Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was traveling at 60 MPH on a highway interchange. I hydroplaned, lost control of my vehicle, and hit a guard rail with the front driver's side head on. My vehicle bounced off the guard rail, traveled backwards, and hit the guardrail on the other side of the road on the driver's side rear. The car spun 90 degrees and came to a rest with the passenger side against the guard rail, opposing highway traffic flow. The airbags did not deploy, despite a 60-MPH collision. The suspension, wheel, and shock fell off in the collision.
A week ago I began to have a rattling in the right rear of my Escape. After tightening down and removing anything from the interior of the vehicle that could be "thunking" , the noise continued to get worse. I investigated further and discovered that the right rear wheel well had completely corroded and the shock had broken free with a large chunk of what used to be the wheel well/frame. I began researching for a recall notice and found that Ford minivans from 2004-2007 also had wheel well rust problems that resulted in a recall...but nothing for the Escape. My mechanic said it should not be driven until fixed because it is a safety concern. …
I was pulling out of my driveway, turned at the corner, hit a small bump and heard a loud banging sound like the rear gate door was not closed, stopped at the corner put it in park, got out and opened the rear gate and reclosed it, got back into my vehicle, turned left hit another small bump, and heard the loud banging noise again, stopped at the 4 way corner store, parked and got out and walked around my vehicle to inspect it, and noticed the rust on the passenger rear side, some of it had fallen off and I could see the styrofoam on the inside of the passenger rear tire weld.I called the dealer where I am purchasing the vehicle and they said I could take it to their guy to look at it, took it to him and he said that I had a real problem and that it needed to be welded, went back to the dealer and they said I could take it to their guy to fix, but they did not know when they could get …
When I was driving down the interstate at 70 MPH, I began to hear a clunking sound from the rear passenger side. It happened every time I hit even a small bump or crack. When I took it to the body shop, they discovered the passenger side rear wheel well is corroded; rust/rot has caused the shock mount to become nearly completely detached from the frame. It is unsafe to drive, and body shops won't even provide an estimate for repairs as the deterioration is too extensive, and they can't fix it. A quick online search shows this is an ongoing issue with 2005 escapes, and must be addressed for safety. The body shop owner told me not to take the car on the interstate because if I were to hit a bump at 65 MPH, I would be "asking a lot of this car to hold together." the clunking sound is now consistent no matter what speed or surface I am driving on.
Our 2005 Ford Escape in just a matter of weeks developed a basketball-sized hole over the right rear wheel well. It completely rusted through the wheel well, and the you can see through the opening to the shock and the tire from inside the vehicle. In addition, the shock is no longer attached to the frame, which makes this vehicle unsafe for the road. We will not allow our son to drive this truck any longer, and are now unable to provide him with a safe car since the repairs to this truck are very high. This is a major issue that affects a large number of other drivers. We all have the exact same complaint on where the damage occurs (right rear wheel well) and the extent of this damage (the truck is no longer safe to drive). Ford needs to recall these vehicles and fix this problem. Thank you.
Driving down the road and truck starting making a loud knocking noise in the back. When we got home, we looked underneath and found major rusting in passenger wheel well. Shock completely rusted free and bouncing up to hit the plastic inside the vehicle. Took it to body shop mechanic and upon inspection, he showed us that the frame itself is rusted through and vehicle cannot legally be fixed and is technically not even safe to drive. Less than 133,000 miles and bought used 2 years ago, we are very frustrated with the quality of this vehicle. Searched online and found that this is a common problem with this truck and should have be recalled. They recalled years 2001-2004 for the same issues, but did not include the 2005. Shame on Ford motor company for such poor workmanship! Please help!!!
While driving, I noticed that my steering wheel was not aligned. I didn't notice it was like this until I was already driving down the road. When I stopped, I checked my tires and thought that they looked slightly off. It seemed as if the passenger side tire was pointed slightly outward. The car sat in my driveway for the next couple of days and it appeared to have gotten worse. I took my car out for a test drive and noticed that each time I turned the wheel, the tires screeched. I took the car to a shop and after giving it an evaluation, they said that the control rod was rusted and starting to break. After some research online, it looked like there was a recall on 2001-2004 Ford escapes for the same issue that I was having.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. While driving 55 MPH, the front passenger wheel protruded outward without warning. The contact was able to safely pull the vehicle off the road. The vehicle was not towed. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact reached out to an independent mechanic who went to the scene and diagnosed that the lower control arm failed due to corrosion of the front subframe. The lower control arm needed to be replaced, which caused the wheel to wobble. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V165000 (structure). The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to NHTSA. The failure mileage was 163,000.
Rust through on right rear wheel well and shock tower. Car only has 100,089 miles. Has been kept clean and was bought from carmax in2013 in excellent condition. All repairs, maintenance performed by professionals since bought. Research shows this to be a common problem with this model. (in addition to the door open/alarm problem others and I experience) this is a safety issue that could result in serious injury or death as it involves the rear shock possibly dislodging and rear end collapsing. Please look into this and make Ford fix this problem! Many owners bought these vehicles used and we cannot afford to fix these( if they can be fixed at all) much less buy a new vehicle.
Hit a pothole and my shock/strut punched thru the rusted wheel well and detached otaelf...it is np longer safe to drive and ive only had the car for 2 months. And here the 2001-2004 escapes have been recalled for just this reason? Why not the 2005 when the whole body design is the same... I had a 2001 Escape before this that was rusting on the outside wheel wells and beginning to rust inside as well... Due to this I dont believe I will be buying fords anymore... I was in the car with my kids when this happened! And now im stuck with a giant piece of metal sitting in my parking spot as no one will take on the job and if they do it would be a min of $2000 or more!
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2005 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 105 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2005 Ford Escape, 8% of the model year's 1,394 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Escape wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2005 Ford Escape, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Escape wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 120,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury and 1 death to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.