Plug-N-Tow (R) Vehicle Wiring Harness
Item # 40455
Retail:$31.58
Our Price: $21.49
You Save: 32%
Confirmed to Fit
2005 Ford Escape
with factory Tow Package
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- All Info
- Reviews (55)
- Q & A (0)
- Photos
2005 Ford Escape - Plug-N-Tow (R) Vehicle Wiring Harness
- Custom Fit
- 4 Flat
- Trailer Hitch Wiring
- Hopkins
- No Converter
Plug-N-Tow (R) Wiring Connectors provide a no-hassle, quick and easy way to wire your vehicle.
- Each vehicle specific connector is pre-wired and uses original OEM connectors for watertight protection, a guaranteed fit, and a great look
- No cutting or taping
- 16 gauge wire
- 4-Pole connector includes dust cap
- Easy to follow instructions with pictures are included
Can be used with 5-pole, 6-pole or 7-pole adapters.
Install: Connection point is located behind the bumper near the driver's side tail light. The 4-pole trailer connector will be stowed underneath the vehicle close to the trailer hitch. A mounting bracket is recommended.
Please Note:Vehicles using this wiring may need to see a local Ford or Mazda dealer for a relay. The relay is needed to activate the tow package wiring circuit.
Tech Tip: It is always a good idea to apply a small amount of grease to all electrical connections to help prevent corrosion.
11140455 Plug-N-Tow (R) Ford Escape Wiring Harness
Replaces 40455
California residents: click here
Customer Satisfaction Score:
93% were satisfied with this product
7% of customers were not satisfied
- Wrong item was ordered
- Alternate product found
- etrailer mistake
Customer Reviews
Plug-N-Tow (R) Vehicle Wiring Harness - 40455
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (55 Customer Reviews)
by: Alex 02/21/2024
2005 Mercury Mariner
This harness is a gem. In the past, I have had to tap into existing wiring to set up the electrical connection. This device make it fast and easy to set up my hitch electrical.
by: Justin 03/14/2024
2006 FordEscape
Perfect fit
by: Randall04/01/2019
2010 Mercury Mariner
Perfect Fit for my 2006 Mercury Mariner 4X4 Premier. My truck did not come with the hitch installed but it did have the tow package. In most cases if you buy the high end model they come with everything. Check your fuse box inside the truck if you have fuse #1 installed you have a tow package and it will work. install time about 3 minutes. Testing time 3 minutes. Done in 6 minutes. Hooked up my Boat and off to the lake in less than 10 minutes. Super fast shipping it actually showed up a day early!
by: Randall 05/15/2023
2005FordEscape
Exactly what I needed, plug right into my 2005 Ford escape and all at a fair price.
by: Larry12/19/2017
2006 FordEscape
This wiring harness is only usable if your Ford Escape has fuse #23 (40 amp) in the under hood fusebox AND fuse #1 (15 amp) in the interior fusebox. If there is no terminal in the fuse panel for fuse #1 this wiring harness cannot be used. The seller's product description states that a relay may need to be purchased from the Ford or Mercury dealer. This is NOT true. If the towing package was not included from the factory originally this harness is useless. This information should be made clear in the product information so potential buyers don't waste their time and money.
Heather A.
12/22/2017
Larry,Some Ford Escapes come with the plug at the back of the vehicle but the wiring may not be completed for the towing package. The best way to find out if your vehicle has a complete towing package is to call your dealership and give them the VIN number. You also may need to have relays to activate the tow package if you have spots in the fuse box for these relays. If you do not have spots for these relays you may not have the complete towing package.
by: Eric10/21/2022
Excellent service but doesn't fit my 2007 not the fault of etrailer my escape is not set up for it. My 2007 Ford escape does not have any extra places for relays in the kitchen and the few spot number one for trailer brakes will not accept fuse
by: Perfect fit!08/01/2017
2005FordEscape
2005 Ford Escape XLT. Plugged into to factory wiring harness behind driver's side rear bumper.
Ray K.
8/1/2018
Great!
by: Bill Priest10/02/2017
2005 Mazda Tribute
The adapter works very well and has been installed on the vehicle for more than a year.
This adapter only works if the vehicle is already factory wired for trailer towing. My vehicle was not factory wired so I also purchased and installed a trailer towing kit. Upon completion of the modification, the vehicle and trailer brake lights, turn signals and running lights all worked as advertised.
by: Nathan H.03/02/2011
2005FordEscape
I ordered this part for my 2005 Ford Escape. Although, the vehicle does have the wiring for this harness it does not work due to the fact that Ford decided not to make it an active plug. Do not waste your time buying this for any Ford Escape, since it will not work unless you buy a 50 relay switch from Ford directly. The relay is a pain to replace since it is located in the dashboard. Take my word for it. I did my research and everyone has the same complaint about that wiring harness. Bad news is, most Ford mechanics are not even aware of this problem and have no idea how to fix it.
Patrick B.
11/21/2012
This harness is listed in our FitGuide as working for models with the Tow Package from the factory. If the Escape did not come with a tow package from the factory, then this harness will not work. Most vehicles that do not have a factory hitch, also do not have the tow package, though the port may still be there.
by: Justin N.11/07/2014
2005 Mazda Tribute
My Mazda Tribute had the towing light connection underneath the bumper so it was an easy install. What it did not have is wired power to the connection. If you look at the fuse panel there is no fuse for trailer lights and there is no way to put a fuse in that slot. So be warned before buying this look to see if you have or can put in a trailer light fuse
by: Mike09/03/2014
2005FordEscape
Product seems fine but it needs to be noted in the product description that this item ONLY works if you have a factory trailer towing package installed in a 2005 Ford Escape. If not... the receptical for this product has NO POWER GOING TO IT.
by: June06/22/2018
2005FordEscape
The product we ordered came in just a few days, packaged so that it could not be damaged in shipping. Although the item ordered fits the lighting pigtail on our 2005 Ford Escape, we are not getting any power to the new unit we purchased. We apparently need a fuse slot in our fuse block to make it work, as our car did not originally come with a tow package.
by: Joe G06/20/2017
Ford
Finally found the part we needed after trying looking everywhere!! Perfect fit for my vehicle. Just put it on and we were good to go!! Now we can tow our rowboat to the lake with my little Ford Escape
Joe G.
6/20/2018
Great. Excellent product. Would purchase again
by: George B.06/19/2017
2012 FordEscape
Needed a new trailer connector for my Ford Escape because my original connector was corroded from 12 years of New England winters. etrailer provided a very competitive price. The ordering process was very easy. A couple of emails informing me of the status of my order was great. The item arrived quickly, was packaged very well to prevent damage.
by: Pat M07/31/2017
2005 Mazda Tribute
Perfect fit but will not work unless your Tribute has tow package installed, just because wire connector is their behind bumper does not mean it is active.Total waste of money in my case! They should explain how to test connector ahead of time to verify that this product will work on your car.
by: Jim06/19/2019
2005FordEscape
The OEM trailer pigtail (40455) for the factory installed tow package in my 2005 Ford Escape was a perfect match.
Quality seems to be ok as well.
by: Otto P06/19/2017
2007 FordEscape
It plugged right into the factory plug and with the old clips just like original. The only problem was it did not fit where the original flat plug was held but not a deal breaker happy to have trailering lights again.
by: Ronald 09/16/2022
Good instructions and product worked fi ne.
by: Jack M10/24/2019
2004 Ford Freestar
I bought this because the plug looks like the plug on my 2004 Ford Freestar. Unfortunately it was not a match. My mistake. Looks like a well made harness though.
by: Ron W.04/20/2015
Product arrived well within the time promised. Product was exactly what was represented, and came with installation instructions. I installed the product without any difficulty.
Ron
by: Dennis05/08/2018
2005FordEscape
The wiring harness was exactly what I needed. Thanks so much!
by: Duane E.10/21/2014
2005FordEscape
Excellent service it was good way to put trailer lights on my 2005 ford Escape
by: Jess 09/02/2022
The harness was a perfect fit .
by: Christopher 01/09/2021
2005FordEscape
Ordered a hitch & harness for my 2005 Ford Escape. Great service, affordable pricing and fast delivery!
by: Tobby01/02/2021
works great, installation was simple... ......
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Show More Reviews
See what our Experts say about this Hopkins Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Wiring Harness for a 2005 Ford Escape With a Factory Tow PackageI have just the thing that you are needing so that you can have a 4-Way wiring harness on the back of your 2005 Ford Escape with a factory tow package. Hopkins has a Plug-N-Tow Wiring Harness, part # 40455, which will just plug right into the connector that you found at the rear of your Escape. This will provide you with a 4-Way wiring harness which will give you the basic light functions for your trailer. I have included an installation video on a 2005 Ford Escape for you to view as well. To...
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view full answer... - Which Wiring Harness Fits a 2005 Ford Escape?The plug you have pictured will actually not be the one for a wiring harness on your 2005 Ford Escape. If the vehicle was indeed pre-wired from Ford, there will be a connection point located behind the bumper near the driver's side tail light. It is pretty well hidden and can be a bit of a pain to get to, so you will have to feel around to find it. It is typically capped off as well, so that will need to be removed. I included an install video we did of the Hopkins # 40455 being installed...
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- Recommended Trailer Wiring Harness For 2005 Ford Escape Without Factory Tow PackageIt sounds like your Escape is not equipped with the Tow Package even though the connector is still there. The correct wiring harness you need for your Escape is the T-One Vehicle Wiring Harness, part # 118426. This harness will plug into the back of your taillights and the hot lead wire must be run to the positive battery post at the front of the vehicle to power the trailer lights. This harness has a Modulite which protects the tow vehicle from any electrical shorts or any wiring problems.
view full answer... - Ford Trailer Wiring For Non-Tow Package Connection on a 2006 Ford EscapeThe Hopkins Plug-N-Tow Vehicle Wiring Harness # 40455 is a quick connection to the factory wiring already present in your 2006 Ford Escape. If you don't have the factory tow package, you will need to add a relay into the wiring block located behind the dash from what I've gathered. I reached out to Hopkins and they said that wiring harness is for vehicles that already have that relay so Ford would need to tell you that relay part number for your vehicle. For the non-tow package (no...
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view full answer... - Troubleshooting Plug-N-Tow Wiring Harness Part on 2005 Ford EscapeThis harness is listed in our FitGuide as working for models with the Tow Package from the factory. If your Escape did not come with a tow package from the factory this harness will not work. Most vehicles that do not have a factory hitch, also do not have the tow package, though the port may still be there. If your Escape is not equipped with the Tow Package, your best bet would be to use the T-1 Vehicle Wiring Harness, part # 118426. This harness would plug inline behind the tail light...
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view full answer... - What is Needed on a 2005 Ford Escape 4x4 To Tow a 2,200-Lb Camper With Electric BrakesThe first thing you will want to check is your owners manual to make sure the towing capacity of your 2005 Ford Escape 4x4 is sufficient enough to tow the 2,200-lb camper. You will also want to make sure you have a Class II hitch on your vehicle which is rated for 3,500 lbs towing capacity. A Class I hitch will only have a 2,000-lb towing capacity which would not work with towing your camper. To tow a camper with electric brakes using your 2005 Ford Escape 4x4, you do not need electric...
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view full answer... - Trailer Wiring Harness for 2005 Ford EscapeThe # 40455 will only work if your vehicle is equipped with the factory equipped tow package. If the plug is present, it can be found on the drivers side of the vehicle, between the tow hook and the bumper as shown in the video I have linked you to. The plug is difficult to see once a hitch is installed, it is pinned to a bracket up behind the bumper. The connector is white in color, and will need to be pulled away from the bracket in order to access it. If you do not have the plug shown...
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view full answer... - Availability of Trailer Wiring Harness That Does Not Require Hot Lead be Ran to Battery for EscapeIf your 2006 Ford Escape came with the tow package then all you will need to do is plug the Plug-N-Tow (R) Vehicle Wiring Harness # 40455 in the connector located near your rear bumper (see attached installation video). If your Escape did not come with a tow package then you will need to use a harness and connector kit that needs to have the hot lead run to the battery to prevent failure of the lights on your Escape. If the trailer is drawing more power than the lights on the Escape can...
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Do you have a question about this Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring?
Info for this part was:
Expert Research:
Mike L
Expert Research:
Robert G
Expert Research:
Michael H
Expert Research:
Jeff D
Expert Research:
Jameson C
Expert Research:
Jeffrey L
Installed by:
Cole B
Updated by:
Wilson B
Updated by:
Alexander C
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4/3/2020
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