The rear window seal began leaking during a hard rain or going through a car wash. I was not aware of the leak until it began to seep to the front of the roof, all the way to windshield. Unfortunately I was not able to get it repaired before the sunroof stopped working due probably to a short caused by the leak in the rear window seal. After the sunroof stopped working, the lights in the mirrored visors quit working. I hope my bumper to bumper warranty covers the repair cost .

Only one complaint at a time - too much repetitive steps to report problems separately. There’s a short under the hood somewhere that causes the battery to corrode in the space of a couple weeks, and causes routine replacement of the battery.

I have brought my 2012 Ford Escape to the dealer at least 10 times for a leaky back window. They replace the seal, they adjust the window, etc etc. The "repair" lasts a couple of months and then I am back to the dealer to have it "repaired" again. I had received a letter in the mail referencing a class action lawsuit regarding the leak but I threw it out and now I am sorry. Since the repair takes all day to repair, I usually get a loaner car. When I called today, a loaner car wasn't available for 10 days! So frustrating...

I took my vehicle in to repair hatch struts that stopped working, causing the latch to break. It wasn't under warranty because I bought used. After having work done, I started noticing that water was standing in the well around the post.

When I asked about getting it repaired, neither Ford nor my warranty company cover this. The tech said that the water is leaking in where the defrost comes in.

I'm frustrated that it leaks now, when it didn't before and that it's not covered by warranty. What does a bumper to bumper extended warranty cover if it doesn't cover the seals causing water leaks?

I'm frustrated that my hinges went before 36,000 miles and now this!

Found a puddle and wet section on the carpet at the latch in the back after a hard rain. At 35,900 miles, should never happen. Took it to my dealership where I purchased it, brand new in March 2012. After paying $95 to have it checked, was told it would cost $450 to have the back seal replaced. It was rotting. Very upset as the car is only 3 years old.

Other than that, I have never had any other major problems. This price is outrageous. I read that if it were about 20,000 miles, it would have been way below $100 to fix.

I only own this 2012 Escape because I got a great deal. Decent MPG, high mileage, but highway commuter miles, and only 2 years old.

I've worked on cars for almost 35 years, and for full disclosure, have driven Audi's exclusively for 25 years or so. What a rude awakening to US designed vehicles. (My 20 year old A4 with a 2.8 V6 gets better MPG)

I could bore you to tears with dialog, but I'll get to the point of this issue. The rear lift gate window design is flawed. (yeah I know, big secret).

There's actually two flaws, both of which will appear eventually. First is the issue folks have described where water will flow into the vehicle on the inside of the window glass. This is because the rubber seal surface presses against a black matte surface applied to the window glass to hide the edges. Common in modern vehicles, but not one which should be used to mate and seal with a rubber gasket. This matte surface is like 600 grit sandpaper which isn't a good mating surface and over time, a short time, degrades the surface of the seal. Also, for some reason, the matte surface grabs on to dirt and grit and glues them to itself, making the problem worse.

Now the fix issues are not expensive in the parts area but very labor intensive, which, if you're not doing it yourself, very, very costly. I'm sure Ford already knows what the issues are, but couldn't change the design ($$$) and dealers can't do ($$). The matte surface needs to be cleaned. Thoroughly. Plastic scrapers, polishing compound, finally rubbing alcohol.

Then the area where the seal presses against the window must all masked off, just like auto-body repair, and painted with a high quality gloss black paint. Has to cure at least 48 hours. Once done, make sure the seal is clean, hit with some Armor-All or silicone and close the window. It will squeak like new sneakers on a gym floor. That's what it's supposed to do. (Imagine that).

If you thought that was bad, the second issue is the mating of the seal to the sheet metal window frame itself. Problem is, it doesn't. Mate or seal. I can tell looking at the seal closely (You'll want to buy a new one), that Ford did it's best to make a good seal. But, alas, it doesn't work. At some point they put some sort of goo at the bottom of the seal that helps it stay in place, (and no doubt to try and fend off the leakage issue) but to no avail. Even if water is not running under the glass at the top, water will eventually invade behind the seal at the top, worm it's way within the seal cavity, build up, and find a way out - Into the interior of the vehicle. Ever have the wet carpet by the door and/or the puddle in the bowl section around the door latch? This is why.

Take a deep breath. You can get a new seal for $30-$40, and good silicone caulk for 5 bucks, but the devil's in the labor. Take down the window struts, unplug the wiring components, remove liftgate interior panels... Then there is laborious, meticulous cleaning that must be done to remove all the grime that came in with the water, and the goo that comes with the seal. (I used paint thinner)

After clean, I masked off the outer boundry of the seal seat (want to mark where this is while old seal still on the vehicle). This is so when you fill the seal cavity with silicone sealant and push it back in place, you can run a wet finger around the perimeter for a smooth finish. Yes, this is what has to be done, since the seal will fail if not sealed itself in place with silicone, and why your Ford dealer will never, ever, actually fix your problem. (Well, it was Ford's problem, but now you took it off their hands for 26 -30 grand). Let rest for at least 24 hours then button everything back up. Easy huh ? As eluded to in the first stanza, buy a clunker, use it for a few years, save your money, and buy a certified used Audi. They have the window seal thing down, and the engine doesn't sound like you're running a blender.

Cheers, Wundersmitty

We purchased this 2012 Escape used in July of 2013 in WA state. I took it in for an oil change to a Ford dealership in western WA in December of 2012. Upon leaving, I mentioned to the service tech that the rear window seal looked a little off kilter and kept the window from closing all the way. He had a mechanic come out into the lot and "fix it" right there on the spot. No paperwork, no record of the "repair". Great. Seemed okay, until recent heavy February and March rains. Since the vehicle is quickly reaching the 36K bumper to bumper warranty expiration, I took the car back to that dealership and had them check that rear window seal again, because in February, I noticed the rear cargo area carpet was wet when I put groceries into the car. They had my car for 3 days to replace a blown speaker and to replace the rear window seal. I picked up my car late in the day on the 3rd day. The entire back cargo area rug was soaking wet, along with areas of the back seats and the rear seat carpeting under my mats. I wondered if they used a fire hose to "test" the seals after they "fixed" it? There was also a lot of small pieces of white debris (maybe caulk?) on the wet cargo area carpeting. As the dealership was about to close, I left as a very unhappy customer. I was outraged and will be calling them today. Per this website, I am seeing that this is an "unfixable" problem and I hope to find a remedy of some sort. I will pursue a lawyer if necessary, as others have done.

I bought my 2012 Ford Escape in March of that year. Within a year I noticed the back window was leaking as there were lines on the window that wouldn't clear with the wiper. Took back to Ford Dealer and they replaced the seal. A few months later it was leaking again (and the carpet in the back was wet), took back to ford, they replaced the seal again and also the Wiper motor as it was making a loud noise from getting water constantly running in to it. Then last week I noticed it leaking again, but this time, pouring in when I used the back windshield washer fluid. Also, it snowed and while driving to work it was melting down the back and pouring in my back window again. It is currently at the Ford dealership and I'm awaiting a resolution to this ongoing problem. I found this website because I wanted to see if others had this problem and now I see they do!