NHTSA Complaint #10649550 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

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 EXPLAIN THE SOUND AND WHERE IT SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM...HE KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HIS BROTHER WHO ALSO HAD AN ESCAPE HAD JUST HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WELL HAD CONTINUED TO CORRODE AND RUST, CAUSING THE SHOCK TO BREAK. HE REFERRED ME TO A PLACE THAT DID THE NECESSARY REPAIR/WELDING. THEY RE-MOLDED THE WELL AND REPLACED THE SHOCK. A $750 JOB. SAID THAT THEY HAD SEVERAL...I THINK THEY SAID AT LEAST 6 ESCAPES IN FOR THE SAME THING JUST IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. *TR