Problems with 2005 Ford Escape STRUCTURE

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact heard a loud constant banging sound near the rear of the vehicle. the contact pulled to the side of the road and noticed that the rear frame was completely rusted, which caused the passenger side strut to become detached. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000. updated 12/01/14*lj

While driving the vehicle we noticed a noise from the front end. took it to a local mechanic who stated the wheel veering was bad, though he could not change it do to the frame was rotted. upon further inspection we noticed several locations on the frame are rotted through and the vehicle will not pass inspection. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while servicing the vehicle, the dealer noticed that the subframe was corroded. the contact was informed of a recall for his year and model vehicle. the contact's vehicle was manufactured in 2004. the manufacturer was notified. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 49,478. updated 08/14/14*lj

During a move in which we were towing a trailer, we noticed the right wheel well was rusting out pretty bad when we could see straight through to the ground from the storage compartment for the electrical connectors. about 8 months later, driving back from a camping trip i started to hear a repeating "thud". my fiance and i couldn't figure out what it could be. i called my mechanic and as soon as i started to explain the sound and where it seemed to be coming from...he knew what had happened. his brother who also had an escape had just had the same issue. the right rear wheel well had continued to corrode and rust, causing the shock to break. he referred me to a place that did the necessary repair/welding. they re-molded the well and replaced the shock. a $750 job. said that they had several...i think they said at least 6 escapes in for the same thing just in the last two weeks. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that driving approximately 35 mph, there was a loud popping noise from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician stated that wheel well had developed a hole. as a result, the frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of this defect. the approximate failure mileage was 122,000.

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger shock mount was entirely rusted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 117,564.

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated the entire front sub frame was severely corroded. the contact was driving 40 mph, when she suddenly lost control of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a repair facility. the mechanic stated the entire sub frame needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 108,000. updated 8/11/14*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the liftgate opened while the contact reversed from the driveway. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 04v602000 (latches/locks/linkages). the failure and current mileage was 132,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, a loud noise emitted from the rear end of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the rear passenger's side wheel outer liner well was completely corroded and caused the strut to protrude. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger side wheel well and the quarter panel was completely corroded. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the wheel well and the quarter panel needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileage was 48,850.

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

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

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, a loud banging noise was heard from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the contact discovered that the panel that attached the rear passenger side shock absorber was rusted and became separated from the frame of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the defect as a rusted frame but no repairs were performed. the manufacturer was notified but no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 129,000.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rear wheelhouse side panel and the strut assembly at the passenger side rusted totally and broke. it needs to be replaced and it seems that the wheelhouse was on back order until recently it became available again. the vehicle has mostly been used in the great lakes area where snow is heavy and salt could have worsened the problem, but so many cases of rusted wheelhouse at the same place indicate that this could be a design flaw. *tr

2005 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to vehicle wheel well and shock housing deteriorated. *smd the consumer stated over the past few years, he had to replace many parts associated with the undercarriage. on april 19, 2014, while exiting the highway, a loud bang was heard from the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle shifted to the right. upon inspection of the vehicle, he noticed the right-rear passenger wheel well and shock housing had deteriorated. the consumer dropped the vehicle off at the local ford dealer. the next day, the dealer informed the consumer, the vehicle should be scrapped. after doing some online research, the consumer discovered it was a common problem with his model. *jb

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, a loud noise was emitted from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. the contact mentioned that while the vehicle was having maintenance performed to repair a corrotion problem on the rear driver side door, the technician noticed that the right wheel well and shocks were corroded. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic. the technician diagnosed that due to the corrosion both the wheel well and shocksneeded to be replaced. the failure and current mileage was 92, 000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated the passenger rear wheel well was completely corroded. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was unknown.

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

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

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that she entered the vehicle and noticed a puddle of water on the floorboard. the contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the rear passenger side wheel well was corroded. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure. the approximate failure millage was 84,000.

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

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

2005 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to severe rust on passenger side wheel well. *smd the consumer also stated the top of the shock absorber mount was also rusted. *jb

Noise coming from right rear, repair shop looks behind tire and finds rear panel where shock is attached almost completely rusted out. cost to repair is 2500 - 3500 dollars. ford won't cover any of cost. car is not even 9 years old,unbelievable! this is a danger, waiting to kill someone when the whole thing falls off. cars should not rust this bad, especially in only one specific area. now deciding to get rid of my 2012 escape before i have issues with it. *js

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

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

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

Right rear shock mount came apart and damaged wheel well. upon further inspection dealer said entire assembly had rusted apart from the inside out with no visible corrosion from the outside of vehicle. ford motor company was contacted and offered no recourse or repair. *tr

While driving begin to experience a loud rattling sound, from the rear passenger side. became very loud with the movement of the vehicle. sounded as if small pieces had fallen off the back tire. as soon as i got home i looked and there was a large rusted out tear in the wheel well, located right above the mount for the shock absorber. i did contact my service advisor at village ford in dearborn michigan. i took the vehicle up to be checked, he sent me over to their body shop.. i was told this was definitely a "safety issue" and he had seen this before on other ford escapes. this is a flaw in the body. *tr

I have a 2005 ford escape with about 100,000 miles. i started hearing a loud "clunking" noise in the rear passenger side. i found out that the entire rear wheel well is rotted completely out and i think the shocks are exposed. i don't know a lot about cars but i know this isn't right. i looked on the internet and found numerous complaints about the exact same thing. i see that ford had a recall for the same thing for vehicles from 2001-2004. 2005 should have been included with that recall. please note the number of complaints and please request a recall. *js

My wife had been complaining about a loud slapping coming from the right rear of the vehicle. i took it for a drive. i discovered that the passenger side rear wheel well is completely rusted out and the shock absorber was just bouncing loose creating a horrible noise and also noticed shock breaking thru the interior of the vehicle. noticed on line that others have similar or exact problem. years 2001 thru 2004 just recalled. what about 2005's. there's nothing else wrong with the vehicle and only 82,000 miles. very disappointed and puts my family at risk and in a bind for a safe vehicle to drive. *tr

My 2005 escape is now junk, according to 2 different mechanics and one body shop. when i hit a bump there would be a loud noise from the right rear of the vehicle.the right rear inner fender has rusted through beyond repair. the shock tower is adjacent to this. i was told not to drive it because it is unsafe. the left rear is showing signs of the same problem. i believe this is made from inferior metal and/or a serious design flaw. i have complained to ford. i have heard that this is a widespread problem. i heard that mazda made the escape for ford. the mazda tribute has the same problem. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, a sudden bang was heard from the rear end of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear wheel housing panel was perforated due to rust and needed to be replaced. the manufacture was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 86,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear passenger's side of the frame was completely rusted. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who advised the contact that the frame would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 87,124. uupdated 05/06/14 ma updated 05/09/2014 *js