CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004 Ford Escape looks pretty good compared to other Ford Escape model years, but still has a trend of transmission problems, and engine problems from the NHTSA complaint data — so it's not a model year we can recommend.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
117,685 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
My vehicle was serviced for recall that was issued. The recall was for the subframe rusting through where it meets the control arm resulting in steering failure. My vehicle had this problem under way and was rusted through to the point of separation. The dealership performed the recall and installed a "brace" on the subframe but advised that the vehicle was not safe to drive because of the separation, which is exactly what the recall is designed to prevent. The dealer stated that since the failure/separation had already begun they could not repair it and gave me the vehicle back in a condition which is "unsafe to drive", according to the word of the dealership. My concern is that my vehicle is experiencing the safety issue for which the recall was issued and the vehicle manufacturer will not resolve the recall issue.
The contact owns a 2004 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the front passenger side tire and frame fractured and caused sparks to emit from the vehicle. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had received notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V165000 (structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was not available.
I heard rattling from the back of my car like a tin thermos rolling around. I looked at the back and was inspecting my vehichle. Once I took out the spare tire cover I discovered a huge hole in the right rear wheel well. I called my dealer about the issue and brought the car in as soon as possible to be serviced. I have looked this up online to see if there is a recall for an issue like this and I am finding that many Ford Escape owners from 2005-2006 are having the same issue. This issue is a safety hazard. I am currently unable to drive my car as my dealer is not comfortable letting use drive it, and their body shop was unable to repair it saying that it was to compromised and would be liability
- West Lafayette, IN, USA
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I just purchased a used 2004 Ford Escape XLT with only 45,000 miles on it (12 years old, 45,000'what I thought was a diamond in the rough). It had undercoating to protect from rust when it was new. Very well taken care of, like new inside! so imagine my surprise after driving it 2 months when the passenger side rear wheel well started falling apart (wasn't like that when I bought it). Within a 3 week span it was almost completely destroyed. Again it was protected with undercoating and still rusted out all those years in a garage being barely driven!!! I asked about getting both sides done while it's in the shop and mechanic said the driver side rear well was fine and in good shape, almost no rust at all. Ford stocks only the passenger wheel well, not the driver side. This is obviously a known manufacturing failure/substandard part that Ford doesn't want to own beyond selling you the replacement part. I'm losing appreciation for "american made" values. This one is especially upsetting because it's a brand I previously held in high regard. This easily could have been dangerous at high speeds on my trips.
I am shocked at how many people have experienced the same issue that I am having with my Escape in regards to the right rear wheel well rusting out around the shock mount. I initially noticed the issue when I heard a loud clunking noise in the right rear of the car. I thought there was something wrong with the rear shocks so I took it to a neighborhood mechanic. The mechanic told me that it was a frame issue and I needed to take it to a body shop. He also stated that it would probably cost hundreds of dollars to fix and some body shops would not be willing to fix it. He also stated that I should drive slow because the shock mount is completely rusted out. At this point, I am furious! I went to a body shop today on my lunch break and they told me it would cost upwards of $2,000 to repair. The guy at the body shop also told me that he has seen this issue on several 2004-2006 Ford Escapes and was well aware that this is an ongoing problem. I am so frustrated and agitated because I have taken very good I am so fed up with how irresponsible these huge million/billion dollar companies are. From what I have seen just in my little research that I have done today, Ford is aware of the problem, yet they refuse to establish a recall.
The right rear (passenger rear) wheel well has corroded so bad that the strut mounts are beginning to fail. All other wheel wells have not corroded at all.
Going 20 mph down side road and hit pot hole. The part that you mount the rear shock to came apart do to rust and knocked a hole in rear wheel housing. Car is unrivalled and insurance will not cover do to it being a time related thing. There was no rust in wheel well or holes before. Very very disappointed. I insurance said it's a flaw in the design of Ford. They have no recalls in past or present.
The right rear passenger wheel well rusted out, causing the sudden dislocation/breaking of the shock mount which in turned caused damage to my tire, and wore through the interior of the car. The damage is extensive and upon researching the issue, it appears that this exact thing has happened (only on the right rear side of the vehicle) to thousands of 2004/2005/2006 Escapes. This has been a known issue since at least 20011/2012 and is a dangerous defect that is usually not cost effective to fix, based on the mileage of the cars at the time of the problem. Because the left rear does not experience this issue, it must be a defect in manufacturing and Ford really needs to step up and offer a recall to fix it as well as reimbursing owners who've experienced the problem and chosen to do repairs to a vehicle in otherwise great running order.
Front tires now experiencing excessive wear after the lower control arm rusted through. Re-enforced brace in May 2014 recall does not help prevent an accident. Steering pulls to the right when turning. The control arms need replaced.
Rear passenger wheel well where the shock mounts to the body is completely rusted out and detached from the upper body of the vehicle. I was traveling on the interstate at about 65mph when this piece broke loose from the rest of the body. This is very dangerous, and almost caused me a serious accident on a busy highway. There are hundreds of other complaints filed just in this database alone with the same exact issue, rust/corrosion of the rear passenger wheel well where the shock mounts to the body. The Ford dealership that I had my vehicle towed to told us that they have recently seen 4 or 5 other Escapes that have the same exact issue. Please investigate, this is a serious safety concern.
The car started to ride rough over small bumps and a thumping sound could be heard from the right rear wheel well. Thinking I needed new shocks I inspected the wheel well and was horrified to see that the wheel well holding the shock was completely rusted away. There is a hole where the steel used to be. This is only on the right rear wheel well as far as I can see. A local auto body shop will not fix it because of the safety liability and warned me not to drive the car. The car is unsafe and I am at a loss as to what to do with it. After doing some searching I have found many Ford Escapes with the same exact problem. Apparently this is a design defect that Ford knows about and should be responsible for. Had I driven the car a little longer I could have been in a catastrophic crash! Ford needs to fix this or replace my car.
Excessive corrosion in rear wheel wells, straps holding gas tank and underside of running boards. Both running boards completely fell off, the straps holding the tank had to be replaced because the tank was in danger of falling off. This car is in a covered garage 90% of the time.
Another case of a 2004 Ford Escape with extensive right rear wheel well rust putting the strut in danger of coming through the body. I'm currently trying to figure out how and where to get it repaired. This seems to be a flaw in the design of the product. While one would hope Ford would step up I'm not seeing anything on their part so far.
A few weeks ago I was driving slowly down a dirt road and I started to hear a bumping noise towards the back of my car, only when I when over bumps. I figured it was just gear in my trunk making the noise and I was going to take a look at it later, but it didn't seem like anything to be concerned about. Yesterday I finally got all my ignition coils fixed after some trouble with the mechanics doing it wrong originally. When I left he told me I may have a suspension problem, but that it is not likely to be a problem aside from the annoyingness of it. When I got home I decided to have a look around my car and after discovering that it did not have to do with my trunk I looked under the wheel well and saw that the suspension mount had completely rusted off and had bouncing around as I drove. It was completely detached, and after goodling this I saw that many other people have this same exact problem and that it is very unsafe, and most likely to expensive to fix. I had been driving with this serious problem for a few weeks with no idea of the danger that it could cause. There is no recall on it but I feel that with the amount of people with this problem and the severity of it, Ford needs to do something about this.
The rightside of my wheelwell was rotted out along with the floor around it that held the wheel well the shock needed to be replaced as well. When I went to the dealership to get the wheel well they told me this was a well known part to be replaced. So I asked why was it not a recall on it no answer could he give me. I was getting a burning smell from my exhaust (muffler fumes) as I drove home many times I felt myself getting sleepy as I drove on to get to my destination I prayed toget safely there little did I know I was getting fumes in my car that caused this. I have driven with my young grandchildren in this dangerous condition in this car my question is if the Ford dealership knew of this to be a well known problem why did they not recall it I only thank the lord that it did not kill me or my grandchildren. Also it past inspection a year ago how could they have not seen what was happening in this area. I do have pictures of it and it was even worst then the pictures I have seen online proof one more time that god is always on yourside if you believe everyone else please check your wheel well god bless!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Cleveland, OH, USA