2011 Ford Escape: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
1,314 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
1,314 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 87.6
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I went for an oil change and my mechanic found that the subframe/cross member assembly was almost rusted through. Very dangerous. Needs to be replaced. Found out this is very common with the Ford Escape model of these years. Will cost thousands to repair.
The rear hatch clicks like it wants to open but doesn't release the latch to open it and I can't get to the place to release an lower the spare tire which is safety concern to me. Also the driver side seat belt casing broke and doesn't release every time you push button to unlatch it which can cause serious problems if in an accident I had a individual garage guy inspect an said he had replaced several latch mechanis…
The steering shaft torque sensor unexpectedly malfunctioned while driving resulting in a loss of steering. There was no indication that this would happen, no check engine light was on, and no symptoms prior to the incident. The vehicle is undrivable due to a lack of steering and was diagnosed by an independent garage. The steering shaft torque sensor is recalled for other 2010 Ford Escapes, but not this one.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 15E045000 | Suspension:Front:Wheel Bearing | The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21… |
| 16V777000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured February 26, 2009, to April 29, 2012, … |
| 14V284000 | Steering:Electric Power Assist System | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, t… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Steering (407 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 26/100, computed from 1,314 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Ford Escape, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/06/2015. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.