Problems with 2005 Ford Escape SUSPENSION

I just purchased this 2005 ford escape at the end of may 2014 with only 73333 miles on it and it was running great. then a month later i started hearing a loud bang under the rear passenger seat area after going over a few normal little bumps in the residential streets.(like cracks or sewer lid) i check it out there was some excessive rust in the wheel well area. i drove it for another week with this annoying sound then it got worse making loose clanking and squeaking noise constantly with the banging noise. i searched under the vehicle and in the wheel well, it's completely rusted through. the shock/strut? are mounted to nothing but crumbling rust. it is just free from the wheel well now. i can't even drive it. from the other complaints i can see this will not be an easy fix nor does ford company recognize this is a faulty issue with this vehicle and should take responsibility for the early corrosion in the wheel well areas with this vehicle. *tr

Tl * the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving approximately 10 mph, the rear passenger side of the vehicle rattled as the vehicle crashed into an unknown object. there were no injuries. the dealer stated that the struts housing was decayed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 mph, the vehicle started to make a loud banging noise. the contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the rear shaft was corroded. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer had not been notified about the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

I had to replace the rear shocks on this vehicle. in doing so the auto repair fatality showed me that the entire center of the right rear wheel well was corroded away, leaving big hole. the garage told me that they had seen this on several of this mode (2001-2007) i talked to a couple of dealers that told me the same thing. one even told me that he thought it should be a recall. *tr

(case# [xxx]) (ford escape 2005 sub-frame defect) i wish to report an extremely unsafe condition that has occurred with my 2005 ford escape. the past several months, while driving the vehicle, i have noticed a loud metal-sounding banging noise whenever the car goes over even a slight bump/crack in the road. i have taken the vehicle into our local ford dealership twice to have the problem checked out. first time, ford replaced the links (?), which did not resolve the problem. the second time, i pointed out to service technician that the rear wheel well was rusted through. service technician removed interior covering to further inspect damage, and discovered the shock absorber was sticking up into the vehicle. service technician referred vehicle to their (ford dealership) body shop, who's technician informed me that the sub-frame is rusted out and would cost at least $6000 to repair. i declined their repair offer, and brought the vehicle home. upon further research (vehicle safety and recall websites), i was shocked to discover that many other owners of 2005 ford escapes are experiencing and reporting this same problem, and are frustrated and angry that a recall has not been issued by ford. these vehicles are only nine years old, are now totally worthless, and are extremely unsafe to drive. i have been forced to find alternative transportation, which is a major inconvenience and expense for me. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

You have failed to respond to our previous posts. we still await your report about this issue. the rear right wheel well has disintegrated leaving the shock absorber unconnected to anything at the top. it has been removed to prevent it causing further damage or damage to the break lines. search on facebook under 2005 ford escape. there are loads of vehicles with exactly the same problem. this week someone reported their brake line had been damaged by this issue. this is a safety issue that ford need to address urgently. *tr

i was driving on a city street when i started hearing loud banging noises from the rear of my escape whenever i went over any type of bump. once home, i looked around and discovered that the wheelhouse panel on the rear passenger side of my escape was severely rusted and deteriorating. there were several large holes in the metal. the wheelhouse panels around the other three wheels look fine with minimal to no signs of rust. i took my escape to a ford dealership and was told the damage would cost me $2,350 to have them fix it, but that they could not get to work on it for about 2 weeks. i checked around on the internet and found that other people were having the same problem with their 2004 - 2006 escapes. i called ford and was told that no recall is underway to fix what, to me, is a problem due to something that ford was doing wrong from 2004 to 2006, and that ford should step up to fix free of charge. i've taken my escape to several body shops to receive other estimates on the cost of the work. several of those body shop experts said that there is no way that a nine year old auto should have as much rust and deterioration as mine has, further strengthening my belief that this due to a screw up by ford. i've made arrangements with one of those body shops to have the work done this week for about $800, about a third less than ford wanted me to pay to fix their screw up. before this, i would have recommended a ford to anyone. in addition to my escape, i've also bought a ford explorer and a ford escort for myself as well as a 2003 ford escape for my daughter. but, if ford is the kind of company that will not take responsibility for its mistakes and will not take care of its customers, i will not buy another of their automobiles. *tr

We were driving along and started to hear this banging noise which was getting progressively louder. when i found a safe spot to pull off the road i did, and got out to investigate what was making the noise. when i got to the right rear of the vehicle where the noise was coming from i discovered that the right rear shock tower is totally rusted out. i can actually stick my hand up through the wheel well into the inside of the vehicle. *tr

Right rear wheel well completely rusted through, undermining strut support. all other wheel wells have minimal to normal rust with rust proofing material still in place. body of vehicle has no rust at all and is in excellent condition. vehicle has always been garaged and washed regularly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that whenever driving over a bump, the vehicle would make a loud knocking sound in the rear. the contact stated that he inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear passenger side wheel well had corroded and the shock absorber was damaged. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 105,000.

Right rear shock mount rusted off. *tr

After stopping at a stop sign, i slowly accelerated to around 25mph as i usually do when leaving my home. my vehicle, which normally quietly glides over small dents in the road, was now making a very loud noise with every bumpy encounter, and it felt as though there was no shock absorption whatsoever on the right rear side. at the time, there was no visible damage to the exterior of the wheel well, just undercoating, so i drove on thinking it may be a strut in need of replacing. the noise never stopped after that day, and i realize now after researching the problem, that this is a common complaint with this vehicle, and that previous year models of the escape and the windstar have been recalled by ford motor company for this very reason (defective material and assembly, involving right rusted strut mount) but for reasons unknown, ford has not yet placed a recall on this issue for the 2005 escape. i spoke about this defect with my local dealership service department, the same dealership from whom i purchased the vehicle. they acknowledged this issue as a known issue, but agreed that ford has not yet put out an official recall, which means i must pay for the repair. what's more upsetting is that my vehicle is now in need of inspection and i understand it won't pass without this repair being made. i feel that ford motor company should pay for this repair as it is a known issue and it is also a dangerous one. *tr

Rear passenger side, shock separation from vehicle/frame. rusted so bad there are holes in wheel well. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph over a road bump, there was a loud noise heard from the vehicle. the contact discovered that the rear passenger side shock tower was fractured and the tire separated from the wheel well due to severe corrosion. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. th e failure and current mileage was 111,000.

Excessive rust/corrosion in right rear wheel well. shock absorber affected and pushing through wheel well into interior of car. *tr

While washing the car, i noticed a hole in the passenger rear wheel well big enough to stick my fist thru without touching any metal. the shock absorber will soon be attached to nothing. it also appears the frame is rusting and getting thin. i am unsure of the structural integrity of the vehicle at this point and want to know the safety issues involved. i also want to know why ford has not yet recalled these vehicles when the older models have been recalled. there is little difference in a 2004 and a 2005. *tr

Rear passenger side wheel well rusted out completely. shock went thru the body into the trunk of my car. been told by multiple shops they wouldn't do anything because of liability reasons. ford acts like they've never heard of this problem but if you google the issue 1000's of the same issue will show. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal noise when driving over a road bump. the vehicle was taken to an independent dealer, who stated that the rear passenger side shock mount was covered with rust. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 122,000. updated 3/24/15*cn

Noticed clanking noise coming from passenger side rear. thought strut mount was failing. removed inside panel to reveal wheel well seriously rusted out. was informed by mechanic that this could lead to suspension failure. checked online and found significant number of like vehicles affected by the same problem. will probably cost $1500 to repair. noticed ford used what look like several thin layers of metal sandwiched together and that the rusting began from within. *tr

I have a 2005 ford escape. noticed a rattling and banging sound thought i had a broken shock or strut. after better inspection noticed that the rear passenger side wheel well has corroded so bad that the strut/shock mount was no longer attached to the suv and is banging on the inner plastic. not safe to drive, very costly to fix. needs to be a recall !!! *tr

I recently noticed a thumping noise coming from the rear when traveling down the road, i had my mechanic look into it and they noticed extreme corrosion on the rear passenger side wheel well. my mechanic indicated that he had never seen extreme corrosion of this magnitude on a vehicle of this age. the other 3 wheel wells are in good shape, but the rear passenger side one is rusted out. the shock mount is corroded and is unable to adequately support my shock. they advised that i take it into a collision shop which i did. the collision shop took pictures and quoted me a price on the repairs, i was told that they have recently seen this same issue with the ford escape from there customer base. i also researched and found that ford has issued recalls on the 2001-2004 ford escapes for a rust issue stemming from the front of the vehicle. there is a recent trend of consumer complaints that have spiked over the past year in regards to the same issue in the same spot for 2005 ford escapes. *tr

My son noticed that sound insulation in the right rear wheel well was gone and the wheel well was severly rusted to the point the upper shock mount was close to separating from the body. i checked with a the body shop of a local ford dealer who said he has seen and repaired a ton of 2005 escapes. he hasn't seen this specific problem with other model years (e.g. 2001 - 2004. didn't ask about 2006 or 2007 model years). the ford body shop person said the sound insulation/undercoating held in moisture and that is why the area is so badly rusted. the body shop of a ford dealer bowling green, oh said the repair would be $1,200 - $1,400.00 and will take three days. i called a ford dealer on the west side of cleveland who confirmed the amount and length of time. *js

Passenger rear inner wheelhouse that holds shock absorber rotted and shock fell out ford knows there is a problem because they have updated the part with a later model escape part so to deny there is problem why did they update the part and discontinue making the part that came on 2005 escape

The rear passenger side wheel well on my 2005 ford escape has completely rusted through, freeing the shock mount. vehicle has just over 100000 miles and is not able to be driven in its current condition. *tr

Cpsc: i1470151a. 2005 ford escape. consumer stated the vehicle has completely rusted through the right rear wheel well and the shock fell off. the other wheel well was rusted and appeared to be falling off, as well.

Rear strut assembly at frame attachment rusted through and busted into rear storage area. frame completely disintegrated. *tr

Rear passenger side wheelhouse rusted out breaking the rear shock mount causing steering issues . this is a known problem with ford for this model year. the wheelhouse is simple sheet metal that rusted out, the shock mount has no reinforcement and is simply attached to a cup in the wheel well. when it gave free the vehicle swerved to the right. *tr

While driving down to the bay on a fishing trip i kept hearing something banging in the back of my 2005 escape. i stopped and found that the right rear fenderwell had rusted an nd the shock mount was loose from the rest of the body which caused it to hit against the inside plastic . this should be repaired by ford as the rest of the vehicle is in excellent condition . i will never buy another ford if they can't recall this major safety hazard. *tr

My 2005 ford escape began making a rattling noise in the back passenger side of the vehicle. when i went over bumps, the noise became louder. i was unable to determine the problem until i noticed that the wheel well of my vehicle completely corroded away. quickly the shock tower has gone through my trunk leaving a hole in my trunk into the wheel well of my vehicle. i learned of this when i was walking to my vehicle and saw some clothes from my trunk hanging out of the car through the wheel well. through my research i have found that the escapes from 2001-2004 have had these same issues, but have been recalled. i am confused as to why the 2005s have not yet been recalled. i have children that could literally fall through the vehicle from inside. this website, http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/escape/2005/body_paint/excessive_wheel_well_rust.shtml, describes the same issues i have encountered. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger side shock absorber became detached. upon inspection, it was found that the frame was perforated due to rust. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was not available.

Right rear shock mount has rusted out and is unsafe to drive. *js

I happened to notice rust through while checking my tires. it is located at the right (passenger side) rear wheelhouse panel where the strut assembly attaches to the body of the vehicle. the rust has disintegrated in the area leaving a barely attached wheel assembly with massive cracking and holes in the metal. it is the only area on the vehicle with rust. i was told it cannot be repaired and that i have less than 6 months of driving before it will break completely, thus disabling my vehicle or causing it to crash while being driven. i am afraid to drive it further, especially with my 3 year old son in the vehicle. i am disturbed with the amount of people who own this wonderful suv from a fine company like ford and the only thing stopping them from driving it is a single panel with such a severe defect. i am fully prepared to join or lead a class action lawsuit against ford for this problem. *js

I was driving my vehicle down a rural road at about 35 mph and hit a pot hole in the road. upon inspection after the incident, my husband noticed the rear strut mount for the shock on the passenger side had become detached. there was some rust present in that wheel well around the strut housing. the supporting metal cracked the entire way around the strut housing, detaching it from the rest of the vehicle. the opposite wheel well and strut mount are in perfect condition with the factory undercoating still in tact. there is no undercoating present on the passenger side in the same area. we were told by a mechanic and auto body specialist that the car is unsafe to drive and is only cosmetically repairable, not structurally repairable. *tr

The right rear passenger wheelhouse panel is totally corroded. the 'panel' holding the rear right suspension cracked, nothing holding the suspension. i have seen numerous complaints in the website. this should be treated as a manufacturer's defect as it is the same problem in which the ford windstar was recalled for. *tr

Right rear inner fender well rusted completely though allowing the shock mount to tear away from the vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that upon inspection, it was found that the passenger's side rear shock mount became detached from the vehicle due to rust. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was confirmed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin was not available.

Right rear shock absorber upper mount detached from the wheel well because of extreme corrosion and perforation of wheel well sheet metal. *tr

Rear wheel house/ strut mount totally rusted off. i work at a dealership and i have noticed a lot of escapes with the same issue. we see approx 5 of these a year over the past 3 years. that isn't counting the ones we can't visually inspect die to the thick tar ford sprayed on the wheel well to deaden sound and prevent corrosion. *tr

Cpsc: i1440372a. 2005 ford escape. consumer stated the passenger rear wheel well rotting out caused the shock mounts to disintegrate. *ln the consumer stated the price estimates to correct the defect ranged from $2000-7000. *jb

The right rear wheel well is severely rusted and shock is no longer attached. you can see the interior of vehicle from rear fender well. frame is also beginning to crack in this area too. at this point the vehicle is not safe to drive. this seems to be a problem for many others with this same make and year. what does it take for ford to realize this is a defect. someone is going to get hurt or even a loss of life if nothing is done. now i have a vehicle that was driven daily sitting in my driveway because it is unsafe to drive. *js

The vehicle is a 2005 ford escape. while driving the vehicle a loud clunking sound was heard coming from the rear passenger side. a rattling noise could then be heard with every slight bump in the road. vehicle was taken to a garage where they found that the whole right rear passenger side wheel well was completely rusted through exposing the shocks and struts, the carpeting can also be seen through the hole, and water in the taillight compartment because of a hole there also - thus leaving the vehicle unsafe and undrivable. took vehicle to an auto body shop and the estimate to fix the car was $3200.00. called ford motors who informed me that there is a recall for this exact same problem, but only for 2001-2004 models. apparently from all of the complaints that can be found on the internet in regards to the 2005 models with the exact same problem, the 2005 models should be included in the recall. i will definitely not be buying another ford motors vehicle anytime soon! *tr

While performing brake and wheel inspection for noise we see severe sub-frame rust issue on our 2005 ford escape xlt. please advise. *tr

While driving on main road hit some uneven road repairs and started to hear a metal on metal sound. i thought it was the rear passenger door so stopped to check but it was locked. drove home and noise seemed to get progressively worse. i started to check shocks and tires and saw a crack in the right rear wheel well through the rust proofing.i moved it away from the fender and saw a hole into the side of my car by the top of the shock. i took it to a body shop and was told this is an issue with ford escape and the repair is expensive. i will be contacting a dealer for help and parts if they are available. *tr

While driving over rail road tracks a loud thud was heard in the right rear wheel well. the first assumption was the tire blew, but upon inspection the tire was fine. the vehicle was driven for a few more days and the thud would continue to be heard getting worse and worse, especially when hitting bumps. the vehicle was taken to a goodyear auto service center where i was informed that the right rear wheel well was severely rusted and the upper shock mount had separated from the body. the thumping we heard was the chunk of metal and shock mount that was separated from the body but still attached to the top of the shock hitting the rest of the wheel well that was still there. the service tech told me that he was very surprised that this area of the car was rusted so badly and it appeared that it wasn't undercoated properly to prevent the rust. the service tech informed me he couldn't fix it and recommended a welding shop (friess welding). the welding shop was able to cut out the rusted wheel well (they referred to it as a fender well, i don't know if there is a difference in the name), repair the upper shock mount, put on a new shock (the old shock was bent to badly from when it separated from the car), and properly undercoat it. they informed me that this was common on 05 and 06 ford escapes and they had repaired quite a few for the same thing. they also informed me that ford recently had a recall for 01-04 ford escapes for a similar issue only on the front of the car. they thought that ford should do a recall on 05-06 for the back. i don't know if this will help to have a recall done but what the welding shop was telling me seems to be true after doing some research on the internet. i will keep all of my receipts and the pictures that i took and hope a recall is eventually done. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The rear passenger shock tower on my 2005 ford escape is rusted through. my shock is rattling around, bound to make it's way into the interior of my car. *tr

While driving at 35 mph on uneven pavement, i noticed banging in the right rear area of the vehicle. all doors and hatch were secure and the jack wasnt loose. after a day or two of searching i took the escape to a local auto repair shop i trust. they found the whole inner quarter wheel house snapped off the rail. the banging was the shock hitting inside the passenger cabin. he immediately took my keys and said the car is undrivable. online if you google this same issue it is a common problem with the 2005 escape model rusting please ford do the right thing and recall and repair my 2005 ford escape. *tr

Right rear wheel house is rusted so bad the shock is about to come loose and cause loss of control or could rub the tire and cause it to rupture. i have been advised by a mechanic that it is unsafe to drive. *tr

Vehicle was making a loud noise everytime you hit a bump. when investigated found that right back wheel well was rusted so bad that shock had come totally loose. did investigation and found out that other owners have had the very same problem. wondering if others have had this same problem in the exact same place why have these models not been recalled? definately a safety issue. *js

We were driving the car and noticed a banging noise in the right rear wheel. we took it to an auto body shop and they discovered that the metal in the wheel well is rotting away. the shock mount came loose and upon further review the entire wheel well is bad. the shop tells me they've seen many similar issues in the 04-06 escapes. ours is in bad shape and not worth the $5000 it would take to repair. there is very little surface rust anywhere else on the vehicle and the other wheel wells are in good shape. in looking around i've seen many similar complaints regarding the same issue with the right rear wheel well. why hasn't there been a recall. it's criminal that these vehicles all have the same issue and instead of stepping up and doing the right thing, ford ignores it and all of us owner's are out a lot of money through no fault of our own. *js

The right rear body panel in the wheel well completely rusted through causing the top of the shock to detach from the body and almost penetrate into the inside of the passenger cabin. *tr