Five Hundred Fail 

I bought one brand new, one of the best cars I ever owned, never had any trouble with it , had 172,00 on it when I sold it after 12 years and the guy is still driving it.

The story I heard about the discontinuation of the Five Hundred name was incoming CEO Alan Mulally getting the executive team together and asking them point blank "let me get this straight. You dropped the super-popular Taurus name in favor of Five Hundred?" The executive team sheepishly acknowledged affirmative. Alan made the decision on the spot to drop the Five Hundred moniker and bring back the Taurus/Sable.

Their transfer case was a handgrenade with the pin out in AWD models. Notorious for burning up.

I own a 2006 SEL and that thing has been one of the best cars I have ever owned. What is so interesting about the 500 is that it is a few inches shorter than the Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis, But its bigger inside wrap your head around that aspect of the Five Hundred and the Mercury Montego. Over all i see no point in getting rid of mine as it only has 92,000 on it and running in tip top shape.

I had one of those 500s as a company car. A friend of mine bought his after the company lease ran out and his is closing in on 400,000 miles !!

I cannot figure out what that car is doing in the junkyard. Inside, it looks like it just came from a detailer and nothing in the engine bay seems obviously wrong. Love to know the story on this one.

Those cars were so much bigger than other cars of the day

My Dad had one. I loved driving that car, I could go all day. Sooo comfy.

the thing I love about your channel is your muscle car guy through and through but you still educate people on cars most wouldn't give a shit about

My mom had one of these, it was the awd fully loaded model and it was a really nice car. When we finally decided to get rid of it it had close to 300k miles and we hadn't done anything to it but the traction control was starting to have issues when using cruise control. Car handled like it was on rails with the awd set up and the transmission being the way it was there was no shifting to upset the balance of the car in curves.

I still have mine. It's well past 100k miles, and I'm in the process of doing all the maintenance to keep it rolling a long time.

Bought one for 750, at 100,000 miles sold it 5 years later for 1400 at 240,000. Never broke down. Just needed an alternator. However mine was fwd and had a cvt transmission unlike what this guy says...

I was surprised when I realized the hood on the cheap 98 Ranger XLT I bought ten years ago was aluminum. When I took it for inspection in New Hampshire they called me after two pages worth of problems and said it probably wasn't worth fixing. I fixed everything over the first winter I lived here and it paid for itself quickly running across the scales at 7,500 pounds many times even with a swiss cheese frame. Made decent money doing snow removal in Mass with it too for five years until the transmission finally went. I am my car's extended warranty.

I'm quickly becoming addicted to these videos Steve!!

I never associated the Five Hundred with a Galaxy 500 even though I'm old enough to remember the Galaxy name. Ford should have called it the Galaxy 500 if they expected people to remember the name. I do remember the car and it was quite a bit larger than the Taurus at the time.

Great review and video ! This Ford 500 was going to replace the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis but the sales were a disappointment, the Panther platform were too profitable to axe . I love the Panther platform for their reliability and durability .

These were actually a fair car, although a lot like the contour, never caught on. Owning such abandonware could be tough, as parts became rare and expensive.

The wagon version was the Freestyle and the AWD Limited model from 2005-07 was a fantastic vehicle. Absolute tank in the snow and very comfortable car for daily driving or trips. Great cars.

We owned a 2007 Five Hundred fwd Limited from almost new for 11 years. It was a great car. Tons of room, for passengers and in the trunk. Extremely comfortable car. The only real issue we had was we had to replace the AC compressor. It got great gas mileage for what it was. We got 26-28 mpg all the time out on the road and would sometimes even see 30+ under the right circumstances.

Another interesting junkyard review ! That “Fried Beans” dealership is just a few miles from my house in PA. 😉

Had a 05 500. Great car I bought it with 160k miles I ended up selling it when it hit 210k. Really solid cars

Love the Weed Wacker opening.

My father in law had a 2006 Five Hundred. Bought it brand new off the showroom floor. When he passed away in 2008 we bought it from the estate and are still driving it. He was a 30 year Ford employee and WW2 vet. The car still runs great but our mechanic says it's getting old.

The rear subframes were made out of compressed rust and failed really quickly.

Mercury did the same thing, the Mercury Sable became the "Mercury Montego" (the name of an older Mercury) and it sold "sipo" The AWD (all wheel drive) transfer case is called the the transmission power take-off and that unit had a very high failure rate and expensive to replace. Ford would not supply repair parts so a new unit was the only correction. That is probably why the Ford Five Hundred is in the junk yard now.

My Dad bought a new “Custom 500” back in 1973.

just had to retire my 07 500 limited awd. the frint subframe rotted. it has just under 250,000 miles. the cvt trans and awd worked perfectly. thev engine still ran great. its was the best car i have owned.

I remember the Galaxie 500, and I especially lived the styling of the '63 and '65. For me the key word was Galaxie, not Five Hundred. I've been aware of this Five Hundred car since it cam out and not once did I associate the 500 with the old classic awesome Galaxie.

When I was shopping for a car for my elderly mother, we ended up with a CVT AWD 2006 500. What sold me on the car was the seat height was the same as a common chair. So Mom could get in and out rather easily compared to other cars. I also do not think the 500 was marketed well. I remember seeing them in the local Ford dealership show room and wondered why I'd never heard of them!

The Five Hundred and Freestyle are just different body styles of the same vehicle. The vast majority I've seen for sale are because of CVT failures, and yes the FWD Freestyle models have CVT's. Many people are scared because they're told those CVT transmissions aren't available at any price. I was lucky in that a fluid & filter change brought mine back to life. I've already had to deal with the aluminum hood corrosion and next I'll tackle the rusting engine cradle.

Fred Beans! Right up the street. Doylestown, Bucks County PA!

One car where the CVT was more reliable than the regular automatic.

Man these cars seem so new to me!

I bought a 2006 Ford five hundred new and still drive it today. It has around 160,000 miles. I keep it well maintained, and have not had any problems. The only out of normal repair was the alternator. I still like the car.

I worked on the launch of this car in 2003 with a former employer. We made the headliner and package tray and sequence them into the Ford Chicago assembly facility. At least the headliner wasn’t sagging down in that car! lol

The Volvo-based car was always intended to be the Taurus - eventually. There was an agreement with the UAW to keep the Taurus name on the current product at the Atlanta plant. They needed an interim name. They planned to shut down the Chicago plant and consolidate to Atlanta, the best plant at the time. But then a developer came in with a big bag of money and Ford reversed the plan. The developer was gambling on the Atlanta airport expansion, and lost when the expansion went in a different direction. I believe Audi and Porsche of America now occupy that property.

I remember the 1st new 500 I saw. It was sitting right next to a new Crown Victoria. Both were white and both had grey interiors, and both were mid range specifications on options. I was surprised at how big it was in comparison to the Taurus and Crown Vic. My thought was the 500 was intended to be the eventual replacement for the Crown Vic. I thought the 500 name was the wrong choice. It should have used Galaxy or LTD in the name. But then Ford released the updated Ford Explorer on the same platform and buyers took one look and jumped on that and never even glanced at the 500. The 500 was a name that had no recognition or meaning to the public by its self.

I had a used 2005 Mercury Montego which is the same car and I bought it as a A-B work car and initially didn’t think it would be anything more than a cheap car. I really liked it, it was comfortable with leather seats and a smooth ride. The only thing I ever replaced on it was the throttle body, the throttle position sensor was not a replacement part you could get, just the whole thing. I had it for years and sold it to my brother in-law who let it go, idiot. When I needed another car at the beginning of this year, I found a 2008 Mercury Sable which has the 3.5 V6 in it with just over 100k, it was cheap and I drive it everywhere. They really are good cars, a grandpa car to be sure but for commuting it really is a great car.

Thanks for showing more recent cars! Excellent

Rented one 15 years ago. Drove it cross country and back with no problems. Really comfortable cruiser. Cruised at 85-95 on I 40 going through New Mexico and Arizona. Sweet ride.

Great car. Large window you can actully see out of, great seat hieght for ease of entry/exit, huge back seat and trunk The most practical car made in the past 25 years.

Looks very clean inside.

I loved my 500 had it for 10 years.

Despite being in MA, this vehicle displays a NYS registration and inspection sticker.

Lol, it's a customers car,, he's right behind you looking threw all them hubcaps... HEY THATS MY CAR?! Hahahahaha

Thanks for another lesson Steve!

Bravo, Steve. Bravo. Your knowledge knows no bounds.

" Ford owned Volvo for 1 year, from 1999 until the sold it to Geely in 2010."

Thanks for all you do Steve! I to look forward to a new video everyday!!!!

More good stuff! Steve I think you misspoke about how long Ford owned Volvo. 1999 thru 2010 is eleven years. Nevertheless, I can remember a friend of mine who was a Volvo aficionado complaining that the Volvo looked too much like a Ford Taurus.

You are awesome Steve thanks for the great videos keep it up

Ironically, right in back there is another rare-ish 2000's car with a throwback name.. That Black Chrysler 300m Special, that someone has swiped the wheels from and swapped with some steelies...most likely due to the specials18's are a really uncommon size and tires are pretty damn expensive. But the extra bit of cladding you can see in dark grey under the black bumper cover is the sign its a Special and not a normal 300m.

Always thought the 500 was a great name, brought back from. earlier days. the interior on this car looks like new. A massive change from most of the interiors in the yard that you have posted.

lots of AWD 500s in NY. That one has NYS inspection and reg stickers so its probably extra rusty. We salt the roads if theres a rumor of snow falling in the next time zone..... 25 degrees and sunny - salt trucks..... middle of a snow storm.... salt trucks.... no snow? plow off the salt and drop more.... love NY Get well steve - maybe one of these days you see my sarcastic comment on ny rust

I love my five hundred. It drives so smooth and quiet but feels like it has so much power. The only downfall I can think off off the top of my head is that to replace the rear 3 spark plugs you have to remove the intake manifold and it's quite a bit of work. Meaning if u don't do it a mechanic will charge more for it due to the labor.

I used to have a Ford Five Hundred, had it for 5 years. (LOVED that car) It was an all wheel drive model, based on the Volvo all wheel drive system. It was gray with blue wheels, god I miss that car!

Great video Steve and team! I was curious about the 500. I was shocked to learn the 500 had an AWD option. Thanks again!

Great car for driving long distance. 150k miles never broke down!

Never owned the Ford 500. I owned a black 59 Fairlane 500 with Galaxy trim. I bought my wife an 07 Ford Fusion with the 3.0 AWD and that car was a tank! I sold it with well north 300k on the clock. We don't get a huge amount of snow here. But on many occasions the wife on her way home from work during a snowstorm would pass a many 4x4 Toyota Ford and Chevy trucks stuck on the side of the rd...lol. That engine had 221hp and it would set you back in the seat. The water pump mentioned by Steve has to be the easiest to replace. All though I never replaced anything on that engine except the coil overs and spark plugs. It always had Amsoil products in the engine and drive train. The PTU (Power Transfer Unit) can be an expensive repair and a bear to get to the oil plug. You have to have a long funnel with a hose attached and take off the passenger side front wheel. But it's possible. Great video as usual by the living legend Steve Mags...Namaste bro 🤙🏼

I saw the Fred Beans dealership sticker, local to me in PA. Cool to see one of those moved from here all the way to Massachusetts for the rest of its life. Awesome stuff Steve

I prefer the '67 Galaxie 500 fastback we had. 😁

I enjoy each video. So much knowledge and information about our car culture, new and old. Great stuff....only missing the much loved stab at motor trend....

Bought a Five Hundred AWD LTD in September and absolutely loving it! My first car and perfect for my weekly commutes between YYC and YMM!

Hey Steve, my cc spells out steve and Jonny when you say your name. It amazes me how involved you get with each and every car. No matter the make model year , your passion is contagious and inspiring. Thank you

my uncle had one new and I was mind blown at how spacious, powerful and yet still quiet it was inside. nothing arrogant or showy about it but it really moved much better than most foreign OR domestic alternatives at the time

Hi Steve, I always wondered if the Ford Five Hundred was built to replace the Crown Victoria or the Taurus. I am surprised that they built as many of them as you indicated. I liked their body style better than the Taurus but none could compare in my opinion to the 1991 or older Crown Victoria's or Grand Marquis which being full frame rear wheel drive car's were truly full size car's. I own a 1987 Crown Victoria wagon, a 1989 Mercury Grand Marquis LS 50th Anniversary edition sedan and a 1991 Crown Victoria LX wagon as well and all are daily drivers. Excellent cars that receive daily compliments and offers to buy !

I really enjoyed that review. Thank you. I bought an 06 AWD 500 for my daughter a couple years ago. It only had 48000 miles on it. It's been a great car.

Steve, I had a 2006 Ford Five Hundred that was front wheel drive only with the CVT. I am also in MA and had the car for 11 years. Good car overall with the biggest issue being the rear brakes and frequent replacement due to the pad material swelling. Thanks for the video!

notice how clean under the hood and interior? pretty safe to assume with the 34 Tag on the rear view mirror that it was a auction car

This thing doesn't look bad, I wonder what it would take to get it going again. I don't understand why it didn't sell well. It's a hell of a lot better looking than a Camry from that era (or any other).

We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon

500 is part of some other Ford model names. My brother had a 1968 Fairlane 500, and my mother later drove a 1974 Custom 500 (Galaxie) wagon.

I had the mercury montego version. It was a great car

500 was a Super Dog. The brakes were Recalled in 15,000 miles the calipers did not relax to allow the pads to back off the rotors

Cars just chilling roting away is sad.

I had a lemon.. I traded in my 2007 Ranger XLT with less mile on the 2005 Mercury Montego version. Nice ride, lots of room, great view but it was hell trying to keep the cabin cool during the summer months. I don't miss it...

I have a 2008 Ford Taurus with 260,000 milesWith no engine or transmission problems at all does not leak any oil or use any one of the best cars I’ve ever owned

this car is in good shape. thanks for the detailed review of this little known (to me) model

These cars had huge electrical issues. The Duratec engine wasn't bad in other models, but in this one. If it developed a misfire. Ford wanted you to replace all of the coil packs as to not mess up the coil drivers in the ECU. Also if the Alternator died in them. They could also damage the voltage regulator circuit in the ECU. After doing either one of these jobs. You needed to send it to a Ford dealer to have the ECU reprogrammed. These cars were a huge pain in the ass to work on cause of these issues.

Relatively speaking this is the Mint-est car you reviewed! Im gonna bet this will still be there 30 years from now just like the panel van etc etc. An Auto Museum like no other thanks for the vids!! PS...waiting on a Pontiac Strato-Chief Hubcap if you can thanks again.

Get well soon, Steve

That throw back thunderbird! Lol what an abomination.

When I was looking for an affordable AWD car (not a truck), I considered the Five Hundred, before I settled on the Subaru Legacy. Looks like you could put in a new battery, a few drops of gas, and drive that baby out of there! I live in South Hadley. I'd come up and take a look myself...IF my wife wouldn't kill me for bringing home another car! I hope someone else does. (Enjoy your videos, btw.)

I believe Ford owned Volvo from 1999 - 2010, slightly longer than one year.

Those had 2 main flaws. Engine too small and a CVT. The Taurus ditched both.

Just sold my 05. Loved it.

GM was using aluminum on the deck lids of the Regal/Cutlass/Monte Carlo - late 70s G bodies.

I remember when this along with it's crossover cousin, the Freestyle were unveiled back in 2004.

I remember my first experience with those new Ford naturally aspirated v6 engines. It was in a 2011 F150 rental, and I was enchanted when it blew right past 5 and then 5500 and THEN 6000! I expected valves to come flying through the hood. Lol I was sold.

My wife bought a new 2007 Mercury Montego Premiere AWD CVT [ZF Batavia CFT30 CVT] [not possible to have a 6-speed AND Awd]. And we love it. Not a problem. I change the engine oil and use a NAPA Gold filter at 3 k to 5 k miles. Use Vovolene blended synthetic 5W20. She doesn't drive much and only has 37,300 miles on it. I was thinking it is due for its first ATF change. It has a dipstick under the battery box, a pain to get to but that is fine. We are North of Green Bay, Wisconsin and so the salt has eroded out the rear fender well. Let her rot. The wife bought it because the Ford Dealer was dumping it since Mercurey was curtailed. I don't think it has ever gone faster than 65 mph. We had a factory recall when first purchased for all brake rotor replacements. [wrong metalergy] I have heard that the 10 mm bolts holding the camshaft bearing caps loosen up [even at 89-inch pounds] and allow the cam to rise up off of the tappets. Other than that it is a sold churn. The cure is to R&R the bolts with new bolts from Ford about every 70,000 miles. ~~ scontent-msp1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.18172-8/29064073_10156257950251098_1727395362419938623_o.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=cdbe9c&_nc_ohc=AaQd2MHyH-kAX-6aC1C&_nc_ht=scontent-msp1-1.xx&oh=00_AfAGQrtEy5wHedGrsy7AKwHu0PMyVf62bX_g5Og9RXAUqA&oe=63F6E417

Hey Steve where's your sense of adventure!?,.. should've chomped into one of those petrified sticks of chewing gum!! 🤣

My first car!! Transmission used to slip like crazy and STRUGGLED on these Bay Area hills. If it wasn't my car I would have parked it right at the junk yard but used to get me from A to B with a huge cabin for friends in the back. Also remember losing almost all power on the Bay Bridge and having to floor it just to go 50 😂 good times!

Sweet! I got like number 1!! Keep 'em coming Steve luv the videos. Please more Corvettes, even though I hate seeing them in salvage yards.

I'd bet money that the reason that car is in the junk yard is the transmission. My cousin had an 05 AWD that the transmission went out on, was told it was cheaper to buy a new car than it was to replace the transmission if you could even find one (no one wanted to rebuild that CVT)

I leased one. Loved that car. Great handeling and gas mileage. Never a problem.

Great video I own a 2005 five hundred limited front wheel drive with the 6 speed automatic it may not be the fastest car on the road but I love it one of the best cars I've owned

Ford actually owned Volvo from 1999 until 2010, a total of 11 years

My 05 AWD Limited was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Went 205,000 miles

They were good cars. What I remember of the 500 was it was a lower trim than the LTD. the Custom 500 Gator Mclusky drove comes to mind...

I love it, open the door, then go thru the window. Thanks for the great videos.