New alternator at 80,000 miles.
New control arm/ball joint and starter at 93,000 miles.
This has been a very reliable car. Very minor problems considering the mileage. It still feels as tight as the day I bought it. No squeaks or rattles at all.
The space is amazing in this car. Tons of leg room in the back, and a huge trunk.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th March, 2013
Love the car initially, but worried about the long term cost of maintenance
Dashboard compartment is bubbled.
Brakes grinding/squealing.
Car lurches when going into gear from parked position.
I recently purchased my 2006 Ford Five Hundred with 86,000 miles on it. The dash compartment is bubbled, and I have noticed the grinding with the brakes as well. Not sure when the brakes were last replaced, but I will be looking into it.
I have also noticed that when it is put into gear, the car has a tendency to lurch forward or backward, depending on the direction I'm headed. This makes me a little nervous if I'm close to another car when it happens! I'm not sure if this is a tranny issue or not. Not looking forward to spending the $$ on replacing brake parts frequently for the future of this car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 3rd September, 2011
Poor engineering and bad taste in design
The right rear brake caliper locked up twice, resulting in a burned up brake assembly. Car was out of commission for a long time because replacement parts could not be found by the dealer. Brake rotors are not even stocked by aftermarket manufacturers, and are extremely hard to find. Ford does not carry them.
Almost every lamp has been replaced on the external lights. The license plate light is extremely hard to replace, because the trunk lid liner has to be removed and cannot be reinstalled without new fasteners. The taillight assemblies have to be removed completely from the car to replace the lamps.
The battery had to be replaced after about a year.
The air conditioning doesn't put out a lot of air, leaving you with a feeling of suffocation on a warm day.
The oil change warning cannot be reset even after changing the oil. This prevents the odometer reading from appearing.
The AWD light is on frequently, and there is a loud clunk in the drive train when taking off from a stop.
The power steering pump has always made a whining noise since new.
The six CD changer has ruined several CDs, and is unreliable.
The windshield is at such a low angle from vertical, that the dashboard is constantly reflected in the glass, and it is extremely hard to see through the reflection, especially on a sunny day, although at night this is a severe problem. The only solution might be to place a non-reflective cover on the dash, but that is doubtful. The windshield angle needs to be raised significantly to correct this hazardous condition.
There is a lot of understeer in the steering, and the suspension is very stiff, resulting in an uncomfortable ride.
And lastly, there have been several instances of the electronic accelerator surging unexpectedly at the wrong time at low RPM, such as parking in the garage.
The car is reliable and the AWD really works on snow and ice. It does not slip or slide at all.
The paint finish is very good, however the interior is very cheap and a lot of hard plastic is used.
The moon roof works very well, except when closing it, you are unsure if it is really closed or not, and it must be checked from the outside to verify it is closed.
The heat and air controls are way too complicated, and are very hard to set while driving, because the buttons have small lettering and are hard to see.
Overall, the electronics are just too complicated. If the car were to ever experience an electrical surge, it would be an electronic nightmare and would be very expensive to try to fix. We paid thirty five thousand for the car new, and it seems like a plain old throw away car to me. I am very disappointed in this vehicle, and would never purchase another one.
Dealer support has been very poor, it seems like they could just care less about you or your car. Also, the style is seriously outdated now.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 25th December, 2010
Blame Volvo, not Ford, as this car was built on a Volvo platform for the US market.
Interesting review. For 35 g's you should have gotten a car that would last. I'm a Ford person, but bought a BMW because I perceived it as a car built to last. Money has been spent, probably 2000 or so in 5 years. We try and make the best informed decision at the time; nevertheless, it just doesn't work out; sometimes it does. The issues you mentioned are relatively minor to me though, for the main issues are the drive train, etc. Well done review.
Thanks. Jeff J.
5th Jun 2013, 09:33
I don't know if you're in Canada or the States, but the lunging issue - I had the same thing! It's the throttle body; Ford issued a recall for it! Go to your dealership with recall code 12N03.