2011 Ford Escape Body & Structure Problems

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the subframe on the passenger’s side front had detached due to extreme corrosion, causing the front axle to become detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V165000 (Structure). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,596. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a routine maintenance inspection, and he was informed by the mechanic that the front subframe engine cradle displayed rusted holes and corrosion located near the control bracket and the contact was concerned for his safety. The contact also stated that the rear wheel rails had started to rust. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that a fee would be charged for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Rust is happening at an increasing rate on the rear wheel wells and rear lift gate.

I am the second owner of my 2011 Ford Escape Limited. I live in Michigan. The previous owner also lived in Michigan. I purchased this car January of 2021 from Sundance in St John’s. Recently we have had a noise coming from the rear passenger shock and I took my car to a Firestone to get it repaired. They made me aware of my shock rusting through the body and into my trunk panels. The car was deemed unsafe to drive at just less than 230,XXX miles. This car is just over 10 years old and has been beautifully maintained. I have all documents pertaining to maintenance and I recently spent $9000 dollars on this car from the dealership. Surely this isn’t an issue that started in just this last year as the entire frame where the shock was attached had rusted through. I frequently drive myself and my family around and this not only has been disruptive but could have easily caused harm if gone unnoticed. There was no warning light, there was no indication that it would fail, I am glad I caught it right away. Even July of 2021 I spent about 1.5K on repairs and it was not mentioned to me then that this could be an issue. This is not the kind of issue that happens over night. I am glad no harm was done to me or my family, but I feel cheated.

Rust around wheel wells and rear liftgate along bottom edge.

I WAS DRIVING AND MY BACK WINDSHIELD BROKE LOOSE FROM THE CAR. I WAS DRIVING ON MANCHESTER RD NO MORE THAN 40 MILES AN HOUR. UPON CHECKING ,ONE OF THE REAR HINGES HAD BROKE AND THE WINDSHIELD WAS HANIGING BY THE OTHER HINGE. FORTUNATELY FOR MYSELF AND PEOPLE BEHIND ME ON THE HIGHWAY IT HELD ON. IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THE OTHER HINGE IS ALSO ROTTED AND I'M VERY LUCKY NO ONE WAS INJURED. I WAS TELLING MY COWORKER WHO HAS THE SAME YEAR,MAKE , AND MODEL CAR ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND WE DECIDED TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT HERS. HER HINGES ARE ALSO ROTTED AND THE SAME THING COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER AT ANY TIME. WE THEN WENT ON LINE WHERE WE FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. THE FOLLOWING IMAGE IS OF THE HINGES. A FRIEND CAME AND PUSHED THE WINDSHIELD BACK UP IN PLACE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT DOWNPOURING INTO MY CAR. THEN WE DUCKTAPED IT TO GET ME HOME. I DID NOT WANT TO LET IT HANG AGAIN FOR THE PHOTOS BECAUSE I AM AFRAID IT WILL FALL OF COMPLETELY. ONE IMAGE IS OF MY CAR , THE OTHER OF MY COWORKERS.

ON 2011 FORD ESCAPTE REAR HATCH HAS DEVOLOPED CORROSION AND BROKE OFF. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT SERIES FROM 2012 AND EARLY IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. LUCKY I WAS NOT DRIVING ANYWHERE WHEN THIS WAS DONE OR IT COULD HAVE CAUSED ENGERY TO CARS AROUND ME AND TO MYSELF OR MY YOUNG SON WITH GLASS BLOWING INTO THE CAR.

REAR WINDOW LIFT GATE HINGE BROKE WHEN CLOSED WHILE STATIONARY IN DRIVEWAY.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, I NOTICED THAT THE FORD EMBLEM ON MY STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTER, THEREFORE MAKING MY CAR OUT OF ALIGNMENT BUT I HAD NO IDEA HOW THIS HAD HAPPENED. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO BRING MY CAR INTO TOWN FAIR TIRE TO GET IT REALIGNED BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE MY ENGINE CRADLE WAS EXTREMELY RUSTED SO I WOULD NEED TO HAVE THAT ADDRESSED AT A MECHANIC. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY PULLED THE VEHICLE SAFETY CHECK THEY DID ON MY VEHICLE FROM THE YEAR BEFORE WHEN THEY CHANGED MY TIRES AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES SO THIS WAS VERY ODD TO THEM AS WELL AS TO HOW THIS COULD'VE HAPPENED. I NEXT BROUGHT IT INTO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT IN ORDER TO FIX THE ISSUE MY ENTIRE FRONT END FRAME WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. $1600 LATER, MY VEHICLE IS BACK IN LINE. FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS CLAIMING THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH THEY DID HAVE RECALLS ON THE 2005 ESCAPES FOR THIS SAME REASON. I'M LUCKY I NOTICED AND ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS HAPPENED LIKE MY ENGINE DROPPING OUT OF MY VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY OR SOMETHING. MY VEHICLE ISN'T THAT OLD AND ONLY HAS 81000 MILES ON IT. SOMETHING SEEMS OFF.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT NOTICED STREAKS RUNNING DOWN THE VEHICLE'S GLASS. ALSO, THE HINGES FOR THE GLASS ON THE LIFTGATE EXPERIENCED PREMATURE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED. OWNER OPENED THE REAR WINDOW. ON LATCH RELEASE (AND WINDOW UPSWING) THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDOW SHOT OUT AND FELL FROM THE CAR -- WINDOW WAS BEING HELD ONTO THE CAR ONLY BY THE GLASS LIFT SUPPORTS. THE WINDOW LIFTGATE HINGES HAD DETERIORATED/BROKEN APART FROM THE ANCHOR BOLT ON THE WINDOW. APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MONTHS PREVIOUSLY, OWNER NOTICED THAT A WHITE SUBSTANCE HAD STAINED THE REAR WINDOW JUST BELOW BOTH LIFTGATE HINGES.

MY 2011 FORD ESCAPE REAR LIFTGATE LATCH WON'T OPEN- CAUSED BY PREMATURE FAILURE OF AN ELECTRICAL ACTUATOR THAT UNLATCHES (OPEN) THE LIFT-GATE. THE VEHICLE'S LIFTGATE ONLY UNLATCHES ELECTRICALLY (BUTTON SWITCH OPERATED). THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE LIFTGATE MANUALLY IF THE ACTUATOR FAILS OR IN THE EVENT OF VEHICLE'S ELECTRIC POWER FAILURE. DEFECTIVE DESIGN, QUALITY CONTROL/RELIABILITY ISSUE AS WELL AS SAFETY CONCERN. THERE ARE APPARENTLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OWNERS OF 2008 TO 2012 FORD ESCAPE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE FOLLOWING YOU TUBE LINK (OVER 69,000 VIEWS TO DATE AND GROWING): HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=BKXGGQYXXO4

SUN ROOF SHATTERED WHILE IN HOT SUN,LATER BLEW OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY

THE REAR LIFT GATE SEAL LEAKS AND LEAVE A PUDDLE OF WATER AROUND THE REAR LATCH. SOMETIMES THE CARPET IN THE BACK NEAR THE REAR GATE IS DAMP. *TR

REAR WINDOW SHATTERED WHILE PARKED AND REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER WORKING. *TR

THE REAR HATCH WILL NOT OPEN. FIRST IT STARTED OFF WITH SOMETIMES OPENING AND THEN NOT OPENING. THEN AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING, IT WOULD OPEN. NOW IT WON'T OPEN AT ALL. WHEN I PUSH ON THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE DOOR, I CAN HEAR IT DOING SOMETHING, BUT THE HATCH REMAINS LOCKED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFTGATE WINDOW WAS FOUND TO BE SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. *TR

CLOSING REAR LIFT GATE AFTER THE CAR REMAINED STATIONARY OVERNIGHT, THE WINDOW SHATTERED ONTO THE GROUND AND INTO THE TRUNK. LOW TEMPERATURE FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS 19 DEG F. SUBSEQUENT CLEAN-UP EFFORTS REVEALED SCRATCHES TO CAR BODY AND RESULTED IN PERSONAL INJURY (LACERATIONS). FORD WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR COST BASED ON VEHICLE MILEAGE, DESPITE EXPLICIT REFERENCE TO PE 11-016 AND TO FORD TECHNICAL SERVICES BULLETIN 10-22-10. *TR

IT WAS ABOUT 30 DEGREES AND MY 13 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WENT TO PUT A ITEM IN MY 2011 FORD ESCAPE PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY. UPON CLOSING THE REAR LIFT GATE THE GLASS SHATTERED INTO TINY PIECES. THIS CAUSED SCRATCHES AND OTHER BODY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WHEN THE HYDRAULIC ARMS AND WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY GAVE WAY WHEN THE GLASS SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE IS 2 YEARS OLD AND UNDER WARRANTY. I CALLED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND WAS TOLD TO TURN IT INTO MY INSURANCE. NO OTHER HELP WAS OFFERED!!! MIND YOU ITS 30 DEGREES OUT AND I HAVE 2 YOUNG CHILDREN AND LIVE IN A RURAL AREA. I DID AS I WAS TOLD AND REPORTED TO MY INSURANCE CO. THEY TRIED TO HOOK ME UP WITH SEVERAL GLASS PLACES WITH NO LUCK. THE CLOSEST WAS 35 MILES AWAY AND SAID IT WOULD BE ABOUT 2 WEEKS TO GET THE GLASS BECAUSE ITS NOT SOMETHING THEY HAVE IN STOCK. I HAD TO DRIVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WITH NO REAR WINDOW IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER WITH TWO KIDS JUST TO GET IT COVERED WITH PLASTIC SO I COULD HAVE A CAR TO DRIVE. AM I WRONG TO THINK FORD COULD HAVE DONE MORE TO HELP???? *TR

AFTER UNLOADING ITEMS FROM REAR CARGO AREA, TAILGATE WAS CLOSED, AND THE REAR TAILGATE WINDOW EXPLODED IN MY FACE SPONTANEOUSLY. IT SEEMED AS IF THE RECIPROCATING ARMS PERHAPS DID NOT COLLAPSE COMPLETELY AND WENT THROUGH THE WINDOW. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO ASSISTED IN CLEANING UP THE DEBRIS WAS CUT BY THE GLASS. *TR