WARNING

OT Not about a tractor, but it is about old , well not so old, iron. WARNING, if you or someone you know drives a Ford Escape that has been used in a road salt area you may be driving a death trap. While driving my 2010 Ford Escape which I have owned since new the K subframe assembly collapsed due to rust caused by road salt. The K frame is the part to which the two front wheels attach. While driving on a newly resurfaced highway and enjoying the smooth ride I and the two vehicles in front of me had to slow down for a flagman and a sign that said "rumble strip ahead". We slowed down from 55mph to about 10mph. When I crossed the rumble strip my vehicle came to very unexpected screeching halt. At first I thought I had a beak lockup although I wasn't breaking. Upon on outside inspection I found that the driver side front wheel was pointed straight ahead as it should be. The passenger side front wheel was pointed at 45 degrees toward the roadside. Had the vehicle hauled to the Ford dealership in Richland Center, WI. They found that the K frame member had rusted an broken which allowed the wheel to move backwards and become jammed in the wheel well and unable to revolve causing instant and sudden breaking and inability to steer the vehicle. I was not hurt and no other damage was done to my vehicle or other. Just overjoyed that the frame didn't break a few minutes earlier when I was doing 55mph. I filed a complaint with the National Transportation Board. (NTSB)

This is the same problem that was the cause of a recall of the 2001-2004 Ford Escapes. Ford supposedly fixed the problem on a recall. Guess the problem wasn't fixed as there have been many complaints about this failure on vehicles from 2005 and later. I don't expect much to come out of it from Ford. Did have the vehicle repaired at a cost of $2,250. The money isn't a problem. The problem is that neither NTSB or Ford have put out a warning to lookout for the rusting of the frame while it should considered to be a very serious and life threatening problem. My vehicle has only 66,300 miles on the odometer. I have the broken parts that I requested the repair shop return to me. Bought the vehicle new when I was 73yrs old figured It would be the last one I would need to buy. Now at the ripe old age of 83 I can't see buying anything new so I'll just keep driving the "Rust Bucket" and just call it old iron. Hope nothing falls apart on it.

I have pictures of the broken parts and will send some when I learn how to post them. Have been on this site for many hears so must have been around long enough to be able to post. NEXT TIME YOUR EXCAPE IN ON A HOIST HAVE A GOOD LOOK AT FRONT SUSPENSION ---- IT COULD SAVE YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Glen,

Thanks for the WARNING! We own a 2017 Escape and I am also old like you. Will sure ask my maintenance folks to look for the danger when it's in for a next oil change. Also will let my wife know as she drives this more than I do. My regular use vehicle is a Chevy van.

Thanks for the warning. Our family has had an Escape, but it was sold 4 years ago. (Indiana, near I-94) Jim

My brother has an a Ford Escape about the same year, I will mention this to him.

Don't know if the new styled Escapes use the same front suspension, but will be worth a look. You probably shouldn't run into the problem with that new a vehicle. You might want to look at the NTSB site to see what other problems they have been having with the newer Escapes. Good luck and hope your vehicle lasts the rest of your lifetime.

Does your state not have a yearly vehicle Safety Inspection
Here in Pennsylvania a vehicle has to once a year.
that type of rust concern would have been noticed before it causes a problem.

(quoted from post at 13:33:15 09/10/20) Does your state not have a yearly vehicle Safety Inspection
Here in Pennsylvania a vehicle has to once a year.
that type of rust concern would have been noticed before it causes a problem.

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obody does that kind of thorough "inspection" here, for sure! Lights, horn, tires, will it stop & read out from elect test port is OK, then it passed.

I just had over 60 feet of brake line replaced due to road salt .157 dollar of Rock Auto parts turned into a 1200 dollar brake job I hate salt.

That could have been a bad problem for sure. Good thing it happened when it did. I was driving my 55 chevy years ago. I thought the steering felt funny. I pulled over. Just before I stopped the right wheel turned sideways. The tie rod fell off. Going straight not much of a problem the wheel was just following along. It was when I stopped. Stan

Wisconsin does not have an annual inspection law. And I glad they don't. This type of thing probably would not have been caught in any state inspection in places I
have lived in the past that had the required annual inspection. Have oil changes done at the dealer where I bought the vehicle. Ford should have told there dealers to have their grease monkeys check for this problem. But, I doubt Ford would want the adverse publicity

Just another reason I won't buy a car made in the 21st century.

If you live where they use salt you won't find any cars from the 20th century worth buying.

IIRC Ford had to replace the rear axle on some of the older front wheel drive mini vans they used to make due to that same issue.

Dumb questions:
Did some of the brake lines rust through and need replacing before this happened?

Another good reason to live in the South and be retired so when it does snow everything gets parked but the tractors until its all off the roads.My 06 Toyota Tacoma that was owned by a retired fellow has Zero rust,the black paint is still on the frame.

Windstar minivans. The rear axles were subject to excessive bending stresses, made worse by rust, and would break near the middle. There was a Ford fix that involved a brace/reinforcement installed on the axle. A friend from work had one repaired. I saw a field full of them once behind a Ford dealer a few years ago.

Thanks for the heads-up! We own a 2004 Mazda Tribute (rebadged Ford Escape). Bought it cheap because it was showing some rust. After I had it for a while, the rust got serious around the rear suspension mounts. Our local body shop found a pre-formed floor pan for the rear area that replaced all the rusted areas. Apparently, Ford and Mazda had been having this problem for several years in "salty" areas of the country. Two years later, the welded-up Mazda is still on the road, subject to my inspection later today. Thanks Again!

I lived down on the MS gulf coast for seven years. Sure you don't have the road salt down there, but there are other disadvantages. Such as one time I was going to work on an offshore platform and I had to cross over the high bridge in NO. Seems they didn't know how to use salt after a light snowstorm so the put six inches of gravel down. You should have heard the truckers talking about this in the CB. I wouldn't want to put what they said about the situation as they lost traction trying to get to the top of the bridge.

Nope. Break lines were still good.

Ford Escapes have had rust problems with the rear shock mounting also. I checked mine and they seem to be ok. They are far enough back so that a person, sitting in a back shouldn't have to worry about getting a needless device added to their body. But then again, they wouldn't have to worry about walking with a bounce.

Just one more reason to hate those $(*&^)*(@) rumble strips. If not meeting another vehicle I go around them and sometimes I'll even wait for the other to pass and then go around. TDF

TF I am like you we never see rust damage like that on vehicles around here. Good thing for living in the south.

(quoted from post at 11:43:00 09/10/20) Just another reason I won't buy a car made in the 21st century.

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Stephen, ?!?!?!?!

Rumble strip wasn't the problem. Actually, I'm thankful for the one I ran over. It showed a flaw in my vehicle that very easily could have taken my life.

Then be sure to take advantage of every pothole you find in the road and maybe it will prevent your having an accident in the future with your newly repaired car. TDF

(quoted from post at 11:00:59 09/11/20) Then be sure to take advantage of every pothole you find in the road and maybe it will prevent your having an accident in the future with your newly repaired car. TDF

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Have plenty of those potholes up here. They should break any weak rusted parts. With my luck I would find one that was deep enough to swallow the whole vehicle. I do know how to swim which might help me out of that problem.

I think the break lines at stainless.

(quoted from post at 14:13:22 09/10/20) Just one more reason to hate those $(*&^)*(@) rumble strips. If not meeting another vehicle I go around them and sometimes I'll even wait for the other to pass and then go around. TDF

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If your vehicle is so fragile that you're afraid driving across a rumble strip is going to cause it to fail catastrophically, then you should not be driving it, period.

The rumble strip did not cause Glen's vehicle to fail, the rust did.

That said, why pick THIS failure to get righteously indignant about? Anything could fail at any time on any vehicle, causing a fatal accident.

That *WAS* the original intent of having a mandated annual safety inspection. You know you neglect your vehicle, just admit it. You might change the oil on a schedule, maybe even grease the u-joints, but you don't do a thorough inspection of the structure and brake lines on your vehicle, ever! Nobody does. Cars fall apart and kill people, so the state mandates annual safety inspections. This was supposed to be an opportunity for a qualified mechanic to thoroughly check out your car, but because it's state mandated everyone treats it as a joke. Drive through "lick 'em and stick 'em" inspection stations. If the car comes in under its own power, it passes.

You guys can go on about vehicle inspections all you want. Every state that I have lived in that had inspections? Those inspections were a joke! The only place I have lived where a vehicle inspection would have failed a vehicle for rust like that was the Germany. There inspectors used a 2 handed probe (looked like a giant ice pick) and try to force it through any place that that is rusty. If the point goes through the vehicle fails. I can't see most Americans tolerating someone trying to poke holes in a vehicle they own.

Rick

(quoted from post at 15:15:37 09/10/20) Wisconsin does not have an annual inspection law. And I glad they don't. This type of thing probably would not have been caught in any state inspection in places I
have lived in the past that had the required annual inspection. Have oil changes done at the dealer where I bought the vehicle. Ford should have told there dealers to have their grease monkeys check for this problem. But, I doubt Ford would want the adverse publicity

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Is the oil filter on your escape up where the grease monkey can change it from above?
Many oil changes by shops are done without ever lifting or going under the vehicle at all.
If yes on the filter, they may not ever notice severe rust under the vehicle.
I would think a dealer oil change is the dealers way of getting your vehicle in so they can recommend all sorts of repairs needed each time. Your dealer must be an odd one to miss yours needing obviously necessary repairs.

Unless that k- member rusted from inside out and it was not really obvious it was close to failing.
Your location being in the rust belt, I imagine the shops are so use to seeing large amounts of rust, they eventually see it as no big deal.

The greasing part of the oil change procedure has to be from down under. I always have the whole thing done.

Just talked to a woman at the feed store who was driving an Escape exactly like mine. Even down to the same color. She said she had to have the rear shock mounts repaired. Told her to have the front suspension checked also. She said she would after hearing my story. Who knows? If she goes through the checking I might have saved her life.

(quoted from post at 11:17:30 09/11/20) The greasing part of the oil change procedure has to be from down under. I always have the whole thing done.

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I have always done the PMs myself, and that includes an inspection for possible rust problems, as well as my highly successful rust prevention program that I have describe here numerous times.

(quoted from post at 15:17:30 09/11/20) The greasing part of the oil change procedure has to be from down under. I always have the whole thing done.

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Unless you have had replacement parts with zerks installed after the oem parts wore out, there might not be anything to grease.
Grease fittings are not something the vehicle builders bother with anymore.