Has anyone had a sunroof installed in their FEH? The sun is starting to come out again, and I think I'm really going to miss having a sunroof. I'm a bit leary of getting something installed thanks to the reputation aftermarket roofs have. Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks,
-g.

We should know in a month or so whether this will be an option for 2006. Otherwise, the after market would be the only option.

Mike Maline - Sdctcher
2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Owner
California School Teacher

Could a sunroof be installed on the FEH? Could there be control wiring or the like going through between the roof and the headliner? I would check that out before I let some aftermarket installer hack into it!

It may also depend on what options you have, such as the Safety package with side curtain airbags. If you have this option then you don't have the rear passenger grab handles on the roof, so this might affect things as well.

Well, I do have the safety package, but I'm not sure I understand how this makes a difference? is it because of the extra "stuff" in the roof associated with the airbags?

In other news, I talked to a dealer yesterday that has installed sunroofs for the Hybrids they have been selling. Sounds like is a $1K dollar venture that I'm just not ready to do yet. So in the dark I shall sit, for now.

I would NOT install a sunroof in a car with safety canopy or the equivalent. There's just too much to go wrong. You want those bags to inflate if someone crashes into your side. IIHS just released their crash data on the 2005s and the safety canopy moves the Escape from Poor to Good in side-impact and rollover survivability.

It's doubtful that there's anything in the way of a sunroof. The other Escapes *do* have a sunroof option that wasn't available on the Hybrid. Not being able to get an option is *sometimes* do to a design difference which would keep the option from fitting, but those other Escapes can *also* have the same side-curtain airbags. It would cost far too much to design a unique version of the airbag just for the Hybrid. Nothing about the design of the Hybrid system would effect the roof (except for *maybe* the GPS antenna on models with the nav computer.

The *other* reason options are often excluded has to do with build sequencing on the line. There are certain parts of a car which are more complicated to install in the plant. A sunroof is one of them. To install the sunroof, two people have to climb on the car (one above and one inside) and work together for the space of a few stations (I was told how much it took and I can't remember if it was 2 stations or 3, but I *think* it was 3). I do remember that only every 3rd vehicle on the line sequence can have a sunroof because of this.

The Hybrid system really screws things up for the plant because it requires LOTS of special treatment. It's more likely that the reason you can't get the sunroof option simply has to do with the fact that it would be hard enough to sequence the Hybrids for build (with all of their special treatment) without the added complexity of having to sequence them for sunroofs on top of that.

The most likely scenario is that there's absolutely nothing in the way (no components in the area of the roof where you want an aftermarket sunroof) and the only reason you couldn't get one from the factory was do to build sequence complexity.

What I was told from the dealer is exactly what you said, tcamp. That it has been a production line issue due to the unique run of the hybrid. I guess I can understand that, but something in my brain still thinks it shouldn't be that hard.

Either way, I've been told that it is possible to put in an aftermarket roof, even with the safety package, as the local dealer has done that to his daughter's hybrid. However, its at least $1K to have it done, so for now I will wait. If I ever make the leap, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

cheers,
-g.

2006 will have a moonroof available but it appears it might be part of a luxury package.

Ford will offer a moonroof in the 2005 Escape Hybrid.
Orders begin 3/29 with an early May Job 1 day in Missouri.
Hopefully it can be ordered as an a la carte option, as in past Escapes.
I'll bet a fully loaded Escape Hybrid will MSRP around $35K with all the new promised goodies like heated seats, etc. etc.