NHTSA Complaint #10384435 — 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED

I PURCHASED A USED 2005 FORD 500 LTD AWD IN MAY 2008. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A LEASE TURN IN. THE MILEAGE WAS VERY LOW, UNDER 30,000 MILES. THE FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN JULY 2008. IN OCTOBER 2008, MY DASH BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING. THE GAUGES WOULD GO COMPLETELY DEAD. I COULD NOT TELL HOW FAST I WAS GOING, HOW MUCH GAS I HAD LEFT OR THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ENGINE. NOTHING ON MY DASH WOULD WORK. IT VARIED FROM LASTING SECONDS TO APPX A HALF AN HOUR. I DROVE HOME ONE NIGHT (IT TOOK ME APPX 25 MINUTES) NOT KNOWING HOW FAST I WAS GOING OR HOW MUCH GAS I HAD LEFT. ALSO, THE REVERSE LIGHTS WERE ON WHEN MY CAR WAS IN BOTH DRIVE AND PARK. I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT (MY CAR WAS IN DRIVE) AND THE REVERSE SENSOR ALARM WENT OFF WHEN A CAR PULLED UP BEHIND ME. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WE BOUGHT IT FROM & WERE TOLD IT WAS A CLUSTER IN THE DASH THAT WAS A "KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE" BUT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A "SAFETY ISSUE" FORD DID NOT HAVE TO RECALL THIS. I FEEL THAT NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW WHAT SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY TO BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO HAVING YOUR REVERSE LIGHTS ON WHILE THE CAR IS IN PARK OR DRIVE SEEMS A BIT DANGEROUS AS WELL. WE HAD IT REPAIRED AND IT COST US OVER 400.00. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, WE HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER "CLUSTER" REPAIRED THAT WAS MAKING MY TRANSMISSION SHAKE & THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AS WELL ANOTHER WARNING LIGHT APPEAR. IT WAS A SENSOR THAT WENT BAD AND WAS MAKING MY CAR THINK IT WAS OUT OF GAS. THIS COST US ALMOST 350.00 TO REPAIR. NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SENSORS/CLUSTERS ON THESE CARS BUT IT SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME. *TR