2005 Ford Escape Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,030 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Ford Escape, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 52/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Suspension leads the reports, typically around 122,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all Escape years
What owners report
“Wheel well on rear passenger side as reported many time completely rusted out undrivable only 100000 miles”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Escape
“2005 ford escape rear left inner wheel well rusted through and shock support broken loose it has 150,000 miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Escape
“Engine starts up fine and idles with no problems. While driving, vehicle in motion, the engine will stall and start over and over or will stall out completely. This has only happened at speeds of 35mph+ and has happened at interstate speeds causing a very potentially dangerous and life threatening…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Escape
“When the car is fully locked and all door well shut the rear right door sensor says its opened or ajar which makes the alarm go off when no one has tried to touch the car and because of this it has drain the battery while having a less than 1 year old battery”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Escape
“The gas pedal get stuck when the temperature is cold. And is danger because if you are in the stop and you star drive may be gas pedal is not working and you are in the middle the intersection and produce accident. And is all the time when is cold weather”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Escape
“When driving car shuts off. Car starts in park when put in gear shuts off. Driving on highway when slowed down in traffic car shut off, and would would start in park but shut off when put in gear”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Escape
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,714 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 110,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 83,000 and 137,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
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…
The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner…
Fix: Timken has begun notifying distributors who will offer purchasers replacement wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2015. Owners may contact Timken customer service at…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Ford Escape reliable?
The 2005 Ford Escape drew 2,030 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 52/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2005 Ford Escape problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Ford Escape are suspension (459 complaints), body & structure (437), and engine (221).
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Escape problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Ford Escape problems around 110,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 83,000 and 137,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Ford Escape have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.