Passenger side rear wheel well is rusted out an several places to were that strut mount is loose an falling apart, an will cause an accident if not fixed. This is a known issue on that exact tire an the exact year in thousands of Ford Escapes. This is over $2000 to repair at which the vehicle is not even worth that much. I am a single parent an not good enough credit to get a new car due to having cancer a few years ago having to let my credit go. Nor do I have $2000 to fix this problem. I still owe $4000 on the car as well.

- Blair, NE, USA

Right rear strut mount completely rusted through to where mount had nothing to mount to. Strut banging on wheel well.

- Frankton, IN, USA

While traveling in Virginia last summer on I-81, the body end of the rear passenger side shock-absorber came loose from the frame. We stopped shortly after we felt and heard something that was clearly abnormal and a mechanic told us the car was so rusted in that wheel well that the top of the shock had nothing to hold to. We were on a long trip, so we had the shock cut out until we got home. None of the other underbody areas showed significant rust, according to the mechanics we consulted, so we subsequently paid several hundred dollars to have a new wheel well fabricated and installed along with new rear shocks on both sides. We see no recall for this problem but on the web we quickly found several owners of the same model car describing the same problem - the passenger side rear wheel well rusting out. How can this not be a design issue? certainly it's significant a safety issue, especially since the area of severe rust was not apparent from looking at the car. Now the driver side is showing significant exterior rust at the lip of the wheel well, so we will be sending it in to have our mechanic see if the same problem is happening on the rear driver side. Help! thank you for anything you can do.

- Rome, NY, USA

The right rear shock broke loose as a result of extreme rust in the right rear wheel well around the shock tower.

- Wyoming, MI, USA

Right, rear wheel well is completely rusted out. Shock has become detached. Loud banging noise. Shock poking through to the trunk. Unsafe to drive.

- Campus, IL, USA

There started to be a banging noise in right rear area of vehicle. After inspection, I found that the right rear shock had separated its mount from the wheel well due to excessive rust.

- South St. Paul, MN, USA

Noticed a loud banging coming from passenger side rear wheel well. Looked from outside and saw a large crack in the framework of wheel well. Removed the interior panel and found the entire wheel well had rusted through and around the strut. Strut is only held by lower section of metal but flexes enough going down the road that it bangs on the interior panel which is the only way I knew I had an issue. If I did not stop and look I may have been driving and the strut could have broke completely free which is a huge safety concern.

- New Prague, MN, USA

My wife was driving her 2005 Ford Escape and noticed a loud noise coming from the passenger side rear of the vehicle. The noise happened when she was hitting bumps in the road. Upon inspection of the vehicle, I notice a hole rusted through the wheel well on the rear passenger side. I removed the interior panel to discover the wheel well completely rusted through around the shock mount. This is an extremely dangerous situation!. I thoroughly checked all of the other shocks on the vehicle. This area is the only one affected.

- Howell, MI, USA

Rear upper shock mount blew through the wheel well and into the vehicle interior leaving the vehicle unsafe to drive, looking at the complaints this needs to be investigated immediately!

- Massillon, OH, USA

I was driving when very loud banging start in the rear trunk area. I thought it was a worn shock. It was much worse than that. The shock mount was completely rusted away from the body. There is a large hole in the trunk area where you can see the tire from inside.

- Poplar Grove, IL, USA

While driving the 2005 Escape a noise was starting to come from the right rear of the car. Suddenly there was a loud clanking when ever a bump or even slight change in the road occurred. Almost ran off the road it was so sudden. It sounded like something was coming through the back of the car. When I got to work I couldn't find anything, but it continued. Finally I had someone look it over closely and they found that the right rear well was rusted out and the shock was not connected to anything on the car as there was nothing for it to connect to. Took it to 2 different body shops to check on the repairs needed one quoted $3-$5,000 the other said at least $3,000. Both said they had seen this exact same problem on this year vehicle several times in the past month! what is going on? the Ford dealership acted like they didn't know anything about it. Come on! something is up. Very disappointed in Ford. We have always had Ford, all of our vehicles are Ford and until recently we had not had any issues. Now we are questioning our loyalty, big time.

- Morrow, OH, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The contact discovered that the upper shock tower was rusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, who stated that the failure was unknown and recommended that the entire rear end of the vehicle needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 113,238.

- New Athens, IL, USA

My 2005 Ford Escape began making a rattling noise in the back passenger side of the vehicle. When I went over bumps, the noise became louder. I was unable to determine the problem until I noticed that the wheel well of my vehicle completely corroded away. Quickly the shock tower has gone through my trunk leaving a hole in my trunk into the wheel well of my vehicle. I learned of this when I was walking to my vehicle and saw some clothes from my trunk hanging out of the car through the wheel well. Through my research I have found that the Escapes from 2001-2004 have had these same issues, but have been recalled. I am confused as to why the 2005S have not yet been recalled. I have children that could literally fall through the vehicle from inside. This website, www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Escape/2005/body_paint/excessive_wheel_well_rust.shtml, describes the same issues I have encountered.

- Allen Park, MI, USA

I discovered that my rear passenger wheel well has completely rusted through. It is also rusting the frame of my Ford Escape. Rust seems to be a common problem with the Escape and there was a recall on the 01-04 models. Not sure why 05 is being ignored. This is a very very dangerous situation. My shock does not appear to even be connected at this point. There is nothing that I did to cause this problem. I took pictures and can send them to the proper person. I took it to a body shop and they told me the car is very dangerous to drive. I really have no choice at this point. If something terrible was to happen then I guess my next step would be to talk to a lawyer. I hope that this matter is looked into on the 2005 Ford Escape and the proper recall is placed immediately. I am not sure what is causing the rust and corrosion issue on the Escapes, but I can assure you that the 2005 models are just as damaged as the 2001-2004 models. I am very nervous to drive my car, but I also have to go to work to make a living and pay for the car. I hope this message gets to the right person and I hope immediate action is taken. A wreck, injury, or fatality can be prevented if something is done about this now. Please contact me for pictures of my wheel well and rust on the car. I hope to hear from someone soon.

- New Albany, IN, USA

The vehicle had excessive rust especially in the wheel wells. This rust was so excessive that it caused the shocks and struts to break away from the car body itself. Multiple body shops and car dealers informed me that there was no way to repair the card since the rust damage was so severe there would be no way to correct the damage.

- Darien, IL, USA

Passenger rear wheel shock support and uni-body frame has rusted out to the point that it is unsafe to drive and needs to be replaced. I see that there are many complaints showing up on this all in the last 6 months, and at the same mileage range. This is design or manufacturing defect and should be fixed by Ford before deaths start happening.

- Oconomowoc, WI, USA

After stopping at a stop sign, I slowly accelerated to around 25mph as I usually do when leaving my home. My vehicle, which normally quietly glides over small dents in the road, was now making a very loud noise with every bumpy encounter, and it felt as though there was no shock absorption whatsoever on the right rear side. At the time, there was no visible damage to the exterior of the wheel well, just undercoating, so I drove on thinking it may be a strut in need of replacing. The noise never stopped after that day, and I realize now after researching the problem, that this is a common complaint with this vehicle, and that previous year models of the Escape and the Windstar have been recalled by Ford Motor Company for this very reason (defective material and assembly, involving right rusted strut mount) but for reasons unknown, Ford has not yet placed a recall on this issue for the 2005 Escape. I spoke about this defect with my local dealership service department, the same dealership from whom I purchased the vehicle. They acknowledged this issue as a known issue, but agreed that Ford has not yet put out an official recall, which means I must pay for the repair. What's more upsetting is that my vehicle is now in need of inspection and I understand it won't pass without this repair being made. I feel that Ford Motor Company should pay for this repair as it is a known issue and it is also a dangerous one.

- Clairton, PA, USA

I own a 2005 Ford Escape. The right rear wheel well shock mount support has rusted away and now there is a loud banging noise coming from the back. Same issue that it appears many individuals are having. $2200 is the estimate to get this fixed. Back left wheel well is just fine.

- Canton, MI, USA

Cpsc: I1470151A. 2005 Ford Escape. Consumer stated the vehicle has completely rusted through the right rear wheel well and the shock fell off. The other wheel well was rusted and appeared to be falling off, as well.

- Troy, MI, USA

I own a 2005 Ford Escape. The right rear wheel well shock mount support has rusted away and now there is a loud banging noise coming from the back. Was curious as to if Ford was doing anything about this problem. I have approximately a 188,000 miles on it now.

- East Troy, WI, USA