8.9
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$436.00
Average Mileage:
64,401 miles
Total Complaints:
23 complaints
Most common solutions:
- replace window (15 reports)
- not sure (8 reports)
windows / windshield problem
Helpful Websites About 2005 Ford Escape back window exploded
2009Oct 21
Escape LX 2.5L
- Manual transmission
- 65,000 miles
I am a Ford man, been one all my life , Dad was a ford man , Grandpa was a ford man . Hell I think that we are some how related to Henry Ford . Anyway when my wife and I decided to buy a new car we picked the Ford Escape . On my way home from work today I was talking with my wife on the phone and driving ( hands free of course ) . It was like some one threw a brick threw my back window . Now it was raining and I did have the rear window wiper on . But it was about 60 degrees outside . I could not believe this , what do I do ? No one was around , no brick in the cargo area . The glass had to of exploded . I have a friend who installs windows for a living and he said it is not uncommon to replace the escape's rear glass; he said he has done it several times same story . I just know Ford would not let me down , and will come through for a 3 generation Ford buyer . By the way I am currently looking for another car - do not make me break the cycle and buy a CHEVY ! My father will roll in his grave ..
2009Sep 06
Escape XLS 2.5L
- Manual transmission
- 84,000 miles
Woke up one morning, glass is shattered--no sign of vandalism, nothing was taken, just a shattered windshield--environmentally, it wasn't even cold out!!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Jan 28
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 67,000 miles
Driving home with my 5 year old and BAM , rear window gone , I called the dealership and they said they never heard of it ! I will write the owner of the dealership tomorrow and let her know , she has been very helpful in the past. I was amazed to see the other complaints with the same occurrence
2009Jan 11
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 37,000 miles
Wow, I had no idea so many other people had the same experience I just had! My story and photos seem to be the same as everyone else's. I was traveling about 30 mph and was the only one on the road. The roads were covered with a light dusting of fluffy snow, and it was chilly.. about 21 degrees. The defroster had been on, but I had physically turned the defroster off about 5 minutes before the 'explosion'. I heard a horrible noise and was completely shocked to see there was very little of my rear window left. WHAT?!!?! How could such things happen? And what a mess! There was glass everywhere, paint had been chipped, the shocks were hanging out, the wiper and motor were at an awkward angle...things were dangling everywhere. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday and nothing was open to help with the repair until Monday.
So far, my insurance company has been somewhat helpful, but I've still had to pay out of pocket to get my vehicle repaired. Why do I even need to pay anything for something I did not cause?? My calls to Ford haven't really gotten me anywhere yet, except to only reiterate there is no recall for such issues. I agree that with this many voiced complaints, Ford should at least acknowledge there is an issue.
2009Jan 10
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 62,758 miles
My back window just exploded while it was sitting in the garage!! It's +1 cel today so the cold cannot be the issue. It's been much colder recently and today is warm in comparison! This is just awful, I can't believe FORD hasn't recalled or fixed the problem yet.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Dec 23
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 93,206 miles
I was at a stop light at about 6:15 pm on Dec 23. It was cold but not terrible and it was snowing so I was using my wipers occasionally and I had the rear defogger on. Suddenly there was a very loud bang and when I looked in my mirror, my rear window was gone!!!! Scared the CRAP out of me. My first thought was I had been rear ended but there had been no bump and the next car was a good car length away. I was in the middle of 3 lanes of traffic and there was no one throwing things and I was at a stop light so no cars zooming by to throw ice or anything at the car. I pulled into a parking lot and there was no rock or anything in the back of my car, just pieces of glass. Now I have plastic and duct tape where my window was and it is Christmas so the odds of getting it fixed soon are slim. I was surprised to see how many other people have had this happen too!! Is Ford doing anything about this???
2008Dec 19
Escape LS 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 47,800 miles
I'm quite amazed at the number of other entries of Ford Escape owners that have had the same thing happen to them. I was sitting in my car in front of a grocery store after leaving work and the temp was 45 degrees. The car wasn't running and the defroster wasn't on at the time. All of a sudden I hear this exploding noise and thought that someone had run into my car or that someone had thrown something. I jumped out only to discover my rear window was completely gone and glass was scattered everywhere on the parking lot!! Rear wiper arm and all back window components were hanging loose.Great, I guess I won't be going Xmas shopping now!!! The lady parked next to me said she couldn't believe her eyes. Another guy stopped and told me to call the police for a report for my ins. company. The officer said he has never seen this before, but that maybe I should check online for similar problems. Wow I was shocked to see all the entries about exploding windows in Escapes! Okay Ford, I believe you should be aware of this problem by now and you need to place a recall. I am definitely going to fight this with the dealership and am printing off pages from AutoBeef. If anyone else has had any success with your dealership please let me know. This problem is not a coincidence! Just what I wanted to spend money on six days before Xmas!!!!!
2008Dec 12
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 86,000 miles
click to see larger images
Complaint Photos
I left for work at 6:50 am after having preheated my car (front and rear window defrost), I was about 15 minutes down the road and poof - my back window blew out... or rather it blew in. It was a moderate 30 deg. outside, it definitely gets way colder out than that here in northern Pennsylvania. It had just snowed the night before but there were no cinders or anything on the road except for snow. There was no other damage done to my vehicle. I was contemplating whether to call Ford or not, I see no one else has been successful with this route though... This could have caused a major accident first of all I could have wrecked, second if the window had exploded and had gone out the window the car behind me would likely have wrecked trying not to hit it...ect ! I think it is sad that a manufacturer will wait until someone is seriously maimed to take care of something like this. This is something that needs to be looked into! It amazes me that these manufactures will sell you a vehicle for $20,000 and yet will not take accountability for malfunctions of the equipment - even as a customer relations/ good service gesture. Yet they want the tax payers to be prepared to bail them out if they need financial assistance! OUTRAGEOUS. Ford needs to do the math on customer satisfaction and return buyers - word of mouth and the world wide web - that is a nice chunk of change they have lost long term.
2008Dec 11
Escape SL 2.5L
- Automatic transmission
- 45,000 miles
Ford should send flyer or replace the rear glass with warranty repair for 2005 ford escape rear glass.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Dec 06
Escape XLT 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 44,555 miles
I had a 15 minute drive to work. The temperature was in the low to mid 20s. I had my rear defroster on since there was frost on the windows. I arrived to work a little before 7:30 a.m. At approximately 7:35 a.m. a colleague heard a cracking sound. Shortly there after I was asked if I owned a Ford Escape. I was told that my rear windshield was completely shattered. Another colleague gave me a hand. He said it appeared as though the windshield had exploded since most of the glass was outside. In addition, the struts that hold the window up were also hanging outside the window. I called the police. The police officer also felt that the windshield exploded based on the look of the damage. Thus far my Ford dealership has not been very helpful. They told me that they have received no similar complaints so far. The glass replacement company came out and was able to do a partial repair. I need to order new struts from Ford and have them installed. This gentleman said he has had 2 similar situations in the past couple of months. Both cars were Ford Escapes. I am going to pursue this issue. Something is definitely not right here!
2008Dec 02
Escape XLS 4 cyl
- Automatic transmission
- 87,000 miles
I was driving on a highway on my way to work. It was about 27 degrees out and I had to use my rear defrost before I left home that morning to clear the window of frost. After about 15 minutes of driving, I turned off the defrost. 5 minutes later - POW! I look in my rearview mirror to see a scene right out of a movie - my back glass shattering and flying out in a million glittering shards raining inside and outside my truck. I check my vital signs to see if I have been shot - this is Atlanta you know! Once I realize I am alive and unhurt, I pull off the highway to check out what happened. the back of my car looks like a war zone, with wires, and parts dangling in an empty frame with glass everywhere. No rock, no bullet, nothing to expain why this happened. When I get to work, I called my Ford dealer to see if there was a recall campaign on this - nope! But would I call Ford customer service to report for statistics so they can decide to recall 10 years from now?
I called my insurance company, they were much more helpfull. Pay comprehensive coverage deductible of 200.00 and glass company will be there this afternoon to fix. They bring out wrong glass, which to me looks the same, though I had privacy glass on back. Like a dummy, I tell them to go ahead and install since I don't want to wait another day to get a back window. BIG mistake I find out on my way home. Headlights glaring right into my rearview mirror all the way home. This morning, sunlight lighting up entire back seat. I wish now I would have held out for correct glass. Oh well, maybe Ford will recall soon.
2008Nov 18
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 59,153 miles
I used the rear defrost for the first time this year. The temp was approx 20 degrees. I arrived at work after a 5 minute commute. I went into the building and came out 5 minutes later to find the rear windshield was shattered. The pieces had fallen both inside and outside all over the parking lot. Their were still bits clinging to the seal and handle. No one was around, the vehicle wasn't hit. The vehicle was just sitting there. I took it back to the dealership who stated that it must have been the wiper hitting the glass that shattered it. This makes no sense since the vehicle was parked and wasn't touched. I suggested a short of some kind in the defroster and they told me there wasn't enough current to do that. I am concerned that this was a "spontaneous" shattering.
2008Nov 24
Escape LX
- Automatic transmission
- 110,000 miles
Traveling 60 mph on a dry cold morning about 30 degrees should not cause the back windshield to explode into little pieces. Had been driving about 30 minutes when this happened and it scared the heck out of me. At first I thought something kicked up, until I could not find anything in the car. The glass blew inward - and of course this is the first time my local Ford dealership heard about this, but they were aware of this happening on an Explorer...Help! Any ideas? Is it the rear defroster?
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Nov 24
Escape ES
- Automatic transmission
- 67,000 miles
Drove for 10 minutes in 30 degree F weather with the back defroster on to remove light snow. Parked outside, and returned 1 hour later and saw that my back window was shattered. Other than this, I've been very happy with the vehicle.
2008Nov 12
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 41,000 miles
PARKED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND THE WINDSHIELD JUST EXPLODED. THEIR WAS LIGHT RAIN, NOTHING I CAN IMAGINE THAT WOULD CAUSE THE BREAK.
2008Nov 12
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 100,000 miles
I was driving to the gym at 5:30 in the morning. Temperature was about +2F. I had the defrost on. I was in the vehicle less than 5 minutes. The rear window exploded. glass all over..Thank goodness my daughter was not in the back seat. Local ford dealer was less than helpful. He said it definitely was not a defect and that I would have to pay to have it fixed. When I asked him for his recommendation, he said "get some plastic put in it, it's going to rain". What a joke. I am going to follow up with the dealership owner. Looks like I will be paying to have it fixed.
2008Mar 01
Escape
- Manual transmission
- 57,800 miles
I had parked my Escape in a parking lot and went in to a story........in 20 minutes, some people were going around the store asking who belonged with a certain car / license plate because "the window just exploded". Sure enough, it was mine. Glass everywhere, inside and out. The hydraulic pieces and wires were just hanging with shreds of glass on them. There didn't seem to be anything inside indicating that someone had thrown anything at it (police concurred), we the official insurance report reads "spontaneous explosion of the rear window".
Details include: 57,800 miles on the car, cool night (30 degrees), nothing leaning against the window before it exploded, no snow or ice on it for several days.
So, for those of you who have had yours fixed, was the replacement / repair successful? I'm concerned about everything getting hooked up again (defroster, wiper, sprayer, the latch to open just the window . . . ). My insurance will cover the cost, but any encouraging words would be appreciated.
2008Feb 16
Escape XLY 3,2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 49,710 miles
we have a2005 ford escape, we pulled in the driveway yesterday, and had been in the house about a half hour, I was looking out the front window and noticed glass or something black behind our truck, we went out to look and the back window was completeley gone shattered all the glass which was a dark black lying in the driveway, we have taken pictures but have not added them to the computer yet. We were checking on the internet to see if ford has had any recalls.None. We then saw the other four people with the same complaint as ours. We are from BC, Canada the temp was 6 degrees above yesterday, and everyones has happened within the last 3 months?
Feb 16th,2008.
2007Dec 11
Escape
- Automatic transmission
- 48,000 miles
See my comment dated 2.11.08 which is exactly the same issue as this comment.
Back hatch window exploded while driving approximately 65mph on the freeway on a mild day (aprox. 55' with lite rain). I was told that it was no doubt the defrost mechanism going bad however, the glass shop (which I was sent to by the Ford dealership), stated that they could tell the break DID NOT occur due to the element (it was also not a day where the defrost was being used). This window was the SECOND to explode while driving. The first window (rear right passenger) exploded in while entering a freeway ramp with NO traffic on the right side of the car.
Most people go a life time with never having an exploding window while I have had 2 at this point (again, see comment dated 2.11.08 now raising this number to 3)! The glass repair shop I was referred to by the Ford dealership has stated that by observing the broken window, they are confident that at neither time was the defrost mechanism to blame.
If I had not been close to my office on all three occasions..........I am confident that nobody would ever believe my stories!
2008Feb 11
Escape Limited V6
- Automatic transmission
- 49,000 miles
click to see larger images
Complaint Photos
Approximately 15 minutes after I drove home from work this morning, the rear window of my 2005 Frod Escape Limited shattered. No one was near it and we don't think anything hit the window. We live in Syracuse, NY and the temperature today was about 10F with -15F wind chill. I called the local Ford dealer and they claimed it was no defect and had no knowledge of a similar occurrence ever happening. They instructed me to just call my insurance company and submit a claim. The only problem with
that is our insurance has a $500 deductible for glass. We are paying $300 to have it
fixed. I even called my extended warranty company to see if it might be covered but it
it was not. That woman said it shattered because of the cold. I don't think that is a good enough reason because it gets a lot colder than that sometimes and why
wouldn't more windows be shattering?
2008Jan 20
Escape XLT 3.2L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 65,244 miles
click to see larger images
Complaint Photos
Early this morning the back window in our 2005 Ford Escape exploded! We live in Stouffville, ON, just North and East of Toronto. We got up early to take the dogs for a walk...it was about -18 C or +2 F. We had driven about 15 minutes to a forest trail, let the dogs out of the back of the vehicle and walked for about 40 minutes. When we came back to the parking lot we found shattered glass directly behind the vehicle and in the back. The rear window was totally destroyed. At first we thought someone had broken in, but there was no evidence of that. Another person in the parking area said they had pulled in a few minutes before we got back and said the truck was like that when they arrived.
When we originally pulled into the parking lot I went to the back of the vehicle to let the dogs out and nothing seemed to be amiss. We can't understand what happened. It is odd that the glass seems blackened beyond the tint color (or maybe that's my imagination) and totally shattered. The largest shard, which I kept, is no longer than about 4" x 2". Thank goodness the dogs were out of the car, they might have been badly hurt or blinded.
We suspect, based on the evidence, that somehow an electrical short superheated the glass and shattered it. To the best of my knowledge. It will be interesting to see what spin Ford puts on the incident.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Regards,
Dale C.
Stouffville, ON. CA
2007Nov 05
Escape ES 3.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 43,000 miles
My husband works 3rd shift on his way home the back window just exploded. It was bad and glass came up to the front of the car and a rush of cold air.It scared him so bad that he almost hit a school bus head on.We only have the one car and are scared to put our 2 year old son in the car.
As for getting it fixed we had to fight with ford and the insurance company. Ford said they stand by there product but could not help when we needed all the hard wear fixed to mount the back window .All the hardware that was on it was rusted and the repairman could not get it off .
WE went another week with the back window just flapping around.
We hope no one else will have this problem and we will never buy another ford again.
We have partnered with JustAnswer to offer online auto repair help and advice from expert professional automotive technicians. You describe your windows / windshield problem or ask your question and they try to help you figure it out. The fee is typically $9 to $15, but you can offer to pay more for really tough questions. You will usually receive an answer in 10 minutes or less, and you do not have to pay anything unless you accept the answer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Oct 21
Escape
My husband was driving it home from work, stop at a stop light ans when he started to pull away from the light the rear window just shattered for no visible reason. Called dealership and they are giving me a quote for replacement also said that it isn't a factory defect which i find to be crap seeing as Im obviously not the only one to have this occur....
niki789906
Freeburg, IL, USA
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