NHTSA Complaint #10566639 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE DRIVING, I HIT A POT HOLE THAT CAUSED MY RIGHT REAR STRUT TOWER TO BREAK THROUGH THE INSIDE OF MY VEHICLE, RENDERING IT UNDRIVABLE. MY COLLISION REPAIR MAN HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE POT HOLE WAS NOT THE ONLY CULPRIT AND THAT THE WHEEL WELL WAS SO ROTTED AND RUSTED THAT IT COMPROMISED THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THAT AREA OF THE VEHICLE, AND HAD THE AREA NOT BEEN RUSTED, THE POT HOLE WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE. HE ADVISED ME THAT THE ISSUE IS DUE TO POOR DESIGN IN THE 2005 AND 2006 MODEL YEAR FORD ESCAPES AND THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD HAS NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR. THEY HAVE RECALLED 230,000 OF THEIR MINIVANS FOR OVER RUST ISSUES (IN 2011), BUT NOT ANY OF THE ESCAPES. BECAUSE THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW, AND NOT JUST A POTHOLE, MY INSURANCE MAY NOT COVER THE $1500 IN REPAIRS. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR A YEAR AND THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT NOTIFY ME THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE, AND THE LEMON LAW PERIOD HAS PASSED. *TR