CHECKED WITH THE FORD FACTORY TECH AND AGAIN NO BRAKE PROBLEMS. NHTSA WEB SITE HAS 11 COMPLAINTS LIKE MINE. HOW CAN FORD CORP AND THE FORD DEALERSHIP TELL ME THERE ARE NO REAR BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH MY 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. *JB

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THROUGH OUT THE CAR IS BEING HEARD IN THE SPEAKERS. IF THE SEATS, WINDOW, ETC., ETC. ARE TOUCHED YOU CAN HEAR THEM THROUGH THE BACK END WITH A LOUD ROARING NOISE. IT IS SO LOUD THAT YOU CAN NOT KEEP THE RADIO ON. IT ONLY REACTS WHEN IT IS EXTREMELY HOT, EXTREMELY COLD OR AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN WASHED OR IT RAINS. WE HAVE TAKEN THIS TO THE DEALER WHERE THE AMP, RADIO, CD PLAYER AND SPEAKERS HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. THEY HAVE EVEN ELIMINATED WATER LEAK WHICH ONLY LEAVES WIRING ISSUES IN WHICH THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE. OUR FEAR IS THAT IT COULD CAUSE FIRE. WE HAVE ARBITRATED AND CONTACTED CORPORATE AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE EVEN TOOK THIS TO ANOTHER FORD DEALER IN WHICH THEY TOLD US AFTER SHOWING THEM ALL THE WORK ORDERS THAT THEY WILL NOT GET INVOLVED SINCE IT IS A PRE-EXISTING ISSUE THAT ANOTHER DEALER HAS TRIED TO RESOLVE MANY, MANY TIMES. JUST BE CAUTIOUS AND PLACE YOUR VEHICLE INSIDE AWAY FROM THESE CONDITIONS SO IT DOESN'T ACT UP AND CAUSE MORE ISSUES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE REAR ROTORS MADE A GRINDING NOISE WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHO REPLACED THE ROTORS DUE TO BRAKE PAD DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO STATED THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ADVISORY IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER # 10014650 ABOUT THE SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC. THE VEHICLE WAS ON ITS THIRD SET OF BRAKE PADS.

I PURCHASED A 2005 FORD 500 NEW IN JULY 2005. I HAD IT SERVICED BY THE BOOK AT MY DEALERSHIP. ON NOV 14,2006 I TOOK IT IN FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND THE 22,000 MILE CHECK UP. I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED NEW REAR BRAKES AND "ROTORS". SINCE 75% OF THESE MILES ARE ALL HIGHWAY MILES (VERY LITTLE BRAKING), THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHY REAR BRAKES SHOULD BE REQUIRED....AND CERTAINLY NO EXCUSE FOR THE ROTORS NEEDING REPLACED. SINCE I TAKE EXTREMELY GOOD CAR OF MY VEHICLES, INCLUDING WASHING IT BY HAND, I HAVE NOTICED SINCE I BOUGHT IT THAT THE REAR WHEELS ARE ALWAYS BLACK WITH BRAKE DUST. THE FRONT WHEELS ARE TYPICALLY CLEAN. THAT MUST MEAN THE REAR WHEELS ARE DOING MOST OF THE WORK. THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT AN ENGINEERING ISSUE. ALSO, HAVING VISITED THE NHTSA WEBSITE, IT IS LITTERED WITH COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER FORD 500 OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. AND VIA THEIR REPORTS, A DENIAL BY FORD THAT THERE IS NOT PROBLEM. (WONDER WHY THEY ARE ON THE ROPES AS A CAR MAKER???) I "CHATTED WITH THE SERVICE ADVISOR TO NO AVAIL. I PLAN ON GOING HIGHER....WISH ME LUCK. ON THE OTHER HAND, I PRESENT TO BETWEEN 15 AND 20 THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS EACH YEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY TALKING ABOUT INTEGRITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. FORD IS ABOUT TO LEARN THE TRUE MEANING OF THE TERM "CUSTOMER TERRORIST". I CAN ASSURE THEM THAT I WILL GET MY MONEY'S WORTH A COUPLE OF HUNDRED TIMES OVER. MAYBE YOU SHOULD WISH THEM LUCK...THEY ARE GOING TO NEED IT. *NM