Kind of an FYI to those not aware yet, and a question if anyone can answer it...

Earlier this month (April) Ford issued a recall for '01 thru '04 Escapes in "rust prone" states for failing sub-frames on the front suspension. They have a newly designed brace to be installed but they are not yet available.
You can go to safercar.gov then select the "Defects and Recalls" on the right side of the page and drill down to your vehicle or look up NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V165000 for more information. Be sure to view the associated documents (4 of them).

Short summary -
The sub frame can fail and the wheels do whatever they want.. not good. The support they intend to install will help strengthen the frame. If you take the Escape to the dealer to be inspected, they decide "road safe" or "unsafe". If deemed unsafe, they provide a rental vehicle until the Escape is deemed safe to operate.

Since there have been sub-frames that have failed, there is no guarantee that your Escape is safe without the inspection. That is where my question rests...

If the sub-frame is deemed "safe" and they add a support brace, great. If it's declared unsafe (excessive corrosion, fractures, or whatever) just adding the support piece they designed will do nothing to repair the defect, just reduce flexing of the sub-frame and possibly reduce the magnitude of the failure if the sub-frame fails. If my vehicle is deemed unsafe, shouldn't they be either repairing the sub-frame or replacing it?

I'm curious to hear how others decipher the wording in this recall...

Joe

 

Read the associated documents links in your own links. It states if it's separated, they are to order a replacement.

 

Right...if it's separated.

I'll re-read it, but as I understood the metal could be corroded and even have holes less than the surface area of a quarter (roughly) and all you get is the support brace.

Don't get me wrong... I think Ford is addressing this as they need to, but I can't help but wonder what happens if you get the brace installed and have a structural failure several months later.

 

I imagine everybody is watching their P's&Q's since the GM switch thing.

 

I've scheduled mine for it's "official" evaluation. According to the service manager, they will be taking photos, measurements, and calculating the % of metal loss in the prescribed areas. I asked about the possibility of a failure months after the brace was installed, but he could not answer. He pointed out that this was all pretty new and that they will need to cross that bridge when they get there. My understanding is that mine will be the first evaluated locally.

I crawled under mine and gave it quick look. Looks rusty, but no more than one would expect for a 12 year old vehicle, but I was laying on the ground without lifting it, so my point of view wasn't the best.

 

I don't know why it isn't listed for Kentucky. We get corrosion just as bad as folks in Indiana or Ohio.

 

Do you get lots of snow and ice where tons of road salt would be used?

 

Oh yeah, not to mention the constant moisture the rest of the year. No garage, so it has to deal with all the weather. It is why my 2000 F-150 has almost no floor.

 

I would think that your local Ford dealer would probably entertain doing an inspection for you. If yours is in jeopardy, the dealer would be your best shot at getting Kentucky added to the recall list.
You can also lodge a complaint on safercar.gov requesting inspections at a minimum for similar environmental damage as noted in NHTSA campaign 14V165000.

 

I will put the Escape up on ramps tomorrow. If it looks bad I will probably go ahead and talk to the dealer. If it looks fine ill probably just let it be and not waste my time with them telling me it is fine after sitting there for several hours if not a couple days.

 

01-04 what took them (Ford ) so long to figure that out.

When are they going to recall all the Escape & Mariner's for rust around the rear fenders & fuel door.

 

Not to drag this out of the past, but has anyone gotten one of the braces on their Ford?

Mine was in for inspection months ago and it's been nothing but crickets since....

 

I called a few weeks ago to have it done. Ford didnt have the parts yet. I called to see about taking a car in for service a week ago and was told there making appointments for Sept. Aug. is booked up this was at 2 different dealers here in Ohio.

 

Looking a an 01 tomorrow in a salt ridden northern state. Will look over this area well. Glad I've found this thread.

 

I seen one in junk yard that the support under radiator was rotted out.