Ford Motor Company: Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly › Mounting
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Nov 9, 2005 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 123,206. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE STRAPS THAT SECURE THE FUEL TANK TO THE VEHICLE BODY MAY BREAK, CAUSING THE FUEL TANK AND FUEL TANK HEAT SHIELD TO DROP ON THE DRIVESHAFT (ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES) OR EXHAUST SYSTEM (FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES).
The risk
IF THIS HAPPENS, DRIVERS MAY NOTICE A NOISE OR A FUEL LEAK. A FUEL LEAK IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FUEL TANK STRAPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 1, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
3 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Ford Five Hundred | 510 | 3 | 6 | 20 |
| 2005 Ford Freestyle | 1,459 | 2 | 3 | 32 |
| 2005 Mercury Montego | 135 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 05V515000.
Full record for the 2005 Ford Five Hundred → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →