What breaks most · 2000 to 2019 model years
Ford Escape problems by year
Owners have filed 13,450 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Escape across model years 2000 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2010 for speed control and throttle complaints, 2008 for steering complaints and 2005 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 2000, 2017 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2008, 2005
- Fewest complaints: 2000, 2017, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 134502000 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 20101745 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 526365 fires · 449 injuries · 12 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 70kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 132Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 986 | 75 | 15 | Engine and cooling (281) | |
| 1005 | 65 | 10 | Engine and cooling (294) | |
| 518 | 41 | 9 | Body and structure (118) | |
| 482 | 27 | 8 | Suspension (147) | |
| 1320 | 37 | 5 | Suspension (433) | |
| 415 | 14 | 5 | Speed control and throttle (95) | |
| 209 | 10 | 4 | Speed control and throttle (37) | |
| 1640 | 48 | 5 | Steering (912) | |
| 1214 | 22 | 3 | Steering (471) | |
| 1745 | 22 | 5 | Speed control and throttle (550) | |
| 955 | 31 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (248) | |
| 415 | 31 | 2 | Fuel system (117) | |
| 1270 | 27 | 18 | Engine (618) | |
| 714 | 29 | 16 | Engine (264) | |
| 204 | 13 | 9 | Engine (40) | |
| 169 | 10 | 4 | Engine (40) | |
| 145 | 17 | 4 | Engine (42) | |
| 34 | 6 | 4 | Engine (9) | |
| 5 | 0 | 3 | Electrical system (4) |
What fails on the 2010 Ford Escape
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 32% |
550 | 8 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2010 Ford Escape |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 28% |
492 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 27% |
473 | 3 | Shop engine parts for the 2010 Ford Escape |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 23% |
409 | 3 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2010 Ford Escape |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
234 | 4 | Shop steering parts for the 2010 Ford Escape |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 11% |
186 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Ford Escape |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 4% |
69 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2010 Ford Escape |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 4% |
66 | 1 | Shop visibility parts for the 2010 Ford Escape |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
2010 FORD escape was pulling out of a parking spot, foot off the accelerator, but vehicle proceeded to gain speed and go forward striking another vehicle. Unintended acceleration
-
Power steering assist fault - complete loss of power steering after recall 14s05 was performed. Experienced wheel "shudder" when stopped for several weeks and then complete loss of power steering.
-
Rear passenger side wheel well rotting from the inside out due to improper powder coating. Strut mount rusting and separating from vehicle frame.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Escape years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2010, 2008, 2005 carry the most filings on the Ford Escape. The 2010 alone has 1745 complaints, led by speed control and throttle.
What is the most common Ford Escape problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is speed control and throttle with 550 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Escape problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Escape complaints that include mileage is about 70,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.