Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am shocked at how many people have experienced the same issue that I am having with my Escape in regards to the right rear wheel well rusting out around the shock mount. I initially noticed the issue when I heard a loud clunking noise in the right rear of the car. I thought there was something wrong with the rear shocks so I took it to a neighborhood mechanic. The mechanic told me that it was a frame issue and I needed to take it to a body shop. He also stated that it would probably cost hundreds of dollars to fix and some body shops would not be willing to fix it. He also stated that I should drive slow because the shock mount is completely rusted out. At this point, I am furious! I went to a body shop today on my lunch break and they told me it would cost upwards of $2,000 to repair. …
I just purchased a used 2004 Ford Escape xlt with only 45,000 miles on it (12 years old, 45,000'what I thought was a diamond in the rough). It had undercoating to protect from rust when it was new. Very well taken care of, like new inside! So imagine my surprise after driving it 2 months when the passenger side rear wheel well started falling apart (wasn't like that when I bought it). Within a 3 week span it was almost completely destroyed. Again it was protected with undercoating and still rusted out all those years in a garage being barely driven!!! I asked about getting both sides done while it's in the shop and mechanic said the driver side rear well was fine and in good shape, almost no rust at all. Ford stocks only the passenger wheel well, not the driver side. …
The right rear passenger wheel well rusted out, causing the sudden dislocation/breaking of the shock mount which in turned caused damage to my tire, and wore through the interior of the car. The damage is extensive and upon researching the issue, it appears that this exact thing has happened (only on the right rear side of the vehicle) to thousands of 2004/2005/2006 escapes. This has been a known issue since at least 20011/2012 and is a dangerous defect that is usually not cost effective to fix, based on the mileage of the cars at the time of the problem. Because the left rear does not experience this issue, it must be a defect in manufacturing and Ford really needs to step up and offer a recall to fix it as well as reimbursing owners who've experienced the problem and chosen to do repairs to a vehicle in otherwise great running order.
The car started to ride rough over small bumps and a thumping sound could be heard from the right rear wheel well. Thinking I needed new shocks I inspected the wheel well and was horrified to see that the wheel well holding the shock was completely rusted away. There is a hole where the steel used to be. This is only on the right rear wheel well as far as I can see. A local auto body shop will not fix it because of the safety liability and warned me not to drive the car. The car is unsafe and I am at a loss as to what to do with it. After doing some searching I have found many Ford escapes with the same exact problem. Apparently this is a design defect that Ford knows about and should be responsible for. Had I driven the car a little longer I could have been in a catastrophic crash! Ford needs to fix this or replace my car.
I heard rattling from the back of my car like a tin thermos rolling around. I looked at the back and was inspecting my vehichle. Once I took out the spare tire cover I discovered a huge hole in the right rear wheel well. I called my dealer about the issue and brought the car in as soon as possible to be serviced. I have looked this up online to see if there is a recall for an issue like this and I am finding that many Ford Escape owners from 2005-2006 are having the same issue. This issue is a safety hazard. I am currently unable to drive my car as my dealer is not comfortable letting use drive it, and their body shop was unable to repair it saying that it was to compromised and would be liability
Rear passenger wheel well where the shock mounts to the body is completely rusted out and detached from the upper body of the vehicle. I was traveling on the interstate at about 65mph when this piece broke loose from the rest of the body. This is very dangerous, and almost caused me a serious accident on a busy highway. There are hundreds of other complaints filed just in this database alone with the same exact issue, rust/corrosion of the rear passenger wheel well where the shock mounts to the body. The Ford dealership that I had my vehicle towed to told us that they have recently seen 4 or 5 other escapes that have the same exact issue. Please investigate, this is a serious safety concern.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Ford Escape equipped with goodrich tires, tire line: long trail, tire size: p235/70/r16, and dot number: unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front tires slipped across the road without warning. The contact stated that he observed that the treads were completely worn down. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 220,000 and the tire failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
Wheel well rusted through to interior of car, shock dislocated from wheel well. We just moved to raleigh from michigan. See related news articles: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/04/07/Ford-recall-fusion-Escape/7427299/ http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/almost-400-000-old-Ford-Escape-suvs-recalled-1560352974 http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Ford-motor-company/dearborn-michigan-/Ford-motor-company-factory-defect-to-Escape-vechicles-dearborn-michigan-904056 http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2004/Ford/Escape/suspension/problem.aspx
Going 20 MPH down side road and hit pot hole. The part that you mount the rear shock to came apart do to rust and knocked a hole in rear wheel housing. Car is unrivalled and insurance will not cover do to it being a time related thing. There was no rust in wheel well or holes before. Very very disappointed. I insurance said it's a flaw in the design of Ford. They have no recalls in past or present.
Driving down the road wirht my 2 young kids and all sudden go over the train tracks and the rear strut broke from the shock mount and came right up thru the vehicle I have found thousands of complaints on this issue, Ford needs to step up luck I gained control of vehicle with a 1 mont old baby and a 3 year old this is searious matter! Someone is going to die because of this it needs to be fixed!
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2004 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2004 Ford Escape, 7% of the model year's 499 complaints. The component named most often is sidewall (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Escape wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2004 Ford Escape, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Escape wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 125,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.