2010 FEH 4WD Limited

From either a backed up drain or a leaking roof antenna the passenger side foot well gets soaked.
I want to pull the carpet out just to make sure there is nothing hidden under the carpet from the soaking.

Is there anything to watch out for when pulling the carpet?
I figure, seats/belts, center console, door sills with lower B/C pillar trim and kick panels will need to be removed to get the carpet out.
Is there anything weird of funky I will need to look out for?

Thanks!

 

I've never pulled the carpet out of one, but careful consideration and best practices should be your guide...
But First....

Have you been using the A/C? If the evaporator drain is plugged you will have a very wet carpet since the water has nowhere to go and it will pool in the bottom of the heater assembly until it finds a way to drain... typically onto the carpet.
The fix is really pretty easy. Locate the rubber drain hose under the vehicle near the bottom of the firewall and blow a quick burst of shop air up into the hose. Back blowing the hose will dislodge the plug and you should get a substantial amount of water as a result.

 

Not an A/C problem. traced it to the satellite antenna dongle/bongle/antenna on the roof as the leak.

Was able to pull the carpet, didn't need to remove the center console but did have to unbolt it.

Tool list
7mm socket
8mm deep socket - 1/4" drive
10mm socket
15mm deep socket
T-50 driver
T-55 driver
Door panel fork tool
1/4" ratchet
3/8" ratchet

Park your Escape in an area where you can comfortably have all four doors fully open for extended periods.

Seat removal
If you have power seats, don't disconnect the battery just yet.
Remove floor mats and place in a safe area.
Slide both front seats forward.
Remove rear lower seat cushions (4 x 15mm) bolts. Reinstall bolts so as not to lose.
With both front seats slid forward, remove black cone nut covers and unbolt rear seat (4 x 15mm) nuts. Place nuts and nut covers in rear seat cup holders in console.
Using T-50 driver, remove both D an P side front seat belt anchors at 'B' pillar. P-side anchor has an electrical connector, do not disconnect.
Slide both front seats back.
Remove front seat bolts(2 x T-55, 2 x 15mm). Place bolts in front seat cup holders of respective sides.
Center both seats on seat tracks, place headrests fully down, and verify seat is in upright position for ease of removal.

Disconnect battery negative terminal, 8mm deep socket 1/4" drive.

Adjust steering wheel fully up.
Carefully tilt driver seat back.
Use door panel fork tool to remove white 'tree' from seat chassis.
Unplug seat connector.
Remove seat and store in a safe place.
Carefully tilt passenger seat back.
Use door panel fork tool to remove white 'tree' from seat chassis.
Unplug seat connector.
Remove seat and store in a safe place.

SDARS removal
Disconnect Satellite(SDARS) module plugs x 2. *if applicable*
Unbolt the (2 x 10mm) nuts and (1x 10mm) bolt for the module bracket, remove module + bracket, reinstall fasteners.
Place module in a safe place.

Center console
Use 10mm socket to remove (2 x 10mm) bolts from rear of center console. Place bolts in rear cup holders respectively.
Use 7mm socket and remove (6 x 7mm) bolts from either side of center console. Place bolts in front cup holders respectively.
Empty center console of any heavy items.
Gently pull rear of center console up.
Watch the chrome bezel around shifter, it should lift up
Lower console back down, carefully remove shifter bezel.
Lift console up and shift laterally ~1/2" to either side. It should catch on the rear bracket and keep the console off the carpet.

Rocker trim removal
Using door panel fork tool, remove the two clips holding the front door rocker trim and the rear door rocker trim.
Gently prise around the kick panel. You may have to move the parking brake pedal if it is in your way, I didn't in the 'Park' position
Flip up the tap on the rear rocker trim. It is hinged on the inner lip.
Gently push the rear door rocker trim in towards the seat, it is held on with a clip but the trim piece is a 'C' notch, no need to pull the clip out.
Repeat on passenger side.
Place trim pieces in a safe area.

Carpet removal.
Using door panel fork tool remove the four black clips from the rear seat area. Two are near the lower seat cushion mounts, two are located outside of the rear upper seat hinges on the carpet strips. Place clips in respective rear cup holders.
Middle of the front door rocker there are two more black clips holding the carpet. Place clips in respective front cup holders.
Carpet is a 'U' shape.
Gently pull the legs of the carpet that are under the console out from under the console.
Start at the toe boards and move towards rear.
Passenger side toe board area has an additional black Styrofoam insulator, verify that it is still attached to the carpet or leave it in the toe well.
Pull the carpet up off the rear seat shelf carefully to slide it out from under the rear of the center console.
With the carpet free of the center console carefully pull the two 'legs' of the carpet away from the respective rockers.
Careful near the passenger side seat belt, there is an electrical wire attached.
Gently fold/roll the 'legs' towards the rear seat foot well.
Fold the one of the rolled up legs onto the opposite side, Driver to Pass or Pass to Driver.
Remove rolled up carpet.

This was done on a 2010 FEH(Limited). Your sub model may have differences,
Time was ~hour.