2005 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

OVER A FEW DAYS I HEARD A BANGING SOUND IN THE CAR THAT I COULD NOT IDENTIFY. MY DAUGHTER LOOKED UNDER THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AND NOTICED THE SHOCK WAS KNOCKING AGAINST THE RUSTED WHEEL WELL. THE NEXT DAY I WENT TO A FUNERAL AND THE SHOCK PIERCED THROUGH THE TRUNK. I CALLED MY BODY SHOP/MECHANIC AND TOLD HIM WHAT THE ISSUE WAS. HE SAID HE HAD ANOTHER FORD ESCAPE 2005 IN HIS SHOP WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. HE SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. FORD DIDN'T DO A RECALL ON THE 2005 MODELS EVEN THOUGH THEY RECALLED PRIOR YEARS. I HAD TRIED TO CONTACT RIZZA FORD ABOUT THE ISSUE BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET I REALIZED THERE ARE AT LEAST 300+ COMPLAINTS WRITTEN ABOUT THIS EXACT ISSUE AND FORD'S HANDLING OF IT. MY MECHANIC HAD TO PRACTICALLY REBUILD/WELD THE WHEEL WELL. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT FORD CAN BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH RIPPING SO MANY PEOPLE OFF, ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING SUCH A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX AND I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GET A DIFFERENT CAR. AFTER THIS, I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER BUY A FORD AGAIN. WHY WOULD I GO WITH A COMPANY THAT CAN'T EVEN STAND BEHIND THEIR OWN PRODUCT AND HAS NO ISSUES PUTTING THEIR CUSTOMERS SAFETY AT RISK. *TR

HAD REAR SHOCKS REPLACED ON MY 2005 FORD ESCAPE AND WAS TOLD THAT MOUNTS FOR THE SHOCKS ARE RUSTED OUT. THE SHOCKS ARE DETACHED FROM THE FRAME DUE TO POOR DESIGN BY FORD. THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AS THE SHOCK BOUNCES INTO THE REAR INTERIOR WHEN MOVING. THERE IS A RECALL FROM 2001 - 2004 ESCAPES BUT NOT 2005! FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM! *TR

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 HTTP://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. *TR

TL* 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.

PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED THROUGH COMPROMISING THE CONNECTION TO THE STRUT. *TR

I WAS COMING BACK TO HOME FROM WORK DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 55-60 MPH AND SUDDENLY MY CAR STARTS DECELERATING ITSELF AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL IT OVER ON THE SHOULDER, I WAS LUCKY THAT NOT ONE HIT ME. I COMPLETELY TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN I TRIED TO START AGAIN, IT STARTED MAKING CRANKING SOUND BUT DID NOT START COMPLETELY, SO I HAD TO CALL THE TOWING TRUCK TO TOW THE CAR TO MY HOME. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE, I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, I AM NOT SURE HOW CAN THE VEHICLE CAN STALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVING. IT WAS SCARY. *TR

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. *JS

I HAD TO HAVE TONE RINGS REPLACED ON ABS SYSTEM ON DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT WHEELS. HAD THE WORK DONE AT FORD DEALERSHIP 2 MONTHS AGO. YESTERDAY I WAS PULLING OUT ON TO MAIN ROAD AND LOST ALL BRAKES. *JS

WHENEVER THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DIPS BELOW FREEZING, MY GAS PEDAL WILL SUDDENLY GET STUCK AND THE CAR COASTS TO A STOP AND WILL JUST SIT THERE IDLING. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS ABLE TO "STOMP" ON THE PEDAL AND IT FREED UP, THAT IS NO LONGER THE CASE. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DIPS INTO THE 20'S IT IS EVEN WORSE AND WILL GET STUCK, EVENTUALLY FREE UP AND BE FINE....UNLESS I THEN ENTER HIGHWAY SPEEDS, IT WILL DO IT AGAIN. I HAVE FOUND THAT WARMING THE CAR SEVERAL EXTRA MINUTES SEEMS TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM AT SLOWER 35MPH SPEEDS. HOWEVER, UPON ENTERING HIGHWAY SPEEDS, EVEN AFTER WARMING THE VEHICLE FOR TEN MINUTES, IT WILL GET STUCK AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF TRAVEL AT HIGHWAY SPEED. IT WILL FREE UP AFTER COASTING TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND SITTING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WITH CAR IDLING, BUT CAN THEN GET STUCK YET AGAIN AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS CREATES EXTREMELY DEADLY SITUATIONS! I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND I ALSO WENT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER THEY CLAIM TO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COULD CAUSE IT. *TR

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. *TR