2005 Ford Five Hundred engine and engine cooling problems

“THE CAR PERIODICALLY LURCHED AND SURGED. FINALLY, IT WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. BASED ON INFORMATION FROM THE DEALER AND FROM THIS WEBSITE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON CERTAIN FORD MODELS. IF THIS PROBLEM IS AS WIDE-SPREAD AS IT APPEARS, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR”

“BEING STOPPED AT AN ATM, MY CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE. PULLED OVER INTO THE BANK PARKING LOT TO SEE IF IT WAS OVER HEATING. THE WHITE SMOKE WOULD NOT SUBSIDE AND BEGAN GETTING WORSE. DIALED 911 AND A FIRETRUCK CAME OUT OPENED THE HOOD AND EXTINGUISHED A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. PRIOR TO THE TRUCK ARRIVING, A LOUD BANG OCCURRED UNDER THE HOOD. *TR”

“SINCE 2007 THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY WILL PERIODICALLY LUNG FORWARD AND IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE JUNE 2007 (88,000 MILES). EVEN HARD BRAKING DOES NOT NECESSARILY STOP THE CAR...I HAVE HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL THE ENGINE REVS UP AS IF I AM TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR (AND MY FOOT IS NOT ON THE PEDAL) AND I SHUT THE CAR OFF. TURNING THE CAR BACK ON DOES NOT NECESSARILY REMEDY THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, THE CAR ROUTINELY GOES INTO FAIL SAFE ENGINE MODE OR CUTS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING AT A REASONABLE RATE OF SPEED BOTH ON RURAL ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD TO DRIVE, MORE SO IN THE WARMER MONTHS...MY THOUGHT IS SOMETHING MUST GET OVERHEATED BUT WHAT I DO NOT KNOW. *TR”

“THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES (MEANING MORE THAN 5 TIMES) DURING THE SUMMER OF 2011. DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT POSTED SPEED LIMITS AND CAR SUDDENLY LURCHES THEN DROPS INTO FAILSAFE MODE (AS INDENTIFIED BY ALERT POSTED ON THE DASH). PULL OVER, READ OWNER'S MANUAL. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS HOW TO CLEAR FAILSAFE AND IMPLEMENT THEM. A FEW TIMES IT WORKED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL. TWICE THE CAR WAS RUNNING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND SUDDENLY GO INTO FAILSAFE MODE THEN STALL OUT. ESPECIALLY DURING STREET/CITY DRIVING, CAR SUDDENLY KICKS FORWARD THEN FAILSAFE AND WILL SOMETIMES STALL OUT IN MIDDLE OF STREET. UNABLE TO RESTART. LAST TIME THIS OCCURRED CAR REQUIRED TOWING TO LOCAL FORD DEALER. INITIALLY SAID IT WAS THE THROTTLE SENOR FOR A COST OF $300. WHEN I OK'D THAT REPAIR, THE DEALERSHIP CALLED BACK LATER AND STATED IT WAS THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY AND REPAIR WOULD COME AT A COST OF $1000. THE CAR NOW SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY WHERE IT WAS TOWED TO AND SITS FOR SAFETY REASONS. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE COME TO FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH FORD AND AN ANNOUNCED RECALL SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY. *KB”

“WE BOUGHT MY CAR IN JULY 2011, ITS WAS GARAGED BY THE 1ST OWNER SO IT WAS LIKE BRAND NEW!! LOW MILES JUST 12,850 , START WHAT NOW SEEMS TO BE THE ENDLESS DRIVES IN A RENTAL CAR AND WITH EMPTY WALLETS TOTALING NOW APPROX; CLOSE TO AN ADDITIONAL $3,500 NOW IN REPAIRS FROM THE BATTERY IN AUG 2011 TO NOW TO HAVING THE THROTTLE BEING REPLACE ALONG WITH A SET IF TIRES AND THE 2ND SET OF BOTH REAR AND FRONT BRAKES IN LESS THEN A YEAR , ALL DUE TO THE CONSENT STOPPING AND GOING OF THE CAR BY HITTING THE BRAKES TOO MUCH AND HAVING TO ACCELERATE, BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD WHILE TEMPTING TO PULL OUT OF MY GARAGE AT WHAT SHOULD OF BEEN A MERE 3MILES PER HOUR; RESULTED IN FLYING BACKWARDS SUDDENLY WHILE FOOT WAS APPLYING PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES TO KEEP FROM MOWING DOWN MY TEENAGE SON AT 15 MILES A HOUR ON ITS OWN WITH THE MP RISING RAPIDLY , WAS THE SCARE OF MY LIFE!!!! PLEASE SOMEONE RECALL THIS CAR , BEFORE SOMEONE REALLY DOES GET KILLED OR HURT!!! AS OF TODAY THE TOTAL THIS TIME TO REPAIR MY CAR IS AT A TOTAL IF$ 1,585.00; TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE AND TIRES & BRAKES AGAIN, AND FORD WOULDN'T EVEN COMP, US A RENTAL CAR THIS TIME ON OUR 5 TRIP DOWN TO THE SERVICE DEPT OF FORD!!!! *TR”

“I WAS DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ENGINE STALLED ON ME AND I RECEIVED A "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE" MESSAGE IN THE MESSAGE CENTER. I STOPPED THE CAR AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, THEN WAITED A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND STARTED IT AGAIN AND HAD NO PROBLEMS. I WAS THEN DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET AGAIN A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHERE THE ENGINE STALLED ON ME. THE ONLY WARNING SIGNS THAT I CAN RECALL WERE THAT AT TIMES, I WOULD EXPERIENCE SLUGGISH ACCELERATION. THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE TO ME AND VERY DANGEROUS SINCE I HAVE A CHILD AND WHAT IF I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENED TO ME? *TR”