Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - REAR WINDOW | |||||
| 04189 | 12/13/2004 | 04245 | 10014062 | Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. *tt | 04/27/2005 |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - WINDSHIELD - CONTROLS/WIRING | |||||
| 041514 | 08/09/2004 | 04189 | 10011159 | Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. *tt | 01/04/2005 |
| 031501 | 07/12/2004 | 04137 | 10009321 | Inoperative electric rear window defroster (heated backlite) grid lines, integral antenna concerns. *tt | 09/23/2004 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY | |||
| 01/09/2012 | |||
| The rear window of my 2005 ford escape blew out with no warning. i pre-started the car for approx. 3 mins, turning on the heat and defrost. i left my driveway and no more that a half a mile away the rear window exploded, blasting glass throughout the roadway and car. the only injuries i had were to my neck. pieces of glass struck my neck causing two minor lacerations. | |||
| 12/20/2010 | 62000 | ||
| I was driving on the interstate, traffic was crawling, it was snowing. all of a sudden my rear window exploded. sounded like a gunshot. my husband was driving, so i turned to look out the back to see what happened, and low and behold, my rear window was shattered (mostly on the inside of the car) and all other non-glass parts were hanging in midair. this is the first time we had ever had anything like this happen, and we got off at the next exit to look for bullets, snowballs, etc, and found nothing. just about 5 minutes prior to this happening, i had turned on the rear defroster. scared the crap out of both of us. will find out what the repair costs are tomorrow at the dealer. | |||
| 06/20/2009 | 52000 | 1 | |
| Rear windshield exploded. *tr | |||
| 01/28/2009 | 67000 | 1 | |
| I was driving home the temp was about 25 degrees and my back window exploded , nothing hit it just shattered into 1000 pieces. the sound scare the proverbial .... out of me . the rear defrost had been on earlier but i had shut it off 5 minutes prior to incident. i had glass replaced, which was covered by my insurance , but i had to pay for the cost of wiper motor. *tr | |||
| 12/22/2007 | 28000 | 1 | 08/28/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving approximately 30 mph in the snow, the front windshield would not defrost and the windshield wipers became inoperable. a local repair shop replaced the windshield wipers. the defrost system would not defrost the windshield during inclement weather for over a year. the vehicle was driven to a local repair shop and the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, he replaced the thermostat. the manufacturer stated that they were not responsible for the repairs. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for repairs. the current mileage was 44,000 and failure mileage was 28,000. updated 01/09/09. *lj updated 01/09/09. *jb | |||
| 10/19/2008 | 48000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the contact heard a bang and noticed that the rear glass suddenly exploded. she called the insurance company and the dealer. a representative took the rear glass defroster mechanism (the contact was uncertain of the component's formal term). she spoke with the manufacturer and they stated that there was no relevant recall and offered no assistance. the current and failure mileages were approximately 48,000. | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM | |||
| 02/06/2008 | 64000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact heard an unfamiliar noise when she activated the defroster. the noise stopped and she parked and exited the vehicle. the contact was informed that her vehicle exploded outwards. the windows appeared to have burst from within the passenger compartment. the contact believed that the defroster caused the failure. a police report was filed. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were approximately 64,000. | |||
| 12/09/2005 | 26400 | 1 | 01/18/2005 |
| Dt: the contact's husband went out in the morning to turn on the defroster. after letting the vehicle warm up for a while she got in the vehicle. while traveling to work she realized back window was shattered. the vehicle was taken to a dealership. they were unable to duplicate the problem. the repairs will be made under warranty.*ak | |||
| 09/21/2004 | 2728 | 1 | 08/07/2004 |
| Whenever using the air conditioner, using dash controller to direct the air out the dash vents, air also comes out the defroster vents, causing condensation to fog up the lower part of the windshield. this is a safety issue. i have taken the car to the selling dealer, southway ford in san antonio tx, and red mccombs ford in san antonio tx. both dealers were able to reproduce the complaint, but offered no repair. they both claim it is a normal operation i requested from both dealerships to have the ford regional representative look at the car. as of yet, no one has contacted me. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - REAR WINDOW | |||
| 03/03/2008 | 1 | 10/15/2005 | |
| I started up my car and let it run for approx 10 min. put my rear window defroster on for about 10 min while driving to work. sitting at a light, my rear window exploded. i was not moving, my car was warmed up. not sure what happened. police report processed. ford fixed it for a huge amt not covered by warranty. *tr | |||
| VISIBILITY - GLASS, SIDE/REAR | |||
| 02/11/2008 | 52500 | 3 | 01/04/2005 |
| This is the second time the rear window has exploded! the first rear window exploded 12.11.07 on a mild (55') rainy day while driving aprox 65 miles per hour on the highway with no other traffic. yesterday (2.11.08), the same window gave way on a side street at aprox 35 mph with no other traffic. yesterday makes the third window i have replaced in less than 12 mos. the first window (rear right passenger) exploded in while entering a freeway ramp with no traffic on the right side of the car. most people go a life time with never having an exploding window while i have had 3 ! the glass repair shop i was referred to by the ford dealership has stated that by observing the broken window, they are confident that at neither time was the defrost mechanism to blame. if i had not been close to my office on all three occasions..........i am confident that nobody would ever believe my stories! *tr | |||
| 01/03/2008 | 1 | 04/26/2005 | |
| The driver's window of my 2005 ford escape limited makes a horrible squealing sound when opening and closing. this has been occurring for about a year. when taken in for routine maintenance, i have noted this problem. i always get the same report weather strips are dry and were lubed. this fix does not alleviate the problem. since the car was only a little over a year old when the problem began, i find it hard to believe that the weather strips have dried out. *tr | |||
| 12/03/2007 | 31810 | 1 | 08/30/2005 |
| After a cold night with freezing rain, vehicle had a small layer of ice on rear window which was easily scrapped off after having rear defroster on. defroster was on approximately 10 minutes. after pulling out of driveway and going approximately 100 yards the rear window exploded. the whole window shattered into tiny pieces. the window was replaced but not by ford who claimed they were not responsible. *tr | |||
| 02/14/2006 | 20950 | 1 | 09/01/2004 |
| I bought a brand new ford escape ~ 1.5 years ago. i was driving down the road at ~ 40 mph and suddenly my back windshield exploded. shards of glass blew into my trunk as well as the back seat. when i went to the ford dealership, they explained this was not covered under warranty and would not help me. i contacted my insurance company and they referred me to a local glass shop since the dealership was so over-priced. there was no evidence of a foreign object hitting my exterior window, so i would like to warn all ford escape owners of this hazard to you and your families. *nm | |||
| 12/09/2005 | 26400 | 1 | 01/18/2005 |
| Dt: the contact's husband went out in the morning to turn on the defroster. after letting the vehicle warm up for a while she got in the vehicle. while traveling to work she realized back window was shattered. the vehicle was taken to a dealership. they were unable to duplicate the problem. the repairs will be made under warranty.*ak | |||
| 06/11/2005 | 6900 | 1 | 01/14/2005 |
| Driving 2005 ford escape on 4 lane highway at approximately 70 mph. outside temperature around 85 deg. air conditioner was running. rear driver side door window shattered for no apparent reason. no rock or other projectile found inside the vehicle. no exterior damage on door or surrounding area. had noticed squeaking noise from that general area for quite some time before window shattered. no passengers in rear seats, but would have been injuries if passengers present. police report was made. unable to determine cause. | |||
| VISIBILITY - POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | |||
| 01/03/2008 | 1 | 04/26/2005 | |
| The driver's window of my 2005 ford escape limited makes a horrible squealing sound when opening and closing. this has been occurring for about a year. when taken in for routine maintenance, i have noted this problem. i always get the same report weather strips are dry and were lubed. this fix does not alleviate the problem. since the car was only a little over a year old when the problem began, i find it hard to believe that the weather strips have dried out. *tr | |||
| VISIBILITY - REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER | |||
| 11/15/2010 | 52000 | ||
| The rear hatch window on my 2005 ford escape exploded outwardly while parked in the lot where i work. glass blew out in a radium of 15-20 feet and it was just luck that no vehicles were parked behind mine or that anyone was walking behind the vehicle. the window blew out with such force that it damaged the interior and the hatch itself and required that interior panels be replaced and the hatch repainted in addition to replacing the glass. the glass shop where i took the vehicle for repair noted that this was a common problems for 2004-2006 escapes. thankfully, my insurance carrier paid for all repair and replacement minus the deductible. however, the internet is full of similar reports and a tv station in my city did a report on a similar incident on an escape parked in a garage about two weeks before my window blew. obviously, there is a major problem that ford refuses to recognize. it is amazing that no one has of yet been reported injured from flying glass. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 49200 | ||
| Back windshield exploding on 2005 ford escape. | |||
| 12/27/2010 | 130500 | ||
| The rear window in our 2005 ford escape spontaneously exploded as i was driving along the road. the temperature was about 5 degrees celcius and it was raining. i was using the window defogger and the rear wiper. the explosion sounded like a shotgun blast and a large amount of glass flew into the vehicle. there was also glass on the rear bumper. my daughter and two of her friends were in the back seat when this happened, and glass flew in toward them. i maintained control of the vehicle, but was quite startled by the loud explosion! the driver's side hydraulic lift was hanging outside of the vehicle and the passenger side lift was still attached to a chunk of glass and in place in the frame of the window. my guess is that the hydraulic lift failed, exerted pressure on the window, and caused the explosion. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 49200 | ||
| Back windshield exploding on 2005 ford escape. | |||
| 12/27/2010 | 130500 | ||
| The rear window in our 2005 ford escape spontaneously exploded as i was driving along the road. the temperature was about 5 degrees celcius and it was raining. i was using the window defogger and the rear wiper. the explosion sounded like a shotgun blast and a large amount of glass flew into the vehicle. there was also glass on the rear bumper. my daughter and two of her friends were in the back seat when this happened, and glass flew in toward them. i maintained control of the vehicle, but was quite startled by the loud explosion! the driver's side hydraulic lift was hanging outside of the vehicle and the passenger side lift was still attached to a chunk of glass and in place in the frame of the window. my guess is that the hydraulic lift failed, exerted pressure on the window, and caused the explosion. | |||
| 11/02/2010 | 49200 | ||
| Back windshield exploding on 2005 ford escape. | |||
| 12/27/2010 | 130500 | ||
| The rear window in our 2005 ford escape spontaneously exploded as i was driving along the road. the temperature was about 5 degrees celcius and it was raining. i was using the window defogger and the rear wiper. the explosion sounded like a shotgun blast and a large amount of glass flew into the vehicle. there was also glass on the rear bumper. my daughter and two of her friends were in the back seat when this happened, and glass flew in toward them. i maintained control of the vehicle, but was quite startled by the loud explosion! the driver's side hydraulic lift was hanging outside of the vehicle and the passenger side lift was still attached to a chunk of glass and in place in the frame of the window. my guess is that the hydraulic lift failed, exerted pressure on the window, and caused the explosion. | |||
| 12/10/2010 | 100500 | ||
| I have a 2005 ford escape. i started my car about 10 minutes before i had to leave for class, and put on the front and rear defrost. when i got in my car and started driving, the rear window imploded into thousands of pieces. | |||
| 08/23/2010 | 82400 | ||
| I am writing in concerns to a serious safety issue that ford motor company has failed to address. i am an owner of a 2005 ford escape which i purchased new in november of 2004. i have been waiting two months to have a faulty electrical part, the smart junction box, replaced. since august 23rd my vehicle has been unsafe to operate without this part as my turn signals, head lights, and hazard lights are inoperable, as well as power windows, interior and dash lights, power locks, radio and clock display and my ability to unlatch the rear door. after researching the information myself i was forced to wait another week to be scheduled to have my vehicle scheduled for repair. on sept. 7th the ford mechanic confirmed the part i told him i needed was correct and said part was on back order and should be available in two weeks. on sept.21st, i called to ask if the part was available. it was then that the mechanic said that he neglected to mention the part would not be ordered unless i paid in advance. i paid for the part on sept23. on sept. 29th the general manager at worden-martin called to say there was nothing he could do. i asked if it were possible to have a used part put in temporarily while i wait. i received a reply that i would have to pay $350 to have that part put in with no guarantee that the part would function properly and no compensation if the replacement part were to fail. not wanting to throw away $350 for a faulty part, i felt i had no choice but to wait another week for the part to arrive. after waiting two weeks i never received a call, so i called the dealer to inquire on the part. i was told the part may not be available until oct. 25th. i called ford motor company | |||
| 12/27/2009 | 77000 | 1 | |
| The rear glass hatch imploded just after exiting an interstate highway. most of the glass was confined to the cargo area, a little glass reached the second row of seats and only a few shards reach the driver front seat area. conditions at the time we 32 degrees with snow and rain, requiring the use of the rear window heater to keep off icing and use of windshield fluid to permit viewing while in heavy traffic in the cincinnati ohio area. the only indication of a problem prior to the explosion was a low hissing sound coming from the rear just moments before it happened. repairs the next day found no problems with wiper, wiper motor or shorts in the electrical harness to the window defroster elements of the glass. no injuries were caused to my 2 passengers by the flying glass. however should this have happened just 20 seconds earlier while on the interstate in heavy traffic, the shock to me, the driver, could have caused an accident, since the first impression i had was that the vehicle had been struck, then upon realizing that the window had blown out i thought we might have been shot at. *tr | |||
| 12/10/2009 | 124000 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2005 ford escape on interstate 90-west, and upon reaching the city of brathnall city line i heard a loud explosion and noticed that my rear window had exploded. when i was able to pull off the freeway, i notified the 911 police emergency , and requested assistance. a police arrived within 10 minutes and assisted me. i have just notice that there has been several other persons who had complained of the same problem with their ford escape, when will the nhtsa do something about this problem? are you waiting for the loss of lives to occur first before you will do something? *tr | |||
| VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY | |||
| 10/25/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving sun roof exploded. consumer pulled over. no injuries reported. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. *ak | |||
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | |||
| 01/15/2013 | 108000 | 1 | |
| I removed several bags from the back of my escape (by opening the door), not opening the glass. after closing the door, i was gathering the items when the glass suddenly shattered. it was a cool morning (low 30's, the rear defroster had been on during a ~5 minute drive to work), but the glass had not been touched, opened or otherwise impacted. my hand was cut by the glass. i later learned that several other years of this model have had this problem, but there was no recall for this model year. *tr | |||
| 01/15/2013 | 108000 | ||
| I removed several bags from the back of my escape (by opening the door), not opening the glass. after closing the door, i was gathering the items when the glass suddenly shattered. it was a cool morning (low 30's, the rear defroster had been on during a ~5 minute drive to work), but the glass had not been touched, opened or otherwise impacted. my hand was cut by the glass. i later learned that several other years of this model have had this problem, but there was no recall for this model year. | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 105000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, she heard a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and noticed that the rear window was fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the failure and the current mileage was 105,000. the vin was not available. | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 105000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, she heard a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and noticed that the rear window was fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the failure and the current mileage was 105,000. the vin was not available. kmj | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 105000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated while driving 40 mph she hear a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle and notice that the rear window had break. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnosis. the dealer could not diagnose the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted and they stated that the vehicle was not under warranty. the failure and the current mileage was 105,000. the vin was not available.jp | |||