What breaks most · 2005 to 2025 model years
Ford Escape Hybrid problems by year
Owners have filed 1,735 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Escape Hybrid across model years 2005 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2008 for brakes complaints, 2020 for body and structure complaints and 2006 for brakes complaints. The quietest years are 2013, 2012 and 2023.
- Years to check closely: 2008, 2020, 2006
- Fewest complaints: 2013, 2012, 2023
- Complaints on file
- 17352005 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 2008443 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 4811 fires · 21 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 90kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 2Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 178 | 4 | 0 | Brakes (39) | |
| 219 | 6 | 0 | Brakes (57) | |
| 124 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (31) | |
| 443 | 13 | 0 | Brakes (129) | |
| 153 | 6 | 0 | Steering (70) | |
| 59 | 3 | 0 | Steering (18) | |
| 37 | 3 | 0 | Steering (14) | |
| 15 | 3 | 0 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | Engine (4) | |
| 287 | 1 | 1 | Body and structure (105) | |
| 121 | 2 | 1 | Engine (35) | |
| 66 | 3 | 0 | Engine (32) | |
| 23 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (12) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (1) |
What fails on the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 29% |
129 | 7 | Shop brakes parts for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 25% |
110 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 17% |
74 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 14% |
64 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
43 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 8% |
37 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
25 | 2 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
21 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid |
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.
-
Regen brakes disabled malfunction, leads to loss of braking without warning. Many many other escape hybrid owners have filed similar complaints . Please do a google search to verify the extent of this problem. This needs to be investigated and addressed promptly before more people are hurt or killed.
-
The spot weld in the driver’s side door arm has failed. The door is not closing properly and makes a loud clunk when opening or closing. Car is available for inspection, Dealer can not assess for another week.
-
Vehicle was failing to stop when brakes applied. Codes came back from dealer that hcu and master cylinder needs to be replaced $7100 which is more than the vehicle is worth. Other year modes have been recalled and should be included in the recall
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 6, 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 Hybrid years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2008, 2020, 2006 carry the most filings on the Ford Escape Hybrid. The 2008 alone has 443 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Ford Escape Hybrid problem?
On the 2008 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 129 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Escape Hybrid problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Escape Hybrid complaints that include mileage is about 90,000 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.