Right rear wheel housing rusts completely through allowing the shock to detach from the vehicle. After an online search this is a very common incident. After contacting the local Ford dealer, there is a back-order on the right rear wheel housing with no expected date of delivery. This is the only wheel housing on the vehicle that is rusting out and causing issues. The only time you start to realize that there is an issue is if you start the hear a "clunk" coming from the car, however; there is a rubberized undercoat that prevents you from seeing the damage until it is too late or a knowledgeable mechanic with the issue looks specifically at the wheel housing.

- Eaton, NY, USA

I was driving down the road when I started hearing a loud banging noise coming from the back of my Escape. I pulled over to the side of the road to inspect what could be banging around, didn't see anything. Drove the Escape over the weekend the noise kept getting louder, started inspecting the whole outside of the car that is when I noticed the whole rear passenger side wheel well had rusted away and nothing was supporting the shock. Vehicle looks unsafe to drive.

- Willis, MI, USA

Rear wheel well around shock mount is rusted out. Loud banging can be heard from inside cab. Over time the shock mount may break free from the body of the vehicle.

- Mentor On The Lake, OH, USA

The rear wheel well where the shock is located the whole frame panel is cracked, it was covered up from a previous owner or company. The car dealership I'm purchasing from would not take responsibility for it and I explained the hazard in me driving or keeping the vehicle and I took it to several body shops and was told it happens with these vehicles frequently and one shop had already done 3 of the same areas. There is no recall or information about the vehicles issues but this is a danger to drive.

- Detroit, MI, USA

While driving a loud crack/pop was heard from the passenger rear wheel and then there was road noise. When we stopped there was a large hole in the wheel well around the shock mount. All the metal has rusted through. The shock has no attachment left to the upper body, only along the bottom edge. When the vehicle bounces it moves independently of the shock in that corner. I opened up the interior compartment, removed the carpet and trim pieces to get a look and found a hole that is large enough to put my hand through. This car has less than 78,000 miles. The tires and brakes were replaced in the fall and no signs of damage were present at that time due to the undercoating being in place.

- Merrillville, IN, USA

I heard unusual road noise and experienced looseness near the rear passenger side tire. Upon inspection, I determined that the rear wheel well had corroded through, compromising the rear strut. The hole extends nearly 12 inches, exposing the passenger compartment. The extent of the corrosion was not apparent prior to this incident because the wheel well coating covered the defect. After locating this corrosion, a further inspection of the vehicle was completed, but none of the other wheel wells exhibit similar corrosion. Due to the severe corrosion of this body panel, the car cannot be safely driven because the rear strut is being held in place by only a tiny portion of the structural panel. If I had not located this defect in time, it is likely that the strut would have become detached from the vehicle frame while driving and would have caused an accident.

- Whitehouse, OH, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that they heard a loud thump coming from the rear passenger side wheel well. The contact inspected the vehicle and saw that the rear shock was detached from the vehicle and the wheel well was rusted. The vehicle had not been to the dealer at the time of the complaint. The failure and current mileages were 105,000.

- North Olmstead, OH, USA

The passenger side rear wheel well is rusted to the point of non-drivability. This is a sincere safety issue. No notice of the problem until the "rubberized" coating pealed away to showcase the massive rust holes.

- Agawam, MA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger side wheel well was completely rusted. The contact stated that there was a hole in the wheel well. In addition, whenever the contact traveled over a road bump, there was a loud bang from the rear of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was determined to be unfit to drive. The contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told that the dealer deemed the vehicle unfit to drive because the strut and wheel well were detached from the vehicle. The dealer stated that it was only a matter of time before the rear passenger side wheel would detach from the vehicle. The current mileage was 97,000. Kmj the consumer stated while driving, he hit a large pot hole, and then he heard a huge bang from the rear of the vehicle. He thought nothing of it, so as he continued to drive, the noise became worse. When he arrived home, he opened the compartment and found the inside was damp with water. Upon further inspection, he noticed he could see through the inside of the vehicle into the street through a newly formed hole in the passenger rear wheel well. The crack started at the rear of the tire well to about the middle of the tire. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but Ford didn't want to claim any responsibility. The rust was in an area that nobody noticed, as it was behind the sealer that was out in the tire wells of vehicles in the northcast. Ford inspected the vehicle, and informed the consumer, it was not safe to drive, as the suspension was compromised. The strut was very loose and he witnessed the crack get even bigger, as he tried to drive it back from the dealer. Also, the consumer had problems with the reverse lights flickering on and off. When he took the vehicle to the dealer, he was informed a new switch was needed. He declined the replacement. The consumer believed that may have been a symptom of the rust and the wires getting wet. Updated 12/04/13

- Waltham, MA, USA

Ford Escape 2005 rear right wheel well rusted out. I noticed slight strut sounding noise in the rear right wheel for a week. I checked to make sure nothing was rattling in the trunk or where the jack mounts. After opening the plastic access compartment to the jack, there was a hole straight through to the ground. I inspected the rear right wheel well and saw the entire thing rusted out clear above the shock/strut mount. I contacted the manufacturer and there was no recall yet the vehicle can essentially be deemed un-drivable and a safety hazard for the road.

- Akron, OH, USA

There was banging in the right rear. The shock mount rusted off the inner fender. The inner fender has severe rust and part of the frame is rusted through. The inner fender had to be replaced. A portion of the frame had to be replaced. A new shock was needed. The floor in the rear of the car had to be repaired from the shock hitting into it. All in all $1,373.55 in repair. I have pictures. I contacted a local Ford dealer who explained that the car is 8 years old and we have salt on the road in winter. I also contacted Ford customer service who explained there were no recalls for such an incedent. After looking on line I found numerous similar experiences which leads me to believe this is not caused by normal use. The affected parts must not have been properly treated or coated or sealed or something.

- Freedom, PA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds he heard a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact inspected his vehicle by removing the rear passenger tire. The contact discovered that the shock absorber mounting plate was rusted and had detached from the body of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 184,180. Updated 04/30/13 the consumer stated after he filed the complaint, the vehicle was taken to a local body shop, where it was deemed unsafe to drive, in its current condition. The body shop repaired the affected area.

- Greenfield, IL, USA

Right rear shock tower completely rusted out, causing the rear shock to become unattached from the body of the car.

- Imlay City, MI, USA

As I was driving over the weekend with my husband and 2 young children I noticed a loud banging noise in the back of my vehicle. When I checked the right rear wheel area I noticed the inner and outer wheel house were completely rusted through, so much so that the shock was hitting the inside of my vehicle as it had nothing to attach to anymore. I noticed road debris inside my vehicle when I pulled up the carpet. I looked at it with several co-workers who have been in the insurance industry for 10-15 years, stating they had never in their lives seen something like this. I started to do some research online and found a shocking amount of the same complaints for this year/made/model, most of them recent. I am extremely upset with Ford for not recognizing this as a manufacturer defect as it is clear that it is. My family and I could have been killed if the shock went straight through the floor. I called tousley Ford where I brought the vehicle and the woman simply said, "well, there isn't a recall on it so you have to pay for it". this is going to cost me thousands of dollars, thousands of dollars for a manufacturer defect that is not being recognized by Ford. Astounding.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

I heard a loud noise coming from passenger rear. When I looked to see what the noise was I saw the shock mount was coming threw the inside. Upon further inspection it was found that the wheel well was all rusted out, which included the shock mount. I took it to a emerling Ford only to find out that it will cost me around $1500 to have this repaired. This is the 4th vehicle that needed this repair at their shop.

- Springville, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, the contact was informed that the rear passenger side of the suspension was severely corroded. The contact was also informed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Laingsburg, MI, USA

The rear passenger wheel well corroded completely through the metal and encompasses the entire upper shock absorber mounting point. Nothing is holding the upper shock absorber attachment in place.

- Ypsilanti, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, the technician stated that the passenger rear shock mount had rotted and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The technician advised that there was no remedy for the failure and recommended that a new vehicle be purchased. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 73,028.

- Broadalbin, NY, USA

Passenger side rear shock mount completely rotted off of vehicle.

- Sun Prairie, WI, USA

Inner and outer wheel houses, and quarter panels on both sides of the vehicle were rusted/corroded to the extent that the shock was pushing through the inside of the vehicle on the passenger side. Loud banging noises and water inside the vehicle led to inspection by professionals. Visible holes in the wheel house area were discovered at this time. Upon inspection, it was realized that the driver side was just as badly rusted/corroded. All parts listed above needed to be replaced, as well as both shocks, which were also damaged due to their detachment from the rusted areas. All were replaced at my expense, immediately, due to the danger of driving the vehicle any further, thus avoiding a potentially serious accident. The expenses were $3402.08. Ford will not cover these expenses because the vehicle is out of warranty. The car only has 69,000 miles, and is otherwise in top condition. The damages seem excessive at this mileage and age. Photographs are available of the vehicle before, during, and after repairs.

- Penn Yan, NY, USA