2005 Ford Escape Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escape years
- More complaints than other years 9th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,394 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Ford Escape. That ranks 9th out of 27 Escape model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is suspension (459 complaints, 33%), typically at around 121,000 miles. Complaints mention 40 crashes, 20 fires, 28 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 1,394owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 40complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Ford Escape problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension problems | 459 | 33% | 121,000 | “wheel well” (56%) | $2,150 |
| Structure problems | 434 | 31% | 120,000 | “wheel well” (54%) | $1,700 |
| Electrical System problems | 153 | 11% | 104,000 | “spark plugs” (22%) | $2,900 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 149 | 11% | 85,500 | “throttle body” (17%) | — |
| Engine problems | 130 | 9% | 113,000 | “spark plugs” (14%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 117 | 8% | 91,928 | “spark plugs” (11%) | $3,550 |
| Wheels problems | 98 | 7% | 121,500 | “wheel well” (62%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 90 | 6% | 89,362 | “spark plugs” (16%) | $3,000 |
| Unknown or Other | 76 | 5% | 107,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 49 | 4% | 114,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 40 | 3% | 107,926 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 34 | 2% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 31 | 2% | 57,250 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 30 | 2% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 29 | 2% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 24 | 2% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 16 | 1% | 119,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 1% | 82,400 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 1% | 26,230 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 0% | 75,700 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 0% | 91,950 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 0% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 0% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 82,400 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 2,075 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 154 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Ford Escape recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
Risk: If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S28.
Hybrid propulsion system
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail resulting in the hybrid electronics overheating.
Risk: If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump with an improved brushless pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S19.
Seats:front assembly:head restraint
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles equipped without side air curtains or moonroofs fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201, "occupant protection in interior impact." during testing, the free motion head form registered a measurement above the permitted limit at the left hand a-pillar trim area.
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, personal injury to occupants may occur.
Fix: Dealers will make modifications to the energy absorbing material located above the headliner in the affected area free of charge. The recall began on may 19, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Certain 2004-2005 sport utility vehicles and certain 2001-2003 sport utiity vehicle having rear liftgate components serviced with 2004 equivalent components fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 206, 'door locks and door retention components.' the rear liftgate latching system does not meet the inertia load requirement in one direction.
Risk: If the liftgate is left unlocked, there is the potential that it may open during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear liftgate latch release rod, the release rod attachment clip and the door handle return spring. The recall began on march 31, 2005. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction (DP12006) — opened Oct 2, 2012, closed Feb 21, 2013.
- Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit (AQ10001) — opened Nov 18, 2010, closed Dec 28, 2015.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I bought a 2005 Ford escape the VIN number on the dash and the title do match however the ECU and the door jamb VIN [XXX] which is for a 2006 Ford escape 4 cylinder 2.3. the vehicle I bought should be a 6 cylinder with a 3.0 l the mechanic says mismatched VIN the dealership refuses to listen. About…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2005 Ford Escape on November 25, 2025. The contact discovered a mileage and VIN discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 199,500. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine inspection, and…
I had just started up my 05 Ford hybrid Escape reversed out of a parking space, applied my brakes and a loud warning noise went off, the ABS light & the Brake light went on, then I tried to brake while backing out of the parking stall. I had no brakes, petal went all the way to the floor. I shifted…
Front Subframe rusted out causing loss of steering and control. Car came to a complete skidded stop . The front wheel nearly came off. The subframe issue is the same problem that resulted in a recall of the 2001-2004 Ford Escape.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. Upon starting of the vehicle, the contact placed the vehicle into drive(D); however, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated and…
Other Ford Escape years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 Escape | 26 | 9 |
| 2024 Escape | 76 | 8 |
| 2023 Escape | 100 | 11 |
| 2022 Escape | 235 | 19 |
| 2021 Escape | 349 | 19 |
| 2020 Escape | 1,610 | 23 |
| 2019 Escape | 596 | 3 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,817 | 4 |
| 2017 Escape | 2,698 | 4 |
| 2016 Escape | 1,158 | 4 |
| 2015 Escape | 1,116 | 9 |
| 2014 Escape | 2,089 | 16 |
| 2013 Escape | 2,750 | 18 |
| 2012 Escape | 603 | 1 |
| 2011 Escape | 1,318 | 2 |
| 2010 Escape | 2,070 | 3 |
| 2009 Escape | 1,693 | 1 |
| 2008 Escape | 1,974 | 3 |
| 2007 Escape | 254 | 2 |
| 2006 Escape | 464 | 3 |
| 2005 | 1,394 | 4 |
| 2004 Escape | 499 | 6 |
| 2003 Escape | 558 | 7 |
| 2002 Escape | 1,027 | 8 |
| 2001 Escape | 996 | 13 |
| 2000 Escape | 5 | 0 |
See all Ford Escape problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Ford Escape?
Owners most often report suspension, structure, electrical system problems. The top one, suspension, accounts for 459 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Ford Escape?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Ford Escape a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escape model years, the 2005 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.