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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 3 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #102

Mar 162015

Escape

  • 128,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. While driving at approximately 30 mph over a bump, there was a loud abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred when going over a bump. The contact noticed that the top of the steering tower had separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the struck tower separated due to excessive rust. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact was made aware of NHTSA campaign number: 14V165000 (structure); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 128,000.

- Hewlett, NY, USA

problem #101

Dec 242014

Escape 6-cyl

  • 155,900 miles
As soon as I hit about 60 mph, between 2-3 RPM, my car begins to stall and feels like the gas pedal is grinding and won't let me go any faster without vibrating the entire vehicle. I initially thought it was the transmission slipping so I took it in to a transmission auto shop where the found absolutely nothing. Which is very odd for an auto shop to not find anything. About 1 week after this problem, the service emission light came on. I was driving home from work the day the light came on and the car completely stopped on the highway, in rush hour traffic. Thankfully I was close to the side of the highway and was able to pull over. I got to the side and put my car into park, turned the engine off, and waited a couple of minutes to allow my heart rate to come back down to a normal pace. I turned the key and the engine turned back on. I drove it into an auto shop to see what the issue was, and the reader showed cylinder 2 misfire. The first possible fix was to replace the coil on plug, which is what I did. I got home today and am still experiencing this scary feeling of my car not being able to excel above 60. I read many reviews this evening and so many people have experienced very similar issues. This is not safe and people are at serious risk or getting injured and/or in an accident. The average cost to fix the issue - reported by many users on www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/2005/electrical/computer_pcm_failure.shtml, is $2000. When you have a 2005 car of any kind, $2000 seems very high to fix when the car is 10 years old. Please investigate this issue further as this is unacceptable that Ford has yet to recall this issue.

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #100

Sep 152014

Escape

  • miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. While driving at approximately 70 mph, an unknown warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact restarted the vehicle, but the failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received a notice for NHTSA campaign number: 14V526000 (hybrid propulsion system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

- Mission Viejo, CA, USA

problem #99

May 052012

Escape 4WD 6-cyl

  • 48,881 miles

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

First occurrence of problem: 48800 miles, 5/2012. Engine light on and engine misfiring. Ford dealership determined faulty ignition coil in # 6 cylinder. Replaced ignition coil and spark plug. $295 second occurrence of problem: 74,400 miles, 11/2013. Engine light on and engine misfiring. Mechanic replaced sparkplugs in cylinders # 1-3 all at once since it is difficult to access those. $276 additional occurrences of same problem: Upon misfiring in 2014 I bought a code reader which indicated cylinder #5 misfire - replaced ignition coil and spark plug. More misfiring indicated cylinder #4 misfire - replaced ignition foil and spark plug. Major problem update. 2/2/2015 - travelling 55 mph car shuts off, all warning lights come on, coast to shoulder. Restart car, seems fine, no warning lights. Again cylinder # 4 misfiring - replaced spark plug. My research indicates the ECM/PCM may be damaged and that this is a very frequent problem with this car, often manifesting after the warranty expires/recall mileage, and costs $2000-$3000 or more. I don't wan't to pay to have it fixed because many people have had the PCM fried multiple times but I'm scared it will shut down while driving again and think this should be covered by a recall. Many people are having this problem and it appears to be caused by Ford engineering. Please help force a recall or provide me with information for a class action lawsuit.

- Sykesville, MD, USA

problem #98

Jan 272015

Escape 6-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
While driving about 30 mph, the car started sputtering as if it were running out of gas. I was near a gas station and as I was pulling in, the engine just stopped and the power steering went dead. The car then wouldn't restart. I called aaa and they couldn't start it, so I had the car towed to the Ford dealership. They examined the car and later that day told me the coils overheated and fried the PCM. Now it needs new coils on 2 cylinders, possibly more, and a new PCM with reprogramming. Cost quoted was $3520. The service tech that looked at the car said he hasn't seen this before, nor heard of this. After researching this problem online, I don't believe him. I wonder how many people haven't reported this because they were made to think their problem was a very rare occurrence.

- Manhattan Beach, CA, USA

problem #97

Jan 012014

Escape

  • 114,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel lights illuminated and the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate. In addition, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the computer and the ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was unavailable the approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

- Montoursville , PA, USA

problem #96

Jul 152013

Escape 4WD 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles

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

I purchased the vehicle knowing the ECM had been replaced recently... about 3 months of purchasing the vehicle my check emissions light came on...losing gas mileage, car stalled out a few times, and dealership said it was the ECM again... approximately August 2013. One year later August 2014 same issue again... ECM replaced again.. when I turn the key on, not starting it the check emission comes on and the dealership tells me this is normal.. my gas mileage is 12 mpg and im afraid it is happening again soon.. I don't know what to do and I was told it may be the wiring harness causing this issue.. I don't know why no one will get to the route of the problem why the computer in my Escape keeps failing. They wont let me trade it in since it is not any value to them anymore..

- Plattsburgh, NY, USA

problem #95

Dec 222014

Escape 4WD 6-cyl

  • 166,000 miles
Started off from a light and the car hesitated concerned gave it gas and it stuttered, I rolled to a stop and had it towed to a repair shop.evidently the powertrain computer module is bad several complaints that Ford put the wrong spark plugs in this Escape which after time ruins the PCM.seriously why hasn't a recall been issued for this problem? had I been traveling faster would have been an accident as I was in morning traffic.now looking at a $1000 in repair bills.Ford needs to fix this problem.

- Powder Springs, GA, USA

problem #94

Oct 152014

Escape

  • 750,000 miles
Door ajar light stays on so does dome light and alam goes off every so often on its own.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #93

Oct 092013

Escape

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 65 mph, the check engine and power loss indicator illuminated continuously, which caused the vehicle to stall. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the hybrid system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 110,000.

- Columbia, MO, USA

problem #92

Oct 212014

Escape

  • 165,000 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 while driving 45 mph, the engine stalled as all the warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ignition coils and the electric control module (ECM) needed to be replaced. The failure was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.

- Arlington , TX, USA

problem #91

Apr 162013

Escape 6-cyl

  • 101,245 miles
Vehicle was shipped to germany due to military duty. A week later after delivered, my wife was driving it going down a short hill when the vehicle turned off completely and brakes were not functioning. My wife had to stop the vehicle with parking brake. After that the engine was losing power and the alarm was going off very often. We drove the vehicle few occasions and it turned off couple of times again.I ordered the part and replaced it in 2014. The vehicle is running fine, however the alarm still going off and engine light is on again on dashboard. At this point I do not know if the vehicle is indicating the same problem or something new.

- Ae, AE, USA

problem #90

Aug 102014

Escape 6-cyl

  • 107,000 miles
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 Ford 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 brought it into my mechanic. Diagnostics was the # 3 coils was bad. It was replaced and retested. It showed that it was good but the next coil was bad and the engine light was still on. We took the car to Ford and was told that the PCM was bad and needs to be replaced 2,100 later still having issues. On the way home from the shop I noticed it was still hesitating slightly, but nothing like it was.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. Why won't Ford do a recall on this? safety is an issue....

- Friendswood, TX, USA

problem #89

Jul 222014

Escape

  • miles
Driving hm from wk, 5fwy car stall coast to the side called aaa to be towed to EF1 motorsports Inc. I was informed that this was a manufacture problem for this year SUV 2005. The wrong computer system was installed the cost to repair $1443.06. I would like a refund.

- Buena Park, CA, USA

problem #88

Jul 162014

Escape 6-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
I bought a used 2005 Ford Escape limited 6 days ago it was running fine no problems lights or warnings. Then I was driving down the highway accelerating to 50mph and my dashboard lit up like a christmas tree and stopped running. I towed it back to where I got it and they stated that the computer waa fried. Now I am waiting for them to replace it. I have seen similiar complaints about the same model and year. Fried computer due to ignition coils. I believe with as many complaints about this recurring problem there should be a recall, but I guess we have to wait till someone dies because of it. A shame that's the only way things get done.

- Brick, NJ, USA

problem #87

Jul 062014

Escape 6-cyl

  • 93,000 miles
Add me to the list. I was headed North on highway 17 in santa cruz. I had my wife and two kids in the car. All of the sudden the engine starts running rough, the O/D light goes on and then everything in the car stops working. We were approaching a hidden turn so I did not want to stop in the middle of the highway so I looked quick and swerved the car off to the shoulder. This was a very dangerous position to be in. I had it towed to a mechanic. All of the engine coils were firing codes. Took it to Ford. PCM failure, all coils, plugs and the PCM itself need to be replaced. If you do the math, it's only a matter of time before somebody gets seriously hurt because of this manufacturer defect. These cars were sold in 2004-2005. I am guessing that most will be getting close to that 100K mile mark right around now. Ford needs to recall and replace all of the bad plugs.

- Lafayette, CA, USA

problem #86

Jun 052014

Escape 4WD 6-cyl

  • 82,500 miles
I was driving down a local highway at around 50 miles per hour in heavy morning rush hour traffic with my foot resting steadily on the accelerator pedal. The vehicle shut off and violently came to screeching halt. It felt like someone had placed the transmission range selector into reverse... I repeatedly attempted to restart the vehicle with no success... I waited five minutes and was able to get the vehicle started but it would not go over five miles per hour at wide open throttle... a diagnosis was performed and all systems via laptop scan tool appear to be operating normally... researched internet and learned that many other Escape owners are having the same problem and having the same scenario. That the vehicle shuts off at or above 50 miles per hours... contacted local Ford dealer who informed me that they know about the problem. That there are so many Escapes failing that the parts are on back order for as long as 90 days... the problem is the original spark plugs and ignition coils (there are six) are defective from the factory and these parts cause the main vehicle computer to fail. The cost to repair the vehicle is around $ 2,800.00...

- Gibbsboro, NJ, USA

problem #85

Jan 232014

Escape

  • 104,000 miles
Traveling on the highway at 55 miles per hour and the entire engine stalled and cut off. I had the car towed to a local shop where they told me that 3 out of the 6 coils basically were not working and the PCM/computer was completely shot, they wanted over $1600 at dealership to fix this. Ford had apparently distributed a bulletin about this problem to the dealerships but not their customers - who this problem affects the most. I was lucky that I was able to pull over to the side of the road and not hit anyone or get killed. I can't imagine how many people this has affected because it is all over the internet. The repair ended up costing well over $1000 because of the spark plugs that Ford knew were faulty years ago. A simple changing of the spark plugs instead of six coils. I see no difference in GM having to recall vehicles that shut off on the highway and Ford having to recall these vehicles for basically the same reason and reimburse their customers, our cars are shutting off too.

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #84

Mar 122014

Escape 6-cyl

  • 39,950 miles
I was driving down a hill and the engine just stopped.I pulled over, and started it up and drove straight home..I took it to a mechanic who put an obd computer on the car and it said faulty primary/secondary ignition coil. He replaced all coils and plugs and restarted vehicle but it still misfired on cylinder 3 (C).he tested the wire sending spark to that coil and there was no spark. The PCM was determined to be bad. Now I'm finding out that it was a factory defect but mine was 3 months older than the 8 year period allowed by Ford to repair for free. Only 40,000 miles and the computer goes to and costs over $1000 dollars to fix it. Not fair.

- St. Thomas, VI, USA

problem #83

May 222014

Escape 6-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
My 2005 Ford Escape 3.0 V6 had a coil issue that Ford knew about and sent service bulletins to dealers, but not the affected parties. The coils were defective from a vendor and when they failed, burnt out the psm, making the automobile unusable and expensive to fix. Ford has known about this since 2011 and has done nothing to rectify it, or help, all of those whose Escapes have stopped running completely. Mine had this go out and now the parts are on back order for months, as well as incredibly expensive. Please help to get Ford to order a recall on this for all of us.

- Chicago, IL, USA

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