Problems with 2004 Ford Escape STRUCTURE

The right rear passenger wheel well rusted out, causing the sudden dislocation/breaking of the shock mount which in turned caused damage to my tire, and wore through the interior of the car. the damage is extensive and upon researching the issue, it appears that this exact thing has happened (only on the right rear side of the vehicle) to thousands of 2004/2005/2006 escapes. this has been a known issue since at least 20011/2012 and is a dangerous defect that is usually not cost effective to fix, based on the mileage of the cars at the time of the problem. because the left rear does not experience this issue, it must be a defect in manufacturing and ford really needs to step up and offer a recall to fix it as well as reimbursing owners who've experienced the problem and chosen to do repairs to a vehicle in otherwise great running order.

Rear passenger wheel well where the shock mounts to the body is completely rusted out and detached from the upper body of the vehicle. i was traveling on the interstate at about 65mph when this piece broke loose from the rest of the body. this is very dangerous, and almost caused me a serious accident on a busy highway. there are hundreds of other complaints filed just in this database alone with the same exact issue, rust/corrosion of the rear passenger wheel well where the shock mounts to the body. the ford dealership that i had my vehicle towed to told us that they have recently seen 4 or 5 other escapes that have the same exact issue. please investigate, this is a serious safety concern.

2004 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to vehicle front sub-frame crossbrace corrosion separation of lower control arm recall notice repairs. *m updated 07/20/2017*js

Right rear wheel well completely rusted out and shock mount which was bolted to it fell and is hanging next to and on the wheel along with a ball of sharp twisted metal from the wheel well. heard noises from back of car past month or so but thought it was something in the cargo compartment. then went over pothole and loud bang like the exhaust pipe fell and was dragging. then a burning rubber smell. the metal piece is about to pierce the tire and the shock itself is hanging and banging against tire. car is undrivable and may be unfixable in that the fix would be worth more than the car. i of course can not get another car right now due to financial reasons so without a car now because of this. the other wheel wells seem fine, no rust. though there is a few rust spots on the bottom of the running boards and one of the doors (which there should not be in this day and age any rust) to have this immense amount of rust only in one well tells me something is wrong with the design or the paint job at the factory. if a tire blows out it could kill someone traveling at highway speeds in an suv . this is a defect, not aging. needs to be a recall. though the car is 11 i have less than 90,000 on it. i should not have to trash the car due to body rot at 90,000. if this was due to aging or weather all the wheel wells would be like this.

Had been noticing noises when i drove over bumps and rough surfaces coming from the back right side of the vehicle. i hit an unavoidable hole in the road today and heard a loud thump from the rear right side of the vehicle. i proceeded to my sister's house where my brother in-law checked the vehicle and found that the strut/shock had broke through the horribly rusted wheel well and was hitting the underside of the plastic wheel well cover. this could have been a disaster had it happened a few days ago while i was on the freeway. i have an appointment to take the vehicle in to see if it can be fixed. in the mean time i have no vehicle to drive as it is not drivable. i see from numerous complaints that this is a continuing problem with this vehicle. why is ford not being held accountable for this issue? i may have to get another vehicle that i am not prepared to do. this is a safety issue that i feel should be addressed. *tr

Passenger (right) rear wheel well rusted through, causing the strut to detach. *tr

I was driving and the rear end of the truck sounded like it was falling apart. when i stopped and looked the passenger side rear wheel well was completely rotted out and the metal plate that holds the shock in place was hanging and banging around. the left side is completely intact. i took it to causeway collision to look at it and they said its a defect and probably not fixable. the truck has high mileage but runs great. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving approximately 35 mph, the steering wheel turned independently with a loud abnormal noise. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the passenger side control arm separated and the entire frame would need to be replaced. the failure occurred after the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

The car started to ride rough over small bumps and a thumping sound could be heard from the right rear wheel well. thinking i needed new shocks i inspected the wheel well and was horrified to see that the wheel well holding the shock was completely rusted away. there is a hole where the steel used to be. this is only on the right rear wheel well as far as i can see. a local auto body shop will not fix it because of the safety liability and warned me not to drive the car. the car is unsafe and i am at a loss as to what to do with it. after doing some searching i have found many ford escapes with the same exact problem. apparently this is a design defect that ford knows about and should be responsible for. had i driven the car a little longer i could have been in a catastrophic crash! ford needs to fix this or replace my car. *tr

While driving on a rough road i noticed a rattling in the rear compartment that i had never heard before. when i investigated i found the right rear wheel well had disintegrated from rust damage and the shock is now floating basically freely which is causing the noise. i am concerned for the safety and handling of the vehicle at this point. this seems to be a very common issue with escapes and always the right rear wheel well. why has ford not issued a recall? this is clearly a systematic failure. *tr

2nd escape i've owned that has had the rear right wheel well rust out, shock breaks loose. ford saying it has never heard of it, and yet every dealer and body shop i've talked to knows all about it. this should be a recall, faulty part. *tr

I purchased a 2004 escape a little over a year ago. my cousin had the same car. we both had to take a few thousand loss and sell these vehicles due to severe, unsafe wheel well rust .not to mention catalytic converters on both cars were bad. two on each escape. i was ready to do repairs, until a friend with the same escape had just repaired the body in his for the same issue. so we all took loss. who is responsible for this?? i had family that worked, and retired from ford. i had several ford's over the years. this has put me in a hole..bought it for 6,000. just gave it away for 1,000. help. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving at approximately 40 mph, there was a loud noise emerging from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the rear passenger strap mount was rusted and the rear passenger wheel well needed replacement. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 121,000. updated 6/8/15*cn the consumer stated the rear passenger side wheel well rusted and created a big hole, which caused the top stress mount to fall down. updated 06/11/15*jb

Another case of a 2004 ford escape with extensive right rear wheel well rust putting the strut in danger of coming through the body. i'm currently trying to figure out how and where to get it repaired. this seems to be a flaw in the design of the product. while one would hope ford would step up i'm not seeing anything on their part so far. *js

While driving to my home went over a small dip in road and suv made a very load clunking noise in right rear section of vehicle and started handling poorly got it to my parents home which is only few minutes from incident,father looked at and found right rear strut mount and wheel tub rusted out under a thick layer of sound deadening material applied at factory making it nearly impossible to see until it breaks free, father has been a mechanic all his life and tried to get pieces at local salvage yards to repair but found all in a 50 mile radius at salvage yards from years 2001-2007 to be in as bad or worse condition and is currently looking for parts on line out of the rustbelt ,i believe if it had happened on a twisty road it could have been a bigger problem fortunately it was a fairly level straight road i can only assume there isn't an investigation on these is that most people don't now where to go to file a complaint i only new to go here because my father told me too,as he believes it to be a major design flaw that may or could lead to injuries *tr

Driving and sounds like a square bowling ball is rolling around in back. look to find a rusty mess from shock mount going through wheel well. asked around and seems to be common problem. thank goodness i wasn't far from home. very dangerous, why is this not recalled yet! *tr

I was driving the vehicle when i started hearing a loud thumping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. upon inspection i discovered there was rust inside the rear passenger wheel well and that the shock mount was unattached from the vehicle. *tr

2004 ford escape. rear right wheel hub rust/corrosion around strut assembly. safety issue with rear shock. known problem with 2004 to 2006 ford escape despite rust proofing. rusts around area for strut leading to structural compromise of this assembly. unsafe to drive.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact heard a clunking sound near the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the wheel well was corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Running board rusted and fell off. *tr

the rightside of my wheelwell was rotted out along with the floor around it that held the wheel well the shock needed to be replaced as well. when i went to the dealership to get the wheel well they told me this was a well known part to be replaced. so i asked why was it not a recall on it no answer could he give me. i was getting a burning smell from my exhaust (muffler fumes) as i drove home many times i felt myself getting sleepy as i drove on to get to my destination i prayed toget safely there little did i know i was getting fumes in my car that caused this. i have driven with my young grandchildren in this dangerous condition in this car my question is if the ford dealership knew of this to be a well known problem why did they not recall it i only thank the lord that it did not kill me or my grandchildren. also it past inspection a year ago how could they have not seen what was happening in this area. i do have pictures of it and it was even worst then the pictures i have seen online proof one more time that god is always on yourside if you believe everyone else please check your wheel well god bless! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a loud abnormal noise near the rear of the vehicle. the contact discovered that the rear passenger side wheel shock and tower were severely corroded and penetrated the subframe and floor interior. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 103,000.

i have a 2004 ford escape . i received a recall notice for a corrosion issue with the sub frame where it connects to the lower control arms . i haven't had an issue with it yet and was planning on getting the recall work done within the next couple of weeks . on 8/02/2014 when i pulled in my driveway i heard a loud clunking noise coming from the rearof my escape . when i look in the right rear wheel well i could see an 8 inch area around the shock mount had rusted completely through the shock mount was no longer attached to the vehicle . i'm sure this could have caused a accident had i been driving down the road when it happened . i did a google search and found an endless list of people with the same issue . i called my local ford dealer and was told they could do the recall work on the front of the vehicle but there was not a recall for the rear wheel well /shock mount . i can not believe there is not a recall yet for such a serious and common problem . please look into this situation . i work for ford and this makes me sick , they should not have to be forced into implementing a recall for such a serious problem . ford should issue a recall on their own before someone is hurt or dies from this problem . this is a control item and ford should be held accountable ! *tr

The shock tower in the passenger side rear wheel has broken, due to rust and corrosion, and punctured through the interior of the trunk and the back seat. the interior of the car body has separated from the exterior body so that the wheel and road can be seen from inside the back seat through a large (inch or more wide) gap. there is no corrosion or damage in any other wheel well. there is a corrosion related recall on this car which the dealership says is unrelated to this particular area of the car (safety recall 14s02). ford's customer "care" center acknowledged multiple complaints yet has no investigation or activity aimed at a remedy for this common problem. due to ford's apparent negligence which has caused hundreds of ford owners identical damage, my car is unsafe and ford is unwilling to act. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the rear passenger side started to rattle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnose that the rear passenger side wheel well was corroded. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 143,000.

Driving down the road wirht my 2 young kids and all sudden go over the train tracks and the rear strut broke from the shock mount and came right up thru the vehicle i have found thousands of complaints on this issue, ford needs to step up luck i gained control of vehicle with a 1 mont old baby and a 3 year old this is searious matter! someone is going to die because of this it needs to be fixed! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at a unknown speed, there was an abnormal noise coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the rear passenger and the driver side sub frame and the suspension was rusted and corroded. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 123,000.

I bought my 04 escape brand new, and am the original owner car garage kept, this is a severe safety issue!! rusted out wheel well and shock mount went right through the frame while driving at only 15 mph out of a parking lot. *tr

My daughter complained about a loud clanging noise from the right rear of her car. i bought it used from a dealer and it has been kept in a garage and used sparingly. upon inspection i noted that the right rear strut had completely broken free due to extensive rust of the wheel well. i cannot allow her to drive it in this condition. not sure if it can be repaired yet or whether it will cost more than the car is worth. i now recognize that there are many other owners with the exact same problem. with so many owners having the same experience something should be done. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger side inner fender well was rusted due to excessive corrosion. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 109,000.

Rusted out right wheel well with structural collapse. we bought this car used from a local ford dealer in april of 2013. this car was being driven on a freeway on june 15, 2014 when a loud thumping started in the right rear wheel on . on inspection the right rear wheel well is rusted out. the support that the shock absorber is attached to was completely eroded and a part of it punched through the wall into the interior of the trunk area. we felt it was not safe to drive. we had it towed to another ford dealer who diagnosed the problem. the estimated cost of repair is $2259. review of the nhtsa complaint web site reveals many other owners with exactly the same problem. *tr

Rear passenger shock mount rusting out. *tr

The right rear shock tower mount completely broke away from the vehicle subframe due to corrosion/rust. this caused the shock to lean outward toward the tire. this could not be seen by the undercoating as a problem previous and apparently allowed it to corrode to the point that it broke free. this exact same issue occurred in my insurance lady's ford escape, which i believe was only one model year different. also only on the right rear shock tower. in speaking with the body shop on the repair, they have also heard of this issue and state that ford has not recognized it as a recall issue. this is a costly repair, and time consuming repair as the vehicle is gone for almost a week. this is also a very dangerous issue due to how it falls apart. we are lucky we were within the city limits and only traveling about 30 mph when it occurred. *tr

2004 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to lower control arm rust recall notice. *smd the consumer stated while driving on the interstate, he heard a loud noise from the rear wheel well on the passenger side. he pulled over, and discovered the shock was hanging down. he was unable to pull it of. so he drove back home, and upon further examination, he discovered there was no fender left on the shock. also, the trunk lid was rusting. *jb the consumer he was able to remove the key from the ignition while the gear was in drive. the consumer stated he pulled into the driveway, shut the engine off and placed the keys in the console. he exited the vehicle to remove items from the back seat. soon after, the vehicle started to roll backwards. updated 06/01/16.*jb

Opened rear window when bolt connecting window to hinge broke. window shifted downwards and had it not been caught could've shattered and inflicted lacerations to hands, arms, face, and chest. inspection of blot show corrosion due to being improperly sealed from water and other elements. *tr

The rear hatch glass hinge bolts sheared on both hinges during hatch closure. the rear hatch glass is only held on by rear shocks. the inside bolts both have some corrosion. the rear glass is not damaged. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while the vehicle being serviced, it was advised that the sub frame was extremely corroded. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who advised that the vehicle was not worth repairing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 14v165000 (suspension front) however, the contact no longer owned the vehicle. the approximate failure mileage was 111,000.

I was driving down the road and hit a pothole, after hitting the pothole there was a loud clunking noise coming from the rear. after inspection the entire shock mount had rusted away from the body and became separated. it was free to jolt around and cause further damage. not safe to be driving this vehicle now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure) was received in may of 2014. in june of 2014, the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the subframe and the lower control arm. the remedy included installation of a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace. the recall remedy was not performed on the vehicle. in july of 2015, while driving at various speeds an abnormal pumping sound was heard coming from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the lower control arm failed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,450.

A rattling from rear passenger wheel area. upon investigation to see what it was i found that the upper connection point of the shock tower was completely rusted through and was barely connected to the rest of the body. within a day or two afterwards the upper part had completely separated and the shock was bouncing around freely. i removed the shock yesterday (5/1/2014) as it had pushed up (since it has no resistance or means to hold it compressed) and punched a hole through the plastic interior side wall liner in the tailgate area. there is now an approximately 10" square hole in the side of my vehicle where i can see the tire and road. i will need to seal the opening to keep road water from entering. photos can be provided. *tr

The rear passenger fender well has rusted out. we can see into our truck. the rust is so bad the top shock mount is no longer connect and the frame is cracked. i went to two different body shops because ford is unwilling to do anything. both body shops said a 10 year old vehicle should not rust like this and it would cost more than what the vehicle is worth to fix. we can not longer drive our vehicle and will have to consider it as total unless ford stands behind their vehicles and creates a recall. ford created a recall for the front of their ford escapes rusting out but have not done the same for the rears. i have read online several hundred other people having the same issue with their ford escape. *js

We just purchased this vehicle . w e knew about a paint issue beneath the hatch window. took the vehicle to a very reputable glass and body shop . the shop owner immediately went to the right rear wheel well and told us to look at it . the area behind the tire is very eaten with rust. a good sized hole exists extending to the shock and strut. the shop owner said that he has seen many of them. always the same wheel well and nowhere else. assuredly the strut and shock are compromised. he said that he almost always sees this on the escapes. the previous owner was extremely meticulous about servicing and upkeep with the vehicle. *tr

I am writing to inform you of my problem with my 2004 ford escape. i have recently noticed a loud clunking noise in the rear of the car. upon further inspection i saw that around the right rear strut it's completely rusted out and the strut in nearly free. i did research and noticed that i am definitely not the only one with this problem. i would like it fixed or pointed in the direction as to where i can get it taken care of. *tr

I have a hole and rust forming in the passenger side rear wheel. this is beginning to expose the shock area. i live in a high salt area. *tr

I have a 2004 ford escape (6 cyl., front wheel drive) that now has over 110,000 miles. at 108,465 miles, the #2 catalytic converter blew and was replaced (along with all 6 ignition coils). a second mechanic found debris in the #3 catalytic converter, cleaned it and the exhaust system. (the engine was not getting enough air passing through the exhaust system and would barely make it up a hill.) then he discovered the right rear wheel well was rusting out posing a severe threat that the shock absorber will punch through into the body of the car making the escape totally inoperable. a recall is already out for ford minivans for the same issue but apparently not for the escapes. why not? this can be repaired at a cost of nearly $2,000. with the catalytic converter and ignition coils, i've already spent over $2500 and don't have the $2,000 for this necessary repair due to poor materials used to make this vehicle. *tr

Right front wheel separated from metal attachment, presumably a rust-through failure. *js

I was driving down the road when i hit a pot hole. the body/frame part of the passenger side rear wheel well broke loose around the rear passenger shock. so there is nothing holding the shock in place. it is causing further damage to the area. the body/frame has deteriorated in that area. i cannot drive my vehicle. ford has issued a recall for the front end rusting prematurely and causing damage. but, i think this is the same reason. *tr

I was driving home on the highway and all of a sudden my car pulled really hard to the right side and started making a loud horrible noise. everytime i would hit a bump, it pulled the car. i made it home and had it looked at. my rear passenger wheel well was rusted so bad that my shock went right through it. all of the other wheel wells are just fine and appear to still be coated. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that upon inspection, it was found that the frame was rusted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 138,000.

My husband was driving home with our son and started to hear a loud noise. took it to our repair guy who stated the frame was completely rusted through and was no longer safe to drive. we then took it for a 2nd look and was told the same thing and that its not fixableso we'll have to buy a new car. we've only had this car for 6 years and i bought it from our local ford dealership who when contacted said they couldn't do anything to help because there are no recalls on the vehicle for this problem. we have 2 small children and i'm very lucky that something didn't happen to them. what is a recall going to take? someone getting hurt or worse?? this is a major safety issue and ford needs to be responsible clearly its a manufacturing problem when there's 1000's of customers with the same problem!!!! *tr