The 2005 Ford Escape has 4 recalls, with two of the most serious affecting hybrid models: a coolant pump in the hybrid system can fail, causing the powertrain to overheat and shut down, leaving the driver with a sudden loss of power while moving.
On the transmission side, vehicles where the CD4E transmission was replaced with a remanufactured unit rebuilt during a specific window in 2015 may have a shift lever that can disengage from the transmission, making it impossible to change gears and causing the gear indicator to show the wrong position. There is also a compliance recall affecting certain trim configurations without side air curtains or moonroofs: the A-pillar trim area near the driver's head did not meet federal interior impact standards, raising the risk of head injury in a crash.