2006 Ford Escape

REAR WHEEL WELLS WHERE THE SHOCK MOUNTS IS RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING RIDE AND CONTROL ISSUES. I NOTICED CLUNKING WHILE DRIVING CAUSED BY THE RUST AND LACK OF SHOCK STABILITY. I TALKED TO OTHER OWNERS AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE. BEING THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT RUSTY AND IS CARED FOR REGULARLY THIS IS BAD AND I AM NO LONGER GOING TO INVEST MY MONEY INTO IT. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND I FEEL WITH AS COMMON AS THE ISSUE SEEMS IT SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY FORD AS THE SHOCK BEING LOOSE COMING INTO THE INTERIOR IS ANOTHER SAFETY CONCERN, AND THE WEAR AND TEAR FROM THE TIRE RIDE CAUSES PREMATURE TIRE WEAR NOT TO MENTION WEAR AND SNAPPING THE BREAK LINE CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL.

OUR 2006 FORD ESCAPE BEGAN MAKING A RATTLING NOISE IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHENEVER WE HIT A BUMP. I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A LOOSE PANEL UNTIL I LOOKED UNDER THE REAR-PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AND NOTICED THE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF RUST AND CORROSION AROUND THE SHOCK ABSORBER. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD ISSUE THAT FORD HAS DONE LITTLE TO REMEDY. IT HAS SINCE BECOME A CONSISTENT ISSUE ANYTIME WE ARE DRIVING, THERE IS AT LEAST A RATTLE--EVEN ON SMOOTH ROADS. WHILE WE HAVE TRIED TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF DRIVING AS MUCH AS WE CAN, MAKING ONLY NECESSARY TRIPS AND COMPLETELY ELIMINATING ANY EXTRANEOUS USE OF THIS CAR, THE DAMAGE ONLY SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE, AND AT AN ALARMINGLY FAST PACE. THIS IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE AND WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO BUY A NEW CAR RIGHT NOW. IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON A SIMILAR ISSUE FOR 2001-2004 MODELS, WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON LATER YEARS? THE VEHICLE IS A LIABILITY ON THE ROAD--WE CRINGE EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT (AGAIN, IT IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE) AND WE DON'T KNOW WHICH BUMP IS GOING TO COMPLETELY RUIN THE CAR. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS WIDESPREAD CORROSION ISSUE NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED AND ALL NECESSARY STEPS NEED TO BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE ON THE ROAD IS MAXIMIZED DESPITE SHODDY CONSTRUCTION OF THIS VEHICLE.

THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AROUND THE CONNECTION FOR THE SHOCK ABSORBER. NO BODY SHOP WILL REPAIR AS IT IS TOO COSTLY AND TOO MUCH OF A LIABILITY THEY CLAIM. DRIVING ALONG AND SUDDENLY THE CAR GOT LOUD IN THE BACK. SHOCK ABSORBER HAD COME THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF THE AUTOMOBILE. CAR HAS RUST ON BACK "TRUNK" DOOR AND A ON THE EDGE OF THE WHEEL WELL EXTERIOR ON THE SAME SIDE, BUT REMAINING PARTS OF THE CAR HAVE VERY LITTLE OR NO RUST. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL YOU SEE ALL THE RUST AROUND THE SHOCK ABSORBER. GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS I AM NOT ALONE WITH THIS ISSUE - OTHERS REPORT SAME ISSUE WITH PASSENGER SIDE REAR AND PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERING SUEING FORD. 2001-2004 ESCAPES HAD A CORROSION RECALL ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION, BUT THERE IS NOTHING FOR YEARS 2005 AND NEWER. THIS IS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.

DRIVING THIS MORNING WHEN I HEARD A BANGING NOISE WHEN I HIT ANY BUMPS IN THE ROAD. I WAS FIMILIAR WITH THE ESCAPES WHEELWELL RUST ISSUE. I LIKED UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE AND FOUND THE UNDERCOATING WAS FALLING OFF AND THE SHOCK ABSORBER WAS BARELY HANGING ON. I HAVE A 173000 MILES ON IT. I KNOW FORD WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ON THEIR OWN. FIXES ARE EXPENSIVE, LIKE A NEW WHEELHOUSE , WHICH HAS TO BE WELDED IN, ACCORDING TO DORMAN OR AN L BRACKET FOR ABOUT 200 DOLLARS, OR COB SOMETHING UP MYSELF. I'M 60 AND LIVE HERE IN UPSTATE NY, AND NO WAY SHOULD THIS BE HAPPPENING. SALT OR RAIN, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING TO PREVENT THIS. SOMETHING CHANGED AFTER 2006 BY FORD. UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL , NO ONE IS GOING TO HELP YOU. YOU KNOW THE TERM...S.O.L.....

MY DAUGHTER WAS ALERTED TO A PROBLEM WHEN LOUD BANGING NOISES STARTED RECENTLY WHEN DRIVING UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. UPON INSPECTION BY A MECHANIC, HE DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AND DRIVER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELLS BODY PARTS AND SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTS HAVE SIGNIFICANT RUST DAMAGE. OUR VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURE'S SCHEDULE AND AS RECOMMENDED BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF A POTENTIAL ISSUE BEFORE DURING PREVIOUS TIRE REPLACEMENTS, SHOCK REPLACEMENTS, AND OTHER SERVICES THAT WOULD HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE PROBLEM. THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL IS SO BAD THAT THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT IT IS NOT REPAIRABLE AND REFERRED US TO THEIR BODY SHOP. THE ATTACHED PICTURES SHOW THAT THE INTERIOR OF THE CABIN IS NOW EXPOSED. I ALSO HAVE AN AUDIO RECORDING OF THE NOISE INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. MY DAUGHTER WAS ALSO CAUTIONED BY THE MECHANIC ABOUT AN IMMINENT FAILURE OF THE SUSPENSION. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ON THE INTERNET. THERE WAS A RECALL BY FORD FOR 2001-2004 FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THE SAME MODEL. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND THEY INDICATED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE. BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE AND THE ISSUES REPORTED BY OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM FOR LATER MODEL YEARS, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND ACTION BY FORD TO REPAIR THESE LATER YEAR MODELS SUCH AS OURS AS WELL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL EXPERIENCED SEVERE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR WHEEL WELL ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 84,000.