2005 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

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

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

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN THE FAST LANE AT 60MPH AND A CAR CUT ME SHORT AND BRAKE SO I APPLIED MY BRAKE MY WHEEL HAD YANKED TO THE LEFT AND I TRIED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE WHEEL BY PULLING IT TO THE RIGHT BUT IT YANKED AGAIN TO THE LEFT CAUSING ME TO HIT INTO THE MEDIAN DUE TO THE IMPACT MY CAR TURNED OVER AND DRAGGED ACROSS THE OTHER 3 LANES AND TITLED BACK OVER. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS TOTALED I SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY TO MY NECK AND LEFT SIDE. ALSO MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL RUSTED OUT WHERE THE SHOCK ATTACHES. THE SHOCK ASSEMBLY IS NOW JUST LOOSE AND RATTLING. LOOKING ONLINE, MANY MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE ON 2004, 2005, AND 2006 ESCAPES. THIS MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (APPX 55MPH) IN 5 O'CLOCK TRAFFIC IN RALEIGH, NC ON US 1 AND THE VEHICLE LOST SPEED. ALL EMERGENCY LIGHTS CAME ON. FORCED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND TOTALLY CUT OFF. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT IT KEPT CUTTING OFF. I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER A CALL TO A FAMILY MEMBER AND TO AAA, THE CAR WAS TOWED HOME 3 HOURS LATER. THE NEXT DAY, THE CAR WAS TOWED TO CROSSROADS FORD IN CARY, NC. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PCM, SPARK PLUGS AND IGNITION COILS ALL FAILED AT ONCE AND CHARGED ME $2700. ERROR CODES P0351, P0354 AND P0353 APPEARED ON THE DIAGNOSTICS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE NEXT DAY. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY UNDERGOES A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WITH LOSS OF POWER AND ACCELERATION AND COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WE HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A LOUD BANGING NOISE. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THE SHOCK STRUT IS NOW LOOSE AND BANGING AGAINST THE CAR'S FRAME, THE TIRE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE REAR CARGO AREA. I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE AND NOTICE THAT THIS IS A RATHER COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER FORD ESCAPES IN THE MIDWEST. IT IS ALWAYS THE SAME COMPLAINT, RUSTED OUT WHEEL WELL ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. SOMEONE NEED TO INVESTIGATE FORD BECAUSE THIS IS TOO COMMON AN ISSUE AND IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE CAN RUN UP TO $2,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE SHOCKS WERE CORRODED THROUGH TO THE WHEEL WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

DRIVING DOWN STREET AND RAN OVER ROUGH SPOT IN PAVEMENT AND HEARD A THUMP FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. NEXT DAY DROVE OVER RAILROAD TRACKS AND THERE WAS A LOUD BANGING NOISE. I CHECKED UNDER VEHICLE AT RIGHT REAR WHEEL OPENING (PASSENGER SIDE) TO FIND MOST OF THE WHEEL WELL RUSTED AND GONE FROM THE SHOCK MOUNT LOCATION TO THE REAR MOST PART OF THE WHEEL WELL. THE BUCKET OR BRACKET THAT MOUNTS THE TOP OF THE SHOCK ABSORBER TO THE WHEEL WELL AND CHASSIS IS JUST FLOATING IN MID AIR. WHEN I LOOK THROUGH THE SIDE COMPARTMENT IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE I CAN SEE THE TOP OF THE TIRE AND THE PAVEMENT AND SHOCK ABSORBER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH OVER A BUMP, THERE WAS A LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TOP OF THE STEERING TOWER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STRUCK TOWER SEPARATED DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V165000 (STRUCTURE); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

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.