2005 Ford Escape Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 34about this part
- Share
- 2%of 1,394 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 75,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 34 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Ford Escape, 2% of the 1,394 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 75,000 miles. 17 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My Escape keeps making a horrible rubbing/humming sound when turning right only, my rear passenger door does not lock and my alarm is constantly going off, and finally my frame on the rear passenger side is rusting and literally crumbling apart. My passenger air bag light does not function properly either. I just purchased this vehicle in may of this year from a car dealership.”
NHTSA complaint #11350839, filed 2020-08, 220,000 miles“The airbag deployed spontaneously while I was at a complete stop. I was at a stop sign, not moving. I was in a neighborhood and had been driving slowly, about 10-15 MPH before coming to a complete stop. The air conditioning was not on. The car was not overheating. The airbag just deployed. The car has not been in an accident, or been hit by anything.”
NHTSA complaint #11090807, filed 2018-04, 146,000 miles“With car not! Running I inserted key in ignition and immediately the air bag canister exploded and filled the cabin with a thick powder, could not see anything. My wife had just got home from work. If this had happened on our busy highway the results could have been catastrophic.”
NHTSA complaint #10705779, filed 2015-04, 177,000 miles“I was driving on the freeway in the fast lane at 60mph and a car cut me short and brake so I applied my brake my wheel had yanked to the left and I tried to gain control of the wheel by pulling it to the right but it yanked again to the left causing me to hit into the median due to the impact my car turned over and dragged across the other 3 lanes and titled back over. Although my car is totaled I sustained minor injury to my neck and left side. Also my airbags did not deploy.”
NHTSA complaint #10700833, filed 2015-03, 98,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10679286, filed 2015-01, 125,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10017927Jun 7, 2005Passenger air bag disabled (pad) lamp intermittently on while driving - dtc c1414 retrieved during ocs diagnosis/repair.
Air bags: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 4% |
| 2024 | 6 | 8% |
| 2023 | 1 | 1% |
| 2022 | 4 | 2% |
| 2021 | 2 | 1% |
| 2020 | 13 | 1% |
| 2019 | 11 | 2% |
| 2018 | 9 | 0% |
| 2017 | 21 | 1% |
| 2016 | 25 | 2% |
| 2015 | 17 | 2% |
| 2014 | 32 | 2% |
| 2013 | 54 | 2% |
| 2012 | 25 | 4% |
| 2011 | 26 | 2% |
| 2010 | 14 | 1% |
| 2009 | 14 | 1% |
| 2008 | 31 | 2% |
| 2007 | 12 | 5% |
| 2006 | 17 | 4% |
| 2005 | 34 | 2% |
| 2004 | 45 | 9% |
| 2003 | 60 | 11% |
| 2002 | 79 | 8% |
| 2001 | 63 | 6% |
| 2000 | 1 | 20% |
Other parts of the 2005 Ford Escape
459 complaintsBody and structure
434 complaintsElectrical system
153 complaintsVehicle speed control
149 complaintsEngine
130 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
117 complaintsWheels
98 complaintsEngine cooling
90 complaintsOther or unknown
76 complaintsBrakes
66 complaintsFuel system
62 complaintsSteering
49 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2005 Ford Escape
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology