Model record
Ford Escape Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Ford Escape model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 2, 202618,302 complaints16 model years
Four Ford Escape years drew more than 2,000 owner complaints each: 2013, 2017, 2014 and 2010. Owners named the engine most for 2013, 2017 and 2014, and the throttle and speed control for 2010.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
The first year of each new design drew more complaints than the years around it: 2,744 for the all-new 2013 and 1,582 for the redesigned 2020.
Ford Escape complaints by model year
Every Ford Escape model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Throttle and speed control27%2,068
- 2011Steering31%1,316
- 2012Fuel and power delivery23%598
- 2013Engine46%2,744
- 2014Engine35%2,075
- 2015Powertrain25%1,068
- 2016Powertrain28%1,091
- 2017Engine58%2,663
- 2018Engine64%1,770
- 2019Engine53%575
- 2020Body31%1,582
- 2021Body19%333
- 2022Fuel system26%227
- 2023Electrical system38%95
- 2024Electrical system33%76
- 2025Electrical system29%21
Best Ford Escape years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2021Body · 19 recalls333
- 2019Engine · 3 recalls575
- 2012Fuel and power delivery · 2 recalls598
Most common Ford Escape problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- EngineNamed most in 5 of 16 years6,448
- PowertrainNamed most in 2 of 16 years3,295
- SteeringNamed most in 1 of 16 years1,572
- Electrical systemNamed most in 3 of 16 years1,506
- Fuel and power deliveryNamed most in 1 of 16 years1,220
Ford Escape years to avoid by generation
Ford calls the 2013 Escape all-new and the 2020 Escape completely redesigned, so the years in the file fall into three groups. NHTSA's file starts at 2010.
2010–2012
Last years before the all-new 2013
2010 most complaints · throttle and speed control
- 20102,068
- 20111,316
- 2012598
3,982 complaints · 3 model years
2013–2019
All-new for 2013
2013 most complaints · engine
11,986 complaints · 7 model years
2020–2025
Redesigned for 2020
2020 most complaints · body
- 20201,582
- 2021333
- 2022227
- 202395
- 202476
- 202521
2,334 complaints · 6 model years
Ford Escape recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 2, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. Recall repairs are done by the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010Most often: fuel system5
- 2011Most often: fuel system3
- 2012Most often: fuel system2
- 2013Most often: powertrain18
- 2014Most often: powertrain16
- 2015Most often: door latch9
- 2016Most often: airbag system4
- 2017Most often: visibility4
- 2018Most often: airbag system4
- 2019Most often: tires3
- 2020Most often: electrical system23
- 2021Most often: fuel system19
- 2022Most often: fuel system19
- 2023Most often: engine11
- 2024Most often: electrical system8
- 2025Most often: electrical system9
Ford Escape crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 3 · Side 3 · Rollover 33/5
- 2012Frontal 3 · Side 3 · Rollover 33/5
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2014Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2015Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2016Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2017Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2018Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2019Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2020Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2021Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2022Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2023Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2024Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2025No overall rating—
Common questions
What are the Ford Escape years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2013, 2017, 2014 and 2010. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Ford Escape?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2021 drew the fewest complaints: 333. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Ford Escape?
Across every year in the file, owners named the engine most, in 6,448 complaints, then the powertrain, in 3,295.
Which Ford Escape years have the most recalls?
2020, 2021 and 2022, with 23, 19 and 19 recall campaigns.
What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 4 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.