2006 Ford 500 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Ford 500 most often describe sudden loss of power or stalling and unintended low-speed acceleration, usually tied to the electronic throttle body; the CVT transmission is the other major theme, with complaints of slipping, shuddering or complete failure. Reports cluster around 70,000-150,000 miles and several owners say dealers cleaned or reprogrammed the throttle body without a lasting fix. Electrical oddities such as flickering gauges and headlight connector melting appear less often.

1. 1
   Vehicle speed control

   Throttle body stalling and surge

   • 44 complaints (65%)
   • median 102,000 mi at 9.0 yrs old (41 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $562 (median of 7 quotes)
   • filed 2012–2018

   Complaints describe the engine stalling or losing power at speed, often with the check engine and wrench lights coming on, and sometimes a brief surge just before the engine dies; restarting usually restores drive for a while. A second pattern is a momentary idle flare or a lunge forward at stops, when shifting from park, or while pulling into a parking space and turning on the air conditioning. Owners say dealers cleaned the throttle body and reprogrammed the powertrain module (referencing service action 12N03), and some report the symptom returned and a throttle body replacement was quoted. Reported from about 50,000 to 160,000 miles, with many described at stops, low-speed parking maneuvers, or shortly after the throttle body was cleaned.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body was cleaned or replaced and whether the idle-surge service action was performed, and request any repair receipts. During a test drive, note any idle flare at a stop or when shifting into gear, and watch for wrench or check engine lights.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car accelerates without warning when in gear, but stopped as in backing out of a parking space or sitting at a red light. It appears to be associated with running the air conditioner. It is very scary and I have had many close calls in hitting the car in front of me or even a pedestrian walking behind my vehicle in a parking lot.”

   NHTSA complaint #10521208, filed 2013-06, 85,000 miles

   “I work 30 minutes away from where I live and while I was on the road pressing the brake it was still accelerating... I even parked for fear of getting in a wreck and the RPM kept increasing as if 8 was pressing on the gas. I took it into Ford apparently the recall expired: over 150k miles or 10 years whichever comes first.”

   NHTSA complaint #10766348, filed 2015-09, 181,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   CVT transmission failure or shudder

   • 13 complaints (19%)
   • median 98,200 mi at 8.7 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2012–2017

   Owners report the continuously variable transmission shuddering, hesitating or failing outright, sometimes leaving the car unable to move; a few describe the transmission warning light and a diagnosis of a worn internal belt, valve body or a whole-unit replacement. Complaints frequently mention that parts were scarce or that shops declined to rebuild the unit, and several say no repair was completed for cost or availability reasons. Appears across a wide range, with several reports between about 28,000 and 140,000 miles, including cars described as well maintained.

   What to check: Have a shop familiar with this CVT check for shudder, noise in reverse and stored transmission codes, and ask for transmission service records. Confirm parts availability for the CVT before purchase, since some owners reported long waits.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When you slow the car will quit and when you drive it on the open road you lose power no indication that anything is going to happen. No tool light comes on to indicate the problem. Two years ago it started quitting on me and when you restart it starts right back up. On one occasion I tried to start it and it began to smoke and wouldn't start. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10548100, filed 2013-10, 95,000 miles

   “Transmission is broken and need replacement. Said to be non-repairable as Ford discontinued making the transmission 3 years after introduction car has only 70,000 miles on it. Now I have large flower planter as I can't drive it! Ford, but for this issue I had a perfectly usable/reliable car! Now it is a safety hazard! What are you going to do about it! Happens in motion”

   NHTSA complaint #11044684, filed 2017-11, 70,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Gauges and instrument panel cutting out

   • 12 complaints (18%)
   • median 101,500 mi at 8.7 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2018

   Complaints describe the instrument cluster going dark or flickering off and on while driving, sometimes triggered by turning on the heater, air conditioning or radio, and in one case tapping the dash restored the lights. Others report accessory circuits failing, such as windows and interior lights stopping after smoke appeared near a window area, and repeated alternator failures. Mostly reported between about 90,000 and 160,000 miles, while driving or when switching on accessories.

   What to check: During a test drive, watch the cluster and interior lights while operating the A/C, heater and radio, and check that power windows and locks work consistently. Ask about any prior electrical or alternator repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While starting my car ( parked ) with the front passenger window down smoke began to appear from behind the passenger rear view window. I saw a flame ( fire ) appear from behind the passenger rear view mirror. When I turned off the vehicle the flame went out. After the fire none of the windows will work and the interior lights will not come on manually or come on as usual when the key is taken out of the ignition.”

   NHTSA complaint #11072122, filed 2018-02, 144,000 miles

   “The throttle body was replaced once due to random car surging. Problem resurfaced a year later. This time Ford said it was the alternator ($570). I don't think Ford knows what's wrong with this car, but there is a safety issue. The car surges randomly.”

   NHTSA complaint #10534598, filed 2013-08, 105,000 miles

Buying note. For this model year, the throttle body and CVT transmission are the two areas owners write about most, so budget for a pre-purchase inspection and a scan for stored codes rather than relying on a short test drive. Electrical and headlight-connector condition is also worth checking directly.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.