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The 2006 Ford Five Hundred has 364 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2006 Ford Five Hundred has 364 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 94 complaints, typically surfacing around 86,372 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Five Hundred | 510 | 3 |
| 2006 Five Hundred (this page) | 364 | 1 |
| 2007 Five Hundred | 199 | 2 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the cruise-control was repaired or replaced.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: cruise control is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 78,562 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Ford five hundred. While driving approximately between 45-50 MPH he applied pressure to the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle would not accelerate. Then the vehicle began to rapidly accelerate. The failure occurred frequently. The vehicle was…
Starting since february 2010. My car lunges forward whenever at a dead stop. When shifting to drive and reverse. I have had to have my foot on brake and even almost had an accident while parking and hit the wall. Went to dealership and first they said it was my engine mount that…
Air bag system failed , was told by dealer none of the air bag in the auto will work with the passengers air bag defective.. We replaced the seat but that one also didn't work so this problem is not limited to our auto. We have high mileage because my wife drives 600 miles a…
2006 Ford five hundred, internal failure of CVT transmission (torque converter and shaft), no notice. Drove and entered parking spot, put car in reverse and no gear. Put back in d and no gear. Wrench light then came on and became a rather expensive 10 mile tow car was well taken…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
Failure of this connection could lead to fuel spillage and, in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.0 out of 10 based on 364 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Ford Five Hundred is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2006 Ford Five Hundred is one to avoid unless a specific vehicle proves otherwise. The data says walk unless this exact vehicle has documented proof the cruise-control was repaired or replaced. The record behind that call: 5 fire-related complaints on the electrical system; Cruise-control: 85 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 53,000–98,000 mi; Reliability score 7.0/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 94 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 86,372 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 364 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 86,372 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 94 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 86,372 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 86,372 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 364 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.