While driving, I noticed that my steering wheel was not aligned. I didn't notice it was like this until I was already driving down the road. When I stopped, I checked my tires and thought that they looked slightly off. It seemed as if the passenger side tire was pointed slightly outward. The car sat in my driveway for the next couple of days and it appeared to have gotten worse. I took my car out for a test drive and noticed that each time I turned the wheel, the tires screeched. I took the car to a shop and after giving it an evaluation, they said that the control rod was rusted and starting to break. After some research online, it looked like there was a recall on 2001-2004 ford escapes for the same issue that I was having.
2005 Ford Escape body complaints
Page 7 of 16: complaints 161 to 190 of 434, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. While driving at various speeds, a loud banging noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. After inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the passenger side rear wheel well was rusted and corroded, causing the shock mount to make contact with the subframe. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,000.
Right rear wheel well is so rusted out that the shock mount has completely detached from the body. Definite safety issue. 2005 ford escape xlt.
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.
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.
The rear wheel wells are so rusted out that there is nothing to hold the shock and shock absorber in place. The area you put fuel in the vehicle is also rusted out. When will ford start backing up their products???
The right rear fender wheel well has rusted through also affecting the shock mount creating a loud banging in the cabin. My local ford dealer has never seen this and did not want to attempt the repair because of the cost. They also referred me to a reputable body shop in town and he also never saw this before. He suggested this website to file a complaint. I have now researched this and see a lot of other people have experienced this too. Has ford done anything to fix this problem?
My 2005 ford escape rear passenger side wheel well cracked. The shock absorber is hardly attached and is a safety issue. If it falls off it could cause an accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact noticed a noise coming from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the rear wheel well needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part not being available. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed that the rear wheel well needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the noises recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that both rear wheel wells needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 135,000.
The vehicle began making a cluncking noise coming from the rear end. After inspection, I found nothing wrong. Continuing with the clunck noise, I had to remove the jack to eliminate that as the source. The noise continued. I removed the rear panel and found the entire rear wheel well rusted so badly I could see straight through to the tire. It looked like, at any moment, the entire rear passenger side could disintegrate and cause havoc on the other components such as the suspension and newer tires. It cost me nearly $700 to have the wheel well replaced.
Heard a thudding from rear end. Looked underneath as nothing loose in the vehicle. The passenger side rear wheel well is very rusted. No support for shocks. There was an undercoating with debris under it. Took out a lot of sludge/rust/debris from under that coating. Body shop says $5000 to fix it properly, and the other side is starting to rust as well (driver rear wheel well).
Heard loud noise from rear of vehicle especially at low speeds. Removed inside panel to find that rear passenger wheel well rusted through causing shock mount to tear through frame and was no longer attached to frame. Consulted with ford, no recall for this model year,,,but for previous year and following year?!! Took vehicle to body shop for repairs. Vehicle for kids and deemed unsafe or dangerous for them. Ford...I buy a lot of vehicles from you...you need to make this right for us!
Passenger rear well rusted - shock loose not attached to anything - let go when driving in residential neighborhood blocks from home. 8 inch by 8 inch chunk rusted away from the wheel well.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. While driving at various speeds, the contact heard an abnormal noise. The contact maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road and observed that the rear passenger side undercarriage was corroded. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear passenger wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 211,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger wheel well was corroded. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The dealer deemed the vehicle unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000. Updated 7/21/15*cn updated 9/23/15
While driving hit a pot hole and heard a loud noise coming from the rear of the car. Upon inspection the entire passenger side wheel house is rusted out, causing the shock to break loose from the body and tear into the rear compartment. Vehicle is not drivable until fixed. Part is on backorder.
Right rear shock tower is rusted all the way through,while the left side looks brand new.a mechanic said he has fixed at least 20 of these.the price for the fix quoted to me was between $800.00 and $1000.00.this should be a recall.we the escape but this just is not fair.
Purchased june 2005 as a used vehicle w/ 18,000 miles. Always garage kept. Noticed a popping noise from the passage rear. Investigated and found the inner wheel well. Area were the shock bolt's to has almost completely rusted out. Read of other people having same issues on the internet. Car is unsafe to drive until repaired. Will consult a body shop on repairs. Ford needs to man up and offer a fix for this issue!
One day I noticed that some of the undercoating in the rear right when was gone, upon further inspection I noticed that there was hole in the wheel well. After researching online, I learned that this is a common problem. Although my problem is not as serious as some of the stories I read, I still feel that it is safety issue and an accident waiting to happen. As time goes by the rust will continue to grow and I'm afraid of the consequences. I called ford to voice my concern, but they said that they are not doing anything to repair the problem. Just like everyone, I want people to be aware of the issue and hopefully ford will realized that this is a safety issue.
We started to notice a "clunky" noise coming from the right rear wheel hub. Upon inspection, the right rear wheel hub is over 50% rusted out. The left rear wheel hub is intact. We can not drive vehicle fearing a structural failure will result in an accident or injury. After researching this issue on the internet, it seems to be a common problem for this model, and other ford models.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair and it was discovered that the rear passenger side wheel well was completely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
I have a 2005 ford escape took it to a shop today because of the banging from the suspension. When the mechanic put the car on the lift he saw that the entire wheel well around the shock absorber was rusted completely out. The extra stress on the shock absorber caused the bolt on the top to break off. The stress also caused the rear break line to fray almost to the point of breaking completely. This car is no longer safe to drive. I am just happy that my break line didn't break while I was on the road. I do not really know what options I have with the car since it is the only car I own and I have no other way to get to and from work.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. While traveling at an unknown speed, a loud noise emitted from the rear of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the inner rear fender and the rear shocks deteriorated without warning. The contact stated that the parts were rusted and could fracture at any moment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
While driving down the road going approx. 40 MPH, I heard a loud noise from by back passenger side tired. I immediately pulled over to see what caused the noise. Upon inspection, I noticed the wheel well that supports the back shock was completely rusted. The shock had broke through the rusted wheel well and was pressed up against the inside interior of my car. The rest of my wheel wells are in fine condition. When I researched this problem online, there are many, many customers that have had this exact problem with 2005 ford escapes. It is only the rear passenger side. This needs to be researched and corrected before someone gets hurt.
I was driving and began to hear a loud noise I stopped and looked, the fender well had fallen half way off. It was rusted all the way through. I had to call a tow truck and still cannot use my car because I cant afford to replace this part. Shouldn't ford be responsible for this it is a flaw in the body.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. While driving approximately 20 MPH, there was an unusual noise coming from the rear of the vehicle without warning. The failure recurred on several occasions. The contact discovered that the rear passenger wheel well rusted and fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rear passenger wheel well fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.
The right rear wheel well and shock mount is completely rusted out. When I bought the vehicle used, I drove it and heard a slight clunking somewhere in the rear end of the vehicle. I thought maybe the shocks were bad. I continued to drive it, hoping to replace the shocks. Recently the noise became very loud and disturbing. I looked at the shock area and discovered the whole area on the right rear wheel well and shock mount are rusted through and breaking apart. The left side is fine. I am afraid to drive it this way and believe it is an unsafe condition. I looked up the problem on the internet and found a multitude of the same problem with other owners of 2005 ford escapes. To my knowledge, ford will only fix 2001-2004 escapes, but not 2005. Why not? It clearly is a defect in material and workmanship. It has rusted prematurely and causes a hazardous safety situation. If this was an isolated incident, I would understand. But from what I have learned, it has happened to all 2005 ford escapes.
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.
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.
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.
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