NHTSA Complaint #10703786 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE

WHEN DRIVING I STARTED NOTICING A LOUD BANGING SOUND STARTING WHEN DRIVING OVER SMALL BUMPS IN THE ROAD. IN TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER REPAIR SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE WE HAD THEM CHECK OUT THE SOUND THAT I HEARD. THEY POINTED OUT THE RIGHT, PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TOLD THE REPAIR WAS NOT AN IMMEDIATE REPAIR THAT WAS NEEDED BUT WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED. WE PLANNED TO WAIT UNTIL THE LOCAL ROADS WERE REPAIRED FROM THE POT HOLES DEVELOPED THROUGH WINTER. A MONTH AND A HALF LATER, ON MARCH 20, 2015 THE SOUND HAD BECOME EXTREMELY WORSE AND I FEARED FOR MY SAFETY. WE TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THE RIGHT SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND THE SUSPENSION IS BARELY ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE. IN RESEARCHING ONLINE THIS IS A PREVALENT PROBLEM THROUGH SEVERAL YEAR MODELS NOT JUST THE 2005. WHEN I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE I WAS TOLD FORD WAS UNAWARE AND THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS A SAFETY PROBLEM DESPITE THE NUMEROUS LISTINGS OF PEOPLE ONLINE SAYING THEY HAVE REPORTED THE SAME KIND OF ISSUES. *TR