2013 Ford Escape: ball joint or control arm failure

Filed Jun 1, 2026 · Suspension · MI

I was heading west on XXX with my [XXX] granddaughter and about a mile before the XXX exit we heard a loud bang and the car was, like a shot, propelled across the center line into the left lane and heading for the ditch. I immediately hit the brakes and pulled a hard right to keep the car on the highway. After three or four hard rights and lefts I was able to pull the car onto the left shoulder. I thought it was a blown tire but upon inspection they were all ok. The passenger right rear wheel though was on an angle. I called [XXX] and they sent a state police officer to assist. We were very lucky as about 10 seconds earlier I pack of cars passed us and a straggler of the pack passed us about 4 seconds before the incident. It could have been a five or six car pile up. I had it towed and after the mechanics inspection found the broken (as the picture shows) rear upper control arm. The broken parts are available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 23, 2025 · Suspension · 83,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the rear driver’s side control arm detached from the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle momentarily. However, the contact was able to control the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the subframe had corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The manufacturer advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

Filed Sep 10, 2024 · Steering, Wheels · MO · 1 injury

I have experienced many issues with my vehicle that have been recalled in other vehicles of the same make/model/year but have been denied the assistance in fixing me car and preventing and further damage or risk of my safety due to my VIN not showing any recalls. I do believe that my safety has been disregarded and that my car needs inspection to further show that I should be assisted in getting the recalls identified and fixed to improve my safety and others on the road. The first issue I noticed that was recalled on other 2013 Ford escapes was a recall on the control arm which was caused by the separation of the control arm from corrosion which increased the risk of crash. I had an incident where my car all of the sudden would not return from the right turning position after I heard a clunking noise which caused me to run into a curb. After further investigation it was found that my control arm failed and locked which wouldn't allow me to avoid hitting the curb. I suffered a concussion and had to pay for this to be fixed due to being denied from the recall. Secondly, Ford has issued many recalls on 2013 Ford escape engines due to overheat and cylinder head malfunctions many of them my car has been diagnosed and proven to have. I have pulled codes from my check engine that are direct codes that was recalled about the overheating of the cylinder head causing cracks and leaks into the oil. This code I pulled from my car was P0117 and it was traced to the recall from ford ( 13V583000). Other recalls have been issued by Ford for engine overheating, and my car has been over heating after directly putting coolant into my vehicle and it tends to run out in 1 to 2 days after refilling. My safety and others on the road are at risk from these issues that were not caused by me or other drivers but I am not getting any assistance or anyone willing to look at these recalls and assist in reimbursement or fixing my cars issues. My car needs to be reviewed for the recalls.

Filed May 18, 2024 · Suspension · OH

I would like to alert you to a "near miss" situation regarding my 2013 Ford Escape Titanium automobile which very nearly resulted in a car rollover while driving at 65 mph on the freeway. My wife was driving our 2013 Escape on the freeway. Suddenly, the left rear lower control arm cross support arm assembly Ford Part No. CV6Z*5500*L broke into two pieces. When this happened, the car immediately darted to the right because the left rear tire was no longer pointing straight ahead. Her reaction was to compensate by steering to the left. At that point in time, the car came up on two wheels and very nearly rolled over. After that, the car swerved back and forth until she could stop. It was extremely fortunate that she was in the center lane of a three lane wide freeway when this happened and there were no cars to her immediate right or left. After getting the car stopped she saw that the left rear wheel was clearly pointing in the wrong direction. We had the car towed home and since I generally handle all of my own automotive repairs in my home garage, I jacked the car up and noticed the broken cross support arm assembly. I removed the broken part and examined the failure surfaces. I happen to be a mechanical engineer with 40 years of mechanical design experience and I immediately recognized the classic symptoms of a metal fatigue failure. I have attached a series of photographs documenting the failure. The fracture surface consists of rust along the cracked surface about 2/3 the width of the part and then shinny material where the ultimate failure occurred when the crack propagated across the part on a single load cycle. The vehicle is admittedly 11 years old and it has 177k miles, but it is still in very good condition with very minimal rust. You can see from the photos that the failed part was not the result of rust and other than the fracture surface, the part is generally not rusted. I still have the failed part in my possession.

Filed Oct 31, 2023 · Brakes · 230,000 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that an independent mechanic had performed a replacement of the inner and outer tie rods, the wheel bearings, and other unknown parts. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the ABS, traction control, Hill Assist, and instrument panel warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that she was unable to drive uphill, and the vehicle swayed while coming to a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS sensor had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under Ford Campaign Number: 14N02. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.

Filed Aug 14, 2022 · Acceleration, Brakes · OH

We have had to replace vacuum pump 4xs ,had multiple engine repairs done, turbo replaced ,jumped time 3xs, replace ABS sensor 2xs, wheel bearings 2xs, CV axels 2xs, since day 1 has been blowing lights in turn signals and brake lights, wiring issue, have replaced control arms,tie rods,tie rod ends, and so much more, have had transmissions since day one, needs evap system repaired again, transmission replaced a second time, having power reductions, and this vechiile has costed us over 12,000, Have been informed of 2 recalls Time frame 12/2015 to current date.

Filed Mar 9, 2016 · Suspension · 44,196 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford escape. While driving 45 MPH, the rear of the vehicle shook when the brakes were applied. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear control arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 44,196.

Filed Sep 11, 2014 · Body · ME

Cpsc: i1490148a. 2003 ford escape. Consumer stated that the car has a failure of the forward subframe assembly that carries the wheel joints and steering arms. *ln the consumer stated the recall was intended to install a cross-brace on the control arm attachment so that if the subframe failed, there would be less of a tendency for major steering failure. The consumer had the brace installed in june 2014. On september 6, 2014, the sub frame failed while he was turning a corner and he was unable to steer the vehicle. Fortunately, he was only going about 5-10 MPH. The consumer referenced recall # 14v165000.

Filed May 20, 2014 · Steering · 8,900 miles · IL · crash

Driver was proceeding down a residential street when the vehicle suddenly veered to the right and hit several parked vehicles. The driver complained that there was absolutely no response from the steering wheel the seconds prior to impact. Once the vehicle was picked up by the tow truck and the underside of the vehicle was visible, the point of failure was quite apparent. The ball joint remained completely intact while the steering knuckle visibly broke at the point where it meets the ball joint. Every other item under the vehicle was visibly ripped or bent except the steering knuckle. It appears as if the steering knuckle material is not thick enough for a structural component. At the point of failure, the metal is approximately 5/16" thick.