2005 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE KNOWING THE ECM HAD BEEN REPLACED RECENTLY... ABOUT 3 MONTHS OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE MY CHECK EMISSIONS LIGHT CAME ON...LOSING GAS MILEAGE, CAR STALLED OUT A FEW TIMES, AND DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS THE ECM AGAIN... APPROXIMATELY AUGUST 2013. ONE YEAR LATER AUGUST 2014 SAME ISSUE AGAIN... ECM REPLACED AGAIN.. WHEN I TURN THE KEY ON, NOT STARTING IT THE CHECK EMISSION COMES ON AND THE DEALERSHIP TELLS ME THIS IS NORMAL.. MY GAS MILEAGE IS 12 MPG AND IM AFRAID IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN SOON.. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND I WAS TOLD IT MAY BE THE WIRING HARNESS CAUSING THIS ISSUE.. I DON'T KNOW WHY NO ONE WILL GET TO THE ROUTE OF THE PROBLEM WHY THE COMPUTER IN MY ESCAPE KEEPS FAILING. THEY WONT LET ME TRADE IT IN SINCE IT IS NOT ANY VALUE TO THEM ANYMORE.. *TR

THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED OUT. THE STRUT IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE. WHEN DRIVING THERE IS A KNOCKING SOUND. WHEN INVESTIGATED AT THE REPAIR SHOP, THIS WAS THE DIAGNOSIS. *TR

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.

BACK RIGHT PASSENGER WHEEL WELL RUSTED THROUGH. SHOCK IS HOLDING ON BY A THREAD. MAKES LOUD BANGING NOISE WHEN ANY BUMP IS HIT. I WAS TOLD VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY LOCAL MECHANIC. *TR

VEHICLES GAS PEDAL GETS STUCK UP AND CANNOT BE DEPRESSED AT ALL WHILE CAR IS ON AND I AM DRIVING. IT HAPPENED THIS WEEK SEVERAL TIMES ON VERY COLD DAYS. WHILE DRIVING OR WHILE STOPPED AT LIGHT AND TRYING TO GO I CANNOT DEPRESSED THE PEDAL, EVEN WHEN PUSHING HARD. EVENTUALLY IT DEPRESSED FOR ME AFTER SEVERAL TRIES. VEHICLE GAS PEDAL HAS ALSO GOTTEN STUCK DOWN TWICE PREVIOUSLY WITH CAR ACCELERATING UNCONTROLLABLY, WHICH HAPPENED FOR ALMOST A MINUTE THEN IT POPPED UP - RESULTED IN NEAR COLLISION { THANK GOODNESS ITS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION]. I HAVE READ IN MANY ON-LINE DISCUSSION BOARDS OF MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAVING THEIR GAS PEDAL ON FORD ESCAPES STICK UP OR DOWN ALSO. *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

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SHOCK TOWER COMPLETELY RUSTED AWAY MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE.THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IS SPOTLESS AND WE KEEP IT VERY CLEAN.THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *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

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

RATTLING, BANGING, RIGHT REAR SHOCK MOUNT IS RUSTED LOOSE, COMPLETELY CORRODED AWAY FROM WHEEL HOUSE. *JS