Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit.
Owners have filed 364 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Ford Five Hundred, and it carries 1 recall. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 71 | 20% |
| Power train | 65 | 18% |
| Service brakes | 24 | 7% |
| Electrical system | 19 | 5% |
| Unknown or other | 12 | 3% |
| Structure | 11 | 3% |
| Power train | 10 | 3% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 10 | 3% |
| Fuel system | 8 | 2% |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
I would be driving on highway my wrench light would come on and my car would come to a crawl I always have kids in my car I could easily be rear ended and maybe hurt or killed I have to find a place to pull off where peo
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Five Hundred. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the instrument cluster lights turned became inoperable. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that the instrume
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Door latch freezes i cold weather causing the door not to latch closed.
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
when I’m The vehicle and the temperature reaches middle temp ,the car starts to beep and all the dashboard lights go completely out and the head lights and tail lights be blinking as if they are about to go off . Even w
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2006 Ford Five Hundred. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. The contact restarted the vehicle and the transmission worked as designed for a while. While t
NHTSA complaint: Power train
I WAS ON MY WAY HOME COMING DOWN FARROW RD. AND MY CAR STALLED OUT, SO I SLOWLY PULLED IN THE MEDIAN TURN CAR OFF AND BACK ON. WHEN I GOT READY TO PULL OUT OF THE MEDIAN THE CAR WOULDN'T GO NO FASTER THAN 5 MILES AND HOU
NHTSA complaint: Power train
VEHICLE STOPS AND STARTS WITH A JERK. JUMPING CAUSING SLOW DOWN EVEN WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS DONE TO FIX IT. SEEMS LIKE EVERY FORD HAS THIS PROBLEM AT SOME POINT
NHTSA complaint: Power train
BATTERY JUST GOES DEAD OVER NIGHT. SIGNAL LIGHTS MELTED AND QUIT WORKING. CLUSTER PANEL JUST SHUTS OFF WHILE RUNNING AND CAN'T USE AIR, RADIO, WINDOWS, LOCKS, SEATS, ETC. CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. HAVE R
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2006 Ford Five Hundred. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE INTERFACE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERSON MAKING THE
Risk: FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
Fix: UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
| Reliability raw | 78 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 77 | good |
| Maintenance | 78 | good |
| Depreciation | 59 | average |
| Performance | 54 | average |
| Efficiency | 38 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 364 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and vehicle speed control is the most reported area with 71 of them (20%). There is 1 recall on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 78/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 77/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2006 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: be careful, because the numbers are mixed and the complaint record is worth reading before you commit. Its overall ownership score is 69/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.