2006 Ford Escape

BEGAN TO NOTICE A RATTLING NOISE/CLUNKING IN RIGHT REAR CORNER OF VEHICLE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR MECHANIC WHO TOLD US THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND THE SHOCKS WERE EXPOSED. ONLY THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS RUSTED. INFORMED BY OUR MECHANIC THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE BODY SHOP. WHEN WE CONTACTED THE BODY SHOP AND SAID WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE UNDER BODY ON OUR FORD ESCAPE HE NEW IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL BECAUSE IT WAS THE 3RD FORD ESCAPE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE ONLY HAD TO WAIT 3 DAYS FOR THE PART AS WE WERE TOLD THAT THE LAST 2 FORD ESCAPE OWNERS HAD TO WAIT 6 WEEKS BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER FROM FORD. LOOKED ONLINE AND THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR FORD ESCAPE WITH EXACT ISSUE (ALWAYS ONLY THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL) FROM 2004 ON. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESS BY FORD BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

ON MARCH 12,2014 I WAS DRIVING TO THE POST OFFICE WHEN MY CAR MADE A LOUD "THUNK" AND BEGAN TO SHAKE SEVERELY. FEELING UNSAFE AND BEING A SHORT DISTANCE FROM MY HOME I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THERE. UPON INSPECTION I DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL HAD ROTTED OUT AND THE SHOCK HAD PENETRATED THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR BEHIND THE REAR RIGHT PASSENGER SEAT. THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE ON THE DRIVERS DOOR IS 5/2005. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WHILE DRIVING. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE WHEEL AND FOUND THAT THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS CORRODED WITH A HOLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000. ..UPDATED 04-22-14 *BF UPDATED 04/24 /14

THE RIGHT, REAR WHEEL WELL AND SHOCK SUPPORT IS NEARLY ENTIRELY RUSTED OUT. THE RUST DAMAGE I'VE OBSERVED APPEARS TO BE MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE LEFT WHEEL WELL IS NOT SUFFERING FROM THE SAME CORROSION PROBLEM. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A SEEMINGLY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM IMPACTING 2004-2006 FORD ESCAPES. I'VE CHECKED WITH MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, AND CONTACTED FORD CORPORATE, AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE NO KNOWN ISSUES. I DO REALIZE THAT I LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS 8-YEARS OLD. HOWEVER, I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLE, AND THE DAMAGE I'M SEEING SEEMS TO BE CLEARLY ABOVE BEYOND WHAT WOULD BE WARRANTED FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL HAS RUSTED THROUGH EXPOSING THE SHOCKS AND STRUTS. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CORROSION OF THE REAR WHEEL WELL IS NOT A WEARABLE PART AND CANNOT BE CONTROLLED OR CAUSED BY THE END USER. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE CORROSION OF THE REAR WHEEL WELL CAN CAUSE THE SHOCKS AND STRUTS TO DISMOUNT, WHICH COULD LEAD TO VEHICLE ROLLOVER RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL BANGING IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE REAR INNER AND OUTER FENDER WELL WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000. UPDATED 08/15/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT AND LEFT INNER WELLS RUSTED AWAY.

I HAVE A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. MY CAR ALARM STARTED GOING OFF ON IT'S OWN FOR A FEW DAYS. THEN THE CAR "AJAR DOOR" LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING FROM A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT. SO I TOOK THE CAR INTO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO GET THE PROBLEM INSPECTED. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RIGHT REAR DOOR FAULT. SO I ASKED HIM TO EXPLAIN. THE TECH SAID THAT FORD HAD REDESIGNED THE REAR DOOR LATCH AND THAT IT REQUIRES A NEW CABLE WHICH WILL COST ME $404.00 TO REPLACE. NEEDLESS TO SAY MY JAW HIT THE FLOOR, BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST ONE DOOR. APPARENTLY, AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE FOR A CHEAPER SOLUTION, I CAME ACROSS SO MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM SINCE 2001. EVIDENTLY FORD HAVE NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD. IF THE REAR DOOR LATCH IS LIKELY TO GO BAD THEN IT'S JEOPARDIZING THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN THAT'S REQUIRED TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT. IT PROBABLY WOULD BE SO BAD IF IT WERE CHEAPER TO REPLACE, BUT $404.00 IS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH. IF THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD TO REDESIGN THE LATCHES A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE LIFT GATE LATCH WOULD NOT RELEASE, THE BACK GLASS WOULD NOT OPEN, AND THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON WAS PUSHED. THE DEALER TRIED TO REMEDY THE SEAT BELT FAILURE AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE COULD BECOME TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 88,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. IN VERY COLD TEMPERATURE, THE VEHICLE SEIZED AND THE WHEELS WOULD NOT MOVE UPON ACCELERATION. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS IN A STRAIGHT POSITION AND THE VEHICLE MOVED IN REVERSE, BUT NOT IN A STRAIGHT LINE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED TO THE DEALER, THE TOW RINGS SLIPPED AND DETACHED FROM THE TOW ROD, WHICH PROCEEDED TO PULL THE FRAME FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BOLTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND SHEARED OFF THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRAME. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT FILED A COMPLAINT REGARDING THE VEHICLE'S FAILURE TO START IN COLD WEATHER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 41,000. UPDATED 3/24/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED HER VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH A TOW HITCH AND TOW SUPPORTS THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE BOLTS BROKE AWAY FROM THE FRAME SUPPORT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING PULLED OUT OF A SNOW EMBANKMENT. UPDATED 03/27/09. *JB