What year Ford Five Hundred should I avoid?

NHTSA data doesn't assign a formal Avoid verdict to any Five Hundred year, but 2005 stands out with a complaint index of 100, 510 total complaints, and 2 recall campaigns, more than any other year.

Which Ford Five Hundred year is the best?

No year carries a Good or Best verdict in this dataset. Among the three years covered, 2007 has the lowest complaint index (0), with 199 complaints and 1 recall campaign.

What is the most common problem with the Ford Five Hundred?

Engine issues top the list across all years, accounting for 438 complaints, or 41% of the total 1,073 complaints filed with NHTSA.

How many recalls does the Ford Five Hundred have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns across the 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred, with 2 in 2005, 0 in 2006, and 1 in 2007.

At what mileage do Ford Five Hundred problems usually appear?

Median mileage at failure was 73,000 for 2005, 70,134 for 2006, and 65,000 for 2007.

Ford Five Hundred Best and Worst Years (2005–2007)

Ford doesn't assign explicit verdicts to any Five Hundred year, but NHTSA data shows 2005 has the highest complaint index (100) with 510 complaints and 2 recalls, while 2007 has the lowest complaint index (0) with 199 complaints and 1 recall.

Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls per model-year, ranked within this model — not a reliability rating. Methodology.

Model years: 3; 2005–2007
NHTSA complaints: 1,073
Recall campaigns: 3
Crashes reported: 57
Fires reported: 15
Top problem area: Engine

Five Hundred Complaint Index by year

Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.

Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best

Ford Five Hundred problems and recalls by year

Year	Verdict	Index	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Recalls	Top issue	MPG	NCAP
2005	No verdict	100	510	20	6	2	Engine	20	—
2006	No verdict	50	364	20	6	0	Engine	20	—
2007	No verdict	0	199	17	3	1	Engine	20	—

Most common Ford Five Hundred problems (all years)

Share of NHTSA complaints by component group across all model years.

Engine438 (41%)
Transmission & Powertrain299 (28%)
Electrical System181 (17%)
Fuel System117 (11%)
Brakes102 (10%)
Structure & Body80 (7%)
Other70 (7%)
Suspension, Wheels & Tires44 (4%)
Airbags28 (3%)
Steering22 (2%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

Frequently asked questions

What year Ford Five Hundred should I avoid?: NHTSA data doesn't assign a formal Avoid verdict to any Five Hundred year, but 2005 stands out with a complaint index of 100, 510 total complaints, and 2 recall campaigns, more than any other year.
Which Ford Five Hundred year is the best?: No year carries a Good or Best verdict in this dataset. Among the three years covered, 2007 has the lowest complaint index (0), with 199 complaints and 1 recall campaign.
What is the most common problem with the Ford Five Hundred?: Engine issues top the list across all years, accounting for 438 complaints, or 41% of the total 1,073 complaints filed with NHTSA.
How many recalls does the Ford Five Hundred have?: NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns across the 2005-2007 Ford Five Hundred, with 2 in 2005, 0 in 2006, and 1 in 2007.
At what mileage do Ford Five Hundred problems usually appear?: Median mileage at failure was 73,000 for 2005, 70,134 for 2006, and 65,000 for 2007.