2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED Electrical System Problems

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...

MY 05 FORD 500 HAS 58,000 MILES ON IT AND NOW THE DASH LIGHTS FLASH/GO OFF AND THE GAUGES READ 0. THE REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON TOO. IT WAS VERY SCARY WHEN IT HAPPENED. IT APPEARS TO BE AT RANDOM: NO PARTICULAR TIME OF DAY, NO CERTAIN WEATHER, AND AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED. I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ALSO HAVE FORD 500S AND SAY THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THEM AS WELL. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *TR

DASH GAUGES, LIGHTS, INOPERABLE. STUCK IN VARIOUS POSITIONS. TURN SIGNALS ARE INOPERABLE AND REVERSE LIGHTS ARE ON IN THE DRIVE POSITION. REVERSE WARNING INDICATORS BEEP WHEN IN TRAFFIC AT STOP LIGHTS OR WHEN OTHER VEHICLES GET CLOSE TO REAR OF VEHICLE. AIR BAG INOPERABLE WARNING LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME. EXISTING RESEARCH BY NHTSA INDICATES EXTERIOR LIGHTING WORKING ON PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS. INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES TURN SIGNALS AND REVERSE LIGHTS DO NOT OPERATE WHEN CLUSTER FAILS. POSSIBLE AIR BAG FAILURE COUPLED WITH INOPERABLE TURN SIGNALS AND INCREASED RISK OF ACCIDENT AS WELL AS REVERSE LIGHTS ON IN DRIVE ARE MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BLACKED OUT AND WHEN IT CAME BACK ON THE INSTRUMENTS ALL REGISTERED 0. AFTER THE INITIAL INCIDENT IT HAS CONTINUED TO ESCALATE. ON OR ABOUT DECEMBER 26, 2010 THE PANEL BLACKED OUT AND THE CAR BOGGED DOWN AND I HAD TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD, TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART TO GET IT TO RUN NORMALLY. THERE IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE.

APPARENTLY, I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO BRING THIS ISSUE TO THE NHTSA'S ATTENTION. I LIKE SO MANY OTHER, HAVE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY INSTRUMENT PANEL ON MY FORD FIVE HUNDRED. I WOULD LIKE FOR A RECALL TO BE ISSUED AS IT HAS NEARLY CAUSED ME AN ACCIDENT TODAY, AND CAN LEAD TO OTHER HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR OTHERS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON MY CAR HAS FAILED COMPLETELY, AND MY SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, AND ALL OTHER GAUGES SHUT OFF. WHENEVER I DRIVE MY CAR, THE REVERSE (OR WHITE) LIGHT TURNS ON DESPITE THE FACT THAT I MIGHT BE DRIVING FORWARD AT 55MPH ON A HIGHWAY. I THINK CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TOWARDS A RESOLUTION. THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHERS WHO HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS REGARDING THIS VERY ISSUE.

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO HAD THE PANEL RESTORED. THE DEALER COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE FAILURE WOULD NOT OCCUR AGAIN AS THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

AS I WAS SLOWING TO TURN OFF OF A STATE HIGHWAY, MY CAR SHUT OFF AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE THAT SAID "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE." I WAS SOMEWHAT ABLE TO STEER, SO I COMPLETED MY TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET, WHERE THE CAR DRIFTED TO A STOP. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE HOME. THE NEXT MORNING, THE CAR WOULD START BUT IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF, DISPLAYING THE SAME ERROR MESSAGE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE, WHICH INDICATED THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED A FAILED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. THEY ORDERED A REPLACEMENT PART, WHICH WAS THEN INSTALLED. INCIDENTALLY, THE PART HAD SINCE BEEN REDESIGNED BY FORD. ONCE THAT PART WAS REINSTALLED, THE COMPUTER WAS REFLASHED TO "LEARN" THAT A NEW THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY WAS INSTALLED. THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT LEARN THE NEW PART, THOUGH, SO A NEW COMPUTER HAD TO BE ORDERED AND INSTALLED. OVER THE LAST...

I PURCHASED A 2005 FORD 500 4-DOOR SEDAN 2-1/2 YEARS AGO FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP. IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A "PROGRAM" CAR. I SOON NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY LIGHTS WOULD NOT LIGHT UP DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, EVEN THOUGH THE RHEOSTAT WAS SET ON MAXIMUM BRILLIANCE. I PROVED THIS BY DRIVING INTO A DARK PARKING GARAGE AND SAW THAT THE SAID LIGHTS TURNED ON AT MAXIMUM. I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT THIS AND HE SAID FORD HAD WIRED THE LIGHTS THROUGH THE SOLAR SWITCH VIA THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT AND COULD NOT BE CHANGED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DISTRACTION WHEN DRIVING IN DAYLIGHT HOURS AND TO SEE THE INFORMATION O THE DASHBOARD THE RUNNING LIGHTS MUST BE TURNED OFF. IN MY OPINION THIS DEFECT NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED WITH A RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR

AT FIRST OUR 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED HAD ISSUES WITH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURES (BLACKING OUT AND NEEDLES ZEROING ETC. BUT NOW REAR BACK UP LIGHTS COME ON GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF THIS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS HAS TO BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL .THANK YOU

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. ALL GAUGES DROP TO ZERO. MULTIPLE DASH WARNING LIGHTS COME ON THEM GO BACK OFF LEAVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WILL NOT OPERATE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. THE REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON WHEN THE CAR IS NOT IN REVERSE. PROBLEM STARTED THIS MORNING 9/20/2010 I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT THE NHTSA HAS NOT MADE FORD ISSUE A RECALL! *TR

WE OWN A 2005 FORD 500 AND MY WIFE HAS TAKEN IT TO 3 DIFFERENT FORD DEALERS TO HAVE AN ISSUE LOOKED AT. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED ON HER OVER A DOZEN TIMES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND IT HAS GONE INTO FAIL SAFE MODE. THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO LURCH WHEN IN GEAR EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE. I'VE LOOKED UP THE ISSUE ON LINE AND IT APPEARS TO BE VERY COMMON WITH THIS MODEL OF VEHICLE. THROTTLE BODY AND REPROGRAMMING OF THE PCM. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A VERY BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THESE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SEVERELY HURT. *TR

FORD 500 2005 - 74K MILES....CAR STARTED JERKING FORWARD AS SOON AS I LIFT MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE,WHICH HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO RUN INTO THINGS IN A PARKING LOT FULL OF CARS. THE SENSORS WENT OUT,WHICH I WASN'T AWARE OF UNTIL I BACKED INTO A TREE WITHOUT WARNING. NOW THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS GONE OUT AND IT SEEMS MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE PROBLEMS. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2005 FORD 500 LTD. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM ATLANTIC CITY. THE DASHBOARD LIT UP LIKE I WAS STARTING THE CAR AND WENT INTO FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE. AFTER PULLING OVER, THE CAR RAN NORMAL. THE NEXT OCCURRENCE WAS WHEN THE CAR STARTED SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS DONE THIS ON NUMEROUS OCCASTIONS. THEN THE DASHBOARD LIT UP AGAIN AND THE REVERSE LIGHTS STAYED ON. THIS WINTER SEASON THE DOOR LATCHES WOULD NOT CATCH TO KEEP THE DOORS SHUT. AFTER IT RAINS THE REAR DOORS HAVE WATER SITTING INSIDE OF THEM. UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THESE PROBLEMS WERE ON FORD'S TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLITEN (TSB). I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS ACCORDING TO THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS WORK DONE PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. I ALSO HAD THE CAR WORKED ON...

IT STARTED WITH MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOING OUT (NO LIGHTS, GAUGES, ANYTHING) AND IT CAN LAST ANYWHERE FROM 15 MINUTES TO HOURS. THE OTHER NIGHT MY BOYFRIEND AND I HIT A DEER AND WE WENT FROM 70 TO 50 ON IMPACT (WHICH WAS HEAD ON) AND OUR AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HOWEVER A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE IMPACT, THE LIGHT CAME ON SAYING SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE AIRBAGS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING AND THEN IDLING AS IF IT WANTED TO SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE BODY BOX WAS FAILING AND THE COST FOR REPAIR WOULD BE $1800.00. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT IS TRYING TO GET THE MANUFACTURER TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT HER CLAIM WOULD BE REVIEWED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,281 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000. UPDATED 11/10/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF SEVERAL TIMES, THE GAUGE ACT ERRATICALLY. UPDATED 11/18/09

MY WIFE CALLED ME OUTSIDE AND SAID THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS OUT, I SAID NO PROBLEM I'LL HAVE IT REPLACED IN THE MORNING, GO AHEAD WITH ONE HEAD-LIGHT, SHE ONLY WENT AROUND THE BLOCK AND CAME BACK SCREAMING THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE, AND THE FIRE WAS RIGHT BEHIND THE HEADLIGHT THAT JUST WENT OUT. I EXTINGUISHED THE FLAME AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO THE SHOP FOR AN ESTIMATE. I CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER, THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, 2005 FORD FIVE-HUNDRED WITH 58,150 MILES IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. HE SAID " THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING BEFORE, AND TO CONTACT FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS ON MONDAY. *TR

WE ARE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OF OUR 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD GO OUT. ALL THE GAUGES DROP DOWN TO ZERO. SOMETIMES THIS LASTS FOR A SECOND. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO OUT FOR HOURS. THIS IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE A SPEEDOMETER READING. *TR

I AM DRIVING A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TSB 06-17-9 WHERE THE INSTRUMENTATION QUITS WORKING AND THEN COMES BACK. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. HOWEVER, IN ADDITION TO THAT, SOMETIMES THE TURN SIGNALS QUIT WORKING AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE BACK UP LIGHT COMES ON EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS NOT IN REVERSE. AFTER THE CAR SITS A WHILE, THIS CLEARS UP, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL BE ON. IT IS GOING IN THE SHOP IN TWO DAYS AND HOPEFULLY CAN BE FIXED, HOPEFULLY NO CHARGE. THE TURN SIGNAL ISSUE IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE INVESTIGATION REOPENED FOR NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE07058 AND A RECALL BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AT THE SAME TIME THIS OCCURRED THE RADIO VOLUME WOULD DECREASE AS IF I WAS COMING TO A STOP, THE TURN SIGNALS WOULD FAIL (JUST THE INDICATION ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER), AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE REVERSE LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE. THIS WOULD LAST FROM A FEW SECONDS TO SEVERAL MINUTES AT A TIME. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE AND GIVEN A VERBAL WARNING IN REGARDS TO MY REVERSE LIGHTS BEING ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE POLICE ASSUMED MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE(BLOWN BULB/BROKE LENSES) AS MY REVERSE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED CAUSING AN...

STARTED DRIVING MY 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED SEL FRONT WHEEL DRIVE AS I NORMALLY DO, EXCEPT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND LIGHTS STARTED FLICKERING, MY A/C TURNED OFF AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL. ABOUT 40 MINUTES LATER A SIMILAR SITUATION OCCURRED, ONLY THIS TIME JUST THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. MY CRUISE CONTROL STILL WORKED BUT MY TACH, SPEED, BATTERY AND POWER GAUGE ALL DROPPED TO ZERO, HOWEVER THE LIGHTS REMAINED ON. I AM WRITING TODAY BECAUSE I SAW ONLINE THAT OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL ARE HAVING IDENTICAL PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY IF THE LIGHTS CUT OFF AT RANDOM. I'M SURPRISED THERE HASN'T BEEN A RECALL ISSUED OR AN ACCIDENT YET AS A RESULT OF THIS. *TR

I HAVE A FORD FIVE HUNDRED LIMITED. THE CAR HAS STOP RUNNING WHILE THE CAR IS IN GEAR AND MOVING. IT ALSO STOPPED WHEN I STARTED TO DRIVE FROM A STOP LIGHT. WHILE IT WAS BEING FIXED AT THE CAR DEALERSHIP IT STOP (DIED) ON THEM SEVERAL TIMES. THE FORD DEALER COMPANY THOUGHT IT WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS MAKING A KNOCKING SOUND. THEY ALSO NOTICED THAT IF THEY WAS TO TURN THE WHEEL IT WOULD USUALLY DIE ON THEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE BATTERY, POWERSTEERING PUMP, BELT AND THE THROTTLE AND THE CAR STILL DIES. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THEM IS THAT THEY HAVE NEVER COME ACROSS THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. WHAT MADE ME TAKE THE CAR IN TO BEGIN WITH WAS THAT I WENT TO START THE CAR AFTER PLAYING TENNIS FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND IT WOULDN'T START. THE BATTERY WAS SOMEWHAT...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE, TURNED OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. HE WALKED INTO THE HOUSE WITH HIS KEYS AND THE VEHICLE TURNED ITSELF ON. THE CONTACT ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN AUTOMATIC START SYSTEM, BUT IT DOES NOT. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,820.

UPON STARTING CAR AND A FEW MINUTES AFTER DRIVING THE CAR, THE CAR STARTS TO SPIT AND SPUTTER AND TOTALLY SHUTS DOWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 8 TIMES IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS AND HAS LEFT ME TO SWERVE ON THE HIGHWAY BEFORE IT SHUTS COMPLETELY DOWN SO I AM NOT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION (COMPLETELY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF FLOWING TRAFFIC). THE MESSAGE "ENGINE FAIL SAFE MODE" COMES ON. WE HAVE HAD CAR TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND CAR CONTINUES TO STOP. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL THE INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.