U.S. public vehicle records

2005 Ford ESCAPE HYBRID problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

178 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

101,019 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2005 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 166 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Service Brakes is the most frequently named component, appearing in 39 of 178 complaints (21.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	67	37.6%
Steering behavior	25	14.0%
Electrical and battery issues	22	12.4%
Engine operation	15	8.4%
Transmission and shifting	2	1.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Service Brakes

Suspension

Steering

Structure:Body

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Engine

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes: 39; Suspension: 30; Steering: 20; Structure:Body: 20; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 18; Engine: 17; Electrical System: 13; Engine And Engine Cooling: 11

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 14; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 23; 75,000 to 99,999: 26; 100,000 to 149,999: 60; 150,000 and above: 27

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (60). 12 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2005: 1; 2006: 4; 2007: 4; 2008: 4; 2009: 3; 2010: 18; 2011: 17; 2012: 14; 2013: 14; 2014: 30; 2015: 22; 2016: 16; 2017: 13; 2018: 9; 2019: 8; 2020: 1

Pattern summary

Service Brakes leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 67 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 25 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 22 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10181021 · 2007-01-29 (January 29, 2007)

COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED WAS ON THE INTERSTATE - 65 MILES AN HOUR AND THE BRAKE LIGHT AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND THERE WAS A BEEP. THERE WERE THEN NO BRAKES AT ALL. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND COAST TO A STOP. TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND STARTED IT AGAIN AND IT HAD BRAKES. ON THIS LAST INCIDENT, THE SAME THING IN THE SAME ORDER HAPPENED. THANKFULLY, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO COAST TO A STOP WITHOUT HITTING ANYONE OR ANYTHING. THIS PROBLEM IS VERY DANGEROUS. IT IS INTERMITTENT THUS MA…

Owner-reported narrative. 36,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10181021 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10191081 · 2007-05-17 (May 17, 2007)

LOUD HIGH PITCHED CYCLICAL SQUEALING NOISE COMING FROM AXLE WHEN TRAVELING 1-40 MPH USUALLY AFTER DRIVING FOR OVER 30 MINUTES. BROUGHT VEHICLE FOR SERVICE ON 03/24/05 WITH 4201 MILEAGE AND MECHANIC DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. HOWEVER, REMOVED TIRES AND INSPECTED ALL BRAKES. ON 10/13/05 WITH 10119 MILEAGE AGAIN MECHANIC DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. HOWEVER, REMOVED TIRES AND INSPECTED ALL BRAKES. 04/13/06 WITH 16081 MILEAGE INSPECTED VEHICLE AND DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. REMOVED TIRES AND INSPECTED ALL BRAKES. ON 03/23/07 WITH 28565 MIL…

Owner-reported narrative. 4,201 miles reported. Look up ODI 10191081 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10150637 · 2006-02-19 (February 19, 2006)

2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, 9500 MILES, DROVE 20 MILES IN 5 DEGREE WEATHER. SHUT CAR OFF FOR 15 MINUTES. WHEN RESTARTED POWER STEERING FAILED. DROVE 5 MILES WITH POWER STEERING OFF. RESTARTED CAR AFTER 2 HOURS. POWER STEERING WORKED FINE. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 9,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10150637 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10172574 · 2006-11-03 (November 3, 2006)

2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID : ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING FAILED, WHILE IN A TURN TWICE. AND CAME WITHIN INCHES OF HITTING A WALL, BECAUSE IT REVERTED TO MANUAL STEERING. IF NOT FOR QUICK THINKING AND REFLEX'S. I WAS A PASSENGER AND GRABBED THE WHEEL AND WRESTLED IT IN THE TURN TO AVOID THE WALL. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY ACTED LIKE IT WAS A NO BIG DEAL. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10172574 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10124042 · 2005-06-03 (June 3, 2005)

I PULLED OUT OF A PARKING LOT DRIVING OUR NEW 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AND APPROACHED THE FIRST INTERSECTION WHEN A MESSAGE FLASHED ON THE DASH "PULL OVER SAFELY NOW." BEFORE I COULD PULL OVER THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. AFTER A FEW TRIES, I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR ON THE BATTERY POWER THROUGH THE INTERSECTION (VERY SLOWLY) TO A BUSY BUS STOP. I COULDN'T START THE CAR AGAIN RIGHT AWAY. HOWEVER, ON BATTERY POWER AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK TO THE PARKING LOT. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FROM THERE. IT TOOK THEM TWO WEEKS TO FIGU…

Owner-reported narrative. 260 miles reported. Look up ODI 10124042 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10220584 · 2008-03-04 (March 4, 2008)

2005 FORD ESCAPE NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS. CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALL. DEALER TOLD THEM THERE WERE NO RECALLS. *KB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10220584 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10284256 · 2009-09-17 (September 17, 2009)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 60 MPH THE OVERHEAT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. AS A CONSEQUENCE HIS RISK OF A SERIOUS INJURY WAS INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIANS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000. UPDATED 10/29/09 *CN THE PUMP FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 10/29/09.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 70,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10284256 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10340467 · 2010-06-28 (June 28, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THE STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED WITHIN SECONDS. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GENERATE ANY DIAGNOSTIC CODES. THE MANUFACTURE ADVISED THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE WITHOUT KNOWING THE EXACT FAILURE BASED UPON THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000 A…

Owner-reported narrative. 82,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10340467 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11057675 · 2017-12-30 (December 30, 2017)

RIGHT REAR SHOCK MOUNT AREA RUSTED OUT AND CRACKED. HOLES AND CRACKS IN RIGHT REAR SHOCK MOUNT WHEEL WELL AREA. LOTS OF NOISE AND METAL SHIFTING FROM THAT AREA.

Owner-reported narrative. 148,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11057675 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11153242 · 2018-11-22 (November 22, 2018)

ABS LIGHT IS ON CONSTANTLY MY BRAKES ARENT WORKING PROPERLY TIMES WHEN IT DIDNT STOP HAD TO SHIFT INTO LOW GEAR AND PULL OFF TO SAFE SPIOT I WAS TRYING TO STOP

Owner-reported narrative. 122,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11153242 at NHTSA ↗