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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:
0 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
105,890 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.

2005 Ford Escape electrical problems

electrical problem

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2005 Ford Escape Owner Comments (Page 1 of 8)

problem #142

Oct 272022

Escape

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Drove vehicle to drop off dog at sitters, started vehicle began to make u-turn and vehicle stalled. Attempted to restart, cranks but won't run. Recently purchased from used car dealer, new battery was installed, no trouble up to this point. Began checking usual problems, fuel delivery, crank pos.sensor, cam pos sensor, have no spark. Upon further research this appears to be faulty coils, spark plugs and pcm from factory but no recall has been employed. Possibility of collision during u-turn very likely. Loss of power to all systems could cause extreme risk to life at higher speeds. Ford Motor Company is aware of this problem, with the high number of similar problems in the NHTSA data base it is impossible for them not to know. The NHTSA should force Ford to fix this. If you make a product that can be dangerous if faulty, you are responsible to the public to do the right thing. I think that if the governmental agency responsible for traffic safety won't do their job then a class action lawsuit should be started. I bet I could find a good lawyer in the SF Bay area.

- Salida, CA, USA

problem #141

Sep 202022

Escape

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his son was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle turned off inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's son shifted into neutral(N) and veered to the side of the road. The contact's son was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact's son then drove to his residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

- Deland, FL, USA

problem #140

Nov 032020

Escape

  • 237,000 miles
My 2005 Ford Escape V6 stalls out skips sputters and my truck jerks really bad then anti theft symbol on dashboard comes on and truck switches off and back on in the middle of highway with traffic while driving down the road.very dangerous.also making a thumping noise from in the air intake.gas pedal cable wire broke.so many problems with this vehicle.I believe there are several recalls.please let me know so the Ford company can fix whatever it is that may be under recall. Thanks!

- Pearson, GA, USA

problem #139

Apr 222018

Escape

  • 105,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2005 Ford Escape. Purchased with a car loan in 2012. @ 40,000 miles.$$ kept all regular maintenance up. $$replaced battery & had $$all brakes done front & back in 2014. $$paid off loan in 2015, & 2016 rolled over to 95,000 miles.. $$had to replace alternator & battery & $$redo the brakes in 2016. $$in 2018 had to replace alternator again..(note: During all these years the check engine light was constantly coming on & showing 'check emissions system'.. bringing up all sorts of fuel & emissions codes. $$replaced 4 different fuel related parts as well). In 2019 all brakes failed! & had a near crash! $$having to replace the brake lines. Then in April 2019 driving an Alaska mountain pass in a spring winter storm! major breakdown!! lost all power with no control of steering or braking.. panel was lighting up on & off like a christmas tree! engine chugging & sputtering like getting no fuel but also not getting the power to keep running.. $$left stranded 500 miles from home. $$had to get towed back home! to have a PCM burn up! $$new/remanufactured PCM, $$new alternator, $$new battery, $$new coils!! still did not run right! check engine light still coming on only showing check emissions system, but all parts replaced! engine sputtering but no code on diagnostic machine to give right correct problem or how to fix!$$$!! 6 months later, replacing alternator yet again!! $$4 alternators one in 3 years!! $$3 coils replaced. & engine is still not running right!! seems once this PCM goes out.. it's all over for this vehicle!! nothing is keeping it going anymore, $$just a moneypit of endless fixing & breaking down on the road! not to mention how it stalls out in mid driving at high speeds! leaving you with no steering or brakes or power to stop! and then crash!?! I'm feeling left in the dust by Ford company with no compensation on over $20,000 spent on a Ford Escape that can't run!

- Palmer, AK, USA

problem #138

Sep 182019

Escape

  • 146,000 miles
The electric power steering system failed in the middle of an intersection and almost caused an accident involving other vehicles.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #137

Jun 252019

Escape

  • 142,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle's alarm sounded after locking the doors with the key fob. When the contact manually inserted the key into the door and turned it to the left, the alarm would turn off. When the key was turned to the right, the alarm would sound. In addition, the alarm would sound a half hour to 45 minutes after locking the doors. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

- Monroe, MI, USA

problem #136

Jan 052019

Escape

  • 152,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled when traveling on an incline. Also, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact was able to coast the vehiicle to the side of the road and powered off the engine. The vehicle was restarted and was able to drive, but the failure recurred after a few miles. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power train cable caused an electrical failure and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.

- Clearfield, KY, USA

problem #135

Nov 222018

Escape

  • 170,000 miles
Driving 65 mph on the interstate my 05 Escape began to skip, stall & died, anti theft light came on. I drive for 20 miles slow with it skipping and stalling. When I left off on gas it would continue to run until I made it to safe place. Attempted to drive for repair on state hwy it stalled and went dead. Ford dealership reprog keys- repaired drive off, barely off the lot and it quit again. Now I see this is a manufactures issue with 05 Escapes after an online search. New Ford diagnosis- new plugs & coil pack, intake gasket. 170,000 miles. My alarm randomly goes off too which could be related to electrical issues. Ford motor is liable if someone's vehicle stalls and is killed due to this problem they know about but have not corrected or recalled.

- Vestavia, AL, USA

problem #134

Oct 082018

Escape

  • 137,002 miles
When starting the vehicle and getting to a destination, put the vehicle in park and turn off the key will not remove from the switch have did all the troubleshooting it is in gear all the way off and still can't remove if we leave it set for about an hour we can then remove the key this started on Monday Oct 8th and has done it ever since consistently

- Weston, WV, USA

problem #133

Aug 252018

Escape

  • 133,000 miles
Well my door ajar light comes on randomly. It makes the dome lights stay on. Need help before it gets worse.

- Wiodruff, SC, USA

problem #132

May 142015

Escape

  • 95,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

One of my door open sensors acts up when the weather is hot causing the alarm to sound on its on. When it's cold the open door indicator goes away and alarm doesn't go off. How can I find out which sensor to service?

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #131

Jan 302016

Escape

  • 90,000 miles
The light for the airbags is yellow and has been for about 2 years. I ask the mechanic what that meant. He told me the airbags wouldn't deploy in an accident. I also found out the module that controls that also controls the auto lock on the doors when you take off. I feel this is a safety issue but I'm not able to afford the repair so I contacted Ford Motor Company but they told me there is no recall for that, needless to say, I just hope I don't ever need them. The module just gave out and the light came on and has been on any time the car is turned on. I no longer have the repair bill kraphol Ford gave me. On 01/30/2016 I sent in a complaint but as far as I know, nothing has been done about it, so this is a repeat.

- Remus, MI, USA

problem #130

Jul 242018

Escape

  • miles
My vehicle alarm will just start going off nobody is near the keys or vehicle, it will just go off and you have to hit the button on the key and shut it off today at work I was sitting at my desk and in a matter of 10 minutes it went off 4 times. I am not sure why it is doing this, but it is concerning.

- Cherokee Village, AR, USA

problem #129

Feb 162018

Escape

  • 5 miles
While driving the car on the freeway the car jolted. After 3-5 more miles the car kepped jolting as if it wanted to die then lost all power, even the emergency lights wouldnt come on. Once I turned the car off it turned back on fine then continued the process. The car for no apparent reason died on the freeway and I could have been in an accident to where my life was almost lost. I made it to my mechanic shop they ran the care for codes and no codes came up at all. My mechanic has done research and found that some 2005-2008 fored Escapes have recalls. He feels as my car is one because my car has the exact same symptoms as the recall. In this article I have had all of these issues.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 (!!)

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #128

Jan 012016

Escape

  • miles
Car alarm always going off causes interior lights to run battery down. Alarm will not reset lock doors. Sensor light comes on with door ajar and alarm refuses to set. Has been going on for a year or more. Complaints on internet from other people with the same problem but there is no recall. Others are saying it is the latch that needs to be replace but Ford company can't tell us this. It doesn't matter if the vehicle is moving or not for the door to be ajar.

- Lexington, AL, USA

problem #127

Jan 282018

Escape

  • 112,000 miles
Terrifying! potentially fatal. Power just cut out on highway while going approximately 55 mph. No steering, no brakes. No power. All warring lights ablaze, but no warning beforehand! gratefully, I was in the right lane and managed to get the car into the median. After several minutes, car restarted. Luckily I was only 1/4 mile from the exit. I read about this well known electrical problem. It is the PCM. Apparently Ford used faulty spark plugs. The fix is too costly. I will have to purchase a new vehicle. Ford recalled the 2005 Escape hybrid but not this model? criminal

- Sandy Hook, CT, USA

problem #126

Aug 042017

Escape

  • 122,607 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning, there were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact placed the gearshift into neutral and was able to coast over to the side of the road. The contact waited for a few minutes and restarted the vehicle, the vehicle restarted and stalled. The vehicle was towed to a park and ride lot. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 122,607.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #125

Jul 262017

Escape

  • 140,000 miles
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

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #124

May 172017

Escape

  • 116,000 miles
When the vehicle stops, engine shuts down. If I start it again it turns on just fine but everytime I stop at a light or at traffic, the engine stalls. Went to the Ford dealer and they cant tell what is happening because there is no check engine light turned on. They checked it and everything was fine, battery, oils. They say there is a recall for the throttle position sensor but the deadline for this was on January 2015. Now Ford wont repair my vehicle because it has more than 10 years old (it has less than 116,000 miles).

- San Juan, PR, USA

problem #123

Mar 022017

Escape

  • 1,224,500 miles
My 2005 Ford Escape ltd with 122K miles with no warning stalls when I come to a stop, or when I'm going less than 5 mph. The vehicle has done then same thing when I was driving 65 on my way to lax, had to pull over to the shoulder and was almost side swiped and rear ended by cars. No check engine lights illuminate, nor can the mechanic find anything wrong. After doing research I've come to learn this is a very common problem among this year and model, yet Ford will not address the issue with a recall. This is dangerous, I'm scared to drive my vehicle. There are thousands of complaints on the internet about this vehicle with the same issue. Something needs to be done. Ford is in the know. I'd like to see some action being done.

- Montebello, CA, USA

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