I realize that is vague. I realize it could be anything from a wheel bearing to a ball joint, tie rod, control arm/control arm bushing, etc.


Are there any very common front-end steering or suspension issues on 2012 escapes? When tires are inflated to 32-34psi, the car tracks straight, gets great mileage --but almost sounds/feels like it's got a CV or wheel bearing issue on the front right. Every time I hit the brakes while backing out of the driveway I can hear a slight bump or pop. When the car is parked (flat, tires straight) there is slight play left-to-right in the steering wheel.

I'm a German car guy. Have never touched this car. (Wife's car) Right tire is wearing bad on inside. Looking for some direction so I can assess. Car has 88k miles. This will be a DIY fix. Don't have any manuals or anything so just looking for a heads up where to start.


Also is Haynes the best way to go? Is there a Bentley? Anything online/CD/DVD?


Play in steering wheel makes me think tie rod (fine because easy/cheap) but such excessive wear on the inside right front makes me think wheel bearing. Could it be both? This is AWD. Is this (like a Subaru) a CV joint where the front spindle passes through a strut base that everything attaches to --so there's an inner and outer wheel bearing?

Does anything up front require a press or can it all be done without a press?


Thanks.

 

common issue are the sway bar end links. They will make lots of noise. easy to replace. On the tie rod ends you'd have to give them a tug to see if there tight or not. If your tires are wearing Id have a front end alignment. not a lot to adjust toe in is about it. Wheel bearings if you drive and sounds like exhaust fell off or something like that , if you steer slightly to the left or right does noise go away? iF you turn towards left and it quits Its the right bearing. Go to You tube its the best to find help for how to.

 

Thanks! I have a bit of an update. Front tires were worn badly on the insides so I figured I'd order new tires (tire rack) then rotate the bad/worn tires until I figured out what the underlying issue was.

When I went to rotate the tires the backs were worn almost as bad as the fronts. So now the issue is major inside tore wear on all 4.

So I go and ask her "did you ever hit anything?"... maybe a bad pot hole, etc... she says oh yeah... like 2 weeks after I got the car I hit a pot hole so bad the wheel was sideways --but I took it to the dealer and they said they were able to get it aligned again.


Front right tire has rubbed against the inside of the wheel housing. You can see the shiny spot. Never seen that in a stock car or truck/SUV. Happens sometimes for me in my BMW but I have one size wider tires and my suspension is about 1.5" lower than stock.


Something is grinding up front in the car. You can feel it through the floor. My BMW has 300k on it and front wheel bearings just went so I'm familiar with that sound. It sounds like more of a grinding but it's wheel/speed sensitive so I'm confused. Rotors are fine. It needs pads soon but still plenty of meat on them. The noise happens in a straight line and goes away (like a wheel bearing) when I turn either left or right...

CAB are starting to separate from the bushings but nothing crazy. Just 5-year old, 88k mike rubber. Ball joints look great. No torn boots and they feel tight.


I at don't want to start throwing parts at it until I find the problem. Would rather fix the issue and be done with it.

Thanks.

 

Sounds like it needs to be jigged or aligned, no way a stock tire should rub the wheel liner, no way of knowing whether the misalign is related to the noise or not. Pretty difficult to diagnose over the internet, you'll need a good mechanic eyes-on it...