NHTSA Complaint #10436832 — 2006 FORD FIVE HUNDRED

LATELY MY 2006 FORD 500 HAS BEEN ACTING UP WHEN I START IT...SOME DAYS IT STARTS JUST FINE, OTHER DAYS IT WON'T START. IT DOESN'T MATTER THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE EITHER, IT MAY START IN THE MORNING & THEN WHEN IT'S TIME TO HEAD HOME AFTER WORK IT WON'T START OR VICE VERSA. THE DAYS IT WON'T START THE ONLY WAY I'VE FOUND TO GET IT TO START (WITHOUT JUMPING IT) IS TO TURN & HOLD THE IGNITION KEY ALL THE WAY DOWN WHEN I'M STARTING IT & GIVE IT GAS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THIS MORNING (11/23/11) TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. WE WERE THINKING POSSIBLY THE STARTER WAS NEEDING REPLACED...WE WERE WRONG. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE THROTTLE BODY ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY & NEEDS REPLACED...AS WELL AS DOING AN INDUCTION SERVICE TO FLUSH OUT THE CARBON BUILD UP. THIS IS GOING TO COST ALMOST $1,000 TO FIX. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? MERRY CHRISTMAS TO US!! AFTER RECEIVING THE CALL FROM THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT WE DID A SEARCH ONLINE & COME TO FIND OUT THAT THIS "THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM" IS COMMON IN THIS CAR. THOUGH WHEN WE BROUGHT IT TO THE SERVICE PERSON'S ATTENTION & QUESTIONED THEM ABOUT IT THEY COULDN'T/WOULDN'T ANSWER IF THIS WAS TRUE. NOT SURE BUT MAYBE THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH PROBLEMS REPORTED TO HAVE A RECALL...BUT WITH ALL THE SAME ISSUES THAT I'VE FOUND ONLINE IT MAKES ME WONDER. WE'VE ALREADY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION MAYBE 2 YEARS AFTER WE BOUGHT THE CAR..THANKFULLY THAT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WHAT ELSE CAN GO WRONG WITH THIS CAR!! WE HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL FORD CAR BUYERS..HOWEVER THIS 500 HAS TURNED US OFF FROM EVER BUYING ANOTHER FORD VEHICLE AGAIN. *TR