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 (!!)
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 1
Average Mileage:
128,517 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger's side wheel well was completely corroded and caused the shock absorber to become detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the wheel well needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 180,000.
Driving along over minor bump in road when loud bang occurred on right rear side of vehicle. Looked and found right rear wheel well rusted out completely near shock tower. Noise is so loud sounds like it is coming into the interior of vehicle. Took to collision shop and they told me to fix it will be approximately $1000 to start but may be higher when actually investigated. Parts at Ford are on back order so collision shop can't do work until available which they say requires welding. Not sure when or if parts are coming in to fix. There seems to be excessive rusting on the vehicle which should not have occurred. This vehicle was purchased new and taken care of. It was undercoated as well. Had another make/model that a friend has and it is 19 years old with better rust protection that this car. Not sure how much longer it will take for this to occur on left rear as it is showing rust signs too but not as extensive as the right. I use this vehicle to tow a camper in summer and not so sure this will be safe to do so even if fixed. I did not take car in to Ford's service department and would be waiting for parts there too! I don't feel safe driving this vehicle and wonder if fixed if it will be safe to drive. I had planned on driving this car till the motor stopped...looks like the frame is going to rust out before that.
I was driving and I heard this loud banging. I looked at my wheel well and it was all rusted out and my shock is coming up now through my rear panel. I have looked at all the wheel wells and the other are not rusted at all but this one is. It is unsafe to drive it now because when up to speed and you hit a bump the all rear end pulls sometimes almost into another lane.
Right rear wheel house is rusted so bad the shock is about to come loose and cause loss of control or could rub the tire and cause it to rupture. I have been advised by a mechanic that it is unsafe to drive.
The right passenger rear wheel well rusted out. Noticed a thumping sound driving at 35mph. Took everything out of the back and tested further. Still noticed the sound at different speeds and road conditions. A few days later noticed the rear wheel rusted out and the shock had detached. Stopped at Liberty Ford, brunswick, oh and they did not even examine it. Service area said they have never heard of this. Called ganley Ford West cleveland, oh and they reported this is becoming a problem. Referred me to their body shop. Approx cost $1,200. Called some other shops locally and was advised "trade it, not worth fixing, or $2,500." Was able to get repaired for $435 after further research.
- Brunswick, OH, USA
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The entire tire well rear passenger side has completely rusted out in a little over a year. While it is normal for some rust over time this is ridiculous. No other parts have anywhere near this much if any. I have contacted a repair shop only to find out the part is over 4 weeks backorder. Apparently the manufacturer cannot keep up with the demand as this is a very common repair nationwide.
Original owner of a garage kept, 2005 Ford Escape with 105K miles. I noticed a loud banging sound coming from the right rear wheel well which was very loud inside the car. I had the service tech replacing the tires on my other Ford vehicle take a look and he said the wheel well was rusting away and the shock mount was falling away from the frame of the car. This is a serious and dangerous hazard which needs to be fixed asap. Every service tech I show says they've never seen anything like it. The undercoating was sprayed directly on to the vehicle and no other method of protection in the wheel well was used by Ford on this make/model. My vehicle was top of the line, loaded, when purchased. I'm concerned for the safety of my family and myself. Ford needs to address this problem asap and take responsibility for the poor design.
I was hearing a bad clunking noise from the back so I took it to a certified mechanic and he looked and said he has never seen anything like it my entire wheel well is rusted through - he wont even touch it - he said it is extremely unsafe and told me its gotta be a recall being that its an 05 because vehicles aren't made to rust like that - so I call Ford and they say "nothing we can do for you and your complaint has been noted" well im on disability with children so I cant afford thousands of dollars in repairs nor can I go without a vehicle or drive my kids in an unsafe vehicle, I just lost my husband and I just don't know what to do - Ford rep didn't even give me a glimpse of care - does someone have to die in one of their poorly constructed vehicles before anyone will do anything - come on back up your products - and then people wonder why people buy foreign.
The right/passenger rear wheel well has become so corroded with rust that the shock has come free from the metal, and slamming hard. The state of the metal reminds me of a butterfinger candy bar, that flakes off in layers. I have read many reports in the last couple days about similar situations as this, all with the right rear wheel well. The left/driver rear side has no similar rusting, nor do the front wheel wells (as far as I can see/tell). The undercoating has been hiding the rust apparently, and it has been flaking off heavily in the last couple of weeks.
I heard a sound in the rear which was like the metal touching. My boyfriend said it sounded like the shocks going. I took to the garage to have inspected and they refused to and showed me the inner wheel wells. They were rusted on both rear sides. The vehicle body was separated. I took it to an auto body repair shop and they can fix it but we can't find the repair parts. I put the numbers for the parts in the Ford.com and apparently the numbers do not match what they have. This is disappointing to me, I do not have a job, do not have the money to purchase another vehicle, but I do have the resources to get it fixed. I also sent an E-mail to Ford but haven't heard anything as of yet. Thank you
TL-the contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger's side wheel well completely rusted. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The vehicle had not been repaired or driven due to potential safety issues. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.
While driving, I hit a pot hole that caused my right rear strut tower to break through the inside of my vehicle, rendering it undrivable. My collision repair man has informed me that the pot hole was not the only culprit and that the wheel well was so rotted and rusted that it compromised the structural integrity of that area of the vehicle, and had the area not been rusted, the pot hole would not have caused the damage. He advised me that the issue is due to poor design in the 2005 and 2006 model year Ford Escapes and that this is a widespread safety issue that Ford has not taken responsibility for. They have recalled 230,000 of their minivans for over rust issues (in 2011), but not any of the Escapes. Because the damage was due to a design flaw, and not just a pothole, my insurance may not cover the $1500 in repairs. I have only owned the vehicle for a year and the dealership did not notify me that there may have been an issue, and the lemon law period has passed.
I have an 05 Escape that has severe rust damage to the right rear wheel well. There is so much damage from the rust that the shocks are no longer attached and continually Ram into the interior panels. All other wheel wells are in great condition. From what I have read this is an extremely common problem (so much so that there is a facebook group and a message board on Ford forums) the models effected Ford models 2004-2006. Serious consideration should be put into recalling them. www.fordforums.com/F59/2005-Escape-shock-mount-rusted-out-177762/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/2005-Ford-Escape-2004-2006/397923900236108.
On 2/20/14 I was traveling 65 mph on state route 219 in boston, NY, when a loud banging noise suddenly began to occur in the rear of my vehicle. This noise scared me and forced me to pull over on the shoulder of the expressway to inspect the rear area of my vehicle (while traffic continued at 65 mph). I could not see anything at that time so I slowly and cautiously drove my vehicle home. Upon further inspection, my husband found that the right rear(passenger) side rear shock had become totally detached from the completely rusted out inner wheel well and was protruding into the inside of my vehicle. Excessive rust could be seen along with several holes that had once been part of the wheel well. My vehicle is unable to be driven and is too costly to fix. After doing some research, I found that I am not the only owner of 2005 Ford Escape with this issue. This needs to be a recall! fortunately, this defect did not cause a serious accident because this is an integral component of my vehicles suspension. This 'defect' needs to be rectified before someone dies or becomes seriously injured.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, a loud noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, who advised that the rear passenger side wheel was corroded. As a result, the housing and rear shocks were corroded and separated from the wheel. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 132,000.
The rear passenger side tire-well rusted out. It rusted where the shock is attached. This entire piece rusting caused the shock to no longer be attached to my vehicle. We later discover the accelerated corrosion was from faulty drains in the vehicle. Ford acknowledges the drain problem but will not take responsibility for the expedited rusting. With faulty drains it is only a matter of time before the other tire-well also rusts out. Luckily I discovered the problem when I did, I had been planning on towing a uhaul cross-country two days out. If I had been towing and the shock gave out, the mechanic at the dealership said my vehicle would have started to roll.
The passenger side rear wheel well rusted through causing the shock absorber to float freely. There is a section aprox 24 inches long by 2-6 inches wide where the metal has rusted out and is completely gone. This vehicle makes a hard slam whenever driven over small bumps. The shock has come through the plastic panel and put a large crack/hole in it. This vehicle has become unsafe to drive and excessively expensive to repair. This vehicle is from Michigan.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact was driving 45 mph and heard a banging noise from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection where the contact was advised that the shock mount on the passenger's rear wheel weld was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 12/30/13
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving over an uneven road surface at approximately 35 mph, he noticed an abnormal noise coming from the rear passenger's side. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The technician stated that the rear passenger's side inner wheel well was corroded, causing the shock to collide with the plastic panel. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.
The right rear inner wheel well rotted leaving the rear shock support unsecured making the vehicle unsafe to drive. After researching on the internet, found that this was a common issue for this year and make vehicle. Does not appear that Ford wants to take any responsibility for the faulty manufacturing and/or materials.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Seymour, IN, USA