Driving at 55 MPH and car began to lurch and buck. Car shut off 3 times in busy intersection with no warning and almost caused an accident. Took to mechanic, and learned that the computer system had shorted out due to manufacturers using incorrect spark plugs. Apparently, this is a common issue with this year and make. This is a dangerous problem, and can occur anywhere, doing any speed! The computer system must be replaced and it is very expensive.
2005 Ford Escape engine complaints
Page 6 of 8: complaints 131 to 160 of 220, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that while traveling 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic who confirmed that the coils needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 92,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact was driving 35 MPH when the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where the contact was informed that there was a computer failure. The vehicle was being repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileages were 82,000.
Was on an access road onto interstate 4 in tampa, car completely shut down and I was able to barely steer it to the side of the road, since it was a large overpass I had more than typical room to get the car stopped. Later I was told by the ford dealership that coils were damaged and PCM computer went out. I checked carcomplaints.com and I found numerous complaints for this same issue with cost to fix it from $1300 to $2700. Evidently ford is aware of this total engine shut down problem that is caused by a computer failure. In most cases people are driving the car and it completely stalls with little or no warning and minimal maneuverability. I was fortunate it happened on the overpass and not on the busy interstate.
While driving at approximately 40 MPH, the car shook and died. I pulled into the turn lane and some helpful people assisted me in pushing my car to the nearest parking lot. I had my car towed to the mechanic that told me that I needed to have my engine coils and plugs replaced and that ford had put out a bulletin explaining this problem. After they fixed that, I learned that I also had to have the computer replaced because the engine coils and plugs caused a problem with the computer. I decided to search the internet to see if anyone else was having the same problem. I found many websites and forums explaining the very same problem occurring in other 2005 ford escapes. It seems that if this many people are having the same exact problem (enough for ford to put out a bulletin explaining how to fix it), then ford should take steps to rectify the situation. From the information I have found, there is a manufacturing defect that does not show up until well after the warranty is no longer good. This is a problem that is occurring to many people who have the exact same car and ford should do more than explain how to fix it. A recall is necessary because the problem is the caused by faulty manufacturing.
While driving home from work, I went to accelerate. Upon reaching 40. I heard a substantial backfire noise, and the engine shut off in the middle of a busy road causing me to block traffic as I coasted almost into a busy intersection. I was able to put it in neutral and restart the engine after coasting for 100+ feet. After which, the engine began running very rough and rugged never being able to accelerate about 30 MPH and causing major traffic problems. I took it to a dealership (varsity ford in ann arbor, mi) and have been told that my 2005 ford escape was in trouble. Apparently, my spark plug after being clogged, caused a backfire which blew my ignition coils and sparkplugs and my PCM. I am being quoted $2,200. At my last oil change (3 months ago) varsity ford told me I was getting close to needing a tune up but it was not necessary that day and that I could wait until my next oil change. I was planning on going this weekend because I was heading out of town. Had I been told the risk was a $400 tune up vs. A $2,200 blown engine, maybe I would have changed the spark plugs. I'm very distraught at the ford dealership, and now am questioning whether I will ever buy a ford or work with a ford dealership.
While driving on the expressway, my gas pedal snapped forward by itself and accelerated my car. Then snapped back and hit my foot in the position it was already in. This has happened before, several times over the course of my ownership of this car. (I bought it new) I ignored it the first few times because I thought it was related to being on cruise control, but this was not always the case. I saw on fox news that there is an ongoing investigation; and called ford to see if they would repair my car and they said no. I am hoping they will have a recall, because I plan on keeping this car for awhile, and don't want to pay for the repairs. Thanks.
We were accelerating to get on the interstate when the vehicle suddenly died without warning. No telling what would have happened if we were driving at freeway speeds. We coasted to the breakdown lane and had the vehicle towed to the ford dealer who stated the computer (PCM), all the coil over plugs (cop) and spark plugs were damaged and needed replacement. This is a known issue as it is described exactly in ford service bulletin tsb 09-2-6. The spark plugs in the 2005 and 2006 cause radio frequency interference with the PCM which damages the PCM and the other components. The least ford could have done was notify us that replacing the spark plugs could have prevented this very expensive repair. The problems don't end there. A few days after the repair we were again accelerating to get on the interstate when the vehicle lost power and would not go over 50mph. We brought the vehicle back to the ford dealer who stated the catalytic converters (there are 3 of them) were clogged due to raw fuel coming in contact with the converters probably due to the previous engine problems. The cost to fix the converters is even more than the cost of the initial repair. We've decided to not have the dealer repair the vehicle as the total cost of all the repairs would exceed the value of the vehicle. We called ford customer service and they were of no help in this situation. I think ford should cover the costs of these repairs for an issue knew existed. I don't understand why there hasn't been a recall for this problem as I see that it has happened to a lot of other 2005 escapes listed in your database. I imagine we will more of these failures as these vehicles age.
While driving down the road car just quit towed to dealership only to find out the computer shorted out which also destroyed all the coils. I just printed out 13 pages of this having happened to other escape owners and that a ford service bulletin (09-2-6) was at one time issued--- this will cost a ton of money to correct for a problem ford has known about for some time. When mine quit I had smoke pouring out from under the hood so there was a potential for a fire and just quitting with no warning-- why has ford not had a recall on this issue for what could have been a life threatening situation?
My car stalled on a major highway. Diagnosed with a defective PCM. Ford has been aware of this common problem with this particular vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the engine stalled and none of the warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle would not restart; however, the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the ignition coil was replaced. The failure recurred three more times and each time the coils were replaced. The PCM module was also replaced twice. The failure mileage was 26,000 and the current mileage was 106,000. Updated 10/10/12 *cn the consumer stated driving 55mph the vehicle suddenly stopped. Two cars that were behind swerved into a ditch in order to avoid collision. Updated 10/15/2012
I was on my way to work in the morning on a busy highway. Just got into the passing lane and the whole thing died right there in the passing lane. Thank god no one was very close to me and that there was a policeman coming down the mountain and saw me. He pulled behind me to block the lane. This was a very unsafe situation. If someone would have been close in back of me, they would have ass-ended me or would have had to quickly get in another lane or oncoming traffic. I had to have the vehicle towed to the garage. Replaced the spark plugs, all 6 coils and the computer was fried. After a bit of research online, I saw that there are many complaints about this unsafe issue with the 2005 escape. Some suddenly stopping on the interstate. From what I have read, it is due to the spark plugs ford installed in the 2005 escape. Not understanding why there is no recall. This is a very unsafe situation, that ford can stop by putting out a recall. Would they rather have a law suite when someone loses their life due to their negligence that can be prevented. This was a quite an expensive bill that I had to pay which could have been prevented if ford would have issued a recall. I will think twice before buying another ford.
I was headed home from work and got on the free way I noticed when I would accelerate my car would start shaking. I called my mechanic and he said to try and make it home when my car died twice but luckily I was able to get it started again to make it home. I got a diagnostics done on it to find out that the computer had burnt out along with 4 of the 6 coils.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact was driving 35-40 MPH when the vehicle stalled. The check engine light illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle restarted after the failure and was taken to the dealer. The dealer advised the contact that the number four spark plug failed to fire. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 170,000.
Our 2005 ford escape has been meticulously maintained at the dealer where it was purchased. This can be verified by checking the service records at dale jarrett ford, indian trail, nc. On 2/25/12, the vehicle was diagnosed as having an oil leak between the main engine block and the crankshaft cradle. The seal between these two foundational structural parts of the engine is a simple applied bead of silicone sealant, rather than a fixed gasket. Because of the location of the leak, we were told that the most cost effective repair is to completely replace the engine, rather than incur the labor charges of totally disassembling the engine to repair this seal. The projected cost for this repair is $4,000.00 to $5,000.00. We feel this is a premature and catastrophic failure of a design component of the vehicle's engine. Ford motor company, by direct communication, has offered no assistance in the repair of this problem, per their company policy. Our contention is that this is a defect in design and workmanship on the part of ford motor company and warrants a recall for vehicles found to have this problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that the check engine light would illuminate sporadically. The dealer diagnosed that the spark plugs and PCM module failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied any assistance with repair to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 82,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and diagnosed by an independent mechanic. The mechanic informed the contact that the ECM, six coil packs and spark plugs would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
My cars computer (PCM) and four out of six coils burnt out due to faulty plugs I'm told. I was on the interstate when my cars engine just cut off and had to try and roll away from traffic without power steering. Ford has known about this problem and hasn't made a recall yet. It is costing me over 2000 dollars to get fixed and I've been reading that it has happened to other people multiple times. I could have been seriously injured.
Driving along at 50-55mph on busy road at rush hour. 2005 escape was running smoothly and all of a sudden there was a rumbling vibration and then it completely lost power and stopped. Fortunately, I was driving in the right lane and was approaching a traffic light. Managed to turn right at the intersection to get out of heavy flow of traffic. Was able to start the car again but the rumbling continued and the car had no pick up. Took vehicle to my mechanic. Machine indicated a and c coils were bad. Replaced a and c coils, problem still. Mechanic said it might be the computer but said take car to ford dealer for diagnostic check to be sure. Took car to a ford service dept. For diagnostic. Was told that the problem was in the a and c coils and plugs. When I said I already had those replaced, he immediately said "then those parts must be bad and/or the wires are bad and they would have to trace all wires to find bad ones and replace them". The estimated cost for the repair $1100. I asked if the problem could be the computer. Service rep said, "oh, no computer is not the problem". Paid $100 for diagnostic check. Took car back to my mechanic, he traced all the wires and did not find a single bad wire. According to my mechanic, the only other thing it could be, based on the way the car is acting, is the computer. I priced a computer. It costs about $495. So the quote from the dealership now makes more sense considering that the cost of the computer is about half of the $1100 they said it would cost to trace wires and replace plugs and coils. So based on the ford service dept diagnosis, conversation and quote, ford knows this is a problem with the 2005 ford escapes. My daughter and I could have been severely injured or killed because the car stopped suddenly while we were moving at 50 MPH. This is a manufacture/assembly defect that should be recalled.
March 2011. I was driving down the highway and my vehicle acted like a hiccup or misfire. I thought it was a fluke, but it happened again a few miles later then all of the sudden, it started chugging really bad and eventually died. It was after midnight on a very low traveled area and I had my two year old in the car with me. Luckily it started back up and I was able to drive a few more miles (thank god) to a hotel for the night. If this would have happened 45 minutes earlier. I would have been an hour to the nearest town! Not a great feeling with a toddler in the car, an unfamiliar road, and after business hours. Come to find out it was the coil packs at first, so we replaced two of them like the mechanic suggested. Then they called and said that didn't fix the problem and we now needed a new computer. Not knowing any different, we replaced the computer. Just last friday the same exact thing happened to me. So this would be six coil packs and two computers in a year. Not happy! We do not have the money to keep making repairs like this. Not a huge ford fan at this point...and very sick to my stomach to read soooo many complaints about similar situations from others all across the country. There are a lot of hard working people out there who can't afford to have vehicle malfunctions like we're having. Someone is going to get killed if they haven't already with this uncertain problem occurring! Please do something!
2nd spark plug failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH and without warning, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and took the vehicle to a private mechanic where it was inspected. The mechanic advised that the coil pack failed due to computer failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 150,000.
Sudden engine failure while driving approximately 50 MPH. Told by mechanic it was a "fried" computer caused by incorrect spark plugs (original factory-installed). Will have to replace PCM, coils and plugs.
My wife went to on a trip and the vehicle started to misfire, went to a ford dealer, mechanic identified the problem; ignition coil #4 failed. She asked what needed done to fix properly so she would be safe and have no more trouble. He said to replace coil, plugs, and wires. That was done. On the way home it happened again, car shut off w/o warning on i95 @65 MPH. Problem persisted and finally would not start and had to be towed. My mechanic discovered ford srb 09-2-6. A problem identified by ford but not made public. I contacted dealer; he was aware of srb but did not act on it or inform us about it. We are now faced with a bill 2x larger than it would have been if dealer would have followed srb. He put my wife at risk (nearly had a few accidents) and ford and the federal safety agency are putting people at undue risk by not making this info. Public and specific to owners of these vehicles. A failure of this magnitude, identified as a problem from the factory should be recalled and ford should complete repairs at no cost to the owner.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 65 MPH. The vehicle vibrated and the check engine light illuminated while the failure occurred. The contact also noticed smoke rising from under the hood. The vehicle was then towed to an authorized dealer. The dealer stated that metal particles penetrated the engine and the engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and the current mileages were. 80,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that the vehicle would misfire at any time. The dealer diagnosed that the spark plugs, coil and computer failed and would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 123,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that the vehicle would vibrate violently while driving at various speeds. The dealer diagnosed that the motor mounts would need replacing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and he current mileage was 53,423.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact was driving 50 MPH when the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic for a diagnostic test. The mechanic stated that the spark plugs were installed incorrectly and affected the electronic control module. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 127,000.
#5 spark plug blew out of cyl head causing minor fire from fuel in cylinder when injector fired. Could have been major, have heard many other ford owners with same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. After coasting to the side of the road the vehicle was able to be restarted within a few moments. The vehicle stalled approximately three additional times as the contact proceeded driving and after the third stall, the vehicle could not be restarted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who advised that the coils in the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired for the coils. Approximately 20,000 miles later, the failure recurred and the vehicle was towed back to the dealer where they advised the contact that the coils had failed once again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
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