Problems with 2005 Ford Escape STRUCTURE

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving at various speeds, the contact heard an abnormal noise. the contact maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road and observed that the rear passenger side undercarriage was corroded. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear passenger wheel bearing needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 211,000.

When i was driving i heard some loud noise and when i stopped i found that the rear passenger strut shot up thru the back interior of the car.this was due to the entire wheel well rusting out.i also was driving another time when the front end started to shake.i stopped and got out and seen that the front tires were facing sideways.the tie rod broke.i could have been seriously hurt or killed.

Right rear shock tower is rusted all the way through,while the left side looks brand new.a mechanic said he has fixed at least 20 of these.the price for the fix quoted to me was between $800.00 and $1000.00.this should be a recall.we the escape but this just is not fair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger wheel well was corroded. the dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. the dealer deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000. updated 7/21/15*cn updated 9/23/15 *js

Purchased june 2005 as a used vehicle w/ 18,000 miles. always garage kept. noticed a popping noise from the passage rear. investigated and found the inner wheel well. area were the shock bolt's to has almost completely rusted out. read of other people having same issues on the internet. car is unsafe to drive until repaired. will consult a body shop on repairs. ford needs to man up and offer a fix for this issue! *tr

Heard loud noise from rear of vehicle especially at low speeds. removed inside panel to find that rear passenger wheel well rusted through causing shock mount to tear through frame and was no longer attached to frame. consulted with ford, no recall for this model year,,,but for previous year and following year?!! took vehicle to body shop for repairs. vehicle for kids and deemed unsafe or dangerous for them. ford...i buy a lot of vehicles from you...you need to make this right for us!

One day i noticed that some of the undercoating in the rear right when was gone, upon further inspection i noticed that there was hole in the wheel well. after researching online, i learned that this is a common problem. although my problem is not as serious as some of the stories i read, i still feel that it is safety issue and an accident waiting to happen. as time goes by the rust will continue to grow and i'm afraid of the consequences. i called ford to voice my concern, but they said that they are not doing anything to repair the problem. just like everyone, i want people to be aware of the issue and hopefully ford will realized that this is a safety issue. *tr

We started to notice a "clunky" noise coming from the right rear wheel hub. upon inspection, the right rear wheel hub is over 50% rusted out. the left rear wheel hub is intact. we can not drive vehicle fearing a structural failure will result in an accident or injury. after researching this issue on the internet, it seems to be a common problem for this model, and other ford models. *tr

I have a 2005 ford escape took it to a shop today because of the banging from the suspension. when the mechanic put the car on the lift he saw that the entire wheel well around the shock absorber was rusted completely out. the extra stress on the shock absorber caused the bolt on the top to break off. the stress also caused the rear break line to fray almost to the point of breaking completely. this car is no longer safe to drive. i am just happy that my break line didn't break while i was on the road. i do not really know what options i have with the car since it is the only car i own and i have no other way to get to and from work. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair and it was discovered that the rear passenger side wheel well was completely rusted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while traveling at an unknown speed, a loud noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the inner rear fender and the rear shocks deteriorated without warning. the contact stated that the parts were rusted and could fracture at any moment. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving approximately 20 mph, there was an unusual noise coming from the rear of the vehicle without warning. the failure recurred on several occasions. the contact discovered that the rear passenger wheel well rusted and fractured. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear passenger wheel well fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 108,000.

While driving down the road going approx. 40 mph, i heard a loud noise from by back passenger side tired. i immediately pulled over to see what caused the noise. upon inspection, i noticed the wheel well that supports the back shock was completely rusted. the shock had broke through the rusted wheel well and was pressed up against the inside interior of my car. the rest of my wheel wells are in fine condition. when i researched this problem online, there are many, many customers that have had this exact problem with 2005 ford escapes. it is only the rear passenger side. this needs to be researched and corrected before someone gets hurt. *tr

Have found the right rear strut mount almost rusted away and the left side is on its way. i hear there is a recall for 2001-2004 for this and from all the complaints i see on-line this should include 2005-2006 and unless they did something to actually stop this, even later years should be included. if a person hits a chuck hole this could cause a bad accident., i see a lot of people can't even drive their vehicles. i have owned many older,vehicles including a 1995 ford taurus i traded in on this escape that didn't have this problem. *tr

My 2005 ford escape's passenger side rear wheel well completely rusted out and the shock broke through to the inside of the vehicle as it was being driven! this is completely dangerous - we could have been severely injured. i searched this issue on-line, and it is extremely prevalent on these vehicles. ford needs a recall on this - it is a known issue. when i took my vehicle to a ford dealer, i was told this is a known issue and dangerous and ford refuses to do anything about it. i went to a welding shop in my area, and the problem is so common, that they even have a poster with pictures of the problem and how they fix it. this is so dangerous. ford appears not to care about this issue. please review it. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear driver side wheel well was corroded. the contact mentioned that a thumping noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. the contact stated that due to the failure, the struts were exposed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the failure mileage was 140,000.

While driving down the freeway i hit a small bump in the road and heard a loud clunk from the right rear area. i wasn't sure what it was and was within 5 miles of home. the rest of the trip home every time i came to a small bump's the clunk was getting worse. i looked in the right rear fender well and noticed the whole area around the right rear shock is completely rusted out. *tr

While driving the car, whenever we would hit a bump of any kind the passenger side rear of the car made a horrible rattling/banging noise. i took it to the dealer and they told and showed me where the part that connected the shock to the wheel well had pretty much rusted away and was no longer safe to drive. the service writers and the body man all said this is a very common issue with this year and model. they conjectured that since we get snow in pittsburgh the roads are salted. since the roads are slanted to the right to help drainage, that side is bathed in salt water. however i am also developing rust on the outside edge of the body panel on the opposite side. why then is this not happening to other model years? since it is not drivable i have had to schedule the repairs. at the time of the repairs i am going to have the car completely gone over by the dealers mechanics and body man to validate the condition and document any further required repairs. this is a total engineering screwup by ford and they should be required to recall all of this model and year and either repair them at no cost to the owner or reimburse the owners who already had to have the repairs done. do people have to die before action is taken? is no one held accountable for their actions in today's society? *tr

I was driving and began to hear a loud noise i stopped and looked, the fender well had fallen half way off. it was rusted all the way through. i had to call a tow truck and still cannot use my car because i cant afford to replace this part. shouldn't ford be responsible for this it is a flaw in the body. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving at various speeds, a loud banging noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. after inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the passenger side rear wheel well was rusted and corroded, causing the shock mount to make contact with the subframe. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 33,000.

The right rear wheel well and shock mount is completely rusted out. when i bought the vehicle used, i drove it and heard a slight clunking somewhere in the rear end of the vehicle. i thought maybe the shocks were bad. i continued to drive it, hoping to replace the shocks. recently the noise became very loud and disturbing. i looked at the shock area and discovered the whole area on the right rear wheel well and shock mount are rusted through and breaking apart. the left side is fine. i am afraid to drive it this way and believe it is an unsafe condition. i looked up the problem on the internet and found a multitude of the same problem with other owners of 2005 ford escapes. to my knowledge, ford will only fix 2001-2004 escapes, but not 2005. why not? it clearly is a defect in material and workmanship. it has rusted prematurely and causes a hazardous safety situation. if this was an isolated incident, i would understand. but from what i have learned, it has happened to all 2005 ford escapes. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the subframe rusted causing the control arm and the ball joint to detach. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the subframe needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Had rear shocks replaced on my 2005 ford escape and was told that mounts for the shocks are rusted out. the shocks are detached from the frame due to poor design by ford. the car is not safe to drive as the shock bounces into the rear interior when moving. there is a recall from 2001 - 2004 escapes but not 2005! for the exact same problem! *tr

The right rear shock plunged through the right rear wheel well (rusted away) and rattles at low speeds. steering pulls to left and shakes.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger side wheel well was corroded and deteriorated. also, the contact mentioned that the shock mount fractured. the contact stated that the failure caused the shock mount to puncture the trunk. the contact stated that there was a loud noise each time the vehicle drove over a bump due to the failure. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician performed an alignment and the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving various speeds, a loud noise emitted from the rear end of the vehicle when the brake pedal was depressed. the failure recurred whenever the brake pedal was depressed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they informed that the rear of the frame was completely rusted. the vehicle was currently being repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 135,230.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving at an unknown speed, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear passenger side wheel well needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000.

This car has 80000miles on it and is totally rusted out in the rear passenger wheel well and shock tower. i have been quoted 5000 to fix the car to meet safety standards. i can see the tire all the way thru the metal.

We noticed a rattling/banging noise coming from the right rear of vehicle, my wife rode in the rear seat and could feel the shock mount hitting against the back of the interior trim panel. looking into the wheel well, we could see where the wheel housing had completely rusted out, revealing the interior. the upper shock mount can be wiggled by hand. today 12/31/2014, i went to see my "friends" at our local ford dealership, the service writer said i was in "luck" as he remembered researching the same issue for another customer. he found a diagram with the replacement panel & wheel house, part# 7l82-7827886-a, with a list price of $150, then we went to talk to another "friend" in parts, he said that the price had recently increased and now listed at $700. they offered to have me talk to another "friend" in sales, but i informed them my wife refused to buy another ford, and if we were to buy a new vehicle it would be a toyota. with that said, my "friends" suggested to unload (trade) it at a toyota dealer. they also informed me our 2005 ford escape was "unsafe" to drive. i went to our local body shop to get his recommendation. he said, they had just done one, in 10/2014 for just under $900 and he got the part from my "friends" at the dealership for $120. in apparent disbelief he called our "friends" and they confirmed the price increase. we searched online and found many 7l82-7827886-a for $20-$180, after ordering from several different vendors, each vendor cancelled the orders for various reasons; unavailable, part number change and is more expensive, due to the size and fragile nature we are unable to ship, not available,etc. what is ford's objective with this price increase ? ? ? there was clearly a defect in manufacturing, craftsmanship, and/or materials, that created this severe defect in safety of the 2005 ford escape ! ! ! *js

I had my car inspected today and had them look at an issue of a banging sound i was hearing in the back passenger side area. the mechanic found extensive rust and rot in the rear passenger side wheel well and the strut was almost ready to come off. the mechanic commented he has seen this issue several times with this model. i see that ford recalled 2001 to 2005 model years, but not the 2005. from doing research there are numerous complaints from 2005 owners. i keep my car washed and always make sure to wash salt off in the winter. my mechanic recommended that i not drive the car because it was unsafe because the strut was ready to come off and could cause the tire to bend outward. how can ford not recall this year with all the obvious complaints concerning this issue? my daughter drives this car and imagine her going 65 on the highway and the tire bends! an investigation needs to be conducted for this model year since this has been ongoing issues with rust and rot in the wheel wells with previous model years. the issue was never corrected a,no continued past model year 2004. *tr

Beautiful, well-maintained 05 ford escape - rare 5 speed manual, 4 cyl, awd. always garaged and cleaned. opened plastic bin in rear compartment, passenger side, to store tools. noticed small cracks and daylight in wheel well. just below and behind shock mount. applied light pressure. entire section pushed through. completely rusted away. held in place only by rubberized undercoating. 119k. based on all these complaints, same location, same event, i consider myself lucky it didn't fail while i was driving. i'm going to show the dealer tomorrow. curious what his reaction will be. my guess is sympathy but nothing to do about it without ford supporting the dealer. *tr

Rattling, banging, right rear shock mount is rusted loose, completely corroded away from wheel house. *js

I've recently started noticing a lot of creaking and popping in the structure / suspension of my 2005 ford escape. i took a flashlight and crawled underneath the vehicle to inspect, and immediately noticed a large amount of rust/rot in my front subframe of my vehicle. i see ford has a recall for 2001 to 2004 models, but this needs to be expanded to cover all years of this chassis design, as my 2005 shows significant rot. the recall should also cover rear wheel well rust/rot (including shock mounts), as this area is also heavily rusted. definite design flaws and poor quality of materials used on the frame/subframe. a 2005 should not be rusting out this bad, even in the "salt belt". nothing has broken from rust yet, however judging by the rate of decay, it's not going to last much longer. ford should expand this recall immediately. *tr

I heard a loud banging noise coming from the right rear area of my car. upon inspecting underneath, was dismayed to see the body of the car by the tire crumbling with rust. apparently the banging is from the shock absorber having broken thru the wheel well, and is now hitting the back hatch area. also, during an oil change, the service company removed a bracket that holds my exhaust in place. upon inspecting that bracket that was just hanging there and rattling, saw a chunk of car attached to the bracket. they said that it looked like the underneath of my care had not been sprayed with rustproofing when manufactured. i still owe money on this car, and cannot afford to exchange charge or get repaired. have had ford cars most of my life, and i am extremely disappointed that ford is not addressing this issue with the 2005 models. this is my only car, so i don't have much choice but to drive it, even though it is not safe. luckily, i only have a short distance to travel to work. ford needs to step up and take responsibility for this poor design. *js

While driving my vehicle, i heard a loud thumping noise in the back. upon closer inspection, i saw that the passenger side rear wheel well was rusted through the body of the storage area. it appears the shock is in danger of coming loose. *tr

While driving a loud thud was heard from the rear of the vehicle, while driving a continued banging was heard, upon inspection we noticed the inner wheelhousing or inner fender had a large diameter hole where the shock mounted to it, the hole is large roughly 10 inches across and upon searching i have noticed this is a design flaw and road salt combined to cause this, numerous complaints online but no action from anyone on this issue, it seems a possible loss of control while loaded could result in a crash. *tr

Heard thumping noise on passenger side rear. took it to check it out and wheel well completely rusted out and unsafe to drive. *tr

Rear passenger side was making loud noise when driving over any type of bumps, holes, thought it was the shocks but it was the shock tower was rusted out and needs repaired. $1400 to repair, this is a common problem on the ford escapes and there is no recall at this time. *tr

My vehicle has severe corrosion in the driver side rear wheel house. the corrosion has allowed the left rear shock absorber to fail to effectively dampen the suspension movement (its purpose). the problem is very prevalent on ford escapes, mercury mariners, and mazda tributes. for nhtsa to determine if this is truly a safety issue, your will need to secure a 01 - 06 escape, remove one rear shock absorber (worse case for the failure of my vehicle) and drive the vehicle on a rough road. please hang on tight when doing so. the failure of the body around the mounting point of a critical component of a suspension system puts the general population at risk as they share the roads with the escape/mariner/tribute drivers. this is a safety issue that results in failure of state safety inspections and cannot be ignored by the government agency which is charged with preventing manufacturer safety defects from endangering people on public roads. this defect is very well document on the internet .remember...to protect and serve! me and others on the road....not ford motor company. *tr

The entire passenger rear wheel well is completely rusted out & is no longer safe to drive; possible steering control. 2001-2004 ford escapes in the "salt belt" states were recalled for the exact same reason. *tr

I was driving my 2005 ford escape when i started hearing a banging noise coming from the passenger side rear of my vehicle. after a few days the banging got louder and my escape seemed to be hitting hard in the back like my shock wasn't working. which my husband had changed them about 3 or 4 months prior so i thought that was odd. after driving her today and the banging getting worse i had my husband look at my back fender wall. when we did we seen it completely rusted out. i can touch the inside of my car. but the worst part of this is that is what holds my shock in place and it is all gone. i came inside frustrated and decided i would see if there are parts to fix it before my shock decides it is going to go for a free ride and destroy everything under there. to my surprise i have not found a fix nor a recall but i did find numerous people having the same issue. this is a safety hazard and no one seems to care. i am very surprised that no one has made ford recall the escapes and fix this issue. can you imagine if i was on the freeway going 70 mph when this broke and the damage it could do to not only my escape but my family, myself, and other drivers if i lost control of it because my shock is no longer attached to my suv? i am very disappointed in ford and everyone else that is in charge of recalling vehicles. they have put my family, me, and all the other drivers on the road in danger and no one seems to care. maybe i should buy a toyota because at least they recall their vehicles and fix them when they have an issue. ford does not seem to care about anyone's safety. *tr

Severe rust right rear shock tower unsafe to drive. *tr

The vehicle began making a cluncking noise coming from the rear end. after inspection, i found nothing wrong. continuing with the clunck noise, i had to remove the jack to eliminate that as the source. the noise continued. i removed the rear panel and found the entire rear wheel well rusted so badly i could see straight through to the tire. it looked like, at any moment, the entire rear passenger side could disintegrate and cause havoc on the other components such as the suspension and newer tires. it cost me nearly $700 to have the wheel well replaced.

The passenger side rear wheel well on this escape is completely rotted. a large piece of the body in the wheel well has broken away (around 8x8) with the shock attached. the large piece of metal has been bouncing in and out of the indoor storage compartment. i now have no shock absorption on that wheel. i have noticed numerous other people that share this problem with this vehicle. ford has refused to assist them with their problem. i will be taking this vehicle to a local ford dealership with the demand that this be fixed at a reasonable price, considering the large number of people that this effects. *tr

Severe rusted out rear wheel wells causing the passenger rear shock to break. called ford and they stated no recall for 2005 just thru 2004 and they could not do anything. still owe money on this vehicle and not sure what it is going to cost for large repair. needs to be recalled. look up this google and you will find tons of this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that when attempting to close the hatchback window, the screw on the passenger's side separated from the hinge. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 145,000.

Right rear wheel rusted apart and shock absorber is not attached any longer. the car is not drivable to safety concern. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger shock fractured without any warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who indicated that the failure was not rust related but rather that there was a manufacturer defect with the drive train. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the contact was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 14v165000 (structure). the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was not available.

Severe rust in the passenger side rear wheel well- where the shock mounts. shock is about to push thru the rust into the inside of car. rust was disguised by undercoating by previous owner or dealer. loud noise when going over bumps, etc. unsafe to drive. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the rear passenger side inner fender wheel well needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 69,800. the vin was unavailable.