For the last few days I have heard a horrible rattling coming from my passenger side rear. I figured it was just the equipment I had in the car. However, it continued after I removed it. I noticed inside of the car that the plastic wall had popped out. So, I figured that some winches I had stored in the compartment had gotten wedged in there and were rattling around.

I just took the car to a mechanic yesterday to have the exhaust fixed. 400 dollars for that. He said everything else on the car looked good. Well, I can't blame him for not seeing the problem. I didn't see it, either, and you wouldn't see this unless you were looking right at the wheel well.

A huge piece of metal just BROKE AWAY (about 8x8 or more). The shock is still in tact, attached to the middle of this broken piece. The metal was bouncing through the compartment, which is why the inside wall was popping out.

I'm furious about this. I just had an alternator replaced. I just had the exhaust fixed. I put about $1000.00 or more into the car last year. Now this.

Then I go to google just to see what I can find as far as this issue. I type into "Google" "Wheel well rust" and Google automatically populated this: "Wheel well rust Ford Escape". Really? So, Google has seen this typed in so often that it automatically populates it?

Then, the first thing in the results is this site.

I see that Ford doesn't think they have a responsibility to their customers regarding this issue.

I will be taking this car to my local Ford dealership, after filing an insurance claim for it. If my insurance refuses to fix it, I will be informing the dealership of this site, and the numerous people having this problem, and that they will give me a reasonable price for the work, or find me a garage that will---at the risk of my attorney getting involved.

That's all I have to say. I'm angry. I have a child on the way, trying to put away as much money as possible, and then this happens.

I am having the same issues that everyone one in this link is having. I work really hard for my money and saved many years finally replace a car I had for 14 year. I bought a 2005 Escape at the end of 2011 trusting Ford and the dealer. Maybe I should have done my homework regarding this issue first but it wasn't until I had the issue that I realize so many others have had the same issue. A recall would be the right thing to do. Trying to fix it is costly and buying another car right now isn't in the budget.

Heard loud sound when driving over bumps in the road. Thought it was an something in the back shifting. Double check and that was not the issue. Looked at the right back wheel house and found it was so rusted out and the strut was disconnected from a bolt that held it up. Took it to the dealer to have it checked to see what it was and if I should be driving it. Service man looked at it and said "oh my', he in turn takes me to the body shop and the manager says "Oh Jesus, I've never seen anything like this before". They go on to tell me it would cost apx $6k to fix it if they could and start naming everything they would have to replace or remove. They suggest I look at purchasing a new car because the car wasn't worth the cost to fix. (It is a 2005 Ford Escape Limited, leather interior, sunroof and all). I ask if it was in my best interest not to drive it and they said eventually the strut would break loose from the rusted frame and the sound would get worse. They never told me not to drive it and that it could cause harm to me and I asked that point blank.

I'm taking it to another body shop and hoping they can replace the wheelhouse and seal it at a reasonable price since buying another car isn't in the budget and borrowing someone else's to get back and forth to work and church isn't either. Pray that this fix is quick, doesn't cost an arm and a leg and works.

My story is like many others here. I began to hear a noise from the passenger rear side of my Escape, sounded like something was loose. I checked the space where the jack is stored thinking it or something near was loose. When that didn't work I checked again, sticking my hand in the area looking for something loose, and, surprise, my hand went right through to the tire. The wheel well is completely rusted through. I have called Ford and a local dealer to no avail. I think the only thing we can do is keep making noise, filing complaints, etc. and see if a recall will be forthcoming.

In the meantime, I cannot drive this vehicle for fear that the shock absorber will become detached completely. I am waiting for a price from a local metal fabrication shop to see if I can afford the fix. I'll update this when I get more info.

Update from Oct 29, 2014: Update.......I took it to a body shop, which then referred me to a custom metal fabricator. There is also rust on part of the frame near the wheel well. Using a wheel well from a junkyard the fix will be $1050 to replace the wheel well and repair the rusted frame. I will have to decide whether this vehicle is worth this kind of repair with the mileage it has on it.

While driving home from a weekend trip - noticed quite a bit of clunking in the right rear of the car. Took the car to my mechanic and he immediately saw the problem - there is barely anything holding the area over my right rear tire together. He sent me to a welding service -they have seen so many of these problems in the last couple months they have a template made!!!!!!!!!!!! I have always thought that part of my car seems "noisy", like there was insulation missing. We need a rebate for this - there is SOMETHING WRONG!!!

I have a 2005 Ford Escape Limited V-6. I bought it in 2007 from a dealership and was told that the dealer drove the vehicle. I have taken very good care of my truck and it is garage-stored. I love my little truck but the rust problem is out-of-control.

Over the weekend I heard noises that sounded like something was loose and falling apart. The sound became so loud that I knew something was not right. I took my truck to a trusted mechanic this morning (10/14/14) who informed me that this vehicle is very dangerous to drive due to the corrosion in the rear wheel well of the passenger side of the truck. Basically there is nothing holding the strut/wheel to the vehicle! I was informed that a body shop would have to fix the problem. I called a body shop and explained the problem and was told that this is a very common problem with the 2005 Escapes. I would have to have it fixed to the tune of $1,000! It would take 3-5 days! The body shop will have to remove the entire interior in the rear of the truck to fix the problem. Then what kind of problems will that cause later on? Once something is removed and put back, it's never the same!

I don't have another vehicle that I can drive! I need to hang onto this truck for another couple years before I can buy another vehicle. And I was planning on buying another Escape though I do not like the new body style--looks too much like a cross-over. I am so upset over this problem. The other three wheel-wells are fine--or so I think. Don't know what's lurking beneath! So now I have to take my life into my hands to drive this vehicle to work tomorrow and hopefully to a body shop before something drastic happens! My father was a Ford-man his entire life but I have reservations about buying another Ford product. Prior to this vehicle I had a 1992 Mercury Cougar (a division of Ford) for 15 years and it didn't start to rust until the last three years!

Come on Ford, you can do better than you are! Your vehicles are not 'Ford-Tough'!

I purchased this very clean car from a dealer with slightly over 100,000 miles with new tires in 2012. I also purchased the power train warranty as I intended to keep it for years. Fast forward to summer 2014,the car now has almost 116,000 and is unsafe to drive. The continental tires have at least 50% tread left. I also owe a considerable amount of money on the loan. I understand my problem is not unique but Ford motor doesn't acknowledge it in this year Escape.What is going on is the rear right wheel well to the back of the car completely rotted away. This problem is not to be confused with the brace recall for the underside suspension.This is significant as according to my mechanic there is nothing left to support the flexing driving creates. The escape has been repaired twice.The first time all rotted metal was removed and a new patch panel installed, sealed up and rustproofed with undercoating. The horrible slapping noise stopped for about 250 miles. Back to the shop, this time they re-spot welded the panel 30 times. This lasted 900 miles. The shop says there is not enough metal left in the back to provide the integrity needed against metal fatigue. They say the solution now would be an entire new rear quarter section before the shock tower collapses.I have read on forums that dealers are unwilling to address this problem and I can hardly blame them,it is my hope Ford motor steps up as unlikely as that sounds. As it stands now I am stuck holding the bag as I'm not a fraud kind of guy,call it karma or whatever. Here's the math- $8,500.00 car, 30 months into 6 year loan,14,000 miles driven, less than half worn tires,car unsafe to drive. So what can I do? Fix the car for an OMG amount,dig into my retirement account again,sell it for parts?maybe roll car and loan into something else possibly repeating history. Guys at work tell me the state attorney general might help.Looks like I'll have to exhaust all avenues. Ending note, the car is now nick named "slappy" and for anyone checking this out don't be as naive as I was believing that a vehicle considered a durable "sport utility vehicle is anything more than a rust bucket. These kind of problems are probably why Ford is making all aluminum trucks coming soon[thanks to the profits made from sloppy uni-body trash}.

My main problem is the rear passenger side shock mount and any metal on wheel well rusted away and broken off. But no recall from Ford. This unit body for the frame is rusting before it's time and for the prices that the vehicle are back then and today some one should stand up for this poor metal and paid for the repair.

I feel that my next purchase should be from china it could be better than local

Update from Aug 14, 2014: COULD NOT FIND THE PROPER NEW PARTS FROM FACTORY SO I GOT NEW METAL AND REPAIR IT MY SELF WITH THINKER METAL AND WELD A STRONGER HOOK UP.

IT IS NICE TO MAKE CAR LITERS BUT PUT IN BETTER QUALITY OF METAL IN THEM.

THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK

My 2005 Escape is now junk, according to 2 different mechanics and one body shop. When I hit a bump there would be a loud noise from the right rear of the vehicle. The right rear inner fender has rusted through beyond repair. The shock tower is adjacent to this. I was told not to drive it because it is unsafe. The Left rear is showing signs of the same problem. I believe this is made from inferior metal and/or a serious design flaw. I have complained to Ford and NHTSA. I have heard that this is a widespread problem. I heard that Mazda made the Escape for Ford. The Mazda Tribute has the same problem.

while driving escape my daughter began to hear a banging sound rear right area. She mentioned it to me and I thought oh great now it needs shocks.While stopping at a Goodyear shop to get air in tires technician alerted her to a crack in the frame around the wheel well that was totally rusted out with the shock barely holding on.We parked it in the driveway and began calling Ford dealers finding out if this was a known problem.We were told there was a recall for rusty frames for the 2001-2004 but our vehicle wasn't included. We hesitated for weeks deciding to repair or not, will it be safe,etc. we finally had it repaired to the tune of $1500. the wheel well was replaced since there was too much rust.

I drove my 2005 Ford Escape and I heard a rattling from the rear passenger side. I thought it was my muffler. I had it checked out by a auto mechanic. He and I went for a test drive, and then he heard the rattling. He got out of the car and went to the rear passenger and said "its the suspension, the strut housing is rotten away". The mechanic also stated that within the last 6 months (1/2014 to 6/12014) he saw 4 Ford Escape with the exact same problem, the rear passenger side rotten strut housing. I just didn't understand because my car has always been garage kept from day one.

I looked online for manufacturer recalls and even safety recalls, none at the moment. Everyone who has a 2005 Ford Escape need to be proactive and complain about rotten strut housing-suspension. I had cars that were 15-17 years old never did I have a suspension problem rotting out the strut housing. Now its apparent that the rear driver side is rotten out too.

I BOUGHT MY 2005 FORD ESCAPE FROM COLUSSY CHEVROLET IN BRIDGEVILLE, PA IN 2012 AND THEY SOLD IT AS A CERTIFIED VEHICLE MEANING THEY WENT OVER IT WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB. I HAVE HAD A CONSTANT RATTLE IN THE CAR ALONG WITH A PING IN THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. I HAD IT IN 3 TIMES AND HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT SOMEONE HAD FILLED IN THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGERS SIDE INNER WHEEL WELL WHICH HAD ROTTED OUT WITH FOAM INSULATION AND THEN COVERED IT WITH SPRAY ON UNDERCOATING. MY REGULAR MECHANIC FOUND IT WHEN HE CHANGED THE REAR SHOCKS OUT ON 6-27-14. HE TOLD ME THE NOISE I AM HEARING IS THE SHOCK TOWER MOVING EVER SO SLIGHTLY WHEN I AM DRIVING HE TOLD ME THAT EVENTUALLY THE SHOCK TOWER WILL COME FREE AND GO UP THROUGH THE TRUNK, POSSIBLY WHILE I AM DRIVING. I AM GOING TO TRY TO CONTACT COLLUSSY CHEVROLET TO ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED FROM THEM WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR.

I purchased my 2005 Ford Escape XLT 4WD used a little less than 3 years ago with 107,000 miles on it. I recently had to put a new transmission in it and alternator at around 119,500 miles. But if I would have known about the rust issue in the wheel well, I would have never ever invested that much money in the transmission.

About a month after getting a new transmission, I started hearing a thumping/banging noise coming from the right rear of the car. I was later washing my car and that's when I noticed the rusted out wheel well. There was a hole near the strut mount. 2 weeks later the rust is worse, more visible holes and now I can actually see the lining from the back seat through a hole. So far I've had two body shops look at it and neither of them want to even attempt to fix it. The left side is also rusted but not nearly like the right side. The body shop also said the rocker panel is rusted from one end to the other. They told me not to even drive it anymore, that it's dangerous!! I cannot believe that FORD has not recalled these cars for this issue.

My mother also has a 2005 Escape and we can start to see rust appear on the wheel well. Her car only has around 56,000 miles. She is already wanting to get rid of hers now before it rusts out like mine has done. I now have a parked car, with no one who wants to fix it and I still owe a significant amount of money on it. I really don't even want to invest anymore money in this "money pit" of a vehicle. I'd like to sell it for parts so that I can at least recover some of the costs of the transmission.