2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

WHEEL HOUSE ROTTED OUT SHOCK/SPRING BROKE THRU WHEEL HOUSE HITTING ON HYBRID BATTERY. *JS

RIGHT REAR SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT BROKE AWAY FROM FENDER WELL DUE TO EXTENSIVE RUST IN SURROUNDING AREA. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED, THERE WAS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE IN THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHOCK SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL WELL. THE WHEEL WELL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED THROUGH AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A BOMB GOING OFF WHEN YOU DRIVE OVER A MANHOLE COVER. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS TYPICAL ON THIS TYPE OF CAR. ONLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, NEVER ON THE DRIVER SIDE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER HOME AND PULLING TO A STOP SIGN THE BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT AS WELL AS THE SERVICE NOTIFICATION SHOWED UP AND IT BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO BRAKE. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP I WAS INFORMED THAT THE HCU AND CONTROL MODULE ASSEMBLY WERE DEFECTIVE. *TR

THE "WRENCH" LIGHT AND "ENGINE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THE INFORMATION SYSTEM FLASHED "SERVICE NOW" AND "SERVICE EMISSION SYSTEM." THE CAR SUDDENLY SEEMED TO BOG DOWN AND SLOWED TO AROUND 15 MPH. FROM THERE IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 30 MPH. THE ACCELERATOR WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND SEEMED MUSHY. ONCE AT 30 MPH THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AND JERK. IT ALSO STALLED WHEN SLOWING. THESE ARE THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS THAT OTHER ESCAPE OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED AND WHICH FORD HAS RECOGNIZED AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT UNDER CUSTOMER SATISFACTION # 13N03 FOR ESCAPE MODELS 2009-2012. THE FORD DEALER SAYS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HOWEVER, AS OF THIS WRITING FORD IS NOT COVERING THE REPAIR FOR EARLIER MODELS EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE THE SAME ENGINE, SAME SYMPTOMS, SAME REPAIR NECESSARY. COME ON FORD, DO THE RIGHT THING! *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND THE "SERVICE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON THEN ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER THE "STOP SAFELY" LIGHT CAME ON AND MY VEHICLE SHUTDOWN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT HAD TO BE RESET (SHUTDOWN WAS TO PROTECT THE HYBRID BATTERY). ONCE FORD FIXED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO GET CAR TO START AGAIN, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SHOCK ABSORBER HAD FULLY DETACHED FROM THE WHEEL HOUSE AND WAS BASICALLY A DANGLING PIECE. FORD COULD OFFER NO HELP "THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT OR CAPABILITY TO FIX" AND SAID I HAD TO GO TO A AUTO BODY SHOP TO HAVE THE PIECE WELDED BACK TO THE FRAME. TURNS OUT THERE IS NOTHING THERE TO WELD, THE ENTIRE CONNECTION HAS ROTTED OUT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. FROM WHAT I CAN FIND ONLINE THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE ON 2005 FORD ESCAPES AND FORD REFUSES TO DEAL WITH IT. CARS WITH THESE ISSUES ARE EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. LUCKILY I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THIS HAPPENED BUT I WAS ONLY DRIVING 35MPH ON A SIDE STREET, IMAGINE WHAT COULD'VE HAPPENED IF I WAS TRAVELING AT 70MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE PIECE JUST FELL OUT. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FIX THAT FORD OWNERS SHOULD NOT HAVE THE BURDEN OF DEALING WITH FINANCIALLY ON A CAR THAT IS LESS THAT 10 YEARS OLD. MY CAR IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS A LOT OF LIFE LEFT IN IT, BUT NOW THIS FIX IS GOING TO COST CLOSE TO $2500. THIS SHOULD BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED SO FORD HAS TO FIX THIS SAFETY ISSUE! HAS ANYONE CONSIDERED FILING A CLASS ACTION SUIT FOR DEFECTIVE CAR PARTS??? *TR

BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HATCH WINDOW HINGES BROKE LEAVING THE WINDOW HANGING. BOLTS OXIDIZED THROUGH PRODUCING THIS FAILURE. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED EVEN IF THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE LIFT GATE WINDOW. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, THE WINDOW COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BROKEN COMPLETELY OFF AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO VEHICLES AND/OR PERSONS THAT WERE FOLLOWING. THE LIFTGATE WINDOW HINGE PART # IS 420A68. *TR

DRIVING AT 8AM BETWEEN BOULDER, CO AND LONGMONT, CO, ON OCTOBER 15TH, 2013. THE TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 30 DEGREES, WHICH IT HAD BEEN AROUND FOR THE WHOLE DRIVE, ABOUT 45 MINUTES AT THAT POINT. I HAD JUST COME DOWN FROM ABOUT 8000FT ELEVATION TO ABOUT 5000FT ELEVATION (WITH A GOOD BIT OF UP AND DOWN AND SOME BUMPY ROADS IN BETWEEN), BUT HAD BEEN AT THAT ELEVATION ON CITY STREETS FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THERE HAD BEEN LIGHT SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS, BUT NONE ONCE I WAS ON THE PLAINS. I HAD BEEN RUNNING MY REAR DEFROST OFF AND ON (THOUGH I DIDN'T NOTICE IF IT WAS ON OR OFF AT THE EXACT TIME OF THE INCIDENT), AS WELL AS HEAT AND FRONT DEFROST. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH ON A SMOOTH HIGHWAY WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD NOISE, THEN SAW THAT MY REAR WINDOW WAS GONE, COMPLETELY SHATTERED. I HAD OPENED THE REAR WINDOW TO LOAD THE CAR BEFORE LEAVING. *TR

NOTICED A LOUD BANGING NOISE IN THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE. LOOKED IN WHEEL WELL AND IT IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THE CAR. TOOK IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE SEEN MANY EXACT SCENARIOS. SHOCK IS ATTACHED IN A WAY THAT IT RUBS AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL CAUSING CORROSION.. NO OTHER RUST ON THE VEHICLE AND IT IS STORED IN THE GARAGE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAVE GIVEN SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR. IN LOOKING FURTHER IN TO THIS IT IS A COMMON COMPLAIN. CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. A RECALL IS NEEDED AS THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THE WHEEL CAN FALL RIGHT OFF = AND THAT WILL CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY, PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR