NHTSA Complaint #11062296 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE

OUR 2006 FORD ESCAPE BEGAN MAKING A RATTLING NOISE IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHENEVER WE HIT A BUMP. I INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A LOOSE PANEL UNTIL I LOOKED UNDER THE REAR-PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AND NOTICED THE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF RUST AND CORROSION AROUND THE SHOCK ABSORBER. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD ISSUE THAT FORD HAS DONE LITTLE TO REMEDY. IT HAS SINCE BECOME A CONSISTENT ISSUE ANYTIME WE ARE DRIVING, THERE IS AT LEAST A RATTLE--EVEN ON SMOOTH ROADS. WHILE WE HAVE TRIED TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF DRIVING AS MUCH AS WE CAN, MAKING ONLY NECESSARY TRIPS AND COMPLETELY ELIMINATING ANY EXTRANEOUS USE OF THIS CAR, THE DAMAGE ONLY SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE, AND AT AN ALARMINGLY FAST PACE. THIS IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE AND WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO BUY A NEW CAR RIGHT NOW. IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON A SIMILAR ISSUE FOR 2001-2004 MODELS, WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON LATER YEARS? THE VEHICLE IS A LIABILITY ON THE ROAD--WE CRINGE EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT (AGAIN, IT IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE) AND WE DON'T KNOW WHICH BUMP IS GOING TO COMPLETELY RUIN THE CAR. AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS WIDESPREAD CORROSION ISSUE NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED AND ALL NECESSARY STEPS NEED TO BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE ON THE ROAD IS MAXIMIZED DESPITE SHODDY CONSTRUCTION OF THIS VEHICLE.