CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005 Escape has problems where the engine shuts down while driving. Ford finally issued a September 2014 recall. Time will tell if the recall fix really solves the problem.
However the 2005 Escape also has a defect where the PCM (Power Control Module) fries at around 100k miles. Ford extended the PCM warranty to 80,000 miles, but only after most owners were past the mileage limit. Now owners are on the hook for the average repair cost of over $2,000 (!!)
My wife was driving the Escape when the car engine behaved almost like the engine seized. There was smoke in the front engine compartment and the engine came to a dead stop causing the car to come to a very abrupt stop in the middle of the road. When the car was started back up the engine smoked and stopped again. Upon closer inspection we noticed the AC clutch was not freely spinning and the belt was burning until it stopped the engine. We chose to see if removing the fuse would allow the clutch to move freely, surprisingly that fixed the issues but left us with no AC. We drove it like this for 2 years and just recently got it fixed.
The guy who gave the clutch repair quote informed us that this has been happening to almost all the v6 Escapes. There is no bypass pulley option and no one thought of pulling the fuse. Unfortunately 90% of the time this results in the owner replacing the entire AC system. If you repair just the clutch the cost is about $170 but it is a fun task to take on.
My car didn't seem old enough to have to completely replace all the hoses & the compressor on the a/c system. Wondering if other Escape or Ford owners have had the same issue. Been thinking about a new car, but this won't be a plus for me to go back to Ford.
- illinois46,
Atlanta, GA, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My wife was driving the Escape when the car engine behaved almost like the engine seized. There was smoke in the front engine compartment and the engine came to a dead stop causing the car to come to a very abrupt stop in the middle of the road. When the car was started back up the engine smoked and stopped again. Upon closer inspection we noticed the AC clutch was not freely spinning and the belt was burning until it stopped the engine. We chose to see if removing the fuse would allow the clutch to move freely, surprisingly that fixed the issues but left us with no AC. We drove it like this for 2 years and just recently got it fixed.
The guy who gave the clutch repair quote informed us that this has been happening to almost all the v6 Escapes. There is no bypass pulley option and no one thought of pulling the fuse. Unfortunately 90% of the time this results in the owner replacing the entire AC system. If you repair just the clutch the cost is about $170 but it is a fun task to take on.
Good Luck
- Aaron E., Lafayette, IN, US