NOISE IN RIGHT FRONT OF PASSENGER COMPARTMENT - AIR INLET DOOR ACTUATOR INOPERATIVE (RECIRCULATION).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2006 Ford Five Hundred body problems
severe 13 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
13
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 13 body complaints filed for the 2006 Ford Five Hundred, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA body complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 18 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering body on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Water intrusion is the dominant complaint across these narratives. Multiple owners report rear passenger doors filling with water during rain and car washes, with water remaining trapped inside the door cavity because there's no effective drainage. Owners worry about mold growth and electronic component failure from sustained moisture. Some complaints extend to front passenger floor pans and driver floorboards getting wet during heavy rain and humid weather.
Door latch problems appear on the body side: one owner's driver door refused to latch in cold weather on the first sub-freezing day, requiring a 10-minute hold-closed drive before it partially latched en route. That owner noted a similar recall existed for 2005 Five Hundreds but was told it doesn't apply to the 2006 model year.
Hood issues include latch corrosion reported at 152,000 miles—a dealer warned it could fail while driving—and a hood that lifts one-quarter inch from wind pressure when a semi-truck passes at 65 mph; the dealer confirmed the problem but had no fix.
One report details inadequate front-end ground clearance causing the vehicle to scrape driveways with only slight inclines, tearing the right inner wheel well and mud flap completely out during one incident and causing the car to veer out of control.
Same Ford Five Hundred body reports on nearby years: 2005
Failure modes owners describe
Water Intrusion - Rear Doors
Rear passenger and rear doors fill with water during rain or car washing. Water remains trapped inside the door cavity with no easy drainage path, creating standing water that owners fear will cause mold growth and corrosion of internal components.
When: Multiple complaints note this occurring for years; happens every time it rains
Symptoms owners cite: Doors fill with water during rain; Water cannot be fully removed from door cavities; Heavy doors from water weight; Fear of mold formation; Concern about electronic window and door lock mechanism failure; Rust risk from interior corrosion
Water Intrusion - Floor Pans
Front driver floorboard and front passenger floor pan areas leak water during rain and humid weather conditions. Heavy rain can introduce water into the front passenger area from the rear door water problem.
When: Ongoing with humid weather and heavy rain
Symptoms owners cite: Front driver floorboard leaks water during humid weather; Front passenger floor pan fills with water during heavy rain; Water pooling inside vehicle
Door Latch Failure - Driver Door
Driver door fails to latch properly in cold weather. Repeated attempts to secure door from inside and outside fail. Door eventually latches after partial driving, suggesting thermal sensitivity or mechanical binding. Similar issue noted in 2005 Five Hundred recall (ID #06V383000) but Ford stated recall does not apply to 2006 model year.
When: First sub-freezing day; vehicle had not been garaged
Symptoms owners cite: Driver door will not latch in cold weather; Repeated latching attempts fail; Door latches intermittently during driving; Door eventually fully latches after partial drive
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford Owner Services stated recall #06V383000 (applicable to 2005 Five Hundreds) does not extend to 2006 model year Five Hundreds
Hood Latch Corrosion
Hood latch develops rust at around 152,000 miles. Dealer advised that continued rust expansion could cause latch failure at any time, including while vehicle is in motion, creating a safety hazard.
When: At 152,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Hood latch rusted; Potential for sudden latch failure during driving
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer identified the issue but vehicle was not repaired
Hood Lift - Wind Pressure
Hood raises approximately one-quarter inch when a semi-truck passes at highway speed. Wind coming through the radiator lifts the hood. Dealer confirmed the problem occurs during inspection but was unable to create a remedy.
When: While driving 65 mph with semi-truck passing
Symptoms owners cite: Hood raises one-quarter inch from wind pressure; Occurs when semi-truck drives past at highway speed; Wind flows through radiator and lifts hood
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer inspection confirmed problem exists; no remedy available
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer acknowledged problem but unable to create remedy
Front End Scraping and Structural Damage
Front end ground clearance is too low, causing scraping on driveways and curbs with normal to slight inclines. When driven up a driveway with slightly more than normal incline, the front end scraped and tore the right side inner wheel well and mud flap completely out of the wheel well, causing vehicle to veer right and go out of control.
When: Occurs on normal driveways and curbs
Symptoms owners cite: Front end scrapes driveways and curbs; Inner wheel well torn from scraping; Mud flap torn completely out of wheel well; Vehicle veered to the right out of control during scraping event; Inadequate ground clearance for normal driving conditions
Repairs/costs cited: No body damage reported despite structural failure of wheel well and mud flap
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
2006 Ford five hundred with poorly designed front end. Consumer states that vehicle front end is low enough that it scrapes driveways and curbs. *nj when the consumer slowly drove up the driveway, where there was slightly more than a normal incline, the front end scraped the driveway and tore the right side inner wheel well and mud flap completely out of the wheel well and the vehicle veered…
Upon starting the vehicle this morning (first sub-freezing day here and first time the car had not been garaged), the driver door did not latch. Repeated attempts to secure the door both from inside and outside the vehicle failed. I held the door closed for a 10-minute drive and partially through the trip it partially latched and by the time I arrived at my destination the door latched and…
Had body trouble with your 2006 Ford Five Hundred?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the body problem on the 2006 Ford Five Hundred?
It's a meaningful issue. 13 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,500.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Across the 11 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 27,000 and 91,000 miles, with the median around 50,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 27,000; a quarter make it past 91,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to body?
No active recalls currently cover body issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2006/Ford/Five Hundred.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.