Problems with 2004 Ford Escape SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle started to veer to the right and the front passenger wheel started to make a loud noise. the contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and discovered that the passenger side lower control arm housing was severely corroded and the front driver's side lower control arm was beginning to fail. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 85,500.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. an independent mechanic stated that the lower control arm was rusted through on the front passenger side wheel. the mechanic also stated that a used subframe would be needed to repair the vehicle. the contact called jack madden ford (825 boston-providence turnpike, norwood, ma 02062, (781) 762-4200) and was informed to call the manufacturer. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall and advised her to call nhtsa. the failure mileage was 133,000.

As with all other postings the rear passenger wheel well has completely rusted out.and the car started making very loud clunking noises. i do not know the exact moment the wheel well completely degraded. the repair shop said it is not repairable. so we are just now out a car. i just spent way too long chatting with someone from ford who gave me a postal address to send a complaint to. i think everyone who has had the issue should send a complaint. mail: ford motor company customer relationship center, p.o. box 6248, dearborn, mi 48126, i am also considering hiring a lawyer. i think this is just wrong. my son is a college student and left without a car when this is obviously an inferior product and i can not believe this is the service that ford wants to provide. if you would like to be a part of the lawsuit please contact me at [xxx]. this is insane that they have admitted the issue, recalled the front end, came up with an inferior solution and now are going to just say there is no recall. this is a dangerous issue. they at the very least should buy peoples escapes for the value they would be worth. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving 65 mph on the highway, the rear drive axle fractured causing the rear drivers side wheel to detach. as a result, the vehicle spun out of control and became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was unable to be driven. a police officer assisted with moving the vehicle off the road and towing the vehicle to a facility. an appointment was made with quick lane at apple ford lincoln (8800 stanford blvd, columbia, md 21045, (410) 290-1100) for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Recently purchased car, check engine light came on. diagnostics scan shows 2nd cylinder misfire, ignition coil faulty. went online to check common issues with this model..it is a common issue with most 04 escapes. lots of complaints for wheel well rust..upon inspection, mine too is corroded and the shock is coming through the floor board in the hatch. i heard noises while driving but hadn't inspected it until now, as i just bought this vehicle. the corroded spots were concealed under the carpet. unsafe to drive. my photos are too large to upload.

When hitting a bump in the road, car pulls sidewavs. got checked out. they found excessive corrosion on engine cradle and steering components were loose and affected by excessive corrosion on engine cradle. stabilizer rod is almost ready to fall off. they advised us not to drive the car until all components are repaired. steering is erratic and tires squeal when turned left or right.there is a recall for 386,000 of these vehicles in road salt states. we live in one of them, michigan. when ford put the car on the rack, they said something is seriously wrong: that the wheels were bowed out.bought car from ford after a 3-year lease was over. no problems til now. the car is now 14 years old, mileage is apprx. 128,000.

I am a mother of three children whom i use my ford to drive to school, i also depend on it to get me to work three weeks ago i was on my way to work my children present in car when we heard a loud bang from the back of my suv i pulled off to the side of the road immediately to check out the vehicle nothing seemed to be wrong so i resumed driving from that day when i drove the car there was a clanking sound in the cabin it sounded like one of my doors wasn't shut all the way when they were all shut. i had my father inspect my ford and he discovered the problem. the suvs right rear shock had popped threw the plastic casing in the rear of my suv due to the entire mount and wheel well has completely rusted away. i can't aford to get it fixed and it is not safe to drive. i need help. thank you.

Vehicle was u able to control,constant issues with transmission and idle kept getting stuck,speed up on its own and was unable stop without throwing car in park while driving

I was driving on a city street,began having trouble steering and heard a loud noise from the front passenger side. almost like a flat tire. took the car to the dealer and was told the right front sub frame was rusted through. was told that the recall had already been closed and there was nothing they could do. mileage is at 95000. wrote to customer care for further assistance and was told again that there was nothing they will do. nhtsa safety recall 14v-165.

Rear passenger inner fender well rusted out, causing the shock mount and shock to come disconnected. the shock now has nothing to connect to.

The rear passenger side suspension has completely broken off and hangs freely. had it inspected at a local garage and was informed this was an extremely common problem for this type of vehicle, and that a safety recall should've been put in place due to the routine failures of this part. i'm now forced to drive a dangerous vehicle to get to work and respond to emergencies.

The rear suspension mount is completely rusted out and the vehicle is undriveable and not safe to put 2 children in and drive around as the suspension mount is just dangling around underneath and i can see the back speaker! why has ford not included all escape vehicles from 2004 in their recall? this is a clear safety issue !

Nhtsa campaign number 14v16500. lower control arm on the front passenger side lose, resulting in loss of steering control and increased risk of accident when driving. it may be due to rust and corrosion for the lose bolt that holds the underneath bracket.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving various speeds, the contact heard a rattling noise from the rear of the vehicle. the contact noticed that the rear passenger side strut detached from the vehicle. the contact called howell motors (located on 6488 ridge road lockport 14094) and was informed that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15e045000 (suspension). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance. the manufacturer stated that nhtsa issued recalls. the vin and failure mileage were not available.

Driver's side rear lower control arm broke causing left rear wheel to collapse. this occurred while backing out of garage. just an hour before we had been on the freeway. fortunately due to the low speed no major damage occurred and lower control arm was replace at a local firestone store.

Structure: frame and members. my lower control arm rear right rusted out separating entirely from the body of my escape. i live in michigan and noticed a ford recall 14v165000 but when i called the ford dealership they informed me that my vehicle is not affected by it. i quit driving my ford for risk of crashing. please inform me why my vehicle is not affected but it is exactly what happened to my ford. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'*jb

We had noticed we was getting water inside our escape bad it was standing water in floor board so we looked at the inner and outer wheel housing and it was rusted very bad the mechanic said it was not safe for us to drive. the passenger side was the worst. they had to weld in pieces to truck and floor boards now mind you we have an 11 year old that rides right where this was rusted the worst :( when we noticed this we was in kansas city missouri and had to drive home to carrollton. missouri .i will have a repair invoice this week cause it is in the shop now getting fixed and they told us at the shop they have had to redo a lot of these but has never been this bad please help someone is gonna get hurt bad.also this is a very expensive repair so please help with this.if you send me somewhere to send pics i will get them from the shop because they took some.thank you for taking time to read this

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle violently bounced up and down without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe was rusted and corroded and the rear lower control arm separated from the vehicle. the technician stated that the rear lower control arms needed to be replaced. the vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure), but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 118,000.

I was driving to work on a smooth roadway and all of a sudden my rear end started to clunk and bang. i was so startled that i had to pull over in heavy morning traffic and had to miss work and take it to a mechanic where i was told the rear shock assemblies had snapped from the vehicle. after due diligence i found there was a recall issued for the front end for the same make and model because of mounts separating from the auto due to salt and corrosion. when i contacted ford i was told there was no recall for that situation, but i did find a large amount of complaints from individuals with the same issue in their same year and model escapes. the mechanic told me at the least it will be 1800 to fix, but since there is no metal to weld to it will require a full rebuild of the body, mounts, and frame in that area. the following site is a representation of the issuehttp://www.fordforums.com/f59/2005-escape-shock-mount-rusted-out-177762/index4.html. *tr

My 2004 ford escape has major rust issues that has affected the structural integrity of the vehicle. the vehicle is not driveable unless the rust is repaired. i just filed a complaint with ford (case #cas12002459). currently there are no recalls on the vehicle and as a consumer i am turning to the nhtsa for support in having ford make the ncessary repairs yo my vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving over a bump in the road at any speed, a thumping noise emitted from the vehicle. the contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and noticed that the rear passenger side wheel well was rusted and the shock absorber had loosened. the contact notified the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

Strut mount passenger side rear rusted right out

My vehicle was serviced for recall that was issued. the recall was for the subframe rusting through where it meets the control arm resulting in steering failure. my vehicle had this problem under way and was rusted through to the point of separation. the dealership performed the recall and installed a "brace" on the subframe but advised that the vehicle was not safe to drive because of the separation, which is exactly what the recall is designed to prevent. the dealer stated that since the failure/separation had already begun they could not repair it and gave me the vehicle back in a condition which is "unsafe to drive", according to the word of the dealership. my concern is that my vehicle is experiencing the safety issue for which the recall was issued and the vehicle manufacturer will not resolve the recall issue.

Passenger rear wheel well has completely rusted out and shock and mount have rusted and broken off of frame. while driving the vehicle on a village street, hit a rough patch of road by a manhole and heard a terrifying noise, then it sounded like the back of the car was going to fall off. upon parking and inspecting the vehicle, the broken piece was pressed against the rear tire, and had rubbed some of the rubber off in the short time it was driven afterward. research shows that frame corrosion seems to be a common problem with the vehicle, and there was a recall for corrosion on the front end. it seems that it should be for the entire frame, and rectified before accidents and injuries occur. my vehicle falls under those date and state parameters, yet the vin # is not included for some unknown reason. front recall: ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 escape vehicles manufactured october 22, 1999, through january 23, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. these vehicles may experience excessive corrosion at the forward attachment of the lower control arm. consequence: a separation of the lower control arm can result in a significant loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. remedy: ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace, free of charge. the recall began on may 30, 2014. owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. ford's number for this recall is 14s02.

Rear structural body, joints, massive rust and corrosion.

Structural excessive rust and corrosion rear wheels

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving approximately 50 mph, the shock absorber entered the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the shock mount needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

Had a recall from ford shortly after buyiny car in 2014 about subframe rust.ford said they fixed problem.about a year later the subframe broke complexly making frone wheel wobble and pull to right i went off the road into some brush before i got control of car!!i made it home and saw the (fix)a piece of flat steel holding left frame to right not a repair at need to replace complete sub frame.ford blamed it on dealer.dealer will not speak to me about it.i also had promlem with right rear shock coming up through floor no recall on that.lucky no injury or death.

The right rear suspension system disintegrated requiring $1,300 for body shop repair. this apparently occurs regularly on this type of vehicle.

Vehicle steering has become unstable and wobbly. took it to the shop to check on the alignment, and was told the entire subframe has corroded. i found a recall for this issue, but apparently my vin was not included in the recall, even though it has the same issue.

Right rear wheel well is totally rusted through, left side slightly started rusting, causing shocks to break free from frame

The wheel well on the right rear side of car completely rusted out causing my shock to be free in my car. ford will not fix it and it is a serious issue. a quick search will reveal at least 96 other complaints of the exact same issue in the exact same area of the vehicle

My rear shock mount tower is rusted out and baning it is ready to come up through the interior.

Engine cradle, part of the frame is under recall,is broke. dealer applied "band-aid" manufacturer declines to replace broken cross-member, even though it is under recall. recall #14v165000

I just purchased a used 2004 ford escape xlt with only 45,000 miles on it (12 years old, 45,000'what i thought was a diamond in the rough). it had undercoating to protect from rust when it was new. very well taken care of, like new inside! so imagine my surprise after driving it 2 months when the passenger side rear wheel well started falling apart (wasn't like that when i bought it). within a 3 week span it was almost completely destroyed. again it was protected with undercoating and still rusted out all those years in a garage being barely driven!!! i asked about getting both sides done while it's in the shop and mechanic said the driver side rear well was fine and in good shape, almost no rust at all. ford stocks only the passenger wheel well, not the driver side. this is obviously a known manufacturing failure/substandard part that ford doesn't want to own beyond selling you the replacement part. i'm losing appreciation for "american made" values. this one is especially upsetting because it's a brand i previously held in high regard. this easily could have been dangerous at high speeds on my trips.

The frame around the rear suspension is rusted out (through) the rear shock is not connected to anything. is there a recall on this ? i know the vehicle is old but i have never heard of this on even older vehicles.

Shock frame support on right rear side completely rusted out making vehicle unsafe to drive along with entire area rusting out prematurely. i can see the outside thru my speaker grill. how could this not be a safety recall when it is clearly a ford defect? repair quotes in the $2000- $2500 range.

Right rear fender well rusted away showing inside of trunk liner and making loud banging noises

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving at an unknown speed over a bump in the road, the vehicle emitted a clucking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, which indicated that the front suspension bar was fractured. the front suspension bar was replaced. the contact also stated that the brake lines also failed due to corrosion. the brake lines were replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 125,715. ..updated 02/01/16 *bf *js

Ford's 14s02 recall was to deal with excessive rust on a subframe unit. if the recall inspection of the subframe did not result in characteristics warranting replacement, ford instructed dealers to install a cross brace. approximately 13 months after our 2004 ford escape had the cross brace installed the subframe unit failed while we were driving. the car violently jerked to the side and if there had been another car or any obstacle on that side of our vehicle we would have hit it. i contacted ford several times and on each occasion was told ford would not cover the cost of the repairs because they had already installed the cross brace - which was not the part that failed and was not the part for which the recall was initiated. the repair cost over $800. at the time of the incident the escape had fewer than 60,000 miles. during each on my calls to ford, and after being told ford would not cover the repair costs, i asked to speak with a supervisor. each time i was told they could have a supervisor call me 1 business day later, but they would not give me a time when i could expect the call so i had to be available at any time throughout the day. to summarize, the band-aid ford put on to deal with the subframe problem (the cross brace) did not fail. the part for which the recall was initiated did fail even with the cross brace. ford is denying coverage for the repair costs.

Right side rear shock absorber tower rusted out

Wheel well rusted through to interior of car, shock dislocated from wheel well. we just moved to raleigh from michigan. see related news articles: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/04/07/ford-recall-fusion-escape/7427299/ http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/almost-400-000-old-ford-escape-suvs-recalled-1560352974 http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/ford-motor-company/dearborn-michigan-/ford-motor-company-factory-defect-to-escape-vechicles-dearborn-michigan-904056 http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2004/ford/escape/suspension/problem.aspx

Right rear wheel well rusted through and the shock and spring punched through the body of the car. highly dangerous, as our children and my wife drive the car, but the only indication that this occurred was an occasional loud noise (mimicking a shock absorber bottoming out). until i inspected the vehicle, nothing else, such as handling or other factors warned of the dire situation. for instance, my wife travels back and fourth to her parents via a busy highway covering about 50-60 miles multiple times a week and this could have caused a fatal crash. my guess if we have been driving on this based on the occasional noise for 2 months.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact noticed that the front passenger side subframe was separated from the lower control arm. the contact stated that the vehicle experienced the failure listed in nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure); however, the vin was not included. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

I have 2004 ford escape the rear shock towers rusted out i think ford shoud recall for fix at there cost others have that issue to i think it a safety issue and it needs to be fixed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger side shock tower completely rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 111,200.

While driving home, i heard a loud bang coming from the passenger-side rear wheel. when i got home and looked at it, i noticed the strut had completely rusted away from the frame. i researched this issued on the internet and have found it to be very common to the year and make of this vehicle.

I was driving down the road and the shock and wheel detached due to the corrosion of the back of the frame.

Right rear shock breaking free due to rusted out inner fender well. called ford. they wont back the problem even though thousands of owners have complained and there are currently no replacement parts for repair. this is an unsafe situation and causes a swerve in stability. it is also causing repairs to be made unsafely with cob job fixes. it needs to be addressed with ford to do something about it...updated 08/27/15 *bf updated 12/3/15 *js

The car began making a loud creaking that i suspected was the back window or something inside. it got worse after a couple of days. i pulled over and checked those and then the wheel wells, and the back right wheel well was rusted so badly that the shock mount was nearly completely detached. it detached the rest of the way over the course of the 2 mile drive to my home. this is apparently a common problem with this make and model, especially in the 201-2004 range, and can affect handling. it has been referred to as a factory defect and a recall was issued for this in some vehicles, but not mine. the local ford dealership will not look at it because any repair would require alteration to the body, so they've referred me to a body shop.