2004 Ford Escape Suspension Problems
- 143
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 143 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- wheel well · 59 records
- right rear · 41 records
- rear wheel · 35 records
- passenger side · 31 records
- rear passenger · 25 records
- shock mount · 25 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 63 |
| 150–400k mi | 38 |
| 60–100k mi | 24 |
| 30–60k mi | 6 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Suspension
Right rear wheel well rotted out where shock attaches to the body. Seems through research that this is problem with most owners in the mid west. Contacted local ford dealer and informed to contact you as well as ford motor company. The took pictures to forward on to the engineering department at ford. *tr
ODI 10667504
Body · Suspension
Driving and sounds like a square bowling ball is rolling around in back. Look to find a rusty mess from shock mount going through wheel well. Asked around and seems to be common problem. Thank goodness i wasn't far from home. Very dangerous, why is this not recalled yet! *tr
ODI 10655207
Suspension
I had to avoid a bicyclist and ran up over the curb at a speed of about 35, i noticed right away upon driving away that there was a great rattle in the right side rear suspension. I had it looked at by my insurance company, they told me the upper strut mount broke off. Because of the rust noone will fix it. The car otherwise is in perfect shape, no other rust present on the car. This obviously is a defect in the…
ODI 10659399
Suspension · Wheels
A few weeks ago i was driving slowly down a dirt road and i started to hear a bumping noise towards the back of my car, only when i when over bumps. I figured it was just gear in my trunk making the noise and i was going to take a look at it later, but it didn't seem like anything to be concerned about. Yesterday i finally got all my ignition coils fixed after some trouble with the mechanics doing it wrong…
ODI 10655221
Body · Suspension
I was driving the vehicle when i started hearing a loud thumping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon inspection i discovered there was rust inside the rear passenger wheel well and that the shock mount was unattached from the vehicle. *tr
ODI 10668139
Suspension
We recently took our 2004 ford escape to get it looked at because every time we hit a bump there was a loud thud sound in the back right. We found out that the rear right wheel well of our 2004 ford escape is completely rusted out. The corrosion has caused a major suspension problem and it's been deemed undrivable. What's worse is that no mechanic or body shop will attempt to fix the issue because it would be…
ODI 10649081
Suspension
Noticed a burning rubber smell. Found that rear shock tower had rusted through and shock was rubbing on tire. *tr
ODI 10648651
Electrical System · Suspension
Loud rattle then grinding noise. When i pulled over i had to remove the shock mount which was jammed between the car and my tire. The shock has now popped through the plastic. This is my only form of transportation and the dealer said there was no recall. The other side is rusted out as well. In addition, when damp out, the #5 plug is missing causing damage to the converter. Total estimated tune up repair close to…
ODI 10637714
Suspension
While driving heard a loud clunking noise coming from the passenger side rear wheel well. Arrived home to inspect the area of concern. Found that the passenger side rear shock mount had completely separated from the wheel well due to extensive rusting. This allowed the shock to travel upward striking the plastic interior trim panel. This vehicle was garage kept until two years ago. It also passed state inspection…
ODI 10631399
Suspension
The right rear shock tower rusted through and the shock has come through the plastic moulding. The car drives but is unstable and unsafe. *tr
ODI 10631192
Steering · Suspension · Wheels
On a trip to upper peninsula, michigan this past week we experienced a failure of the front subframe crossbrace, a near catastrophic event as the piece broke. We were in grayling, michigan and were stopped near an independent service provider who showed us the damage and attempted to find a used part. The one he found had the exact same rust and break as ours and thus he ordered a new one from ford. In the meantime…
ODI 10631901
Suspension
The right rear wheel well is rusting out so that the shock to break loose. I was told it's unsafe by several mechanics/body shops to drive. This is the only car that i have to transport my three children and it's not going to be a cheap fix. This needs to be recalled before someone gets injured or worse!!! *tr
ODI 10631549
Suspension · Wheels
Noticed loud rattle, knocking in rear of truck. Stopped to have mechanic look at it. Discovered severe erosion in rear wheel well and shock mechanism completely separated from vehicle. Appears to be very common for 2004-05 escapes. *tr
ODI 10632770
Suspension
After investigating a loud noise. I found out that my right rear shock tower was rusted out and making the noise. After researching the problem i found out that there are many people out there with the same problem. This is a very costly fix that fords should have do do as a recall. This is also dangerous. If this part breaks while driving it could cause a accident or worse. Please consider this problem and as a…
ODI 10626531
Suspension · Underbody Shields
I have a 2004 ford escape . I received a recall notice for a corrosion issue with the sub frame where it connects to the lower control arms . I haven't had an issue with it yet and was planning on getting the recall work done within the next couple of weeks . On 8/02/2014 when i pulled in my driveway i heard a loud clunking noise coming from the rearof my escape . When i look in the right rear wheel well i could see…
ODI 10618467
Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speed, there was an unusual sound that came from the rear of the vehicle. The contact was able to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road and observed that the rear wheel control arms had become detached due to corrosion. The contact did not notify a dealer or an independent mechanic however, she contacted the manufacturer…
ODI 10618088
Suspension
While my son was driving he heard a loud clunking noise came from back of the car. He stop , pull over and take a look to see what happening and when he look in to the rear wheel well he see it was damaged badly . He made appointment to take car to ford dealer to check it out . They checked it and told him that the shock mount had rusted completely through the shock mount and no longer attach to the car, they told…
ODI 10619387
Suspension · Wheels
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. The contact stated while driving various speeds he heard an abnormal sound coming from the right rear passenger side of the vehicle. The contact discovered that right rear wheel well was covered with rust causing the shocks to fail. An independent mechanic discovered that the shock absorber needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The…
ODI 10620880
Frame And Members · Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving at a unknown speed, there was an abnormal noise coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the rear passenger and the driver side sub frame and the suspension was rusted and corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.…
ODI 10669237
Body · Suspension · Wheels
Driving down the road wirht my 2 young kids and all sudden go over the train tracks and the rear strut broke from the shock mount and came right up thru the vehicle i have found thousands of complaints on this issue, ford needs to step up luck i gained control of vehicle with a 1 mont old baby and a 3 year old this is searious matter! Someone is going to die because of this it needs to be fixed! *tr
Crash reported
ODI 10618053
Body · Suspension
I bought my 04 escape brand new, and am the original owner car garage kept, this is a severe safety issue!! Rusted out wheel well and shock mount went right through the frame while driving at only 15 mph out of a parking lot. *tr
ODI 10607471
Suspension
My escape has completely rusted out on the rear passenger wheel well. The strut is just hanging there. I can not believe this is not a safety issue. Does someone have to die to get a recall. Come on ford stand up and do something.
ODI 10735295
Body · Suspension · Wheels
Rusted out right wheel well with structural collapse. We bought this car used from a local ford dealer in april of 2013. This car was being driven on a freeway on june 15, 2014 when a loud thumping started in the right rear wheel on . On inspection the right rear wheel well is rusted out. The support that the shock absorber is attached to was completely eroded and a part of it punched through the wall into the…
ODI 10604592
Body · Suspension
REAR PASSENGER SHOCK MOUNT RUSTING OUT. *TR
ODI 10595740
Structure · Suspension
The right rear shock tower mount completely broke away from the vehicle subframe due to corrosion/rust. This caused the shock to lean outward toward the tire. This could not be seen by the undercoating as a problem previous and apparently allowed it to corrode to the point that it broke free. This exact same issue occurred in my insurance lady's ford escape, which i believe was only one model year different. Also…
ODI 10607016