Like many other complaints on here I was driving, I had my 6 yr. old granddaughter with me when it just lost power, almost like it ran out of gas but it hadn't. Got it to coast to the side of the highway, the check engine light was on, it was missing and had no power. A handheld tester showed multiple codes that led to coil packs, plugs, cam and crank sensors. Changed all that it showed.

Continued to have the same problems, had to put it on a diagnostic PC to find out the problem is my PCM. I do not know what the cost is to fix it by the time I replace it and whatever else they have to replace and program, or whatever the cost of labor not counting I already had it hauled home, then had to haul it to get it checked then back home.

I'm stressed, upset, aggravated, etc., need this vehicle back on the road now for Doctor's appointments. I'm even more upset that this car was bought from a Ford dealership, a used dealership with over 100,000 mi. on it! Was a 1 owner and the dealership knew it had already had 1 coil pack changed, but I never knew anything about recalls etc., but I'm sure they knew! I'm so disappointed with them.

I've always drove Fords but now thinking I'll never buy another! I can't afford this, they need to help pay or reimburse us all, like most have said recalls was for vehicles under 87,000 mi. but most aren't doing this until they're over 100,000. My car looks great inside and out but does no good if it's not running. That dealership should fix my car.

There are 85 existing complaints on this site for this specific issue and it is very obvious that we are seeing the same thing. The PCM is failing to signal to the spark plug that it should fire. The mechanic showed this to me using a simple tool that allows one to see the signal via a small light indicator. The signal is visible on all plug wires but one. The wire was confirmed good.

There are many frustrating and downright dangerous issue around this that I argue warrant a recall ... I filed a formal complaint with Ford as well and intend to do so with NHTSA. First, if the computer is bad and sending incorrect signals, it logically follows that it reports incorrect diagnostic test information, leading to who knows how many wasted dollars replacing incorrectly reported failed parts ... Coils, oxygen sensors, etc. more importantly, these bad signals are causing some of these cars to just suddenly die on the highway, such as our case with a young driver who was in heavy traffic at the time. What could be more dangerous than a seemingly healthy car shutting down in high speed traffic? Note..our driver does the Chesapeake bay bridge frequently. I would not wish a disabled car in that situation on anyone.

This issue is very clear from the many postings of the same event. Ford apparently equipped this class of Escape with incorrect plugs, which overtime corrupts the computer, leading to thousands of dollars in unneeded repair and potentially dangerous breakdowns for the drivers. Ford needs to own up to this and recall these PCMs.

I would normally not jump to this conclusion on my isolated event, but all of these complaints are so consistent, the conclusion is obvious.

My 18 year-old daughter was on her way for her first day of college, when our POS Escape died on the interstate at 70 mph. Luckily she was able to creep it off the side of the highway with out getting plowed. She was able to start the vehicle only to break down 3 miles later on a side street. We had to replace 6 spark plugs, 6 coils and the PCM.

I too find it very convenient for FORD not to publish this known anomaly until years later (once vehicles are past the 80,000 mile mark). FU FORD. Never again. Back to upfront and reliable Toyota.

I've always been a staunch defender of the FORD brand...until now. The more research I did on the link between faulty factory-installed spark plugs and PCM failure, and Fords knowledge of this link from the get-go, the angrier I become. There is a TSB out on this "known" issue however the warranty period only extends up to 80,000 miles. Pretty convenient since the average failure marker is 98K miles. Also convenient that Ford waited until 99.99% of all affected drivers would be outside of their "warranty" period before graciously extending said "warranty". Hogwash. I consider myself fortunate that my failure did not cause an accident (because you know, loss of ALL ELECTRICAL CONTROL at 70 MPH is not high on my bucket list). I will state up front that I did NOT preemptively replace the plugs and coils at 100K miles as recommended. I had no indication of misfire, nor any other cause for concern (little did I know...) and ALL other recommended maintenance had been followed sine MILE ONE (I am the original owner) From the first misfire to complete failure was 36 miles. Within 15 miles of the first misfire, I brought it into my mechanic since I knew it was time to replace the plugs at that point. Diagnostics confirmed plugs 2 and 3 were shot, however the PCM tested good. I opted to replace all 6 plugs AND all 6 coils based on numerous complaints in forums such as this one. $1,009.19 later, and I'm out the door. On the way home from the shop I noticed it was still hesitating slightly, but nothing like it was (I blamed it on the extensive (and intrusive) work that was done and gave it a few miles to 'work out the kinks'). 22 miles later and the check engine light illuminates once again and the engine begins SERIOUSLY MISFIRING. I was able to limp the 6 miles to my mechanic where diagnostics confirmed the PCM was now fried. Awesome. Another $830 and change to replace the PCM and reprogram both keys. Yes my truck has 130K miles. No, it will not last forever but known issues such as these really chap my hide!!! This has soured me off Ford forever at this point. Disappointing, dangerous and downright deceptive. >:-(

Same as the others under this heading. Car died on Rte 89 in Vermont. Was driving up a hill with cruise control on, it started to speed up and I tapped the brakes and then all hell broke loose. Coils, plugs, PCM all shot. Towed to Burlington. Now sitting in Ford dealership waiting for PCM - which they have no idea when it will get there.I am renting a car costing me 380 a week. (I live in Maine).

I never had any idea it was coming and was actually thinking up to that point the car had treated me well. In reading the prior entries my outrage has grown - particularly at the cost (2400 buck for everything) and the fact it seems to be a recurring problem (not to mention the issue with finding a part).

I am so frustrated at not only the expense but the powerlessness.

You can spend a week on the Internet to get the whole story for this piece-of-crap vehicle which has a KNOWN problem with the ignition system which ultimately manifests as a PCM replacement. The trail of service bulletins (TSBs or Technical Service Bulletins):

TSB 05-11-1, TSB 09-02-06, and finally TSB 10-18-10 which add to the tale of woe about this failure which goes like this:

Your car starts to run rough or dies altogether - dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree. When you look into it you find that the root cause of the problem was that in 2005 Ford installed sh*tty spark plugs that generate a lot of RF (radio frequency) noise along with a coil-on-plug ignition system that also sucked with respect to suppressing that noise. This causes the PCM (Powertrain Control Module aka 'the computer' or 'brain') to crap out and possibly damage coils along the way. Worse yet, if you have been noticing a little roughness for a while that was your engine misfiring and sending unburned fuel through the top catalytic converters - so they can be possibly be trashed as well in the process.

Got that? You might be completely hosed because of some bad spark plugs and poor design that Ford knew about shortly after they made this car. Now you would think they would have mentioned it somewhere along the way and had you come in for a fix before everything went to sh*t - but no they left it to you to find out when you where in this mess stuck on the side of the highway. The suggested fix is to replace all the plugs, coil-on-plug assemblies ($100+ per, 6 ea.), and the PCM ($$$$). If your converters are messed up, well, just throw that in too.

TSB 10-18-10 was revised from earlier bulletins because the newer COPs where redesigned so that they actually did suppress excessive PCM destroying RF noise the way they should have in the first place.

Also interesting is that if you go to the Ford site - you can't even get a new PCM unit only a 're-manufactured' unit so I think that might be a good indicator of how common this problem is.

~50K miles and FOUND ON ROAD DEAD

I WILL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN - EVER.

Update from Dec 3, 2013: Just looked at top 3 on worse vehicle list - makes perfect sense.

See that picture? That's my Escape being towed at 1am after I returned from vacation and was driving home from the airport. Sputtered intermittently then when I got on the expressway and gave it gas about 5 miles into my trip, it simply sputtered a few more times then died....in the middle of an overpass...All the dash lights lit up like a Christmas tree. I kept from immediate panic and coasted to pull off just off of the bridge to the side of the road by an off ramp. I was by myself (female) with my 2 small dogs. I was able to contact my daughter to come and sit with me until the tow truck arrived. I had it towed to Firestone in Akron because that is typically where I have maintenance taken care of....Did I mention I live just outside Columbus? They wanted $300 to tow it home for me so I opted to stay in Akron with it for the fix. The driver ('mechanic) said it sounded like a fuel pump issue. Today Firestone did a diagnostic and said the fuel pump is fine but the readings came back that it was a problem with the PCM unit.....after reading all the posts on this site I'm really nervous about the fix. I plan to have it towed to a Ford service dealership tomorrow so I don't, as of this time, know what the damage will be. Even after it's 'fixed', I'm nervous about driving it back to Columbus after reading of the reoccurring problems.

This Escape had been a really good vehicle and this is the first main issue I've had with it....I'm hopeful it will be taken care of in a professional and honest manner.....any advice on whether I should go ahead and have it towed and fixed locally in case there are problems afterward? I'm not sure another Ford dealer in my area would cover the repairs of another Ford dealer...any insight into this?

April 16, 2012

Escape XLT V6

Automatic transmission

After years of putting up with issues like the battery stalling and getting jumped with my 2005 Ford Escape I am livid! I have spent $$$ time and time again for coils, plugs, and A NEW COMPUTER TWICE!. Now their telling me I NEED another NEW COMPUTER? Come on 3 computers in a time span of 4 years. I bought the car brand new and had no problems until the dealership told me the spark plugs needed changing, needless to say they had to drive me home that day...for some unexplained reason one mis fired and caused the pcu or whatever its called to burn up so it ended up costing me 2000.00. Less than ten thousand miles later I was on vacation in Myrtle Beach and got stranded....less then a year again the same problem...I was told by the dealership there that the other ford dealership should have changed all the coils and spark plugs and the problem would never happen again...by this time the pcu price was up and it was higher so that cost me about 3000.00 due to the rental car to get home. Well guess what its two years later and exactly!!!! the same problem again, only it hasn't broke down yet....it sounds like a washing machine and I am driving it until it blows!!!! Then I am painting it yellow and putting a sign on it that says LEMONS FOR SALE IN HONOR OF FORD!!!!! The dealership I bought it from were very ugly to me when I tried to get them to refix it....Ford told me they were sorry but they could not help me and My dad worked 30 years and died working for Ford Motor Company in Norfolk, VA. DON'T BUY AND FORD ESCAPE OR YOU WILL HAVE TO ESCAPE FROM HELL......I wont ever buy any Ford again!!!!! I know in heaven my dad is driving a Jeep, a chevy, a BMW, even a tricycle ....anything but a FORD!!!!

I hit a deer on May 26th. When I picked the Escape up after repairs, the shop said it was acting like moisture was in an electrical connection. They couldn't find the cause. It was acting like water in the fuel, or a loose ground connection. I took it home. The next day it was fine.

Fast forward to August 22nd, I got an oil change and everything checked out OK. When I was driving to work appointments, the car started sputtering repeating the above characteristics. I pulled over to check electrical connections under the hood. Nothing abnormal found. When I tried to restart, dash lights lit, but starter didn't. Late night tow = $100.06 plus 2 missed work appointments. Parts = $2267.64, labor =$755.88, tax=$202.41, 6 days of rental car = $336.07. I'm out $3637.06 and two clients, but I have a shiny new PCM module, 12 gaskets, 6 coil assemblies, and 6 spark plugs. In 36 years of car ownership, it's the most expensive repair I've ever had.

Ford has known about this problem for quite some time. Very poor public relations. Very poor customer service. This is my first, and last, Ford.

purchased my escape in May 2012. Also purchased the "extended warranty" for an additional 2,000.00 since it was a used vehicle. 4 months ago, it went in for multiple repairs, of which none were covered by warranty. Two days ago, driving 55 mph on highway with my 12 year old daughter, the car sounded like it got put into 2nd gear accidentally, as is made a loud winding engine sound. Power was diminished, I pulled off the highway to the side of the road. battery light came on, engine light came on, and some other dash lights, too. Hazards worked, car would turn over but not start. Called tow truck, first garage asked me what my vehicle was and when I told him (this is no joke, either) it was a 2005 Escape he replied "no thank you, I don't work on them...they are pieces of crap) found another guy who would tow it for me and it was taken to garage that night. Following morning, wouldn't even turn over. Diagnostic today informs computer PCM, part alone is 1100.00, cant get it for three days, extended warranty doesn't cover because I am over the 80,000 mile limit. I am so sick of this car. I have never had car problems with such low mileage in my history of car ownership. I don't even have the money for the actual repair. I owe the bank on the loan for another four years. I got the carfax on this car, and at 35,000 it notes "computer chip replacement" or some language like that. I wonder if this is the second one for this car? It is summer, I have two kids, one in camp, and I work. How is someone supposed to manage with such overwhelming maintenance issues? I got rid of a 1998 plymouth voyager, that had 189,000 miles on it, that I owned for 6 years-NO problems at all, and no car payment. Should have stuck with it. I found DOT vehicle safety issue report site that I am also complaining on. Don't buy an Escape, they suck!

This is a very serious problem that hasn't been corrected or it seem like complaint's are just piling up and nothing is happening. Nobody wants to bad mouth our American made cars, all we are asking is just when these big companies see this price it is costing for repairs maybe the problem is the products that are going into these cars just can't hold up. I'm a mechanic and I know that some part's that are being sold just don't hold up to any wear and tear. What is it going to take the lost of ones life or family, because the car just shut off' I thought the computer should be protected with a fuse before it goes out my question is were is the protection and if Ford knows why is it taking so long for any responses. I had to replace all coils spark plugs and computer, the cost is 2,200 dollars.

Another one. Chalk it up.

Got check engine light and the car started misfiring so I took it in. Ford dealership said they needed to replace spark plugs so I took it to Midas and they changed plugs, but nothing was fixed so they put the originals back in. Then they changed the ignition coil and the car was running poorly so they took those out too.. Then they said that the PCM was fried and it was sending out incorrect error messages due to the original spark plugs they installed. Ordered PCM, new manifold gasket, and reinstalled the spark plugs and ignition coil. Turns out that the Catalytic Converters are bad due to the way the car was running due to the PCM which was due to the Ford Factory installed spark plugs. Now I am in around $4500+ on this car and it ALL IS FROM THE FAULTY SPARK PLUGS THE FACTORY INSTALLED AT THE BEGINNING! How is it possible that Ford has not recalled these parts or tried to remedy the situation given the fact that it is happening to so many people?!? Spark plugs are a cheap repair but because they messed up on the original ones I am for thousands and thousands of dollars on repairs. I called Ford and worked my way up the ladder and no one will do anything. They tote the company policy on warranties and they KNOW this is something they screwed up on. It is so frustrating and I would love to be involved in a class action lawsuit. The Service Director at a Ford dealership I spoke with said that the 2005 Ford Escape 3.0L is the one care, the one year, and the one model he would never ever buy because it has had so many problems. He also said Ford should have issued a recall on it.

I am beside myself right now....

After speaking with our mechanic, and gaining an understanding of what occurred, he informed us that this problem is a COMMON occurrence among Ford Escape's! My question and gripe is WHY did Ford not make this known! Oh, that's right....profits for the manufacturer would be affected!!!! This is thievery from Ford!!! How can you people sell a car for upwards of $20,000. and NOT make people aware of this issue or at the very least cover it under warranty for the length of time they KNEW it would take to occur!!!!??? I'm thoroughly disgusted, and will NEVER purchase a Ford EVER AGAIN! I will tell EVERYONE I know about the dishonest tactics Ford applies!!! Thanks Ford! You are no more than liars and cheats!!!

I took my car 1500 miles to Rhode Island for a back surgery. While there, the car had some issues and I had the number 2 coil replaced per the mechanics advice. I came home and two months later I am having serious issues with the coils misfiring. I took it to a shop and they tell me I need a new computer and 6 new coils. I am pissed!!! I am at the end of my finance time with this vehicle and now it sh*ts the bed??? I googled the mechanical issue and came across this website, I am in shock at how many other people have this same issue. My car has been properly maintained since its purchase, babied actually... I want to know how to file a lawsuit against Ford for ignoring the safety of the consumer. My truck failed as I was driving on the highway to my part time job.. It just shut down..couldn't steer , couldn't start it up again... I almost got killed by an 18 wheel truck driving behind me.. How can Ford get away with this legally??? I am definitely going on a mission starting tomorrow(Monday) and getting to the bottom of this!! I all ready filed a complaint with the transportation safety authority, now on to bigger FISH!! I am also contacting FORD CREDIT and telling them , either get me help or sue me for the balance of the loan $1500.00 , cause that's what its going to cost and more to fix!

Update from Nov 25, 2012:

Hi Nancylee,

Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding your 2005 Ford Escape. My name is Charles and I have looked into this matter for you.

I have reviewed to see if any available coverage may assist in your repair request. The vehicle is outside of any applicable warranty and there are no active Extended Service Plans (ESPs) to cover the part or the repair. As much as we would like to assist customers outside of warranty, only recalls and Customer Satisfaction Programs (CSPs) allow us to do so.

In light of some known concerns or defects, Ford stands behind its products by issuance of recalls and Customer Satisfaction Programs (CSP's). Ford and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) work together to proactively identify areas of concern through investigation of consumer and dealer feedback. During an investigation Ford co-operates fully with NHTSA. Ford does not speculate on the outcome of any current investigation or future actions. Due to our rigorous safety standards and constant testing, not all issues result in recall or Customer Satisfaction Programs. If a program is announced on a specific component, Ford will notify you by mail.

At this point, I recommend that your vehicle be inspected by a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealership to determine the cause of any symptoms your vehicle may be experiencing. They have factory trained technicians, the most current engineering service information, and the specialized equipment to resolve your vehicle concerns.

Thank you for taking the time to write us.

Sincerely, Charles Customer Relationship Center Ford Motor Company

Sometimes e-mail communication does not allow us to gain additional information that may be helpful in responding to your inquiry. Should you feel that we have not adequately addressed your questions, please feel free to contact us via telephone at (800)392-3673 between the hours of 8:00am and 8:00pm EST (Monday-Friday) or 9:00am and 5:30pm EST (Saturday). Hearing-impaired callers with access to a TDD may contact 1-800-232-5952. Should you need it in the future, your reference number is 1527493302.

For online support visit us at: www.customersaskford.com which contains answers to frequently asked questions and links to other key product and service information.

My story is about the same as everybody else's here, which is infuriating. I was on a busy interstate, the engine chugged once and then died. I was able to coast to the right shoulder. I had it towed to Sears Auto and after replacing 4 coils that the computer said were misfiring for $1100, they realized the problem was the computer. Had it towed to a dealer where it sits now. I was hoping they would be able to reset the computer and I could trade it in. Has anybody been able to have the computer reset or do they all require a new one? Has anybody been able to fix the issue for under $2000?

I find it incredible that there has been a technical service bulletin and Ford has done nothing. I was expecting to drive this car for 200,000 miles.

On Saturday of the long Memorial Day weekend, I was driving on a major highway, which was merging with another major highway. I was going at least 60 mph when my O/D light popped on. I thought it was weird at first but sometimes it happens when I rest my hand on the shaft. But my hand wasn't resting there! And one by one, all the alerts on my dashboard start lighting up: Engine, Oil (who even knew I had that light!), battery, O/D, ABS. Then the car just dies. While I'm driving. I was lucky enough to drift over to the median. My hazard lights wouldn't even turn on. A state police officer ordered me off the road and got me an expensive tow off the road. Towed it to my mechanic today who said it must be the alternator, before he even looked at it. Just got a call a little earlier: Computer is fried!! And apparently this is something that also happens in the Fusion. Ford sells a kit for the Fusion to fix that. NOT for the Escape. My mechanic could not get it covered under warranty since I'm over the 94K mark. Reading everyone else's complaints make sad. Our cars are dying in the middle of the road and Ford doesn't seem to care. Also, my car does NOTHING exciting. Ok I have a moon roof, but I don't even have something that tells me the outside temperature. I hate that my car has a "computer" and now I have to fix it. Without any warning - it just went. Not cool Ford.

Update from May 31, 2013: Powertrain Control Module

Spark plugs (6)

Ignition Coil (6)

Intake Gasket (6)

$2600

Limped our 2005 Escape(V-6) to our mechanic. Replaced rear coils. Drove one week, limped to mechanic. Replaced spark plugs. Drove 3 days, limped to mechanic. Replaced computer (took 3 weeks). Drove one week limped to mechanic. Replaced faulty computer, replace other 3 coils, took out aftermarket security system, starts but says insert key, runs very badly. Has been 3 weeks and still don't have truck back. Any input from anyone would be appreciated. My wife needs her truck back. How many complaints do we need to start a class action lawsuit?