Vehicle started making a noise in passenger rear wheel. Upon inspection I observed that the well was completely rusted through where the shock is mounted. Learned that this is a manufacturing defect from thousands of complaints

- Owensboro, KY, USA

The passenger side rear shock tower is rusted to the point where the top of the shock is not secured to the uni-body frame. When going over a bump there is metal to metal contact. While not rusted completely through, a screwdriver can be easily poked through the rusty metal on the rear driver side shock tower as well. This has obviously been slowly rusting the last few years but was not visible until the inner panels were removed allowing access to the inner wheel wells. My grandchildren had been riding in their car seats in this vehicle. A rear or rear side accident would have been catastrophic.

- Clayton, OH, USA

Started hearing a clunking sound on the rear shock. Back rear shock tower rotted out. Not even anything to weld it too. Had to have it rebuilt.

- Colchester, CT, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. While driving over a hump in the road, the contact heard a loud banging noise. The contact performed a test drive and discovered that the rear passenger wheel well had a rusted hole underneath the vehicle and the shock absorber was detached from the original mount. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 70,000.

- Wausau, WI, USA

I have a 2005 Ford Escape that started making sounds in the back of the vehicle while driving in the town streets coming home when I hit bumps. We looked at the rear passenger side tire well and the shock mount is rusted through. The body is resting on the coil. I am afraid to drive it due to the danger of the body coming down on the wheel.

- Monmouth, IL, USA

Right rear wheel well rotted out causing shock to break through trunk and cause loud banging. Ford charges $1,548.40 to fix. Now as in other Escapes, years 2001-2004, the 2005 sub frame or suspension control arm is rusted that holds up the engine and the front of the car! there is a video on youtube that shows the corrosion on the particular spot. This is extremely dangerous to drive. Hit one pothole or bump and entire engine and front of car can collapse! facebook has entire page for 2005 Ford Escape sub frame rusting!!! someone is going to get hurt!

- Chagrin Falls, OH, USA

Went to replace rear shocks. Rear passenger wheel well has rusted and I could move shock mount tower when truck is bounced. Also have banging and bouncing going on. Rides rough and have a rust hole and can see tire below. Bad engineering design. The Ford Motor Company should fess up and correct this, but they won't they got their money!!!

- Woburn, MA, USA

When I bought the vehicle from call lot tolled them brakes were going out he test drive and he said they were fine so I took his word then a few days later my water rateteravoter hose busted I had to get that them fixed and then they charged me to fix it then a few days later I here a thump on the back of my vehicle the whole back of my wheel area by the wheel was completely rusted out there no protection on the wheel and the strusts where busted they had stuff stuffed in it so you couldn't tell went to talk to them about it they say this happens there nothing they could for me but to charge me five hundred dollars to fix it I done nothing but have problems with this vehicle and this isn't the first one I've had problems with the are selling vehicle with safe hazards I paid out $1000 out on a car test drove it and guess I should of test drive it longer but I didn't I bought it and was on my way to put gas in it and the motor blow up. I had state police wait with me me and my 16 year old was stuck in high traffic because the motor blow state police said he had to get there and toll the car and he bought a trailer with a flat tired to try and toll it off the state police made him leave and called for a toll truck the car lot refused to give me my money back so I could go some where else so I bought a another car it was in fair condtion but when water stated hitting motor it ended up getting total by insurance company so still couldn't get money back made me pay out another $600 out for the vehicle and after I gave him the money he wrote out sold as is and could not trade vehicle or get my money back so I feel like he knew something was wrong with the vehicle because he didn't write this on the last two vehicles.

- Evansville, IN, USA

Takata recall: Passenger rear panel rusted out inside wheel well

- Niles, IL, USA

The shock module on the right rear passanger side has deteriorated and has become dislodged from the wheel well. This has made the SUV undrivable. This happened while driving on a newly paved road, going over a gentle hill. While driving the vehicle over the hill, there was a loud clank and the vehicle served slightly (thankfully no oncoming traffic was present). Upon driving home there is an evident clanking heard in the rear and the SUV can be felt to swerve slightly from left to right. This occurrence has only happened to the right wheel well and is not evident in any other wheel well. If road salt or weather conditions were to blame, equal distribution at all 4 wheel wells would be evident, but the other 3 are fine with no rust or deterioration present. Searches on the internet have seen thousands of similar complaints, along with pictures and the damage all appears to be the same - and also applies to model years 2004, 2005, and 2006.

- Alto, MI, USA

Last Monday my 2005 Ford Escape cargo area items started bumping severely when going over road imperfections. By Friday the suspension was shifting when driving over same imperfections. I got out and looked at the back end and found that the right rear shock mount has rusted completed through the wheel well. I only have 114,000 miles on the car and like so many of the other complaints the mechanic I had look at it said that shouldn't have happened and surely there should be a recall on it. When I checked the internet, no recall. I'm very nervous driving, but have no other options at this point.

- Columbus, OH, USA

Vehicle suddenly started making a banging sound so I took vehicle into our mechanic. Apparently the passenger side suspension was not properly sealed and the sheet metal in the wheel well has deteriorated to the point in which the shock tower has disconnected from the vehicle frame. I was refereed to a auto welding shop by my mechanic and was surprised to see that there were two of the same vehicles at the facility having the exact same problem resolved. The mechanic at this welding shop says that he is repairing personally 3 Ford Escapes per week for the exact issue and he was able to show me the two that he had just repaired over the past two days. I am now more shocked to see that there are over 500 complaints with this exact same complaint just at this NHTSA.gov sight and that there are literally thousands of other identical complaints posted on the internet. This is an extremely unsafe safety issue. The fact is that the loud banging noise is enough to cause most owners to pause and to look into the matter and thus typically this issue does not result in an accident. However, safety issues and recalls should not only involve accidents or casualties. This is a very real problem impacting every single 2005 Ford Escape and costing consumers hundreds and thousands in repairs that Ford refuses to acknowledge.

- Edinboro, PA, USA

The right rear shock mount disconnected from the body because of rust...early years were recalled for this problem

- Toms River, NJ, USA

While driving on the freeway started hearing a loud sound and the car became bumpy and bouncy. Pulled off the freeway, but could not identify the problem. Took to a garage and told right rear inner shock mount and fender panel had rotted. Ford had a replacement part for this condition, but did not have a recall. Labor cost due to welding was $1300, total cost $1,966. How could Ford have a replacement part, but not a recall? tried 3 garages only 1 (who had a welder) would consider the job. Car could not be driven...condition worsened quickly and had to drive 10 mph to get estimates with blinkers on...hoping no one would hit us. Scary! had to replace inner shock mount and fender panel, install, weld, and seal. Also needed new rear shocks.

- Germantown, WI, USA

The right rear wheel well has rusted completely through; leaving the strut bouncing freely. The car can not be driven at this time. At the time it broke, it almost bounced me into oncoming traffic. This should be a recall as it happens to all 2004-2006 Escapes.....updated 07/11/16

- Coal City, IL, USA

Entire right wheel well of the vehicle is rusting away. The shock absorber is mounted to this sheet metal, so it is no longer effective, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. I understand this is a common problem with these vehicles and Ford will do nothing to compensate me. Currently hearing a loud thumping at every bump, due to the shock becoming detached from the vehicle.

- Naperville, IL, USA

The entire right side shock mount and wheel well totally rusted and hanging on by a thread. My 18 year old son could have been killed had we not discovered it. I have read hundreds of these complaints which is how we discovered that this was the same noise we were hearing and decided to look at right side back door passenger wheel well. We can literally move it up and down. This is a major safety issue and someone is going to get killed from this because the wheel can fall off!!!! thank goodness we heard the noise while driving and investigated it.

- Mahopac, NY, USA

Rust around quarter panel back end, rust through passenger wheel well area. To the put the it is rusting and eventually the wheel well will no longer whole the strut in. Which puts me at risk of getting seriously hurt. This SUV is located in a southern state no reason for it to rust like that. I've seen and owned older vehicles that didn't rust.bad metal or rust protection. To get fixed I'm looking at $1000 to $4000 who has that to pay for something like that when Ford knows there is a issue and hasn't fixed it yet.

- Crossville, TN, USA

Right rear shock tower mount is completed rusted away causing the shock to travel up into the wheel well

- Burlington, WI, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 35 mph, the rear passenger side shock mount bracket rusted and dislodged from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 125,000.

- Canton, MI, USA