I have a 2012 Ford Escape, and if you are familiar with the pre-2013 models, one of the more significant design flaws is the rear window seal. For whatever reason, Ford decided it was a good idea to just seal the rear window glass by pushing it against a hollow rubber seal. As you can imagine, over time, the seal deforms and loses its ability to maintain a good seal. The result? Water leaks on the inside of the window, runs down behind the liftgate, and eventually starts to rust out the bottom of the liftgate. This started happening to my Escape, and before it became a major problem, I wanted to fix it. A new seal runs around $300 these days. I really didn't want to drop that amount of money, so I sought a cheaper alternative. I found a suggestion to insert foam "rope" inside the gasket, and I figured I'd give it a try. I came across this product, and for $5, I figured it was worth a shot. So...did it work, you ask? Well, after slicing the gasket in a few places and trying to push it in, it was obvious that I was going to get as far as you would expect anyone would trying to push a rope, and a foam one at that....not too far! However...having a son who is an IT geek that likes to snake wires through walls using fiberglass rods, I was able to run the rod though the gasket, tape it to the rod, and with a little soapy water, pull it through the gasket. The foam this is made of is soft enough to compress, but firm enough to make a seal on the glass, so it looks like the end result was worth the effort. I'll be keeping an eye on the situation, but for the remaining life of the Escape, I think the issue is solved, and hopefully, the liftgate is protected from water infiltrating anymore. Not your conventional use of the product, but definitely worth a 5 star rating in my book!
