2005 Ford Escape Engine Problems
Owners have filed 130 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2005 Ford Escape, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 113,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “spark plugs” (14% of reports).
- 130engine complaints
- 113,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 43%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Spark plugs: mentioned in 18 of 130 complaints (14%)
- Stalled without: mentioned in 10 of 130 complaints (8%)
- Able restart: mentioned in 9 of 130 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 119 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 130 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Escape engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 2 | 67% | — |
| 2025 Escape | 5 | 19% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 13 | 17% | 4,092 |
| 2023 Escape | 28 | 28% | 6,200 |
| 2022 Escape | 33 | 14% | 39,200 |
| 2021 Escape | 44 | 13% | 79,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 121 | 8% | 65,500 |
| 2019 Escape | 316 | 53% | 61,194 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,165 | 64% | 78,667 |
| 2017 Escape | 1,579 | 59% | 70,000 |
| 2016 Escape | 200 | 17% | 64,000 |
| 2015 Escape | 239 | 21% | 74,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 727 | 35% | 74,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 1,265 | 46% | 75,000 |
| 2012 Escape | 73 | 12% | 40,500 |
| 2011 Escape | 248 | 19% | 47,102 |
| 2010 Escape | 493 | 24% | 52,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 254 | 15% | 70,167 |
| 2008 Escape | 83 | 4% | 85,500 |
| 2007 Escape | 25 | 10% | 100,400 |
| 2006 Escape | 47 | 10% | 93,000 |
| 2005 Escape | 130 | 9% | 113,000 |
| 2004 Escape | 31 | 6% | 109,748 |
| 2003 Escape | 24 | 4% | 127,413 |
| 2002 Escape | 36 | 4% | 150,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 27 | 3% | 125,436 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2005 Ford Escape. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was heading back to Louisville Ky from bowling green Ky when my suv started to slow down and started running rough and check engine light flashed then stayed on I pulled off the road called aaa to have the suv towed back to bowling green to where I could have it checked the next day when I went…
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle turned off inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son shifted into neutral(N) and veered to the side of the road. The contact's son was able to restart the vehicle…
My 2005 ford escape v6 stalls out skips sputters and my truck jerks really bad then anti theft symbol on dashboard comes on and truck switches off and back on in the middle of highway with traffic while driving down the road .very dangerous.also making a thumping noise from in the air intake.gas…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2005 Ford Escapes have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 130 owner complaints about engine for the 2005 Ford Escape (9% of the 1,394 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Ford Escape engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 113,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2005 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “spark plugs”, in 18 of 130 complaints, followed by “stalled without” (10).
Other 2005 Ford Escape problems
See all 2005 Ford Escape problems or engine problems across all Escape years.