2005 Ford Escape Structure Problems
Owners have filed 434 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2005 Ford Escape, 31% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 120,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “wheel well” (54% of reports).
- 434structure complaints
- 120,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,700typical repair cost reported by owners
- 20%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.
- Wheel well: mentioned in 235 of 434 complaints (54%)
- Rear passenger: mentioned in 125 of 434 complaints (29%)
- Shock mount: mentioned in 73 of 434 complaints (17%)
- Completely rusted: mentioned in 67 of 434 complaints (15%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical structure repair on the 2005 Ford Escape at $1,700, and half of them between $1,250 and $1,950.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2017), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 385 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 434 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Escape structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 2 | 3% | 9,062 |
| 2023 Escape | 5 | 5% | — |
| 2022 Escape | 20 | 9% | 10,000 |
| 2021 Escape | 92 | 26% | 41,500 |
| 2020 Escape | 670 | 42% | 45,000 |
| 2019 Escape | 12 | 2% | 36,200 |
| 2018 Escape | 20 | 1% | 22,000 |
| 2017 Escape | 62 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 2016 Escape | 21 | 2% | 29,902 |
| 2015 Escape | 36 | 3% | 47,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 84 | 4% | 40,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 87 | 3% | 39,306 |
| 2012 Escape | 68 | 11% | 57,000 |
| 2011 Escape | 43 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2010 Escape | 84 | 4% | 65,500 |
| 2009 Escape | 32 | 2% | 72,000 |
| 2008 Escape | 41 | 2% | 80,000 |
| 2007 Escape | 18 | 7% | 115,000 |
| 2006 Escape | 63 | 14% | 128,400 |
| 2005 Escape | 434 | 31% | 120,000 |
| 2004 Escape | 138 | 28% | 120,000 |
| 2003 Escape | 121 | 22% | 109,000 |
| 2002 Escape | 87 | 8% | 125,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 54 | 5% | 132,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists structure 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.
Hello, The engine cradle subframe on my 2005 Ford Escape has completely rusted through on the right hand side where it attaches to the steering control arm. As I was driving the subframe broke which made it impossible to steer the car. This pulled my car off the road to the passenger side…
My rear passenger side rusted right out completely and the strut mount is not attached to any part of the body. It caused my vehicle to swirve off the road almost hitting another vehicle when it was raining out also in the snow this occurred several times where my rear end jerked sideways pulling…
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after her father inspected the vehicle, he made her aware that there was damage to the rear subframe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe needed to be replaced. The contact…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2005 Ford Escapes have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 434 owner complaints about structure for the 2005 Ford Escape (31% 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 structure?
No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 120,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix structure problems on the 2005 Ford Escape?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,700 (half paid between $1,250 and $1,950), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 2005 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “wheel well”, in 235 of 434 complaints, followed by “rear passenger” (125).
Other 2005 Ford Escape problems
- Suspension problems (459)
- Electrical System problems (153)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (149)
- Engine problems (130)
- Power Train problems (117)
- Wheels problems (98)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (90)
See all 2005 Ford Escape problems or structure problems across all Escape years.