2005 Ford Escape

1. ON OR NEAR NOVEMBER 19, 2011, A SPRING FROM THE CLUTCH PEDAL BROKE. IT SEEMS TO BE ONE THAT RETURNS THE PEDAL TO ITS DEFAULT POSITION AS I HAVE TO LIFT UP ON IT FROM BENEATH WITH MY FOOT TO GET IT BACK TO ITS REGULAR HEIGHT. I'M CONCERNED THAT IT MAY CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR ON THE CLUTCH IF IT DOES NOT RETURN TO ITS STANDARD REST POSITION. THE SPRING BROKE WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED BEFORE DRIVING. --------------------------------- 2. IN LATE 2011, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BEGIN TO FRAY ON THE BOTTOM (LAP SIDE). THIS IS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A SEAT BELT WEARING OUT, AND I GENERALLY KEEP MY VEHICLES AT LEAST TEN YEARS (ALL PREVIOUSLY OWNED). I'VE HAD THIS ONE FOR ONLY 3 1/2 YEARS AND IT'S A TOTAL OF 6 YEARS OLD. *TR

DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY WHEN ENGINE FAILED, LUCKILY WAS ABLE TO GET RESTARTED & DRIVE INTO TOWN 10 MILES. ONLY ABLE TO DRIVE 40 MPH WHILE MOTOR SPUTTERED & TRIED TO DIE WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHT. TOWED TO AUTO REPAIR LOT & TOLD HAD 3 IGNITION COILS BAD. COMPUTER CHECK LATER REVEALED PCM BAD IN 3 SPOTS & WILL COST $700 TO REPAIR. OTHER MODELS HAVE HAD RECALLS & SO SHOULD THE 2005 FOR THE PCM. OWNERS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO HAVE SUCH EXPENSE, IF PART IS KNOWN TO FAIL.....NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FILED ON-LINE ABOUT 2005 FORD ESCAPES. WITH 2 MINOR CHILDREN, I CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING, OR WILL HAVE A MAJOR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. I WAS LUCKY IN THIS CASE & WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER FORD. IF FORD KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM, PLEASE HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS!! IT WILL TAKE OVER A MONTH TO GET THE PCM REMANUFACTURED & RE-INSTALLED. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DRIVE IN THE MEAN TIME? *TR

THIS 2005 ESCAPE FAILED WHEN DRIVING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. FORD HAS DOCUMENTED THAT SPARK PLUGS INSTALLED BY FORD AT THE FACTORY CAN CAUSE ALL COILS AND THE PCM TO FAIL AS THEY DID IN THIS CASE. THREE TSB'S HAVE BEEN GENERATED RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. MY CAR WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY AT APPROXIMATELY 60000 MILES AND THE PLUGS WERE NOT CHECKED AND REPLACED AS REQUIRED IN THE FORD TSB'S. THIS WAS AN EXPENSIVE $2300 + REPAIR THAT FORD SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR. GOOD FAITH WAS NOT DEMONSTRATED IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM AND FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

DRIVING ALONG INTERSTATE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 20MPH, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. TOOK TO REPAIR SHOP AND FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER COMPLETELY CLOGGED, NUMBER 2 CONVERTER PARTIALLY CLOGGED. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 84,000 MILES. WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 80,000 MILES FOR EXHAUST. REPAIR SHOP THIS HAPPENS A LOT FOR THESE VEHICLES. *TR

LOUD SQUEAKY NOISE FROM RIGHT FRONT END. TOOK TO MECHANIC. THEY SAY BOTH FRONT GREASE BOOTS ARE CRACKED WHICH ALLOWS DIRT, DUST, ETC. TO GET IN AND UP AROUND THE BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD ASSEMBLIES. THE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT HAD GONE BAD DUE TO THIS BOOT CRACK SO WE HAD TO REPLACE IT. THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING BOTH TIE RODS, BOOTS AND BALL JOINTS, BUT WE COULD ONLY AFFORD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINT THAT WAS BAD AT THIS TIME BECAUSE WE JUST SPENT $3350 PUTTING A NEW TRANSMISSION IN THE CAR. THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. UNBELIEVABLE!!!! WHAT IS FORD BUILDING THESE CARS WITH??? I SUSPECT THE CHEAPEST PARTS THEY CAN GET REGARDLESS OF THEIR QUALITY SO THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY. IN THE MEANTIME THE AVERAGE WORKING FAMILY HAS TO PAY TWICE FOR A VEHICLE'S PARTS THAT SHOULD NOT GO BAD SO QUICKLY. *TR

COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 2005 FORD ESCAPE. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. WHILE DRIVING IS NORMAL TRAFFIC AT 35 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR STARTED LURCHING, JUMPING AND MAKING ALL KINDS OF AWFUL METALLIC GRINDING SOUNDS. VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. I TRIED AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE IN JUMPS AND JERKS AROUND A CORNER TO GET IT OFF OF A MAIN STREET. TRANSMISSION REPAIR GUY SAID IT IS A COMPLETE FAILURE. I HAVE PICTURES OF THE BROKEN PARTS. THIS VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. WE STILL OWE $10,000 ON IT AND ARE NOW TOLD THAT IT WILL COST $3350.00 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. OF COURSE FORD ISN'T WILLING TO HELP WITH THIS COST EVEN THOUGH IT IS OBVIOUS TO ANYONE RESEARCHING IT THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS THEY ARE USING. BY THE WAY THIS VEHICLE WAS MAINTAINED WITH REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND I HAVE THE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. *TR

THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AS ABOUT 45MPH, SUDDENLY THE CAR TURNED OFF, I IMMEDIATELY PUT IT ON NEUTRAL AND TUNED THE KEY AND IT STARTED UP AGAIN. ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER IT DID THE SAME THING. I PARKED THE CAR, TURNED IT OFF AND ON AND IT STARTED MISFIRING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. THE VERY NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A CHECK UP TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC IN WHICH I WAS TOLD THAT THE COILS AND SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PARTS WERE ORDERED AND INSTALLED BUT STILL THE MISFIRE WAS PRESENT. THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUED AND AFTER THE SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAM FIG. 43: 3.0L ENGINE PERFORMANCE CIRCUIT PAGE 5 OF 5 FOR 2005 FORD ESCAPE, COIL ON PLUG 3 ( C ) WIRE CONNECTION TO PCM SLOT 24 CDE NOT RESPONDING. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ONLY ONE OWNER AND A VERY SYSTEMATIC MAINTENANCE THROUGHOUT IT?S LIFE SO FAR. ONLINE I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME EXACT THING AND ALL ADVISED THAT THE PCM WAS NON-FUNCTIONING. FORD HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THESE PARTS IN THE PAST BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE. PCM SHOULD BE REPLACED BY FORD. *TR

LETTER FROM SENATOR CASEY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE CONCERNS ABOUT HER 2005 FORD ESCAPE *TGW THE CONSUMER BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HER MECHANIC, HE HOOKED IT UP TO THE COMPUTER AND IT GAVE HIM A READING THAT THE CYLINDER WAS NOT FIRING, BUT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS MORE INVOLVED. AFTER FURTHER EXAMINATION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE PCM WAS DAMAGED. THE PCM WAS SENT TO ANOTHER ESTABLISHMENT FOR REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN AT THE ESTABLISHMENT INFORMED THE CONSUMERS MECHANIC THAT FORD RECOMMENDED THAT ALL SIX COILS AND SIX SPARK PLUGS BE REPLACED. THE PCM WAS RETURNED TO THE CONSUMERS MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED AT THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT RIGHT AWAY. THE MECHANIC CALLED THE CONSUMER AND INFORMED HER, THAT INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINAL CIRCUIT B MISFIRING, CIRCUIT C WAS MISFIRING. THE PCM HAD TO BE SENT BACK TO BE REBUILT AGAIN. ALL OF THE COILS AND SPARK PLUGS HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPROGRAMMED AGAIN, CIRCUITS C,D AND E WERE MISFIRING. THE COILS AND SPARK PLUGS HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR A THIRD TIME. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO FAULTY ENGINEERING. THE PCM WAS PLACED BEHIND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHERE A LOT OF HEAT WAS GENERATED FROM THE ENGINE AND IT INTERFERED WITH THE FREQUENCY OF THE PCM. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR, CAUSING THE OVER-DRIVE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. THIS FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRIVE MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED OFF THE ROADWAY AND AS THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR AND THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE CONTACTS HOME AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.