2006 Ford Five Hundred

PIRELLI P6 (P225/55 R18) TIRE FAILURE ON INTERSTATE 40. THE ENTIRE TREAD AREA & ABOUT 1 INCH OF THE SIDEWALL BROKE AWAY FROM BOTH SIDEWALLS. THE REMAINING TWO SIDEWALLS STAYED ON THE RIM BUT THE TREAD CAME OFF. THE TIRES ARE ORIGINAL TO THE 2006 FORD 500 - WITH 40K MILEAGE. THE OTHER 3 TIRES APPEAR TO BE OK. ALL HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED AND ROTATED EVERY 5K MILES. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO WRECK - I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY CONSIDER THE TRAFFIC SPEED. I RETRIEVED THE TREAD FROM THE ROADSIDE AFTER HAVING THE TIRE REPLACED. *TR

LOW BEAM HEADLAMP SOCKET ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FAILED. ONE OF THE SOCKET CONTACTS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF A CATASTROPHIC ELECTRICAL FAILURE - LOOKS LIKE SEVERE ARCING, BURNED PLASTIC, BROKEN SOCKET SHELL AND BADLY BURNED PIN IN THE LAMP. THE LAMP ITSELF IS STILL O.K., EXCEPT FOR THE BADLY BURNED PIN. ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE LOW BEAM LAMP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. SAME DAMAGE TO THE SAME PIN IN THE SOCKET. THAT LAMP IS ALSO O.K. EXCEPT FOR THE BURNED PIN. THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE SOCKETS/VEHICLE WIRING, NOT THE LAMPS. THESE LAMPS ARE MOUNTED QUITE HIGH AND ARE REASONABLY WELL PROTECTED SO IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THIS IS A MOISTURE PROBLEM. THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT SOCKET FROM FORD IS SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS! DEALER SAYS THIS IS THE FIRST CASE THEY'VE SEEN OF THIS HAPPENING - BUT I HEARD THE SAME THING WHEN I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE REAR BRAKES AND I NOW KNOW THAT CERTAINLY WASN'T TRUE! HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM? *TR

AT 37,000 MILES (MOSTLY FREEWAY MILES) I WAS GETTING A LOUD GRINDING SOUND FROM MY REAR BRAKES. DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PADS WERE TOTALLY WORN AWAY AND THE ROTORS WERE RUINED. THE MECHANIC SAID IT LOOKED AS IF THE CALIPERS WERE NOT OPENING PROPERLY, CAUSING A CONTINUAL DRAG OF THE PADS AGAINST THE ROTORS. THE FRONT PADS AND ROTORS ALSO NEEDED REPLACING AS THEY WERE WORN BEYOND THE POINT OF BEING RESURFACED. TOTAL BILL = $1,200! I LATER FOUND OUT FORD HAD KNOWN ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE PADS, BUT I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTICE FROM THEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-15 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A SCRAPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR ROUTINE SERVICE AND REAR BRAKE FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED. THE PADS AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. TSB NUMBER 10021463 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) WAS REFERENCED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 12-15-08 *BF UPDATED 12/17/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, A WARNING LIGHT MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL THAT READ, "OIL LIFE ZERO PERCENT CHANGE OIL." THE WARNING LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT COULD NOT READ THE ODOMETER. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE FAILURE, BUT THE MESSAGE REMAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THIS FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT WAS CRITICAL TO READ THE ODOMETER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,750. UPDATED 07/15/08. *LJ UPDATED 07/15/08

CRASHED INTO TELEPHONE POLE TRYING TO MISS A CAT AND BROKE POLE IN HALF ON MOTHER'S DAY (5/11). NONE OF THE SIX AIR BAGS IN MY 2006 FORD 500 DEPLOYED. SPOKE TO MANUFACTURER THEY SAID SINCE I SPOKE TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY FIRST THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE AIR BAGS IN MY VEHICLE NOT WORKING. I FEEL THIS IS A MALFUNCTION AND FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FEATURES DUE TO HAVING TWO SMALL CHILDREN. THE BODY MAN WHO LOOKED AT THE CAR SAID IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SENSORS THE BAGS SHOULD HAVE WORKED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY ADVISED ME TO TALK WITH THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE NEW CAR REAR BRAKES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE ROTORS AND WHEN WET THE BRAKE PADS EXPAND CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK EXCESSIVELY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS CONDITION IS EXTREMELY EXCESSIVE AT VERY VERY SLOW SPEEDS. WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT HOURS AFTER A RAIN THE EXCESSIVE BRAKES CAN EVEN CAUSE NECK PAIN. MY CONCERN IS THAT EVEN THOUGH I KNOW FORD WILL REPLACE THESE BRAKE PADS AS PROMISED: I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE ROTORS THAT HAVE VERY EXCESSIVE WEAR WILL BE TUNED AND NOT REPLACED. IT APPEARS TO THE NAKED EYE THAT A QUARTER OF AN INCH HAS BEEN WORN OFF OF THE ROTORS, AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 12500 MILES ON IT. FORD IS AWARE OF THE BRAKE PROBLEM, BUT IS WAITING FOR THE EXCESSIVE WEAR TO REPLACE THE PADS. WHAT SHOULD I DO? *TR