Selling a worn-out Ford Five Hundred

A short-lived full-size sedan

Ford built the Five Hundred at Chicago Assembly from July 2004 to April 2007 and sold it in North America and Mexico. There was one engine, a 203 hp 3.0 Duratec V6. Wikipedia pairs front drive with a six-speed Aisin automatic and all-wheel drive with a ZF continuously variable transmission, which it calls a first for a US domestic automaker. The EPA listings are less tidy. Every AWD year shows only the CVT, but 2005 and 2006 front-drive cars appear with either the CVT or the six-speed, and only the 2007 front-drive car is six-speed alone. The EPA rates the AWD car at 17 mpg city, 23 highway and 19 combined.

For 2008 Ford freshened the styling and moved the Taurus name onto this car, so a 2008-2009 Taurus is the same basic sedan.

Three recalls, two of them about fuel

Fuel tank straps (05V515). On 2005 Five Hundreds, the straps holding the fuel tank can break. The campaign's count of 123,206 also takes in the 2005 Freestyle and Mercury Montego. The tank and its heat shield then drop onto the driveshaft on AWD cars or the exhaust on front-drive cars. A driver may notice a noise or a fuel leak, and leaking fuel near a spark could start a fire. The fix is two new straps.

Door latches that freeze (06V383). On 2005 cars registered in 31 cold or wet states, the door latch pawl may not return to the latched position, and a door can swing open on the move. The 139,537 in that campaign are 2005 Five Hundreds and Montegos plus 2005-2006 Freestyles. Dealers fit a shield over the front latches and grease every side-door latch. Ford's Regional Recall 06R13, in a dealer letter dated October 30, 2006, carried the same fix to 2005 Five Hundreds in the other 19 states.

Fuel tank weld (11V355). On some 2007 cars built from September 5 through September 11, 2006, the weld between the tank and the filler neck may be weak in a severe rear crash. Dealers replace the tank. NHTSA's 2,945 counts Five Hundreds and Mercury Montegos together.

The idle surge, and program 12N03

NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation, PE11-018, into unstable idle on 2005-2007 Freestyles with the CVT. On November 29, 2012, Ford answered with Customer Satisfaction Program 12N03. It covers "engine idle RPM surge caused by throttle body deposits" on every 2005-2007 Freestyle, Five Hundred and Mercury Montego, for "up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle." Dealers clean the throttle body and reload the engine computer with a new idle speed strategy.

NHTSA then closed its inquiry, and its report says closing is not a finding that no defect exists. Ten years has now passed on every Five Hundred, so the coverage is over.

What the complaint file shows

NHTSA holds 1,278 complaints on the Five Hundred. The power train is named most (271), then vehicle speed control (241), the electrical system (155) and the engine (114). On the 2006 and 2007, speed control comes first. No recall or Ford bulletin we read explains the speed control complaints, so take them as a pattern in owner reports, not a diagnosis.

Tallies come from NHTSA data pulled on October 10, 2026. NHTSA files one complaint under a 2004 model year, though the car was sold only as a 2005-2007. Complaints filed under "500" count here too.

Repair or sell?

At this age a big repair can cost more than the car would bring running. Put the quote next to that figure before you decide.

1. Check recalls first with the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. The 06V383 and 11V355 notices say the dealer work is "free of charge". The 05V515 notice says only that dealers replace both straps, so ask a Ford dealer about cost if that one shows open.
2. AWD car that won't pull? Its transmission is the ZF CVT. Read the CVT failure guide before paying for a rebuild.
3. Surging idle? Ask a shop whether the 12N03 throttle body cleaning and software update were ever done.
4. Won't start at all? See our page on selling a non-running car.

How selling it whole works

1. Write down the year, FWD or AWD, the mileage, and what is wrong.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the car is: a driveway, a street, a repair shop. Say if it rolls, so the right truck shows up. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave it intact: battery, wheels, converters. List anything already taken off.
5. Bring the title and your ID. No title? Start with our no-title guide. Plates and insurance by state: after you sell.

More big Fords: the Taurus, Freestyle and Crown Victoria, or the whole Ford lineup.