VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE
Ford Five Hundred2005–2007
Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.
Ford Five Hundred Years to Avoid
2 recalls · 360 complaints
16 reported injuries
Top issue: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
0 recalls · 254 complaints
2 reported injuries
Top issue: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1 recall · 132 complaints
9 reported injuries
Top issue: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Ford Five Hundred — Year-by-Year Comparison
Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | Injuries | Deaths | Reliability | Value | Buyer Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 | 132 | 9 | — | 61 | 38 | 53 | Caution |
| 2006 | 0 | 254 | 2 | — | 69 | 38 | 58 | Caution |
| 2005 | 2 | 360 | 16 | — | 52 | 38 | 47 | Avoid |
Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.
Known Ford Five Hundred Problems
Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.
Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.
Shopping by Era
How each generation of the Five Hundred compares — best year within each era shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best year Five Hundred to buy?+
See the Buyer Score table above for a full ranking of every Five Hundred model year.
Which Five Hundred years have the most problems?+
The 2005, 2006, 2007 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2005 Five Hundred leads with 2 recalls and 360 owner complaints.
What is the Buyer Score?+
The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.
What are the most common Five Hundred problems?+
The most frequently reported Ford Five Hundred issues involve: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.
Deep-Dive Research
A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.