NHTSA Complaint #10899253 — 2004 FORD ESCAPE

PASSENGER REAR WHEEL WELL HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND SHOCK AND MOUNT HAVE RUSTED AND BROKEN OFF OF FRAME. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A VILLAGE STREET, HIT A ROUGH PATCH OF ROAD BY A MANHOLE AND HEARD A TERRIFYING NOISE, THEN IT SOUNDED LIKE THE BACK OF THE CAR WAS GOING TO FALL OFF. UPON PARKING AND INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE BROKEN PIECE WAS PRESSED AGAINST THE REAR TIRE, AND HAD RUBBED SOME OF THE RUBBER OFF IN THE SHORT TIME IT WAS DRIVEN AFTERWARD. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT FRAME CORROSION SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THERE WAS A RECALL FOR CORROSION ON THE FRONT END. IT SEEMS THAT IT SHOULD BE FOR THE ENTIRE FRAME, AND RECTIFIED BEFORE ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES OCCUR. MY VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THOSE DATE AND STATE PARAMETERS, YET THE VIN # IS NOT INCLUDED FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. FRONT RECALL: FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001-2004 ESCAPE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED OCTOBER 22, 1999, THROUGH JANUARY 23, 2004, ORIGINALLY SOLD, OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THESE VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE CORROSION AT THE FORWARD ATTACHMENT OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. CONSEQUENCE: A SEPARATION OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM CAN RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. REMEDY: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEWLY DESIGNED REINFORCEMENT CROSS-BRACE, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 30, 2014. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. FORD'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS 14S02.