2005 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE EMITTED A LOUD SNAPPING NOISE, WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER STRUTS CORRODED CAUSING THE REAR PASSENGER SHOCKS TO FRACTURE, SEPARATING FROM THE WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

REAR WHEEL WELL RUST OUT. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AT AL PACKERS WHITE MARSH FORD 11-13-04 WE ALSO OPTED FOR THE COMPLETE ZIEBART PACKAGE. THE END OF DEC.15 MY WIFE SAID THUMPING NOISE FROM REAR HEARD WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP IN ROAD. I CHECKED ALL AROUND AND UNDER CAR, FOUND NOTHING. ON JAN.22ND 2016 WHEN SHE GOT HOME FROM WORK SHE SAID GET YOUR COAT YOU NEED TO SEE THIS. WHEN I GOT TO THE CAR I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I SAW. MOST OF THE ZIEBART UNDER COATING WAS GONE FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL AND THERE WAS A HUGE HOLE THAT RAN FROM THE BACK OF THE WHEEL WELL FORWARDS THROUGH AND PAST THE SHOCK TOWER MOUNT.THEN THE BLIZZARD OF 2016 HAPPENED. I GOT ON THE NET AND FOUND OUT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. I CALLED FORD USA HEADQUARTERS ON JAN.26 AND 27TH. I WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO SERVICE BULLITENS OR RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. I WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER, AND TOLD TAKE THE CAR BACK TO A FORD DEALER SO A CERTIFIED FORD PERSON COULD GO OVER THE CAR AND DOCUMENT THE PROBLEM AND GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEN IF I GET THE REPAIRS DONE KEEP MY RECEIPTS, AND IF AND WHEN IT BECOMES A RECALL I MIGHT GET PARTIAL OR FULL REFUND. THANKS FOR CALLING FORD HAVE A NICE DAY. AFTER THIS I TOOK THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC. HE SAID HE DIDN'T DO THAT WORK HE SENT ME TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP THAT TOLD ME IT WAS A MAJOR JOB THEY SAID THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. FILE A COMPLAINT AND GO BACK TO FORD. MOST OF ALL PARK IT DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR IT IS NOT SAFE. THE CAR WINDOW STICKER SAYS FINAL ASSEMBLY KANSAS PLANT. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE THAT SAME STICKER? IS THIS PROBLEM A BAD BATCH OF PARTS AT ONLY THAT KANSAS PLANT? THIS WAS NOT AN ESCORT, ASPIRE, EVEN A RANGER IT WAS A 30,000. DOLLAR ESCAPE. THEY GOT THE MONEY THEY SHOULD FIX THIS MY CAR HAS 84,000 MILES.

THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL WELL IS SEVERELY RUSTED. THE SHOCK MOUNT IS DETACHED FROM THE BODY AND FRAME. THE SHOCK IS LOOSE AND FELL OFF. THERE IS NO WAY TO WELD THE MOUNT TO THE FRAME. THE REPAIR WILL COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND TEH VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE

LOUD BANGING COMING FROM RIGHT REAR OF VEHICLE DRIVING DOWN CITY STREET. BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR AND WAS TOLD THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SHOCK TOWER WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH THE VEHICLE BODY TO THE POINT OF ENTERING THE VEHICLE INTERIOR. I AM TOLD THAT THE REAR AXLE CAN TEAR AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE RESULTING IN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH.

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.

ON LADSON, SC ROAD MY BRAKE LIGHT WARNING CAME ON AND I HAD NO BRAKES. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES BEFORE, BUT I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF THEN TURNED BACK ON AND BRAKES WORKED. THIS TIME ON LADSON ROAD, I COULD NOT GET THE BRAKES TO WORK, AND I HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE THE CAR HOME. I CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR, AND FEEL STRANDED AT HOME. I AM AN 82 YEAR OLD WIDOW. I HAVE TO GET MY SON TO TAKE ME WHERE I NEED TO GO. HE HAS TO GET OFF WORK TO DO THIS. I NEED MY CAR. PLEASE HELP. ACCORDING TO THE FORD COMPANY IT COSTS $5000.00 TO FIX. I DO NOT HAVE $5000.00. I LIVE ON A FIXED INCOME.

WAS DRIVING MY CAR TO WORK - AT FIRST IF DIDN'T WANT TO START BUT CRANKED FINE. LET IT SIT IDLE AND HEADED TO WORK - 1/2 TO WORK STOPPED AT A LIGHT WHERE IT STARTED TO SHUDDER LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL (NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES BEFORE AND STILL NO WARNING LIGHTS). GOT THRU THE INTERSECTION AND LOSS ALL POWER ON THE BUSIEST STREET IN BOWLING GREEN. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH POWER FOR MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS. STUCK WHERE I WAS WAS A HAZARD OF ME BEING HIT - HAD IT TOWED TO MECHANIC THINKING IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. ALTERNATOR AND STARTER BOTH GOOD - ONCE PUT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE - THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND SPARKING. END RESULT - I HAVE AT LEAST 3 COILS, POTENTIAL FRIED WIRE HARNESS AND PCM FAILURE (A LOGGED COMPLAINT BUT NEVER A RECALL). THE POTENTIAL FIX WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN IS 5-8K. MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY HURT IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE PLOWED INTO US. THIS IS NOT A SAFE VEHICLE AT ALL!

MY SON WAS COMPLAINING THAT THE BACK END OF THE CAR BEGAN RATTLING AND "JUMPING" WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY IN NOV OF 2015. WE HAD IT CHECKED OUT IN DEC AND WAS TOLD AND SHOWN HOW UNSAFE THE CAR WAS TO DRIVE,DUE TO THE ENTIRE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL AND STRUT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS HOLDING THE WHEEL TO THE CAR WAS THE PLASTIC MOLDING OF THE TRUNK AREA WHICH WAS ALSO MELTING AWAY FROM THE HEAT.I COULD NOT BELIEVE A CAR COULD DISINTEGRATE AND DETERIORATE SO BADLY. IN GOOD CONSCIOUS THE AUTO REPAIR OWNER WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO DRIVE THE CAR ANYMORE. NOR WOULD I WANT TO. PLUS, THE COST TO FIX IT WAS NOT WORTH THE PRICE OF THE CAR,AND HE COULDNT FIX IT. HE TOLD ME TO LIST IT ON CRAIGS LIST TO SELL THE CAR IN PARTS. THE REST OF THE CAR IS IN GREAT CONDITION , AFTER I SPENT $6000, TO BUY THE CAR IN AUG OF 2014, THEN ANOTHER $2000 FOR 4 NEW TIRES, BRAKE LINES, AND OIL LEAKS!! WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE WOULD HAVE COME UP. I JUST GLAD MY SON DID NOT GET HURT DRIVING HOME FROM COLLEGE 21/2 HRS ON THE HIGHWAY. I WISH I KNEW ABOUT THIS EXACT COMMON PROBLEM OF 1000 OTHER PEOPLES COMPLAINTS. FORD NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE OF THE PARTICULAR PROBLEM OF FAULTY MATERIAL. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN HURT, AND HOW MANY MORE NEED TO GET HURT BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE,

THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WELL AND SHOCK TOWER IS COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY AND THE BODY IS COMING AWAY FROM THE FRAME AND THE SHOCK TOWER IS LOOSE FROM THE FRAME. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ESCAPE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY FORD BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR INJURIED.

THE LAST FEW TIMES I TURNED ON THE HEATED SEAT WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GETTING EXTREMELY HOT TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD TO LIFT MY UPPER LEG UP OFF THE SEAT. I'M SURE THAT IF I HADN'T SHUT IT OFF IT WOULD HAVE BURNT ME. THERE IS NO WARNING SYSTEM TO INDICATE THE HEATED SEAT IS MALFUNCTIONING OR GETTING TOO HOT. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.