2005 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

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 AT 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,300.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE SUSPENSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION RUSTED AND THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF THE SUSPENSION SEPARATING FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.

THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL/SHOCK MOUNT BECAME BADLY CORRODED, RESULTING IN THE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER AND SUSPENSION BEING CONNECTED TO A THIN PIECE OF METAL, AND THE TOP OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER HITTING AGAINST A PLASTIC INTERIOR BODY PANEL. HAD THE THIN PIECE OF METAL CORRODED ENTIRELY, A SEVERE ACCIDENT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RESULTED. VARIOUS ONLINE SITES REPORT THIS SAME PROBLEM ON THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL VEHICLE (2005 FORD ESCAPE), BUT NO RECALLS, AS THEY HAVE BEEN FOR OTHER FORD VEHICLES AND OTHER YEARS OF THE ESCAPE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SEVERE PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING HEARD A LOUD KNOTTING IN THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE, GOING OVER MINOR BUMPS. LOOKED UNDER THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL FOUND TOP OF SHOCK RUSTING LOOSE FROM WHERE IT WAS ATTACHED. IF THIS BREAKS LOOSE COMPLETELY IT COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BOUNCE AND SWEVE RADICALLY CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL.

PASSENGER SIDE REAR FENDER COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING TOTAL DETACHMENT OF SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT TOWER ORIGINALLY PART OF BODY/FRAME.

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON A SATURDAY MORNING WITH MY LITTLE DAUGHTER IN THE BACK SEAT, WHEN I GOT THE SHOCK OF MY LIFE AS MY CAR, ALL OF A SUDDEN, STOPPED AND WENT DEAD. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE NO TRAFFIC AND THAT I WAS GOING RELATIVELY SLOW, SO I GOT TO A COMPLETE HALT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE CAR COOLED DOWN AND THEN WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT TO DRIVE HOME, I WAS ONLY ONE BLOCK FROM MY HOUSE. I DID NOT DARE DRIVING IT UNTIL I GOT IT TO THE MECHANIC TWO DAYS LATER. THE FORD REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE MECS PUMP THE MOTOR ELECTRONICS COOLING SYSTEM PUMP REFILL AND RETEST FOR $304.54 IN PARTS PLUS $443.00 IN LABOR. ONLY THIS YEAR, IN MARCH 2015, DID I FIND OUT ABOUT THE SAFETY RECALL OF A PART. SINCE I DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZE THE PART QUESTION, I HAD TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AN INSPECTION. THE INSPECTION JUST HAPPENED THIS WEEK AND CONFIRMED MY CAR WAS NOW FINE. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE RECALLED PART MYSELF. I SENT A COMPLAINT LETTER TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY/BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR A REFUND THE SAME DAY I FILED THIS COMPLAINT WITH YOU.

THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL RUSTED THROUGH AND NOW THE SHOCK MOUNT RUSTED OFF.

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. THE CAR WAS WORKING PERFECTLY. ON 5/29/15 WE NOTICED A SOUND COMING FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL. WE PARKED AND LOOKED AT THE CAR AND FOUND THE ENTIRE WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED OUT SO MUCH SO THAT THE THE SHOCK MOUNT AND ACTUAL SHOCK HAS SEPARATED FROM THE CAR. THERE IS NOW A HOLE WHERE WE CAN SEE THROUGH THE CAR INTO THE CARGO AREA. THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WE ARE AT A LOSS AS TO HOW TO REPAIR IT. MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM (ONLY WITH THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL, THE LEFT IS PERFECTLY FINE). FORD HAS NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE TO ANYONE AND HAS IN FACT REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT COULD BE ANY KIND OF DEFECT.

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.