Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 16046 | 07/01/2002 | 636245 | Some vehicles may exhibit a rear shock leak and / or noise condition. *tt | 11/07/2002 | |
| 16154 | 08/01/2002 | 636171 | Some vehicles with aluminum wheels may exhibit a clicking noise heard coming from the front of the vehicle during left or right hand turns. *tt | 11/06/2002 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 16696 | 03/01/2003 | 10001942 | Whining / propeller / helicopter type noise from front wheel / knuckle bearing area. *tt *jb | 07/28/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 12/12/2012 | 94160 | 1 | |
| The vehicle was being operated on city streets. as the vehicle approached a stop sign the brakes were applied, a loud crash and screech was heard as the vehicle fell to the ground and tire was dragged along. the front passenger side control arm has come detached from the vehicle because the front sub-frame had failed. the vehicle had to be towed to the shop. the failure was reported to be caused by corrosion. the vehicle only has 94,160 miles on it. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2012 | 94160 | ||
| The vehicle was being operated on city streets. as the vehicle approached a stop sign the brakes were applied, a loud crash and screech was heard as the vehicle fell to the ground and tire was dragged along. the front passenger side control arm has come detached from the vehicle because the front sub-frame had failed. the vehicle had to be towed to the shop. the failure was reported to be caused by corrosion. the vehicle only has 94,160 miles on it. | |||
| 09/28/2012 | 45000 | ||
| Tl the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact noticed a loud snap and a knocking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. a few days later the contact noticed that the steering wheel became uncontrollable and continued to pull to one side. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated that the a frame was corroded and detached from the vehicle, causing damage to the abs and the tie rod. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 45,000. kmj | |||
| 09/28/2012 | 45 | ||
| Tl the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving approximately 25 mph the contact noticed a loud snap and a knocking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. a few days later the contact noticed the steering wheel became uncontrollable and continued to pull to the side. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated the a frame had corroded and detached from the vehicle causing damage to abs and the tie rod. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure 45,000. da | |||
| 12/14/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started to shake abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger side axle was fractured and the frame was corroded, and cracked. in addition, the wheel bearings and the brakes were defective. as a result, the frame and axle needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 102,000. | |||
| 12/14/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started to shake abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger side axle was fractured and the frame was corroded, and cracked. in addition, the wheel bearings and the brakes were defective. as a result, the frame and axle needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 102,000. kmj | |||
| 12/14/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle started to shake. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the right axle broke, the frame was corroded and crack. also the wheel bearings and the brakes were defective. as a result, the frame and axle needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 102,000.pm | |||
| 03/08/2012 | 124000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford escape xlt. the contacted stated that the vehicle was inspected by a private mechanic who informed the contact that there was corrosion of the sub frame ball joints and control arms. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 124,000. kmj | |||
| 03/08/2012 | 124000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford escape xlt. the contacted stated while the vehicle was inspected by a private mechanic the mechanic confirmed corrosion of the sub frame ball joints and control arms. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 124,000. rds | |||
| 02/15/2012 | |||
| When i recently had my routine maintenance check on my vehicle i was horrified when my mechanic informed me that the front sub frame was rusted from the inside out! can you imagine my utter shock when my mechanic advised me that this vehicle is prohibited to be driven since catastrophic outcomes would be likely? how very fortunate nothing fatal took place while being in this vehicle; because based on the condition of the sub frame it could have been my reality to suffer detrimental consequences. my young children are in this suv every single day and to think their lives were at risk just by being a passenger has sickened me beyond words. i had no other choice but to get it repaired asap, so i informed the customer relationship center of ford motor company as instructed by their website and all they could do was apologize for any inconvenience. this frightening situation goes far beyond from being an inconvenience it could have been a major life threatening issue. i was not asking ford for a new vehicle, i simply was asking for assistance towards a major expense that was not caused by my lack of protecting my major investment with routine maintenance checks but by ford having defective sub-frames installed in their vehicles. my mechanic has never seen such a structural defect as this ever before! ford has already manufactured vehicles that involved major recalls for the the exact same problem, so quite naturally other ford models could suffer the same dangerous consequences with regards to the front sub frame . i believe an investigation on this horrific issue is deemed a necessity due to the history of ford's sub frames. this has been very devastating to me and i can't imagine allowing another consumer to endure this major fear. your attention to this is appreciated. | |||
| 06/27/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving 55 mph the knuckle separation off the suspension caused accident. *nlm | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 05/12/2008 | 45000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2003 ford escape that i just took to the dealer for repair. the replaced the bushings in the upper and lower control arms as they were coming out. i ask the dealer about the problem, and was told they had seen it before. rare but had seen it. seems to me if the bushings come out of the control arms an accident could occur. seems to me to be a quality problem that ford is ignoring. i did have the car repaired at my expense. hopefully this only occurs once. it all started with a clunk noise in the front end as you go over a drive way. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT | |||
| 11/05/2007 | 62900 | 1 | 11/08/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving 20 mph, the brake pedal was applied. the engine began to rev and the rpm raced to its maximum potential. the contact turned off the engine in order to stop the vehicle. there were no warning indicators present. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer. the current and failure mileages were 62,900. updated 01/09/08. *lj the consumer stated noise in front end when hitting a bump and performed inspection per recall. updated 12/12/07 *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 106000 | 1 | 06/30/2003 |
| Car to dealership on 6/1/07 for service. brake pads replaced, rotors turned, tires rotated, replaced stabilizer bar. left dealer and in less than 2 miles, abs dash light came on. went back to dealership for inspection--thinking maybe something had gone awry when car was serviced. per them (and they showed me what was wrong), collar on outside of axel that turns to send signal to abs sensor has a crack that will intermittently make the abs brake system come on. replacement per them--$425.00. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 02/15/2008 | 65000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving 25 mph, the vehicle made growling and squealing noises, and the front end shook. the dealer stated that the front wheel bearings failed and needed to be replaced. the failure initially began on february 15, 2008 with the passenger side front bearing, then the driver's side, followed by the passenger side a second time, and now the driver's side again. the first time the failure occurred the vehicle was still under warranty; however, it is no longer covered. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 75,000 and failure mileage was 65,000. | |||