2005 Ford Escape MOANING/GRINDING NOISE

My 2005 Ford Escape had similar sounds when cold. The dealer was familiar with the problem and immediately replaced the front shock upper bearings in the tops of the shock towers. Apparently these bearings seize up and resist any turning motion of the shock struts when the suspension deflects or steering input occurs. Repair result - noise gone! The same noises are showing up in my 2007 Ford Freestyle - the dealer will replace those shock strut bearings soon, too. Hope this helps!