2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED Complaints

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

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

I HAVE HAD MY REAR BRAKES ON MY FORD 500 CHANGED TWICE. VEHICLE HAD 53,000 MILES ON WHEN SECOND BRAKE JOB WAS DONE. DEALERSHIP STATED "THEY ARE SEE THE REAR BRAKES GO ABOUT EVERY 20,000 MILES. HEAVY BRAKE DUST AND HEAT AROUND BRAKES ARE ALSO A CONCERN. *NM

2005 FORD 500 ROBIN MARSHALL FORD MOTOR COMPANY EXECUTIVE OFFICES FORM LETTER STATES THAT FORDS "REVIEW INDICATES THAT THE PREVIOUS DECISION PROVIDED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS APPROPRIATE" DATED OCT 3 2006 AS I WAS WATCHING CNN NEWS ABOUT RECALL 06V383000 AND FORD # 06S45 OF SEPT 28 2006. PURCHASED MARCH 28 2005 AND AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED NUMEROUS SUSPENSION AND BRAKING PROBLEMS. ODI ID NUMBER : 10123895 - ODI ID NUMBER : 10135289 AND NUMEROUS COMMUNICATIONS WITH FORD THEY FINALLY HAD DAVE MUNN FORD REP HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO OMEARA FORD FOR AN INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR 15 MONTHS WITH A COLORADO AFFIDAVIT OF NON USE FOR SAFETY RELATED ISSUES, AFTER OMEARA FORD GROUND DOWN THE REAR ROTORS TO WITHIN 1/1000 OF MINIMUM AND BRAKING ISSUES CONTINUED . I HAD A HEART ATTACK AND 5 WAY BYPASS AND CANNOT TAKE THE STRESS THIS VEHICLE HAS PUT ME UNDER. I CONSIDER THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. FORDS INSPECTION WAS A SHAM, AS OMEARA FORD'S SERVICE TICKET INDICATES NO MILEAGE IN AND 5000 MILES OUT BUT THE CAR HAS 4190 MILES ON IT TODAY. THE SERVICE TICKET INDICATES NO-TROUBLE FOUND PLUS THE ROTORS WERE STILL RUSTY WHEN THE CAR ARRIVED BACK AT MY RESIDENCE. EVEN BRAKING AND STRAIGHT TRACKING ON THE ROAD WITH THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE. *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

REAR AND FRONT SUSPENSION HAVE FAILED WITHIN FIVE MONTHS OF POSSESSION. FIRST REPAIR ATTEMPT ON REAR SUSPENSION OCCURRED IN MAY 2006, JUST 4 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE 2005 MODEL. FORD CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS CLAIMED THERE WAS A LOOSE BRACKET AND THAT PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BUT PROBLEM WITH NOISE AND HARD BOUNCE STILL OCCURRED. SECOND REPAIR ATTEMPT OCCURRED ONE MONTH LATER, FOUND BROKEN RIGHT, REAR SHOCK. REPAIR TOOK THREE DAYS. FOUR DAYS LATER HAD TO RETURN TO GET FRONT END ALIGNED. ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2006, TOOK BACK AGAIN FOR SAME NOISE COMING FROM RIGHT REAR SHOCK. CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT FIX FOR PROBLEM AND SIMPLY GREASED CABLES. TAKING BACK TO SHOP TO ADDRESS FRONT SUSPENSION NOISE AND HANDLING PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS ROAD HAZARDS. COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION WAS PRESENT. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PULL OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE TIRE WAS REMOVED AND TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A PINHOLE IN THE TIRE THAT POSSIBLY CAUSED THE INITIAL BLOWOUT. THE TIRE WAS SHIPPED TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE TIRE WAS A PIRELLI P225/55R18, DOT # N9WNF7. UPDATED 10/31/2006 - PIRELLI REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES UNDER THE CONDITION THAT ALL FOUR TIRES BE SENT TO THEM. *NM

CONTINENTAL TIRES (215/60/17), CHUNKS OF THE TIRE ARE COMING OFF. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER ABOUT ISSUE, DID NOT SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ISSUE (JOSE). FORD ALSO WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THEY TOO DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED, HOWEVER BOTH PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TIRES. A COMMON QUESTION OF BOTH WAS, DO I DRIVE ON GRAVEL ROADS. I TOLD THEM I DID NOT, HOWEVER FORD DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS SHELL AND SMALL GRAVEL ON UNDERSIDE OF CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN ROADS REPLACE IN THE AREA THAT I HAVE DRIVEN ON. BOTTOM LINE. I NOW HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TIRE SAFETY ON MY CAR AND BOTH FORD AND CONTINENTAL WILL REPLACE THEM FOR A COST, BUT BOTH REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A TIRE "ISSUE" AT THIS TIME. WILL SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE. I AT ONE TIME OWNED A FORD EXPLORER AND WENT THOUGH THOSE "ISSUES". HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TIRES ON THE FORD 500 OR CONTINENTAL TIRES? COULD SOMEONE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND ASSIST ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED WITH 18000 MILES ON IT ALL GAUGES DROPPED TO ZERO. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND AIR BAG FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THEY NEEDED TO ORDER A NEW DASH CLUSTER PANEL ,AFTER 2 WEEKS CALLED DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE A MONTH TO GET PART I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER MECHANIC THAT CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF AIR BAG WAS IN FAILURE MODE. NOT ONCE WAS I TOLD THIS BY DEALER. HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *JB