2004 Ford Escape suspension problems

“The body panel around the rear driver side shock mount has almost completely rusted away. Driving one day, I started to hear a loud clunking noise from the rear driver side. It started to get louder the more I drove it. Upon inspection, I found the body panel had completely rusted around the shock mount tower, which is only now connected to the rear floor panel. Without the support of the rest of the body panel, the metal is slowing ripping away where it is connected to the floor if it is driven. The vehicle is completely unsafe to drive now as the rear shock could rip away from the vehicle at any moment. There have been many complaints of this happening on the rear passenger side, which I also had on this vehicle. Roughly 5 years ago, I had an independent auto body shop repair rust on the passenger side shock mount/body panel where it had rusted through. I noticed a hole in the body panel when changing the rear shocks, but it was not large enough or bad enough at that point to create a safety issue. So, I had time to safety get it to an auto body shop for repair before it got bad. This same issue has now happened on the driver side and I am left with a car…”

“in an attempt t improve the safety and drivability of m 2004 ford escape I went to have my shocks, struts, control arms, sway bar end links and ball joints and steering arms replaced. upon the installation I was informed that the rust on the sub frame is at a critical level and in danger of catastrophic failure. I did some research and found that the recall on the sub frame existed. however my local dealership denied that this recall existed for my vehicle. I was able to get the majority of the parts installed but there is issues with the threads inside the subframe that the hardware attaching the suspension components to the vehicle. I am reading that the "fix" for this recall is installing a support brace but do not fee that is an acceptable repair as the wheels may literally fall off of the car taking the front suspension with them as they go.”

“THE WHOLE UNDERBODY IS RUSTING AWAY ESPECIALLY THE FRAME, COULDN'T EVEN GET REGULAR MAINTENCE DONE SINCE THE RUST SO BAD. WE ALWAYS WASHED THE UNDERBODY AFTER IT SNOWED AND THAT DIDN'T STOP THE RUST FROM EATING AWAY THE SUV. I SEE THERE IS A RECALL FOR MY YEAR BUT WHEN I DO A VIN CHECK IT SAYS NO RECALL OPEN FOR MY VEHICLE. I HAD TO GET A WINDOW PUT IN HAD 4 DIFFERENT COMPANIES COME OUT TILL I COULD GET SOME ONE WILLING TO PUT IT IN SINCE THEY WHERE SCARED OF THE PINCH WHEEL FROM BEING SO RUSTY. THE FRAME IS SO BAD YOU CAN SEE THROUGH IT, I SCARED IT GOING TO BREAK AND LEAVE ME STRANDED OR WORSE IN A CAR ACCIDENT!”

“COLLEGE AGE DAUGHTER RECEIVED A CAR FROM GRANDPARENTS, 2004 FOR ESCAPE GARAGED ITS ENTIRE LIFE. RECEIVED AT 88,000 MILES. OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, NOTICED A BANGING IN TRUNK AREA. REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AND SHOCK TOWER MOUNTING AREA HAS RUSTED OUT AND THE SHOCK IS "FLOATING" IN PLACE. CAR CURRENTLY ONLY HAS 109,000 MILES ON IT! IF THIS IS SUCH A PROBLEM AS WE HAVE SEEN, THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, AND SOMETHING THIS DETRIMENTAL SHOULD BE ISSUED A RECALL!!! CURRENTLY TRYING TO WEIGH OPTIONS AS THE REST OF THE VEHICLE RUNS GREAT, ENGINE IS STRONG, BUT THE COST TO REPAIR (IF WE CAN FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL) ALMOST EQUALS THE CURRENT VALUE OF THE CAR! NOW I HAVE A COMMUTING COLLEGE STUDENT WITH ONLY A PART TIME JOB WHO WILL NEED A CAR! SHAME ON YOU FORD FOR NOT STEPPING UP TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS DEFECT! WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT POTENTIAL LAWSUITS BECAUSE AS MENTIONED THIS CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY ENCLOSED AND STORED IN A GARAGE ALL ITS LIFE AND WAS ONLY DRIVEN BY HER GRANDMOTHER TO RUN OUT TO LOCAL STORES, ETC. SHAME!”

“JUST BOUGHT MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE K FRAME FRONT PASSENGER LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNT RUSTED OUT EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS DESCRIBED IN RECALL CODE 14S02 AND MY CAR VIN IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST FOR LOWER CONTROL ARM”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VEER TO THE RIGHT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL STARTED TO MAKE A LOUD NOISE. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM HOUSING WAS SEVERELY CORRODED AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS BEGINNING TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,500.”