Problems · by component
2007 Ford Five Hundred power train problems
59 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2007 Ford Five Hundred cite power train, 30% of all 199 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
59
30% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
“WHEN PLACING THE CAR IN REVERSE OR DRIVES IT REVS. IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT I HAVE TO ENSURE THAT MY FEET ARE ON THE BRAKES AT ALL TIMES! THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE I'VE ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT ME!”
“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…”
“CAR IN THE MORNINGS IS ACCELERATED AND WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE IT MOVES BY ITSELF VERY ACCELERATED AND ITS PARKED ON A FLAT SURFACE WITH NO SLOPES. TRANSMISSION FEELS AS IF RUNNING FORCEFULLY BUT CHANGES GEARS I GUESS FINE JUST GOT THE CAR AND HAS LOW MILES AT 27000 MILES. AND DOES IT EVERYDAY.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FIVE HUNDRED. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THERE WAS A DELAY IN ACCELERATION. THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,000.”
“I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY VEHICLE WILL GO INTO LIMP MODE AND HAVE NO POWER, WHEN I PULL OVER AFTER ALMOST SMASHING UP THE CAR JERKED AND I SHUT IT OFF AND TURN IT ON ITS FINE BUT THIS SAME PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING EVERY DAY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. I HAVE A TRICK I PUT IT IN NUTRAL AND SHUT IT OFF WHILE IM DRIVING AND THAT WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM, IT WILL DO IT TEN TIMES IM A ROW AND ITS VERY DANGERIOUS, I WENT TO THE DEALER AND PO 701 CODE CAME UP AND THEY SAID OT A INTERNAL FAILURE AND FOUND NO METAL SCRAPS UNDER THE PAN FILTER, SO FAR THEY SAOD THE TRANSMISSION IS NO GOOD AND CANT BE REPAIR BUT AFTER 15,000 MILES LATER THE CAR STILL DRIVES BUT DOES THAT EVERYDAY, IS THERE AMYTHIMG I CAN DO TO REPAIR THIS TRANSMISSION I CANT AFFORD THE $7,500 PRICE QUOTE THEY SAID. I. NEED HELP WITH CAR AND STILL DRIVING IT TILL THIS DAY 5 12 15”
Showing 6 of 59 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.