2004 Ford Escape Body Problems
- 108
- 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 108 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- wheel well · 60 records
- rear passenger · 33 records
- passenger side · 33 records
- right rear · 30 records
- rear wheel · 25 records
- shock mount · 19 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 55 |
| 150–400k mi | 23 |
| 60–100k mi | 13 |
| 1–30k mi | 4 |
| 30–60k mi | 3 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body · Suspension
As with all other postings the rear passenger wheel well has completely rusted out.and the car started making very loud clunking noises. I do not know the exact moment the wheel well completely degraded. The repair shop said it is not repairable. So we are just now out a car. I just spent way too long chatting with someone from ford who gave me a postal address to send a complaint to. I think everyone who has had…
ODI 11190114
Body · Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving 65 mph on the highway, the rear drive axle fractured causing the rear drivers side wheel to detach. As a result, the vehicle spun out of control and became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was unable to be driven. A police officer assisted with moving the vehicle off the road and towing the vehicle to a facility. An appointment was made with quick lane at…
ODI 11184424
Body · Engine · Suspension
Recently purchased car, check engine light came on. Diagnostics scan shows 2nd cylinder misfire, ignition coil faulty. Went online to check common issues with this model..it is a common issue with most 04 escapes. Lots of complaints for wheel well rust..upon inspection, mine too is corroded and the shock is coming through the floor board in the hatch. I heard noises while driving but hadn't inspected it until now,…
ODI 11170739
Body · Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving approximately 10 mph, the steering wheel failed due to severe rust and corrosion of the subframe. The contact attempted to replace the control arms and noticed that a huge chunk on the subframe was rotted and corroded with a large hole near the front passenger side of the subframe. The contact stated that the steering wheel was approximately 40 degrees off…
ODI 11152851
Body · Suspension · Unknown Or Other
When hitting a bump in the road, car pulls sidewavs. Got checked out. They found excessive corrosion on engine cradle and steering components were loose and affected by excessive corrosion on engine cradle. Stabilizer rod is almost ready to fall off. They advised us not to drive the car until all components are repaired. Steering is erratic and tires squeal when turned left or right.there is a recall for 386,000 of…
ODI 11130904
Body · Suspension
I am a mother of three children whom i use my ford to drive to school, i also depend on it to get me to work three weeks ago i was on my way to work my children present in car when we heard a loud bang from the back of my suv i pulled off to the side of the road immediately to check out the vehicle nothing seemed to be wrong so i resumed driving from that day when i drove the car there was a clanking sound in the…
ODI 11100474
Body
Passenger side rear wheel well rusting away. Shock tower mount is in tremendous jeopardy. I have looked at dozens of similar model year escapes this weekend, including one i own, and they are all fine. A review of the internet shows i am not alone though. Thousands of reports of the same issue. What to do?
ODI 11073520
Body
The two hinges holding the rear window to the tailgate are badly corroded to the point that the metal bolts have failed and the rear window is now a safety hazard and could fall off during normal driving.
ODI 11033470
Body · Suspension
Rear passenger inner fender well rusted out, causing the shock mount and shock to come disconnected. The shock now has nothing to connect to.
ODI 11031996
Body · Suspension
The rear passenger side suspension has completely broken off and hangs freely. Had it inspected at a local garage and was informed this was an extremely common problem for this type of vehicle, and that a safety recall should've been put in place due to the routine failures of this part. I'm now forced to drive a dangerous vehicle to get to work and respond to emergencies.
ODI 11022406
Body
Catastrophic failure of the front sub-frame engine cradle assembly. It completely rusted apart on the passenger side causing the lower control arm to come loose. My daughter was driving when it came loose causing the escape to run off the road. Thankfully there was plenty of shoulder on the rural road and no one was hurt. Had this been in traffic, an accident would have been inevitable. Called ford customer service…
ODI 11018841
Body · Suspension
We had noticed we was getting water inside our escape bad it was standing water in floor board so we looked at the inner and outer wheel housing and it was rusted very bad the mechanic said it was not safe for us to drive. The passenger side was the worst. They had to weld in pieces to truck and floor boards now mind you we have an 11 year old that rides right where this was rusted the worst :( when we noticed this…
ODI 11003846
Body · Rear
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle violently bounced up and down without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe was rusted and corroded and the rear lower control arm separated from the vehicle. The technician stated that the rear lower control arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number:…
ODI 10972037
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving 35 mph, the vehicle began to shake violently without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the subframe was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the frame fractured and needed to be replaced. The vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The…
ODI 10980284
Body · Suspension
I was driving to work on a smooth roadway and all of a sudden my rear end started to clunk and bang. I was so startled that i had to pull over in heavy morning traffic and had to miss work and take it to a mechanic where i was told the rear shock assemblies had snapped from the vehicle. After due diligence i found there was a recall issued for the front end for the same make and model because of mounts separating…
ODI 10947416
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle swerved independently into a ditch. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The contact noticed that the subframe was rusted and detached. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Crash reported
ODI 10938728
Body · Suspension
My 2004 ford escape has major rust issues that has affected the structural integrity of the vehicle. The vehicle is not driveable unless the rust is repaired. I just filed a complaint with ford (case #cas12002459). Currently there are no recalls on the vehicle and as a consumer i am turning to the nhtsa for support in having ford make the ncessary repairs yo my vehicle.
ODI 10969391
Body · Suspension
Passenger rear wheel well has completely rusted out and shock and mount have rusted and broken off of frame. While driving the vehicle on a village street, hit a rough patch of road by a manhole and heard a terrifying noise, then it sounded like the back of the car was going to fall off. Upon parking and inspecting the vehicle, the broken piece was pressed against the rear tire, and had rubbed some of the rubber off…
ODI 10899253
Body · Suspension · Wheels
Rear structural body, joints, massive rust and corrosion.
ODI 10897700
Body · Suspension · Wheels
Structural excessive rust and corrosion rear wheels
ODI 10897645
Body · Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. While driving 30 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the subframe for the steering was deteriorating. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure); however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure…
ODI 10876402
Air Bags · Body · Unknown Or Other
Airbag light blinks or continuously stays on...also rear passenger shock has broken away from wheel well causing unsafe driving conditions. I just had this vehicle financed back in february 2016.
ODI 10873771
Body · Wheels
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the front passenger side tire and frame fractured and caused sparks to emit from the vehicle. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had received notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The manufacturer was…
ODI 10899567
Body · Suspension
Vehicle steering has become unstable and wobbly. Took it to the shop to check on the alignment, and was told the entire subframe has corroded. I found a recall for this issue, but apparently my vin was not included in the recall, even though it has the same issue.
ODI 10862196
Body · Wheels
I heard rattling from the back of my car like a tin thermos rolling around. I looked at the back and was inspecting my vehichle. Once i took out the spare tire cover i discovered a huge hole in the right rear wheel well. I called my dealer about the issue and brought the car in as soon as possible to be serviced. I have looked this up online to see if there is a recall for an issue like this and i am finding that…
ODI 10862381