Problems with 2005 Ford Escape STRUCTURE

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving at approximately 35 mph, there was a loud abnormal noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the failure occurred when driving on an uneven road. the contact inspected under the vehicle and discovered severe rust on the wheel well entering the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnose or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

My passenger rear end is all rusted out and the shock has come thru my vehicle. it sounds horrible, and was told it was very unsafe to drive, as the shock isn't connected to the body of the vehicle now. it will cost more then it's worth, and this is the only vehicle that i have to drive me and my family around in.

When i was driving down the interstate at 70 mph, i began to hear a clunking sound from the rear passenger side. it happened every time i hit even a small bump or crack. when i took it to the body shop, they discovered the passenger side rear wheel well is corroded; rust/rot has caused the shock mount to become nearly completely detached from the frame. it is unsafe to drive, and body shops won't even provide an estimate for repairs as the deterioration is too extensive, and they can't fix it. a quick online search shows this is an ongoing issue with 2005 escapes, and must be addressed for safety. the body shop owner told me not to take the car on the interstate because if i were to hit a bump at 65 mph, i would be "asking a lot of this car to hold together." the clunking sound is now consistent no matter what speed or surface i am driving on.

After hitting pothole a loud banging sound was heard coming from rear storage area on passenger side. vehicle was taken to service shop and was shown that rear passenger wheel well was completely rusted out leading to shock tower breaking loose from body and protruding into the rear cabin area. service manager said this was likely due to catastrophic failure of body integrity in that area and stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. he also stated that he had seen this on other 2005 ford vehicles (windstar van). given the construction of the body the service manager stated that the affected portion would need to be cut out and custom fabricated to replace the cut out area, likely costing nearly as much as the vehicle is worth.

Upon the opening of rear glass hatch, rh hinge snapped off and glass slipped out of place. luckily, other side remained intact. support had completely corroded from rust.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact heard a loud banging noise. the contact observed that the wheel well had rusted a hole underneath the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. updated 01/10/17*lj

Our 2005 ford escape has rusted through behind the right rear tire. we heard like a loud bang when driving it and found the wheel well is rusted and broken as is the shock tower and the right rear tail light has its wires cut due to the broken frame. we owe money on this vehicle and we cannot drive it right now. this is definitely a safety issue and we have contacted ford with all the pertinent information.

Passenger side rear wheel well is completetly rotted/rusted and involves shock mount. it is unsafe to drive and research shows that this is an ongoing problem with this model. i heard rattling when i went over a bump and when i looked at the rear carriage of the vehicle i saw that the wheel well was totally destroyed by rust.

Loud noise from right rear when driving. upon inspection, shock mount in wheel well is badly rusted. the top of the shock is completely loose. unsafe to operate the vehicle.

My wife came home and mentioned it was making noise in the back. upon inspection i noticed that both fender wells have rusted away and pulled away from body. the vehicle has only 100,000 miles and is well taken care of. going online i read where many owners of vehicles built before and after 2005 are suffering from the same problem. i'm from ohio and i'm familiar with surface rust but this is both extreme and dangerous. how many years and complaints have to pass before you do something. ford needs to be made to own up to this and fix this. i have a vehicle i can't afford to fix or drive because the back shock mounts have rotted away.

I've been told the rear shock mount has rusted out on this unibody constructed vechicle. when i drive the car, and if i hit any sort of a bump in the road, huge sound from the back as if the rear end of the car is going to fall off. i understand many others have had similar problem. cost to fix, if possible is about $4000. car is worth about the same amount. i was told by auto body guy that a recall on this may exist or that ford is aware of the problem and may be offering up a fix.

You know what's wrong without me telling you. tell me nobody has gone online and seen complaint after complaint and photo after photo of rusted fender wells? what exactly are you guys getting payed for by letting ford get away with this. this vehicle only has 100,000 miles on it and it's to dangerous to drive!

2005 ford escape, have had a lot of clunking in back of car, and the rear right wheel well is falling/rusting apart (other wheel wells are not, just rear passenger side) right where shock absorber is mounted. large rusted out hole in wheel well, and if i press around the wheel well, the black coating crumbles revealing crumbling rust behind it. many other 2005 escape owners with same issue. i have no money to fix this; this is a dangerous flaw should it break through while driving at high speeds. should be recalled and fixed by ford. it can't be said this is just "normal wear and tear" when only the one wheel well is consistently the one that is rusting while the other wheel wells do not. i have 125k on my escape, but who knows how long the hole has been there.

Wheel well rotted out causing shock to break loose and create unsafe vehicle. i was driving down the street when it finally let go and saw debris fall all over road and heard a loud bang from passenger side rear of car.

Passenger rear wheel well rusting thru. was replacing a tire and the auto shop would not replace the tire without fixing the rusted thru wheel well as they were concerned it was a safety issue and that the wheel well could fall apart and the shock/strut could detach.

Heard a loud thump from rear right side of the escort while driving 35 miles an hour on a city street. took it to the shop, they said the right rear strut was rusted through, it is un fixable and to look for a new car. they also said it is a common thing to happen to the 2005 ford escape. no recall, ford does not care.

My 2005 escape was parked on 9/28/2015 when i noticed a large piece of metal resting on top of the tire. looking closer, i noticed the underside of the right rear fender well has rusted out, you can see into the interior storage compartment. the rust crack continues up and around the upper shock mount allowing it to move/flex. the piece of metal that fell off was undercoated along with the rest of the wheel well, hiding the rust that formed underneath. i was not aware the condition was so bad, but now i am afraid to drive the vehicle in this condition.

Rear right shock mount rusting through . k-frame rotted through right front side

Right rear shock mount completely rusted out, bought car brand new, only 60,000 miles on it . come to find out all ford escapes this year are having the same issue. this is a serious problem because this is a suspension and handling issue, car was very difficult to drive and keep in lane. the problem has it's own facebook page, 2004-2006 ford escape. very poor engineering design mounting shock to sheetmetal.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle was not steering properly and pulled to the right. the front passenger side subframe fractured. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the subframe fractured. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving at various speeds, a loud noise was heard from the rear of the vehicle. the contact discovered that the rear driver side tire well was rusted. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear frame was severely rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not included in the nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 86,719....updated 10-13-15 *bf updated 3/28/16*js *cn

Was driving along city street when i went over a small bump, heard a loud thud! the wheel well on back passenger side was rusted away where the strut connects. or where it was once connected... 155,673 miles, this is my only vehicle and unsafe to drive my family in.

Why is it that nhtsa is ignoring all the complaints about the ford escape vehicles from 2003 to 2007 in regards to the right rear fender well and shock mounts that are rusting out in which this is a safety issue where as the shock could hit the inner wheel of the right rear tire? no recalls from ford or nhtsa on this issue, but you can clearly see from the attached video that there is a major concern for safety of these vehicles on the right rear side. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ozk8igk5s repairs are costing the consumers on these vehicles nearly $2000.00 dollars or more at the auto body repair shop. how can ford do this on these vehicles and current models. i have a 2011 ford escape and it is starting to rust out in the same place. why?????????????????? make ford recall these vehicle and pay for these repairs. instead of the consumer having to get raked over the coals from the auto body shops or your local ford dealer.

I was driving along the highway on my way to work and hit a bump in the road. immediately after that i heard a rattling noise in the rear passenger side quarter pane on every subsequent bump. when i was able to properly examine it i realized that the metal that connects the shock tower to the wheel well had almost completely rusted away. in august of 2012, with 154,523 miles on the car, i replaced the rear shock absorbers. there was no indication at that time of this problem developing. the metal on the vehicle seems to have an issue because it is rusting in other areas as well, such as the fuel filler neck, the bottoms of the rear doors, the bottom of the rear lift gate, the outer edges of the rear wheel openings, and at the base of the side view mirror.

Ford escape 2005 passenger rear tire wheel well rusted away where the shock absorber mount bolts onto frame and now the shock absorber mount has nothing to bolt onto anymore. shock absorber mount is not attached to frame anymore and now hits the frame of the suv make very loud knocking sounds.

When traveling at 40mph, a thumping noise could be heard in the rear of 2005 ford escape. upon visual inspection, the passenger side rear wheel well was completely corroded, exposing the interior of the car. the mount of the shock suspension is corroded so badly that the shock is nowhere attached to the body and is what causes the thumping sound as it pushes up into the car interior. no other wheel wells on the car have anywhere near that level of corrosion.

The passenger side rear wheel well is rusted through so badly that the shock mount is banging in the interior panel and is about to break lose from the frame. when i bought the vehicle a month ago it still had the original undercoating on it, it was rusting from behind the undercoat. i now have to pay my mechanic to fix this safety hazard because ford, knowing that this problem exists and is extensive, will not recall the vehicle to fix there poor design.

Right rear shock tower mount is completed rusted away causing the shock to travel up into the wheel well

I heard a load banging noise coming from the rear of my truck. after stopping to look at it my passenger side rear wheel well and strut were completely crumbled and my strut was no longer attached. i know my vehicle is 10 years old, but the mechanic i took it to said he has never seen anything like that ever on a car that old. he has been a mechanic for 40 years. after researching a little it seems there are thousands of complaints with the same issue. all on the rear passenger wheel well. these complaints range from different states and even other countries. to me if many many of the same vehicle is having the exact same problem then it sounds like a defect in the parts. i just thank god i wasn't going at a high speed and hit a pot hole or something. something should really be done about this.

In july of 2015 i brought my 2005 ford escape to the dealer because of very loud noise in the rear while driving. noise was the same whether on a street or the highway. the mechanic found the passenger side rear wheel well was completely rusted out. i have a friend with the very same make, model, year and is now going through the exact same issue. there are other areas of rust on the body that seems to me to be coming on prematurely. i see there is a recall for this issue, but only up to model year 2004. please....the 2005's have the very same issue!

Passenger rear shock tower broke away from the body of car, due to rust.

Entire body is rusted. huge gaping hole now present on top of right rear wheel. whatever is left of the shocks is connected to nothing. a quick search turns up thousands of complaints and surprisingly no recall for this dangerous safety issue. the rust has now spread all over the body. this car now rides on air. it's a serious hazard and unfortunately according to ford i have to swallow the loss. unless they get the gm ignition treatment in ten years from now. i wonder if i'll ever get compensation as there's no way i'm paying thousands upon thousands of dollars to rebuild this vehicle, so it's off to the junkyard i guess. it's scandalous that they can get away with selling a faulty, hazardous vehicle without being made to take responsibility and repair the flaws

Our 2005 ford escape in just a matter of weeks developed a basketball-sized hole over the right rear wheel well. it completely rusted through the wheel well, and the you can see through the opening to the shock and the tire from inside the vehicle. in addition, the shock is no longer attached to the frame, which makes this vehicle unsafe for the road. we will not allow our son to drive this truck any longer, and are now unable to provide him with a safe car since the repairs to this truck are very high. this is a major issue that affects a large number of other drivers. we all have the exact same complaint on where the damage occurs (right rear wheel well) and the extent of this damage (the truck is no longer safe to drive). ford needs to recall these vehicles and fix this problem. thank you. *tr

Inside the right rear wheel well where the strut/shock mounts has totally rusted away

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the rear passenger side inner wheel well and the strut housing were extremely corroded. the mechanic stated that the vehicle was unsafe to operate. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving at 35 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. in addition, the contact stated that the rear of the vehicle failed to stay in position and veered left or right. the engine warning light illuminated intermittently. the contact noticed that there was corrosion around the rear passenger shocks and wheel house area. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 158,000.

While driving, i noticed that my steering wheel was not aligned. i didn't notice it was like this until i was already driving down the road. when i stopped, i checked my tires and thought that they looked slightly off. it seemed as if the passenger side tire was pointed slightly outward. the car sat in my driveway for the next couple of days and it appeared to have gotten worse. i took my car out for a test drive and noticed that each time i turned the wheel, the tires screeched. i took the car to a shop and after giving it an evaluation, they said that the control rod was rusted and starting to break. after some research online, it looked like there was a recall on 2001-2004 ford escapes for the same issue that i was having.

Right rear wheel well is so rusted out that the shock mount has completely detached from the body. definite safety issue. 2005 ford escape xlt.

Upon arriving home from trip, hubby said he had heard loud noise while driving and vehicle's rear end felt funny. inspection turns up a completely rusted out passenger side rear fender well.

I was driving down a side street and hit a small bump and heard a loud banging noise on the right rear of my vehicle. i then thought maybe i had not shut the back door or back hatch properly. i stopped the vehicle and opened and shut both and resumed driving to work. i continued to hear the banging noise as i drove and was very concerned. upon arriving at work i asked a co-worker to take a look at it for me. it was then that he pointed out to me the right rear upper shock mount was only hanging on by a small piece of rusted metal and my entire wheel well had rotted away and i could see the interior of my vehicle. we looked at the rest of the wheels and there was no rust at all on any other wheel well. i feel very un-safe to drive this vehicle, as i have children and i also am required to drive clients around for work. i researched this problem and was baffled at the amount of complaints. i was also baffled by the fact that it seems to happen primarily to 2005 and it is always the right rear wheel well that is affected. i went to an auto body shop and as soon as i told them the make/model and year of my vehicle, they stated "let me guess...right rear upper shock mount" and it will cost $1200 to fix. i am extremely upset that there was no recall or notification on this as i just purchased this vehicle 3 years ago and am still paying on it. the sad fact is that i am unable to cover the cost of the repair and do not know what i am going to do for travel for work and my children. i now am paying on a vehicle that is just sitting in my driveway. had i known or was told of this recurring issue, i would have purchased a different vehicle, but then again why would ford do that because it would be them losing money; instead it is the customers that are at a lose. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving approximately 25 mph, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to an auto shop, which stated that the rear passenger side wheel well was rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was experiencing the same failure as listed in nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure); however, the year, make, and model was not included. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 166,000.

The rear wheel wells are so rusted out that there is nothing to hold the shock and shock absorber in place. the area you put fuel in the vehicle is also rusted out. when will ford start backing up their products???

The right rear fender wheel well has rusted through also affecting the shock mount creating a loud banging in the cabin. my local ford dealer has never seen this and did not want to attempt the repair because of the cost. they also referred me to a reputable body shop in town and he also never saw this before. he suggested this website to file a complaint. i have now researched this and see a lot of other people have experienced this too. has ford done anything to fix this problem?

My 2005 ford escape rear passenger side wheel well cracked. the shock absorber is hardly attached and is a safety issue. if it falls off it could cause an accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving at various speeds, there was a loud abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the contact observed that the rear passenger side tire well was rusted and there was a hole that led from the outside of the vehicle to the inside. the failure recurred continuously. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the entire frame was rusted and the rear passenger side of was severely rusted. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000. updated 11/04/15*lj updated 11/30/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact noticed that the rear passenger side of the wheel well was fractured and exposed the shock. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

I had finance a 2005 ford escape xlt after had the vehicle for two month i notice a strange sounds for the back of the vehicle i track and found out that the rear. underneath the car panel where the shockwas at is rusted all through. the the front tire is wear and the vehicle is driving bad shocks struct and wheel elignment was all effect with the rust panal from shocks...

Passenger rear well rusted - shock loose not attached to anything - let go when driving in residential neighborhood blocks from home. 8 inch by 8 inch chunk rusted away from the wheel well.

Heard a thudding from rear end. looked underneath as nothing loose in the vehicle. the passenger side rear wheel well is very rusted. no support for shocks. there was an undercoating with debris under it. took out a lot of sludge/rust/debris from under that coating. body shop says $5000 to fix it properly, and the other side is starting to rust as well (driver rear wheel well).

While driving hit a pot hole and heard a loud noise coming from the rear of the car. upon inspection the entire passenger side wheel house is rusted out, causing the shock to break loose from the body and tear into the rear compartment. vehicle is not drivable until fixed. part is on backorder.