Right back shock came through wheel well and broke through interior of car. Car is in excellent condition with no rust.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, a loud knocking sound emitted from the rear of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the driver's side rear wheel was rusted and the shock had penetrated the trunk. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

- Clinton Township , MI, USA

I was driving down the street when I noticed a banging noise coming from the rear of the car. When I parked the car and investigated I realized that the passenger side rear wheel well was rusted out. My shock is not longer attached to the car and every time I hit a bump it slams into the car.

- Syracuse, NY, USA

Right rear wheel well has on my 2005 Ford Escape has rusted completely through. The shock absorber is banging against the inner interior molding when the vehicle goes over a bump. There are large holes in the passenger compartment and the shock absorber is about to separate entirely from the wheel well leaving the suspension on the right rear side of the vehicle compromised. The wheel well on the left rear of the vehicle is in tact.

- Woolwich, ME, USA

Has I was driving on the highway all of a sudden my transmission fail. It sound like it fail out the bottom of the truck. The truck went into a noise dive and I fault to get it over to the shoulder. No warning signs at all. Never had slippage or nothing. Cars behind me all most crashed into me and my family. The tow truck came and the truck would not move when he tried to pull it up on the tow truck. Will Ford fix there trans problem at there cost and not mind. God is the glory, he was with us.

- Gaithersburg , MD, USA

I have previously filed a complaint after taking the above car to a body shop when I noticed some rusting in the wheel well area. The body shop (X3) explained this was a known issue with Ford (prior to the 2001-2004 recall). I contacted Ford via E-mail, and filed a complaint here. The wheel wells in the rear of the vehicle were peeling, and I was told the shock mount would eventually punch through to the inside of my vehicle rendering the vehicle unsafe. This weekend, this exact thing happened. Ford has never acknowledged my issue, and I noticed the complaints on differently online forums have increased significantly since I first noticed the issue. My vehicle is well-cared for with all appropriate maintenance completed. The body shops I went to did not want to fix my vehicle because they felt Ford needed to acknowledge the problem.

- Mount Vernon, OH, USA

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

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

The right rear wheel well of my 2005 Ford Escape limited has almost completely rusted out. At the rate the rust is spreading, there is a severe risk of the shock separating from the vehicle body.

- Waterford, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made a clunking noise. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the rear passenger side wheel well and struts were severely corroded and fractured. The manufacturer advised the contact that the failure could be corrected by replacing the rear panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 158,000.

- Eagan, MN, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that driving approximately 35 mph, there was a loud popping noise from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician stated that wheel well had developed a hole. As a result, the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of this defect. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.

- Togan Station, PA, USA

Right rear wheel well completely rusted through, undermining strut support. All other wheel wells have minimal to normal rust with rust proofing material still in place. Body of vehicle has no rust at all and is in excellent condition. Vehicle has always been garaged and washed regularly.

- Madison, WI, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Escape. The contact stated that whenever driving over a bump, the vehicle would make a loud knocking sound in the rear. The contact stated that he inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear passenger side wheel well had corroded and the shock absorber was damaged. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.

- Pottstown, PA, USA

As I sit here and read all these reports on Ford Escape passenger side rear wheel well issues, I wonder how long or what is it going to take for Ford to realize this is a major safety problem which needs taken care of.

- Sistersville, WV, USA

My wife was driving our 2005 Ford Escape home from work and noticed a loud thumping sound when she would go over a bump on the road. It continued for a few days and she told me about it and after checking the back passenger side wheel area I saw that the metal molding holding the shock absorber had rusted out and the shock absorber was not being braced which was causing the thump. I had it checked at an auto repair and they said I would need to have someone weld a replacement metal piece into the wheel well and probably replace the shock if it is damaged. I have been driving the vehicle since I saw what the problem was and have been waiting to try and get it fixed. From search the internet it seems like this is a very common problem and I am hoping that a recall has or will be done on for this problem.

- Harrodsburg, KY, USA

While driving over rail road tracks a loud thud was heard in the right rear wheel well. The first assumption was the tire blew, but upon inspection the tire was fine. The vehicle was driven for a few more days and the thud would continue to be heard getting worse and worse, especially when hitting bumps. The vehicle was taken to a Goodyear auto service center where I was informed that the right rear wheel well was severely rusted and the upper shock mount had separated from the body. The thumping we heard was the chunk of metal and shock mount that was separated from the body but still attached to the top of the shock hitting the rest of the wheel well that was still there. The service tech told me that he was very surprised that this area of the car was rusted so badly and it appeared that it wasn't undercoated properly to prevent the rust. The service tech informed me he couldn't fix it and recommended a welding shop (friess welding). The welding shop was able to cut out the rusted wheel well (they referred to it as a fender well, I don't know if there is a difference in the name), repair the upper shock mount, put on a new shock (the old shock was bent to badly from when it separated from the car), and properly undercoat it. They informed me that this was common on 05 and 06 Ford Escapes and they had repaired quite a few for the same thing. They also informed me that Ford recently had a recall for 01-04 Ford Escapes for a similar issue only on the front of the car. They thought that Ford should do a recall on 05-06 for the back. I don't know if this will help to have a recall done but what the welding shop was telling me seems to be true after doing some research on the internet. I will keep all of my receipts and the pictures that I took and hope a recall is eventually done. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Tallmadge, OH, USA

The right rear passenger wheelhouse panel is totally corroded. The 'panel' holding the rear right suspension cracked, nothing holding the suspension. I have seen numerous complaints in the website. This should be treated as a manufacturer's defect as it is the same problem in which the Ford Windstar was recalled for.

- Chicago, IL, USA

The rear passenger side wheel well on my 2005 Ford Escape has completely rusted through, freeing the shock mount. Vehicle has just over 100000 miles and is not able to be driven in its current condition.

- Shelby, OH, USA

Rear passenger side wheelhouse rusted out breaking the rear shock mount causing steering issues. This is a known problem with Ford for this model year. The wheelhouse is simple sheet metal that rusted out, the shock mount has no reinforcement and is simply attached to a cup in the wheel well. When it gave free the vehicle swerved to the right.

- Fairport , NY, USA

Rear passenger side inner wheel liner completely rusted out. Upper end of shock no longer attached to body of vehicle.

- Bethel Park, PA, USA