2005 Ford Escape problems and complaints
Owners have filed 1584 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Ford Escape. The most-reported areas: Suspension (489), Structure (459), Electrical System (169).
Key takeaways
- 1584 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 44 involve a crash, 20 a fire, 29 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 489 | 31% |
| Structure | 459 | 29% |
| Electrical System | 169 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 152 | 10% |
| Engine | 148 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 136 | 9% |
| Power Train | 126 | 8% |
| Wheels | 107 | 7% |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 103 | 7% |
| Unknown Or Other | 85 | 5% |
| Steering | 70 | 4% |
| Hydraulic | 47 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Ford Escape 4-DR. | Not rated | Not rated | Not rated | 3/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Unknown Or Other - filed 2025-12-22
I bought a 2005 Ford escape the VIN number on the dash and the title do match however the ECU and the door jamb VIN [XXX] which is for a 2006 Ford escape 4 cylinder 2.3. the vehicle I bought should be a 6 cylinder with a 3.0 l the mechanic says mismatched VIN the dealership refuses to listen. About the vehicle on [XXX...
Electrical System - filed 2025-12-17
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2005 Ford Escape on November 25, 2025. The contact discovered a mileage and VIN discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 199,500. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine inspection, and the dealer informed t...
Service Brakes - filed 2025-12-03
I had just started up my 05 Ford hybrid Escape reversed out of a parking space, applied my brakes and a loud warning noise went off, the ABS light & the Brake light went on, then I tried to brake while backing out of the parking stall. I had no brakes, petal went all the way to the floor. I shifted into drive to pull f...
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More for the 2005 Ford Escape
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.