The 2005 Ford Escape has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 466,744 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2,030 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the suspension. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
POWER TRAIN15V6060002015-09-2957 affected
Defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt…
Consequence
If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear…
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail resulting in…
Consequence
If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump with an improved brushless pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S19.
SEATS06V1110002006-04-07134,365 affected
Defect
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITHOUT SIDE AIR CURTAINS OR MOONROOFS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACT." DURING TESTING, THE FREE MOTION HEAD FORM REGISTERED A MEASUREMENT ABOVE THE PERMITTED LIMIT AT THE LEFT HAND…
Consequence
IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, PERSONAL INJURY TO OCCUPANTS MAY OCCUR.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE ENERGY ABSORBING MATERIAL LOCATED ABOVE THE HEADLINER IN THE AFFECTED AREA FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 19, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
CERTAIN 2004-2005 SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND CERTAIN 2001-2003 SPORT UTIITY VEHICLE HAVING REAR LIFTGATE COMPONENTS SERVICED WITH 2004 EQUIVALENT COMPONENTS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 206, 'DOOR LOCKS AND DOOR RETENTION COMPONENTS.' THE REAR LIFTGATE LATCHING…
Consequence
IF THE LIFTGATE IS LEFT UNLOCKED, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT IT MAY OPEN DURING A CRASH.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR LIFTGATE LATCH RELEASE ROD, THE RELEASE ROD ATTACHMENT CLIP AND THE DOOR HANDLE RETURN SPRING. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Complaints by component
SUSPENSION
441
5crashes1fires1injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
360
3crashes
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
142
5fires
ENGINE
130
2crashes4fires1injuries
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
128
3crashes
WHEELS
98
3crashes1injuries1deaths
POWER TRAIN
79
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
76
4crashes1injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
68
1crashes6fires2injuries
STEERING
47
3crashes1injuries
Total complaints2,030
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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.…”
“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…”
“Front subframe rusted out causing loss of steering and control. Car came to a complete skidded stop . The front wheel nearly came off. The subframe issue is the same problem that resulted in a recall of the 2001-2004 ford escape.”
“The right lower control arm separated from the subframe due to subframe rust. It caused loss of handling and rendered the car immobile. It was caused by a panic stop at a low speed. The car was towed to an independent garage where it is awaiting repair. Parts affected were the subframe, cv axle…”
“The contact owns a 2005 ford escape. Upon starting of the vehicle, the contact placed the vehicle into drive(d); however, the vehicle failed to accelerate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated and…”
“The right back tire shock and spring mount broke right off”
“I had the hybrid battery replaced by bill brandt ford in brentwood california. A few days after having it replaced. The car broke down on a very dangerous highway. I had the car towed back to bill brandt ford. They replaced the hybrid battery again. I received the car back on may 9. The car just…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationAQ10001 Opened 2010-11-18 · closed 2015-12-28
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary…
InvestigationDP12006 Opened 2012-10-02 · closed 2013-02-21
Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
In a letter dated August 30, 2012, The North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged electronic throttle body failures resulting in engine stall or surge while driving in model year (MY) 2005 through 2012…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2005 Ford Escape as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.