2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID Complaints

WHILE DRIVING - AT ANY SPEED - A RATTLING SOUND STARTED FROM THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. RATTLE GOT LOUDER OVER TIME AND BECAME A LOUD BANGING SOUND EVERY TIME WE HIT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST IMPERFECTION IN THE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION THE ENTIRE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL IS RUSTED THROUGH; THE ONLY THING HOLDING IN THE SHOCK ON THAT SIDE IS LIGHT PADDING / INSULATION. MECHANIC INDICATED CAR WAS NOT SAFE FOR DRIVING, AS WE COULD FACE A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE FOUND A BODY SHOP WHO QUOTED US AT $1200 FOR THE REPAIR. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO SAID THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE SAME ISSUE WAS RECALLED ON FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS FROM 2001-2004. WE WILL BE HOLDING ON TO ALL RECEIPTS, WITH THE HOPE THAT FORD WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL / REIMBURSEMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL AND SHOCK TOWER WERE CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

REAR PASSENGER WHEEL HOUSE AND STRUT ASSEMBLY FASTENING BRACKET EXHIBIT SEVERE CORROSION AND POSSIBLE DETACHMENT FROM VEHICLE BODY. SUCH AN INCIDENT IS LIKELY TO RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AT CRUISING SPEED. PREVIOUS REPAIRS PERFORMED BY PRIOR OWNER. BODY SHOP CONSULTED AND REPLACEMENT OF AFFECTED PARTS IS NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE. *TR

RIGHT REAR WELL CORRODED EXTENSIVELY. 4 INCH HOLE EXPOSING HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY IN TRUNK TO WATER, SALT, SNOW. DEALER STATES THAT VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO RISK OF COLLAPSE OF STRUTS AND RISK OF EXPLOSION/FIRE FROM HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY EXPOSURE. QUOTES MORE THAN $4000 TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE WITH ONLY 59,510 MILES. REAR BUMPER AND REAR SUSPENSION BOTH COMPROMISED. REAR BUMPER HAS NO SUPPORT ON RIGHT SIDE RISKING PASSENGER INJURY IN ACCIDENT. REAR SHOCK STRUT COLLAPSING. REQUEST INVESTIGATION AND RECALL ACTION. *TR

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS WARMED UP AND DECELERATING BELOW 40MPH THEY GASOLINE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF AS THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING CHARGES THE HYBRID HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY. ON A RARE OCCASION DURING THIS BRAKING, THE GASOLINE ENGINE WILL TURN BACK ON GIVING A BRIEF SURGE WHICH REQUIRES PRESSING THE BRAKE HARDER. IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. *TR

DRIVING AT LOW SPEED WHEN POWER STEERING SHUT OFF. THIS HAS OCCURRED 1-2/MONTH SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THE DEALER IN 2008. WHEN I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM IT WAS STILL OCCURRING THEY ALWAYS SAID THERE WAS NO CODE SO BASICALLY NO PROBLEM. POWER STEERING FAILURE HAPPENED RANDOMLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS; WHEN IT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEED WAS THE WORST. FINALLY TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY FOUND A CODE INDICATING IT IS THE ELECTRIC ASSISTED POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE. WHY ARE THE 2005-2007 FEHS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? *TR

I AM AN OWNER OF A 2005 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, THE RIGHT REAR FENDER WALL COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH. WHEN I DROVE MY CAR, IT SOUNDED LIKE A SERIES OF SMALL BOMBS WERE GOING OFF IN THE BACK ANYTIME I HIT A HOLE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO GET FIXED, IT COST $1064.62. FORD WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR A PENNY OF THIS. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE FACING THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THERE IS A FACEBOOK PAGE DEDICATED TO IT: HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/2005-FORD-ESCAPE-2004-2006/397923900236108 THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR FORD BUT BASICALLY THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IT IS UP TO THE NHTSA TO DEMAND A RECALL OF THIS AND TO GET IT FIXED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WHAT IF MY CAR WOULD HAVE COLLAPSED AS I WAS DRIVING IT? SO MANY PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. I HAVE PICTURES/RECEIPTS TO PROVE EVERYTHING I SAID ABOVE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS, WE HEARD A HOLLOW THUMPING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER-SIDE WHEEL WELL WHENEVER WE WENT OVER A SMALL BUMP. AFTER EXTERNALLY INSPECTING THE WHEEL WELL, WE DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS EXTREMELY RUSTED, AND APPEARED TO BE IN DANGER OF COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATING. MEDIUM-SIZED PIECES WERE FLAKING OFF WITH ONLY A SLIGHT TUG. AN IDENTICAL ISSUE CAUSED THE RECALL OF FORD ESCAPE MODELS FROM THE YEARS 2001-2004, BUT FORD REPRESENTATIVES TO WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERING A RECALL FOR THE 2005 MODEL YEAR. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND COULD CAUSE CRASHES IF SHOCK OR AXLE SUPPORTS FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW, SINCE THIS MODEL IS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 111,000 MILES. OTHERS HAVE INDICATED THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY CONCERNS. *TR

THE BRAKES FAILED ON THE CAR. AT FIRST IT LOCKED AND THEN THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. I DIDN'T HIT THEM AGAIN AND COASTED TO A STOP FINALLY PUTTING ON THE PARKING BRAKE. THEN I HAD THE CAR TOWED. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT FIVE WEEKS LATER AND THIS TIME IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME BUT, I HIT THE BRAKES A THIRD TIME AND THE CAR STOPPED. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, THE MECHANIC TRIED TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM AND COULD NOT. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO AND WE REPLACED -- AT GREAT EXPENSE -- THE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT. I THINK THIS IS A DEFECT IN THIS CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE SERVICE CENTER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000. UPDATED 09-04-14 *BF