Ford Motor Company Factory Defect to Escape vechicles Dearborn, Michigan

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to inform you of quality concerns of Ford vehicles, I have written Ford representatives of my concerns regarding a factory defect to my 2004 Ford Escape XLT, but they have refused to look into it and have basically said sorry about your luck! I feel betrayed and I am now ashamed to drive a Ford vehicle. I am not writing to them complaining about paint chipping or something silly like that, my vehicle has a factory defect that everyone I have talked to has never seen before. What does those representing Ford do about this obvious defect? Nothing! My Escape XLT has a rear wheel well that has rusted completely through because it wasnt properly sealed and coated during manufacture. The strut is loose and coming into the inside paneling! The auto body shop that I took the vehicle to says they have never seen such a thing in 25 years of body work! I have called, wrote, and I pleaded with Ford representatives to help me get it fixed, but have only gotten the company line about warranties to date. I want Ford to help me by reimbursing the cost for me to fix it or allow me to bring it to them so they can fix it. It is obvious that they didn't properly coat or seal the inside of the wheel well! Thus far it looks like I am going to eat the 1,000 or so dollars to fix this defect that Ford refuses to look at. Ford says it is past the warranty date, but shouldnt factory defects never have an expiration date? Shouldnt a good company say, hey that defect is our fault and we will make it good because we care about the quality that we put on the road! Thus Ford is company that does not stand behind what they manufacture. This is not the only problem with the vehicle though, it doesn't always start right away. I went to Ford service center and they couldn't figure it out, they said maybe it is the fuel pump, but it has been going on for 4-5 years. I have contacted Ford numerous times, but they won't do anything about the obvious factory defect to the rear wheel well that has shown up years later. Thank you for listening to my concerns. I hope that bringing these issues to your attention will help others know more about how Ford treats their customers after they drive off the lot or at least help them to be aware of Fords customer service. I read through Ford complaints on the NHTSA website and I was amazed at how many defects and problems people are having with these vehicles. Thanks again for your time and listening to my concerns.