Overview & Reviews

After years of focusing most of its attention on light trucks, Ford realized it needed a stronger lineup of passenger cars. In particular, the company needed a car that would appeal to families of four and five. The Ford Five Hundred was the result, a large sedan designed to appeal both to ex-SUV owners and traditional full-size-car buyers.

The Ford Five Hundred's biggest advantage was space, as it offered more than 40 inches of legroom front and rear as well as a massive 21-cubic-foot trunk. In addition, the seating position up front was higher than normal to provide a commanding view of the road.

Sales were never particularly strong, however, and Ford decided to rename the Five Hundred as the Taurus starting with the 2008 model year.

Most Recent Ford Five Hundred

Introduced for 2005, the Ford Five Hundred received minimal changes during its brief three-year run. This sedan is based on the previous-generation Volvo S80 platform, and made use of that car's all-wheel drive and safety technology. The Five Hundred's Swedish origins were immediately apparent when you drove it, as it provided both a comfortable ride and competent handling, with nicely weighted steering. Braking performance was mediocre, though, and Volvo's stability control system wasn't included in the package.

Passive safety was excellent in this large sedan. Originally optional, front seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags became standard for 2007. Additionally, the Ford Five Hundred aced crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, earning the highest possible rating in every category.

Three trim levels -- SE, SEL and Limited -- were offered initially, though for its last year the SE was dropped. Front-wheel drive was standard on both trims, with all-wheel drive available as an option. Choosing a front-drive Five Hundred paired the 203-horsepower V6 engine with a six-speed automatic transmission, while opting for AWD mandated a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Key options included rear parking sensors, a navigation system and a rear DVD entertainment system, the latter a rarity in a mid-priced sedan.

Mediocre acceleration was the main drawback to the Five Hundred. Its standard 3.0-liter Duratec V6 was not as powerful or refined as most competitors' engines. Still, the Five Hundred's low pricing and top-notch crash test scores made it a reasonable family car pick. Consumers should know that the Ford Five Hundred was revamped and renamed the Taurus for 2008, and boasted a number of key improvements. The latter included much stronger performance courtesy of a potent new V6, upgraded cabin trim and available stability control.

User Reviews:

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  ISSUES WITH FIVE HUNDRED - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By mdarnell - December 14 - 9:43 pm

  This vehicle has been in the shop for the following to be replaced and Ford will not buy it back: amp-replaced 3 times, speaker-replaced 2 times, cd-replaced 3 times, bubbling dash-5 times. This vehicle still makes a roaring noise and every electrical noise comes through the speakers. When it is very hot or extremely cold as well as after it rains in when this noise comes up. It is so loud you have to turn the radio or ignition off. We have arbitrated and they refused to still take it back. It is going back in the shop Thursday AGAIN for them to tell us they dont know what else to do. Just want to warn those of you out there.

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  Continuing Brake Problems - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By Bill - August 29 - 2:50 am

  Enjoy the space and comfort but the brakes have been replaced twice, even though the I have had the car for 21 months and it has only 11,400 miles as of 11/24/06. The dealer tells me it is a continuing problem on the Five Hundred and Freestyle, which apparently has the same braking system. The computer system failed at 5000 miles and had to be towed in to have the software downloaded again. I have also had an annoying squeak in the rear suspension system since I bought it and the dealer hasnt been able to fix it for more than a few days at a time. The repair record always reflects "packed with grease".

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  First & Last Ford - 2007 Ford Five Hundred
  By thoss29 - October 22 - 10:10 pm

  The 1st year of ownership was great, since then we have had the rear brakes recalled because of abnormal wear & grinding under 15000 miles. Power Steering pump went bad, A/C Compressor went bad, power windows quit working, then magically fixed themselves, when I put it in gear it lunges forward if the A/C is running. If my foot is not firmly on the brakes it lunges hard enough to hit something in front or behind the vehicle. And the OEM tires lasted about 35000 miles with regular rotations. It is very comfortable & gets decent fuel mileage in town & exceptional highway mileage for a car of its size. The shifting of automatic transmission take a little getting used to.

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  Worst car I have ever owned - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By grady572 - July 31 - 4:10 am

  The transmission went out at 38kmiles, I called Ford and they replaced the transmission after I paid $125, the brakes had to be replaced under a recall, the heated seats quit three times and the third time it was out of warranty so they still dont work, the cd player quit it was repaired,right front wheel bearing and hub replaced at 39,000 miles, dealer repaired n/c The air conditioner quit and I had to pay $294 Ford paid $883.Replaced the power steering pump@ 106k, miles. At 36k replace the Pirelli tires. At the time they were the only ones that made the size for my car, Limited AWD put on Mich HydroEdge@68k mils still look nw @113k.Rpld 2convertors n fuel pmp @ 95k batt repl @ 80k

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  Not happy with Ford 500 - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Betsy - July 8 - 7:30 pm

  I purchased my Ford 500 1 year ago. I have had several problems...all which have been covered by warranties. My biggest complaint is with the brakes. I have had the pads replaced as often as I have had the oil changed, no joke. Also the rotars have been deglazed twice and turned once. Also there is a lot of road and engine noise while driving. I also had to replace the tires at 15k miles. Nothing lasts long on this car!!!

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  A $31,500 Lemon - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Timothy Ploing - April 7 - 1:43 am

  The paint bubbled up on the front edge of my aluminum hood without having any surface damage to it at all this happened around 38,000 miles! Out of warranty! My Navigation GPS, motor quit around 43,000 miles! I need to replace the cars disk brakes rotors around 48,000 miles! At 55,748 miles the power steering fluid went bad and that ruined my power steering rack! I have never owned a vehicle with this many problems! 36,000 miles warranty.

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  Reliable Car - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By H.Becker - January 21 - 9:23 pm

  Ive owned the car for five months. The car handles well in adverse weather. The gas mileage is good. I dont find the car to be fun or real comfortable. The car is functional and I feel safe in it. I dont think I will own it for the life of the vehicle. Sound system leaves a lot to be desired.

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  Poor transmission - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By menchaca - October 21 - 1:05 am

  bought with less than 30,000 miles. pervious owner had great record keeping on maintenance. Almost immediately started noticing weird things with transmission. It is very hazardous. Had a few close calls with car not speeding up when turning onto roads. It is mainly acceleration problems. Would not buy this or Taurus model in the future. Probably not any ford model. Ran into other owners with exact problem same problem.

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  Fix the bugs - 2006 Ford Five Hundred
  By Johnnyrama - October 3 - 6:23 pm

  I really like my Ford 500 limited. I enjoy the way you sit up high with a good view. Its a big roomy, safe feeling car, with a massive trunk. Ive had mine in the shop for repairs several times over the rear brakes. They had to be replaced at 20,000 miles the 1st time, and they are still noisy, like metal to metal at times.Ive had the motor in the drivers side electric window replaced, the dash compartment lid got bubbles in it and had to be replaced, my seat heater for drivers seat had to be replaced, Ive had the trunk looked at( hard to open), and now my radio, CD, clock, is not working, back to the shop.

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  Ford 500 a disappointment - 2005 Ford Five Hundred
  By JG - June 29 - 6:06 pm

  A real disappointment inside. Front seats are very uncomfortable. We did a six hour drive with two stops; both of our lower backs were sore. The seats are hard and dont support your lower back correctly. Driver side seat is not in alignment with the steering wheel. Drivers side has no room to extend left leg, passenger side has same problem - cant extend right leg because the front wheel wells are in the way. Very uncomfortable to drive any distance with your legs bent all the time. CVT transmission noisy, has outside wind noise over 50 mph like window open. Steering problems, rear doors at bottom by rear wheel wells paint chipping. Traded in a 2000 Ford Taurus. That was a better car than this 500.