Problems · NHTSA complaints

2007 Ford Five Hundred problems

Owners filed 199 complaints about the 2007 Ford Five Hundred with NHTSA between Jan 2007 and Nov 2023. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (70).

Complaints
199
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
17
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
6
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Vehicle speed control70
  2. Power train59
  3. Electrical system22
  4. Engine21
  5. Fuel system, gasoline21
  6. Engine and engine cooling19
  7. Fuel/propulsion system13
  8. Structure8
  9. Equipment7
  10. Steering6
  11. Air bags6
  12. Wheels4
  13. Tires4
  14. Suspension4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200711
20082
200912
201022
201161
201235
201313
201413
20159
20166
20172
20183
20194
20204
20211
20220
20231

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Vehicle speed control

70 reports10 crashes
“I HAD THIS CAR REPAIRED TWICE AT A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC SHOP THAT COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. EVERY TIME, THE CAR COMES TO STOP OR DIES ON ME. I REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER ONE TIME THAT IS UNDERNEATH THE CAR. NOW THE CAR IS SITTING IN MY GARAGE BECAUSE OF THE FUEL PUMP NOT FUNCTIONING AND DOES NOT MAKE THAT SOUND ANYMORE WHEN YOU TURN THE KEY ON.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 9, 2020Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemCrash reportedODI 11338439

Power train

59 reports3 crashes
“It's starting not going into highway gears (5&6) just revs real high and when it does finally, it kicks really hard. Sounds and feels like it's going to drop out from under the car.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 10, 2023Power trainODI 11554575

Electrical system

22 reports1 crash1 fire
“IT BEGAN WITH THE 12 VOLT NOT WORKING. PUT IN NEW FUSE IT BLEW. THEN INSTRUMENT PANEL SPEEDOMETER GOES BLACK, IF YOU GOT THE DASH IT COMES BACK ON THE BATTERY GOT COMPLETELY DRAINED BOUGHT A NEW ONE. STILL HAVE A SHORT SOMEWHERE . NOTICED A MILLION OTHER COMPLAINTS THE SAME SHOULD THIS NOT BE INVESTIGATED? A SODERING DEFECT OR ELECTRICAL SHORT DRAINING BATTERY, IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VEHICLE DEFECT. ISN'T FORD A BIG ENOUGH COMPANY TO TAKE CARE OF THIS INSTEAD OF IGNORING IT? THIS IS ON A 2007 FORD 500, LOW MILES. THIS HAPPENS SITTING STILL OR DRIVING.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 22, 2020Electrical systemODI 11310704

Engine

21 reports1 crash
“AFTER DRIVING HALF-HOUR IN HIGH-WAY SOUTHWARD ON I-45 IN THE MORNING. THE CAR CANNOT BE ACCELERATE AT AROUND 40MPH WHEN I RAMP UP TO 288, AND THE AUTO-LOCK LIGHT TURNED RED. SECONDS LATER, IT RECOVERED BACK. 2 MINUTES LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN . AND AGAIN . SO I PARKED IT . ~8-HOURS LATER, I STARTED IT AND THE AUTO-LOCK LIGHT RED AGAIN. SECONDS LATER, THE ENGINE STOPPED WHEN I BACK THE CAR. I STEPPED ON GAS-PEDAL WHEN I TRIED 3RD TIME, AND THE CAR MOVED AND THE AUTO-LOCK LIGHT KEPT RED. 10-MINUTS LATER, WHEN I DRIVE ON 288-SOUTH AT ~60MPH, BOTH OF THE REPAIR LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT TURNED YELLOW AND THE AUTO-LOCK LIGHT OFF, SECONDS LATER, THE REPAIR LIGHT OFF. THE ENGINE LIGHT KEPT ON. SO I GET DOWN THE HIGHWAY, CANNOT ACCELERATE CAR WITH GAS-PEDAL ON AND CANNOT TURN STERRING WHEEL, THE CAR SLOW DOWN AND STOPPED BY ITSELF. 5-MINUTES LATER, I STARTED IT AGAIN WITH ENGINE LIGHT ON WITH YELLOW, THE CAR MOVED AND 10 MINUTES LATER, I PARKED IT HOME.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 12, 2021Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11395906

Fuel system, gasoline

21 reports3 crashes2 related recalls
“FUEL TANK FAILURE ,FUEL LEAK, VAPOR LEAK. THIS DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE SEALS ON THE FUEL TANK ALONG WITH THE DETERIORATION OF THE MOUNTING BRACKETS ON THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL SENDING UNITS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 8, 2018Fuel system, gasolineODI 11072549

Engine and engine cooling

19 reports2 crashes1 fire
“THERE IS A CHRONIC RECURRENCE OF THE ENGINE STALLING, JERKING, IDLE SPEED LOPING, IN LOW GEAR FOR THIS VEHICLE. AT START UP AND THE ENGINE IS COLD THERE IS LITTLE TO NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, ONCE THE NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE IS REACHED (PER THE READOUT GAUGE), AND UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES TO COME TO A STOP, AND AS THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS THE ENGINE GOES DEAD OR STALLS, AFTER RE-STARTING AND AT IDLE, THE IDLE SPEED, PER THE INDICATOR, FLUCTUATES BACK AND FORTH FROM ABOUT 500 RPM'S TO 900 RPMS. PLACING THE GEAR SHIFT IN THE DRIVE POSITION CAUSES THE CAR TO JUMP PRIOR TO ACCELERATION. AT THIS POINT WHEN TAKING OFF THE CAR JERKS FORWARD. IT SMOOTHES OUT AFTER INCREASING THE SPEED, BUT PRIOR TO EACH STOP THE FLUCTUATING BEGINS AGAIN. *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 21, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10452550
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.