Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Ford Escape submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I was driving down the road about 35 mph and it jerked me clean off the right side of the road. Here the driver side and passenger side subframe/engine cratle is completely rotted out bad . This needs fixed before someone dies.
I WENT TO TRADE IN MY CAR AND WAS INFORMED THAT FRAME BEHIND FRONT DRIVER SIDE IS ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH. MEANING THE BODY COULD DETACH FROM FRAME OR SOMETHING ELSE DANGEROUS COULD HAPPEN. THIS IS MY ONLY CAR AND NOW I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT.
Driving at 40mph the front right wheel collapsed due to the sub frame failure (rusted out and separated}. I understand that Ford did not treat the frame member for rust properly causing catastrophic failure. Fortunately it did not cause an accident or personal injury. Talking to my mechanic he said it is a common problem in 2004-2012 Ford Escapes, Mercury Mariners,and Masda Tributes.
Was informed during inspection the subframe is rusted very badly and could fail. In doing research the 2009 Ford escape has had these recalled for this specific reason that the subframe components were not properly coated causing rust and failure. My VIN isn't on the list after speaking to Ford. My next step is to address you to see if it needed to get added as it is exact nature of the original 2006 subframe recall that mine is not a part of yet needs to be
Power Steering completely out of my car, making turning in any direction difficult. Causing Safety concerns as it has already caused exterior cosmetic damage while turning into the driveway and not being able to turn in as quickly as I was needing to get out of the traffic cause me to scrape approx. 12- 16inch onto my driver's /left sidebumper/fender. I have also felt loss of power, or a struggle to accelerate. Conditions are worsening as time goes by. As if my transmission is slipping. Power Steering assist light has turned on. It may have also resulted in poor alignment causing even more damage to tires and suspension.I took to the local Ford dealership to check, as there are 100,000 recalls for the exact issues on vehicles with the same year make and model as mine, according to my vin number, my vehicle was not included in these recalls. I was forced to pay nearly 100.00 out of pocket for these test to be ran. The test shows many faults including confirmation of power steering assist at fault and failing torque. Not only has this cause a domino effect of concerns with my vehicles safety, it has caused many outburst of emotional distress as it is hard for me to continue to drive my vehicle.
I started to hear a grinding and cracking and popping sound I checked the vehicle and the front left ball joint is bad there is an obvious crack in the joint that is easily visible when inspecting the area of the front left wheel and it’s components
Subject vehicle is a 2009 Ford Escape with 74,123 miles. Driving the vehicle the lower control arm separated from the front frame otherwise known as the engine cradle or subframe. The failure is identical to the subframe failures on the 2001 - 2004 Ford Escapes currently under recall. The failure was immediate with no prior warning. The vehicle exhibited loss of steering control, wheel lock up from the front tire contacting the back of the wheel opening, and loss of transmission engagement from cv joint separation. In my opinion, whatever PCA actions or quality root cause was identified by Ford Motor Company during the prior recall investigation isolating the condition to 2001 - 2004 Escapes was either incomplete or inaccurate. This is supported by the same failure occurring in Escapes outside of that model year window. No mechanism was added after the 2004 Escapes were produced to prevent this failure from occurring. Images attached show the failure that was experienced. I was unable to obtain a good used frame locally that did not exhibit signs of corrosion with perforation present or starting. This further supports the failure mode is beyond the scope of the initial recall. The recall should be expanded to prevent future accidents that could have the potential for injury or death.
Subject vehicle was a 2009 Ford Escape with 74,123 miles. Driving the vehicle the front passenger lower control arm separated from the k-frame/cradle causing the vehicle to lose control. Loss of steering was experienced as well as tire lock up from the front tire lodging against the back of the fender. The CV shaft also separated during the failure resulting in loss of transmission engagement. There was no warning prior to the event, the failure was sudden and immediate. The loss of vehicle control was extreme. Failure is identical to RCRIT-14V165-9596 for the 01-04 Escapes. The reason the recall was only isolated to the 01-04 Escapes is unknown. In my opinion, whatever PCA actions or supplier related issues identified by Ford Motor Company during the prior recall investigation to support the recall only affecting 01-04 model years was either incomplete or inaccurate. The frame rust through condition extends beyond the model years listed in the recall and was not resolved as shown by subsequent failures on vehicles outside of the recall model year window. No mechanism was put in place to prevent the control arm separation in the later model year Escapes to prevent the same safety issue from occurring. I was unable to obtain a front cradle from a local salvage yard that did not exhibit perforation present or starting supporting this condition is occurring on all model year Escapes from 2001 to 2012 in corrosion prone areas. The recall should be extended to all model years involved to prevent potential accidents.
THE FRAME/ENGINE CRADLE HAS RUSTED OUT BY THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE RUSTED AREA IS CURRENTLY ABOUT SIX INCHES WIDE BY 2+ INCHES IN HEIGHT. LUCKILY, THIS WAS NOTICED WHILE I WAS CHANGING THE OIL.
AUTO CREDIT NEVER FIXED THE RECALLS. *TR
I WAS ON MY TO WORK ONE MORNING ENTERING THE INTERSTATE ON RAMP AND I LOST POWER STEERING WHICH ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. MAKING IT EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER THE VEHICLE. UPON TAKING IT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME MY POWER STEERING TORQUE CONTROL MODULE WAS FAILING. THIS WAS A RECALL ON ESCAPES FROM 2008 / 2011, BUT THEY SAID MY PARTICULAR VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL??? UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION MYSELF I'M SEEING WHERE NUMEROUS FORD OWNERS WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND LIKE MYSELF HAD TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR OUT OF POCKET...NOT CHEAP I MAY ADD. IT SEEMS THAT SOMEONE WILL HAVE TO LOOSE THEIR LIFE AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE A RECALL IS ISSUED FOR (ALL) MODELS IN THIS TIME FRAME... WHAT A HORRIBLE THING FOR FORD TO PUT THEIR CONSUMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN JEPORDY DUE TO THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE FULL RECALL ON ALL MODELS BETWEEN THIS TIME FRAME. ALSO VEHICLES TO BE FIXED AT FORDS EXPENSE BEFORE SOMEONE LOOSES A LOVED ONE. AND REIMBURSE THOSE OF US WHO HAVE HAD IT FIXED AT OUR EXPENSE....
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WHO WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE A PERMANENT REMEDY TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANICS BLED THE BRAKE LINES AND REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER THREE TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15E045000 (SUSPENSION). TUSCALOOSA FORD (5801 MCFARLAND BLVD E, TUSCALOOSA, AL 35405, (205) 304-0719) STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THERE FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
HOY EN LA MAANA CAMBI LA RUEDA DE REPUESTO Y RESULTA QUE LA GATA SE AISL, CAY, VENTAJOSAMENTE NO ESTUVE BAJO EL VEHICULO, LA GATA NO SIRVE AHORA, PUDE HABER MUERTO A CAUSA DE ESTA FALLA DE FABRICA DEL ARTEFACTO. TERRIBLE EL PROBLEMA , EXIJO UNA SOLUCION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED VIOLENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS MAY HAVE PREMATURELY FRACTURED AND MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE HAS DIFFICULTY GETTING ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO ACCELERATE ON THE HIGHWAY, THIS IS A DAILY STRUGGLE. YESTERDAY I WAS TRYING TO PASS AN 18-WHEELER AS IT WAS DRIFTING INTO MY LANE; AS I EAGERLY PRESSED ON THE GAS MY CAR JUMPED AND CONTINUED TO COAST AT THE SAME SPEED. EARLIER THIS MONTH, I HAD TO DECELERATE FROM 40 MPH TO A FAIRLY ABRUPT STOP AND MY CAR WAS UNABLE TO. I JUST HAD MY BRAKE PADS REPLACED SO I KNEW THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM, MY CAR JOLTED A TOTAL OF 7 TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY CAR IT SOUNDS LIKE ITS GOING TO FALL APART, THE RATTLING COMING FROM THE SUSPENSION IS CONSTANT. I GET MY FORD ESCAPE CHECKED UP EVERY MONTH, BECAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS I HAVE. THIS CAR IS A HAZARD TO MY SAFETY, AND I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING IN THIS ROLLING PLASTIC DEATH TRAP. IT'S INFURIATING THAT THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY TO BE NOT HARMFUL ENOUGH TO HAVE A RECALL. I COULD HAVE DIED FROM IN BOTH INSTANCES WHICH I SPECIFIED IN THIS COMPLAINT, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS.
POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT HAVE REPLACE FRONT INNER BEARING,TRANSMISSION LINES, KEEP UP ON ALL MY MAINTAINED RECORDS SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN SEPT 2014' AND HAVE ALL OTHER MAINTAIN ECONOMIC RECORDS.
I HAD TAKEN MY SUV IN FOR A ROUTINE, ANNUAL INSPECTION AND WAS UNAWARE OF ANY ISSUES AS I HAVE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE COMPLETED ON THE CAR IN ADDITION TO TAKING IT BACK TO FORD TO FIX THE VARIOUS RECALL/SAFETY ITEMS, THE LAST OF WHICH WAS < 6 MONTHS PRIOR. MY MECHANIC CALLED TO ELL ME THE STRUTS AND SHOCKS WERE COMPLETELY RUSTED AND AT THE POINT OF DISINTEGRATION; THE CAR NOT ONLY WOULD NOT PASS INSPECTION WITHOUT A COSTLY REPAIR ($1419.08) BUT PRESENTED AN IMMEDIATE HAZARD TO DRIVE EVEN 2 BLOCKS BACK TO MY HOUSE OR A FEW MILES TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC FURTHER ADVISED THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE HE HAS SEEN REPEATEDLY WITH FORDS AT ABOUT THE 5 MARK. HE FURTHER SHARED THAT IN THE LAST CASE WHICH HE HAD TO REPAIR, THE PARTS HAD DISINTEGRATED WHILE THE OWNER WAS DRIVING AND BLEW OUT HIS TIRES. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE DRIVER WAS INJURED OR IF THE VEHICLE CRASHED. I DO KNOW THAT I AM VERY GLAD MY VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE ISSUE IDENTIFIED BEFORE I MET WITH THE SAME FATE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT AT THE DEALER LEVEL, THE REGIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER, AS WELL AS THE GENERAL CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE BY PHONE AND HAVE EMAILED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE (GENERAL AS WELL AS REGIONAL) AND HAVE ONLY HAD ONE GROUP POINT THE FINGER AT THE OTHER IN TERMS OF WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST. BEYOND THE COST OF REPAIRS, I SEE THIS AS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE I HOPE SOMEONE WILL INVESTIGATE BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF POOR QUALITY PARTS. I AM 53 YEARS OLD; I DO NOT NOR HAVE I EVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD. IF THERE IS SNOW, I DO NOT DRIVE AN WORK FROM HOME. I DO NOT RECALL THE LAST TIME I WAS WITHIN 50 MILES OF AN OCEAN IN THE SUV SO I AM NOT CERTAIN WHAT WOULD CAUSE A FAILURE OF SUCH MAGNITUDE ASIDE FROM POOR QUALITY. *TR
REAR SWAYBAR SUBFRAME MOUNT BRACKET DETACHED FROM SUBFRAME WELDING. FAULTY WELDING IS THE DEFECT AND CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
IN FEBRUARY 2012 (MILEAGE APPROX 32900), I EXPERIENCED JERKING UPON ACCELERATING AS MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE WAS CHANGING GEARS. THE DEALER ASSESSED IT AS A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION AND REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER. MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH JERKING UPON ACCELERATING SINCE. THEN, ON 10/20/2012 (MILEAGE APPROX 38000), THE VEHICLE STALLED WHEN MY WIFE WAS ACCELERATING TO ENTER TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THANKFULLY, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT GETTING HIT, AND SHE AND OUR 18 MONTH OLD ARE OK. THE DEALERSHIP IS REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY. NOT ONLY WAS ACCELERATION A PROBLEM, THE SEALS ON THE FRONT AXLE BROKE AND SPILLED AXLE FLUID ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, SO THE DEALER IS REFILLING THE AXLE FLUID AND REPLACING THE SEALS. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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