2005 Ford Escape Body Problems
- 351
- 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 351 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- wheel well · 80 records
- passenger side · 36 records
- rear passenger · 31 records
- rear wheel · 28 records
- completely rusted · 21 records
- right rear · 20 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 157 |
| 60–100k mi | 81 |
| 150–400k mi | 66 |
| 30–60k mi | 12 |
| 1–30k mi | 3 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body
During a move in which we were towing a trailer, we noticed the right wheel well was rusting out pretty bad when we could see straight through to the ground from the storage compartment for the electrical connectors. About 8 months later, driving back from a camping trip i started to hear a repeating "thud". My fiance and i couldn't figure out what it could be. I called my mechanic and as soon as i started to…
ODI 10649550
Body · Suspension
Excessive rust/corrosion in right rear wheel well. Shock absorber affected and pushing through wheel well into interior of car. *tr
ODI 10597268
Body · Suspension
Rear passenger side wheel well rusted out completely. Shock went thru the body into the trunk of my car. Been told by multiple shops they wouldn't do anything because of liability reasons. Ford acts like they've never heard of this problem but if you google the issue 1000's of the same issue will show. *tr
ODI 10596773
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that the rear passenger side wheel well and the quarter panel was completely corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the wheel well and the quarter panel needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileage was 48,850.
ODI 10596666
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, a loud noise emitted from the rear end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the rear passenger's side wheel outer liner well was completely corroded and caused the strut to protrude. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The…
ODI 10587076
Body · Suspension · Wheels
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. *tr
ODI 10586675
Body · Suspension · Wheels
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…
ODI 10621835
Body · Suspension
While driving down to the bay on a fishing trip i kept hearing something banging in the back of my 2005 escape. I stopped and found that the right rear fenderwell had rusted an nd the shock mount was loose from the rest of the body which caused it to hit against the inside plastic . This should be repaired by ford as the rest of the vehicle is in excellent condition . I will never buy another ford if they can't…
ODI 10592935
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, a loud banging noise was heard from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the panel that attached the rear passenger side shock absorber was rusted and became separated from the frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the defect as a rusted frame but no…
ODI 10586845
Body · Suspension · Wheels
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. *tr
ODI 10586569
Body · Suspension
I happened to notice rust through while checking my tires. It is located at the right (passenger side) rear wheelhouse panel where the strut assembly attaches to the body of the vehicle. The rust has disintegrated in the area leaving a barely attached wheel assembly with massive cracking and holes in the metal. It is the only area on the vehicle with rust. I was told it cannot be repaired and that i have less than 6…
ODI 10585798
Body · Suspension
I was driving my vehicle down a rural road at about 35 mph and hit a pot hole in the road. Upon inspection after the incident, my husband noticed the rear strut mount for the shock on the passenger side had become detached. There was some rust present in that wheel well around the strut housing. The supporting metal cracked the entire way around the strut housing, detaching it from the rest of the vehicle. The…
ODI 10586048
Body · Suspension · Wheels
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. *tr
ODI 10587967
Body
The rear wheelhouse side panel and the strut assembly at the passenger side rusted totally and broke. It needs to be replaced and it seems that the wheelhouse was on back order until recently it became available again. The vehicle has mostly been used in the great lakes area where snow is heavy and salt could have worsened the problem, but so many cases of rusted wheelhouse at the same place indicate that this could…
ODI 10584093
Body · Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that upon inspection, it was found that the passenger's side rear shock mount became detached from the vehicle due to rust. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage and vin was not available.
ODI 10584058
Body · Suspension
Right rear inner fender well rusted completely though allowing the shock mount to tear away from the vehicle. *tr
ODI 10583953
Body · Suspension
Rear wheel house/ strut mount totally rusted off. I work at a dealership and i have noticed a lot of escapes with the same issue. We see approx 5 of these a year over the past 3 years. That isn't counting the ones we can't visually inspect die to the thick tar ford sprayed on the wheel well to deaden sound and prevent corrosion. *tr
ODI 10583450
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, a loud noise was emitted from the rear passenger side of the vehicle. The contact mentioned that while the vehicle was having maintenance performed to repair a corrotion problem on the rear driver side door, the technician noticed that the right wheel well and shocks were corroded. The manufacturer was not contacted.…
ODI 10605736
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated the passenger rear wheel well was completely corroded. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was unknown.
ODI 10583109
Body · Suspension
The vehicle is a 2005 ford escape. While driving the vehicle a loud clunking sound was heard coming from the rear passenger side. A rattling noise could then be heard with every slight bump in the road. Vehicle was taken to a garage where they found that the whole right rear passenger side wheel well was completely rusted through exposing the shocks and struts, the carpeting can also be seen through the hole, and…
ODI 10578987
Body · Suspension · Wheels
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…
ODI 10588227
Body · Suspension
While driving on main road hit some uneven road repairs and started to hear a metal on metal sound. I thought it was the rear passenger door so stopped to check but it was locked. Drove home and noise seemed to get progressively worse. I started to check shocks and tires and saw a crack in the right rear wheel well through the rust proofing.i moved it away from the fender and saw a hole into the side of my car by…
ODI 10586263
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. The contact stated that she entered the vehicle and noticed a puddle of water on the floorboard. The contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the rear passenger side wheel well was corroded. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure. The approximate failure millage was 84,000.
ODI 10584375
Body · Suspension
While driving at 35 mph on uneven pavement, i noticed banging in the right rear area of the vehicle. All doors and hatch were secure and the jack wasnt loose. After a day or two of searching i took the escape to a local auto repair shop i trust. They found the whole inner quarter wheel house snapped off the rail. The banging was the shock hitting inside the passenger cabin. He immediately took my keys and said the…
ODI 10578223
Body · Suspension · Wheels
Right rear wheel house is rusted so bad the shock is about to come loose and cause loss of control or could rub the tire and cause it to rupture. I have been advised by a mechanic that it is unsafe to drive. *tr
ODI 10576457