Ford Five Hundred reliability by year
2 recalls and 1,073 owner complaints across 3 model years. Best year to buy: 2007. Year to avoid: 2005.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 1 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2005, 2007 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 3 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Five Hundred aggregated across 3 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Ford Five Hundred?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2007 Ford Five Hundred scores 7.2/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2007 range. 199 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Ford Five Hundred year should I avoid?
The 2005 Ford Five Hundred scores 6.8/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 510 owner complaints with NHTSA, 1 active recall. That doesn't mean every 2005 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Ford Five Hundred should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2006 (avoid — the cruise-control — 5 fire-related complaints on the electrical system). The cleaner years on the data are 2007, 2005. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Ford Five Hundred are tracked?
3 model years (2005 through 2007) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 2 recalls and 1,073 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Ford Five Hundred?
powertrain is the most-reported category — 268 complaints across 3 model years. Average shop repair runs about $2,500.