NHTSA Complaint #10662284 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 FORD ESCAPE WHEN I STARTED HEARING A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR OF MY VEHICLE. AFTER A FEW DAYS THE BANGING GOT LOUDER AND MY ESCAPE SEEMED TO BE HITTING HARD IN THE BACK LIKE MY SHOCK WASN'T WORKING. WHICH MY HUSBAND HAD CHANGED THEM ABOUT 3 OR 4 MONTHS PRIOR SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS ODD. AFTER DRIVING HER TODAY AND THE BANGING GETTING WORSE I HAD MY HUSBAND LOOK AT MY BACK FENDER WALL. WHEN WE DID WE SEEN IT COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. I CAN TOUCH THE INSIDE OF MY CAR. BUT THE WORST PART OF THIS IS THAT IS WHAT HOLDS MY SHOCK IN PLACE AND IT IS ALL GONE. I CAME INSIDE FRUSTRATED AND DECIDED I WOULD SEE IF THERE ARE PARTS TO FIX IT BEFORE MY SHOCK DECIDES IT IS GOING TO GO FOR A FREE RIDE AND DESTROY EVERYTHING UNDER THERE. TO MY SURPRISE I HAVE NOT FOUND A FIX NOR A RECALL BUT I DID FIND NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. I AM VERY SURPRISED THAT NO ONE HAS MADE FORD RECALL THE ESCAPES AND FIX THIS ISSUE. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF I WAS ON THE FREEWAY GOING 70 MPH WHEN THIS BROKE AND THE DAMAGE IT COULD DO TO NOT ONLY MY ESCAPE BUT MY FAMILY, MYSELF, AND OTHER DRIVERS IF I LOST CONTROL OF IT BECAUSE MY SHOCK IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO MY SUV? I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN FORD AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT IS IN CHARGE OF RECALLING VEHICLES. THEY HAVE PUT MY FAMILY, ME, AND ALL THE OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD IN DANGER AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. MAYBE I SHOULD BUY A TOYOTA BECAUSE AT LEAST THEY RECALL THEIR VEHICLES AND FIX THEM WHEN THEY HAVE AN ISSUE. FORD DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE ABOUT ANYONE'S SAFETY. *TR