Problems with 2005 Ford Escape SUSPENSION

The right rear shock tower rusted through the wheel well into the rear compartment breaking a hole through the interior compartment. there is currently no parts in stock to repair this as we are told they are on nationwide backorder and this is a huge safety issue. the other rear shock area has a significant amount of rust also. approximately 1 week later both break lines broke from severe corrosion while moving at approximately 10 mph (pulling in my driveway). i was fortunate this happened there and not on the highway as i could have been in a very serious accident along with my 3 year old son. these two things should not be happening with the age of this vehicle. the body should be holding up better than this. i just saw there was a recall for model years 2001-2004 for severe rust issues one resulting in a crash. the manufacturing date of my vehicle is 09/2004. *tr

Right back shock came through wheel well and broke through interior of car. car is in excellent condition with no rust. *tr

2005 ford escape. i have noticed rust on rear fender wells in the past. in summer 2013, i found a hole into the passenger area from the rear passenger side wheel well. filled hole and attempted to undercoat to prevent additional rust. december 26, 2013, while driving i hit a bump and heard a loud banging noise in back right hand side of the vehicle. driving became difficult after the bump, so i stopped to investigate the issue. the shock had separated from the uni-body/wheel well due to corrosion. the noise was the shock hitting the plastic interior of the vehicle. i did some research on a replacement panel and i found this is an ongoing issue with the ford escape with numerous examples of this same issue. it appears that the right passenger side wheel well of the ford escape has a design flaw causing the shock to separate from the uni-body. driving become difficult during this failure as the vehicle is riding on the spring and the shock is not able to reduce the tire bounce. *tr

Loud thumping noise occurs over any size bump. on inspection repair shop found rear right wheel well rusted out and no mount existing for the shock absorber. no other wheel well has this problem. definite design flaw that could lead to loss of control. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that after driving over a pothole, the vehicle began to sway and the contact heard a crack. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was found that the passenger rear wheel house panel had separated due to rust. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

The rear passenger side tire-well rusted out. it rusted where the shock is attached. this entire piece rusting caused the shock to no longer be attached to my vehicle. we later discover the accelerated corrosion was from faulty drains in the vehicle. ford acknowledges the drain problem but will not take responsibility for the expedited rusting. with faulty drains it is only a matter of time before the other tire-well also rusts out. luckily i discovered the problem when i did, i had been planning on towing a uhaul cross-country two days out. if i had been towing and the shock gave out, the mechanic at the dealership said my vehicle would have started to roll. *tr

I was driving the vehicle and noticed something banging in the back end of the truck. i thought it as the muffler that came loose. to my surprise when i looked underneath the vehicle i found that the rear passenger inner wheel well was totally rusted out. there was only about an inch of metal left. i just purchased this vehicle on october 15th of 2013. i have never seen or heard of such a problem before. i did research on the internet only to find numerous complaints about this same problem. i tried ordering the part from a ford dealer and they say it is on back order. i can't wait for the part from ford so the mazda tribute is the same so i am ordering the part from them. this is my only vehicle so i have to have it running . i have not been able to drive this vehicle since december 17th, 2013. i have to take it to an autobody shop to have this work done. i surely hope this part works because if it doesn't i can not afford to buy another vehicle. i have called ford and they said there are no recalls on my vehicle, and i also went to there recall website to check for myself and could not find any listed. i am going to file a complaint with the ford motor company but it is probably not going to do any good. someone needs to file class action law suit against them but then only the lawyers win. please help me with this problem which seems to be a regular occurrence according to all the complaints. *tr

I noticed the smell of exhaust fumes in the vehicle and a few weeks later heard load banging noise coming from rear cargo area. i look and saw the rear wheel well was rusted threw into the cargo area and the rear shock mounts were rusted off. *tr

When i opened the rear hatch on my 2005 ford escape i noticed the plastic molding was cracked, after looking at it closer i noticed that the whole right rear shock mount was rusted out ant there was a hole in the top of the wheel well. i have contacted many body shops that say the problem is fixable but do to liability they can not fix it. after researching it online on the ford forum i found out that this a common problem with this vehicle. one post on the forum says that the engineers of the escape said it is a design flaw causing the problem but they won't put it in writing for fear of losing their jobs. this is a major safety issue and there should be a recall issued for it. if the shock would have came off while i was driving and hit the road or something under the vehicle it could have caused a accident. i would to know why there is no recall issued for this problem ? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, he noticed a loud knocking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the technician stated that the rear passenger's side inner quarter panel and wheel house panel were corroded. the technician also stated that the shock had become completely detached from the frame. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000. . ..updated 01-10-14 *bf

2005 ford escape limited has a safety issue so bad that it's unsafe to drive. the right rear fender well has rusted out around the shock mount, ready or close to breaking free. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, a knocking noise was heard from under the vehicle. the contact stopped the vehicle and upon inspection, noticed that the rear passenger's side wheel well was corroded and the rear shock was no longer mounted. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving over an uneven road surface at various speeds, he noticed a loud banging sound. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear wheel well shock tower was corroded. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 56,000.

Right side (pass) shock mount/inner fender area completely rusted out. upper shock mount disengaged with the vehicle causing loud banging noise while driving. unstable driving as shock is no longer attached to vehicle. *tr

Thumping sound from right rear of cargo deck. upon interior inspection, no loose items in cargo area, no loose panels, and jack was not loose. upon exterior inspection noticed rusted out portion of wheel well. can see into interior (back of interior panel, carpeting, etc.). seems that thumping is due to wheel or suspension parts being improperly supported due to corrosion of/in area of wheel well. specifically, shock and/or large coil spring are hitting interior panel(s) of vehicle. *tr

The right rear passenger wheel well is totally defective and unseen corrosion can weaken or destroy the shock absorber tower. drivers are not aware of any issues until the shock breaks free of the wheel well and jams into the body. this issue occurs because awd suvs have the right rear wheel that always spins in snow and ice, which in turn over sprays the right rear well with corrosive material. *tr

A loud, startling bang occurred. the right rear shock absorber mount had rusted out, leaving the vehicle with no right rear shock absorber. there is also a gaping hole produced that exposes the interior of the vehicle to dangerous accelerated road debris. *tr

The right rear upper shock mount and inner fender well rusted not safe to drive and the part is on back order. i have no other vehichle and rather frustrated. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the passenger's side rear shock assembly was corroded. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000.

This safety issue requires immediate attention by both the nhtsa and ford: 61 nhtsa complaints filed to date: '04- 16; '05- 45. vehicle taken to ford dealership for service. service notified that a forward lower ball joint was failing, no other defects were noted in the detailed visual inspection. it was replaced two days later. the following day of the repair, on a daily commute between tol to dtw, the right rear shock tower separated while driving at 70 mph. vehicle began dog-tracking. initial inspection did not reveal the hidden damage caused by corrosion at the welded seams of the inner wheel well due to an underbody coating. upon removing the undercoating, very easily by hand, two large sections removed, revealed the shock was penetrating the interior of the vehicle and was no longer being structurally supported by the vehicles uni-body frame. the large sections removed would have caused tire failure at highway speeds by puncture or hazard to other following vehicles. the separation of the shock tower from the body, did cause the vehicle to jerk at the time of failure, creating a loud popping sound and causing potential hazard as the vehicle steered into other lanes of traffic at highway speeds (70 mph). the vehicle is rendered inoperable due to the catastrophic nature of the failure. local ford dealership states they are uncomfortable repairing the structure and not aware of any manufacture recalls. in contacting their sister dealership, they have previously repaired this defect, and continued on stating this failure is a known issue with 2004 - 2006 escapes. the failed panel is available, p/n:part 7l827827886a. a reinforcement piece is also available. see example picture here: http://imageshack.us/a/img854/6430/wheelwell2.jpg facebook site concerning this safety issue: www.facebook.com/pages/2005-ford-escape-2004-2006/397923900236108. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated excessive rust on the shock mount on the rear passenger side tire was causing the wheel to knock against the frame. the contact took the vehicle to a dealer who stated the entire quarter panel and inside wheel well needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 93,000.

After a recent road trip, i heard a clunking noise coming from the rear passenger side of vehicle. checked items in cargo area, spare tire, jack and even checked to make sure back seat was secure. clunking noise was the shock hitting the underside of vehicle. the shock assembly was no longer attached, it was rusted under the wheel well around the shock assembly. so with every bump in the road, it was clanking around. vehicle was not safe to drive for fear that the shock would break and cause a tire blow out or worse cause an accident. i took it to a private auto body shop which cost me $900 to repair the damage. the drivers side wheel well is doing the same thing and i may not have a fuel tank eventually. this needs to be addressed and taken care of. i love my vehicle and love not having a car payment too. *tr

The right rear wheel well has rusted out. this makes it a huge safety factor because at anytime the shocks can break free and bust upward into my truck. i took my 2005 ford escape to my mechanic and he said that in the last 2 months he had seen 4-5 2005 ford escapes with the same problem. it is all the same right rear wheel well. there is a facebook page with 195000 members following it so i know that i am not alone. problem is that half of the country is not in an area that has rust. so southern ford escape owners are not going to be affected by this. this cannot be ignored because not all 2005 ford escape owners have this problem. environmental conditions would show you that all 2005 ford escapes would have this if put to the same environmental factors. this needs a recall. it is an easy fix. ford already fixed it with the newer models. just weld in a new right rear wheel well. this is frustrating because i know it is a real problem with this model, but the environment is what is saving this from being a national issue. *tr

As we are driving along we hear a very loud banging coming from the rear of the vehicle.when we get out to inspect the area we find the rear pasenger side wheel well is extremely rusted thru and chunks of the well are actually falling out. we took the car to the ford dealer and they said it cannot be repaired!!!! by the ford dealer....then we took it to several auto body shops that said they cannot fix this! several places said ford used faulty metal or undercoating and that is why it rusted so badly.the car has only 50000 miles on it and has been highly maintained...i finally found an autobody shop that will replace the entire wheel well and theer will be no guarantee it wont happen again or to any of the other wheels!!! i feel totally ripped off! i read online that several other people have had this same problem.

Right rear wheel well completely rusted out around shock tower and shock punched through into interior of vehicle nothing else rusted on vehicle ford said there is no recall and everyone seems to have the same problem with the escapes and said body shop would be $1300 to fix. *tr

The left passenger rear fender well has rusted out around the shock mount, ready to break free. *tr

The right rear upper shock mount completely rusted thru the trunk area&was protruding up about a foot into trunk area-very glad i wasn't going fast when this happened!!most likely would have lost control of vehicle!!!!!!!!!this is one of fords best ideas ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!very thin sheet metal with a thicker piece welded to it to support 1 side of a vehicle.yeah,that is common sense at the finest!!!!! thankyou ford engineers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!&designers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! these same common sense people hopefully put out a recall so people can get it fixed&get some money back!! i did have mine fixed right away_it's the only vehicle i have. *tr

2005 ford escape...the right rear fender well has rusted out around the shock mount, ready or close to breaking free. first body shop wouldn't even quote a repair. googled issue and found 100's of other owners of 2005's with same condition...photos on facebook matched my cars situation exactly. why no recall? *tr

The right rear shock mount has rusted out, and now bangs against the wheel housing. *tr

The wheel well rusted out and the shock broke loose and was banging around. basically the whole wheel well is rusted out and will not hold the shock any more. i called the local ford dealer to see if there was a recall. i was told there was no recall. when i searched online i found many with the same experience, and even a facebook page. i'm disappointed that ford isn't taking care of this. *tr

I've been hearing some loud noises/bangs from the back end of my car but couldn't figure out what it was. i found out the entire rear passenger wheel well had rusted out in a 1/2 circle around the shock. the shock was no longer attached to the car. everytime it went over a bump - it sounds like my trunk is picking up and slamming down. i have very minimal rust on my car and the other wheel wells are in very good condition. if you open the compartment where the jack is stored in my trunk you can see my tire through a hole. i have seen dozens and dozens of online complaints for the same passenger side wheel well rusted out causing the shock to disconnect but ford has not put out a recall and it costing $1200-$1800 to repair. *tr

While driving on interstate, hit a bump and heard loud sound on right rear side of vehicle. after i stopped to inspect, found that the right rear strut had no support as the right rear inner panel was corroded all the way through with very thin metal around the entire area. luckily the strut did not come up through interior. seems very unsafe and likely to cause accident if driven. this appears to a manufacturers defect as the corrosion protection was not applied correctly. i called ford motor customer service and they just indicated that there we no recalls yet on this problem. this seems to be a problem on the 2004-2005 ford escapes on the right rear. i took to body shop and have estimates from $1,400 to $1,700 to repair. the vehicle is in very good shape except for this one obvious defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, he heard a loud pop. the contact stopped the vehicle and upon further examination, noticed that the rear passenger side strut mount had become detached from the vehicle due to corrosion. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 141,000.

While driving my vehicle home from work, i heard a clanging sound coming from the rear passenger side. thinking the shock needed to be replaced, i drove it until the end of the week and made an appointment to get it serviced. while the technician was checking out my car he noticed the inner wheel house and shock were completely rusted. the shock was detached from the vehicle and the frame is rusted and cracked. he recommended me to take it to a body shop to see if it could even be fixed. i then took it to a very reputable body shop in my town and they have never seen anything like this before. they work on all make and models of different years and said this is not normal wear and tear to a vehicle. they said underneath the vehicle is made to sustain any type of condition and this vehicle was poorly made. there is barely anything holding the back end of the vehicle together and for this reason i was told the vehicle is unsafe to drive because if i am in any sort of accident there will be no protection to me and the vehicle will probably be split in two. due to the location of the defect who knows how long my vehicle has been dangerous to drive and it makes me sick to think about what could have happened if i was in an accident and i have had my two young children in my backseat. the estimate from the body shop was over $13,000 to fix. i have had this vehicle since 2005 and it has been a great, reliable car until all this has happened. it has not been in any accidents or had any other major repairs. *tr

I was driving down the road when i started hearing a loud banging noise coming from the back of my escape. i pulled over to the side of the road to inspect what could be banging around, didn't see anything. drove the escape over the weekend the noise kept getting louder, started inspecting the whole outside of the car that is when i noticed the whole rear passenger side wheel well had rusted away and nothing was supporting the shock. vehicle looks unsafe to drive. *tr

Rear wheel well around shock mount is rusted out. loud banging can be heard from inside cab. over time the shock mount may break free from the body of the vehicle. *tr

Right rear wheel housing rusts completely through allowing the shock to detach from the vehicle. after an online search this is a very common incident. after contacting the local ford dealer, there is a back-order on the right rear wheel housing with no expected date of delivery. this is the only wheel housing on the vehicle that is rusting out and causing issues. the only time you start to realize that there is an issue is if you start the hear a "clunk" coming from the car, however; there is a rubberized undercoat that prevents you from seeing the damage until it is too late or a knowledgeable mechanic with the issue looks specifically at the wheel housing. *tr

While driving my ford escape, the right rear shock punched through the right rear fender well becoming unattached. after further inspection the fender well and part of the shock mount was completely rusted out and unable to support the shock. i have notified the ford dealer and ford's customer relations and was told they know of no problem and that the car is out of warranty and nothing they can do. after researching this problem on the web, i've found a number of ford escape owners who have the same right rear fender well rust problems. this leads me to believe that it must be ford manufacturing defect in rust proofing their materials and they should stand behind their products. there should be a recall before someone gets hurt. *tr

We were driving our escape on city roads when all of a sudden we heard a banging noise coming from the right rear side of the vehicle. after inspecting what was causing the noise, we found that the shock had completely went through the interior of the car. we can see the pavement from the inside of our trunk. we have been noticing an enormous amount of similar complaints for this problem and would like to know why there hasn't been a recall yet. we have always bought ford cars because they have been safe for our family, however, we may have to reconsider next time. we still have not had the issue fixed and cannot drive the vehicle. *tr

The rear wheel well where the shock is located the whole frame panel is cracked, it was covered up from a previous owner or company. the car dealership i'm purchasing from would not take responsibility for it and i explained the hazard in me driving or keeping the vehicle and i took it to several body shops and was told it happens with these vehicles frequently and one shop had already done 3 of the same areas. there is no recall or information about the vehicles issues but this is a danger to drive. *tr

The first notice was that the whole base cover was rotting then once that was worn through you were able to see that the frame that connects the shock, tire and wheel well was so corroded its breaking by pieces. to date 5/29/2014 the shock with pipe attached had to be taken off. no answers to recall or being fixed by ford this prices to fix or locate parts are expensive and most of the repair shops say it is going to happen again. i financed this vehicle and was not told of the defect and by reporting a complaint regarding the car dealership i was advised to let the finance company know of the incident because the dealership didn't want to do anything to take the car back now i'm stuck owning for something that is a road hazard that i have to drive because i can not get another vehicle. ford has always been my car of chose but this is crazy and how come they are not made to take these vehicles and do something about these life of death problems. i sent pictures to ford's website and fb page and still no response as i see their are several others that have the same issues what are we the consumer suppose to do you all say take a mechanic they would not have seen these problems because of the masking. for those that cant afford to keep purchasing waiting or driving these vehicles waiting on the time when its an accident death or crash we have to put in these complaints. *tr

While traveling in virginia last summer on i-81, the body end of the rear passenger side shock-absorber came loose from the frame. we stopped shortly after we felt and heard something that was clearly abnormal and a mechanic told us the car was so rusted in that wheel well that the top of the shock had nothing to hold to. we were on a long trip, so we had the shock cut out until we got home. none of the other underbody areas showed significant rust, according to the mechanics we consulted, so we subsequently paid several hundred dollars to have a new wheel well fabricated and installed along with new rear shocks on both sides. we see no recall for this problem but on the web we quickly found several owners of the same model car describing the same problem - the passenger side rear wheel well rusting out. how can this not be a design issue? certainly it's significant a safety issue, especially since the area of severe rust was not apparent from looking at the car. now the driver side is showing significant exterior rust at the lip of the wheel well, so we will be sending it in to have our mechanic see if the same problem is happening on the rear driver side. help! thank you for anything you can do. *tr

Vehicle was sold to me with the rear passenger side wheel well wear the shock, tire, and fuel system is located it is corroded off its frame. there is no recall or possible part in the us to be found for repair also the dealership said i was the cause of this problem and they would do nothing to help me or refund my money or exchange vehicles as they were informed of the problem and shown the vehicle not even 22 days later from purchase date. *tr

While driving a loud crack/pop was heard from the passenger rear wheel and then there was road noise. when we stopped there was a large hole in the wheel well around the shock mount. all the metal has rusted through. the shock has no attachment left to the upper body, only along the bottom edge. when the vehicle bounces it moves independently of the shock in that corner. i opened up the interior compartment, removed the carpet and trim pieces to get a look and found a hole that is large enough to put my hand through. this car has less than 78,000 miles. the tires and brakes were replaced in the fall and no signs of damage were present at that time due to the undercoating being in place. *tr

I heard unusual road noise and experienced looseness near the rear passenger side tire. upon inspection, i determined that the rear wheel well had corroded through, compromising the rear strut. the hole extends nearly 12 inches, exposing the passenger compartment. the extent of the corrosion was not apparent prior to this incident because the wheel well coating covered the defect. after locating this corrosion, a further inspection of the vehicle was completed, but none of the other wheel wells exhibit similar corrosion. due to the severe corrosion of this body panel, the car cannot be safely driven because the rear strut is being held in place by only a tiny portion of the structural panel. if i had not located this defect in time, it is likely that the strut would have become detached from the vehicle frame while driving and would have caused an accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that they heard a loud thump coming from the rear passenger side wheel well. the contact inspected the vehicle and saw that the rear shock was detached from the vehicle and the wheel well was rusted. the vehicle had not been to the dealer at the time of the complaint. the failure and current mileages were 105,000. *tr

Ford escape 2005 rear right wheel well rusted out. i noticed slight strut sounding noise in the rear right wheel for a week. i checked to make sure nothing was rattling in the trunk or where the jack mounts. after opening the plastic access compartment to the jack, there was a hole straight through to the ground. i inspected the rear right wheel well and saw the entire thing rusted out clear above the shock/strut mount. i contacted the manufacturer and there was no recall yet the vehicle can essentially be deemed un-drivable and a safety hazard for the road. *tr

The passenger side rear wheel well is rusted to the point of non-drivability. this is a sincere safety issue. no notice of the problem until the "rubberized" coating pealed away to showcase the massive rust holes. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger side wheel well was completely rusted. the contact stated that there was a hole in the wheel well. in addition, whenever the contact traveled over a road bump, there was a loud bang from the rear of the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was determined to be unfit to drive. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told that the dealer deemed the vehicle unfit to drive because the strut and wheel well were detached from the vehicle. the dealer stated that it was only a matter of time before the rear passenger side wheel would detach from the vehicle. the current mileage was 97,000. kmj *tr the consumer stated while driving, he hit a large pot hole, and then he heard a huge bang from the rear of the vehicle. he thought nothing of it, so as he continued to drive, the noise became worse. when he arrived home, he opened the compartment and found the inside was damp with water. upon further inspection, he noticed he could see through the inside of the vehicle into the street through a newly formed hole in the passenger rear wheel well. the crack started at the rear of the tire well to about the middle of the tire. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but ford didn't want to claim any responsibility. the rust was in an area that nobody noticed, as it was behind the sealer that was out in the tire wells of vehicles in the northcast. ford inspected the vehicle, and informed the consumer, it was not safe to drive, as the suspension was compromised. the strut was very loose and he witnessed the crack get even bigger, as he tried to drive it back from the dealer. also, the consumer had problems with the reverse lights flickering on and off. when he took the vehicle to the dealer, he was informed a new switch was needed. he declined the replacement. the consumer believed that may have been a symptom of the rust and the wires getting wet. updated 12/04/13

Right rear shock tower completely rusted out, causing the rear shock to become unattached from the body of the car. *tr