2011 Ford ESCAPE

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Ford ESCAPE has 1871 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 23.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is steering problems (22% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford escape. the contact stated that there was an abnormal pop coming from the steering wheel whenever attempting a turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs where the steering column, power assist motor, steering rack and shaft were being replaced. the failu. ⚠️ 10 fire reports filed.

10 fire reports 21 crash reports 19 injuries

1871

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

23.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

STEERING

410 complaints

22%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POP COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHENEVER ATTEMPTING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN, POWER ASSIST MOTOR, STEERING RACK AND SHAFT WERE BEING REPLACED. THE FAILU
• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE. THE FAILURE WAS CONSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER NOT TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE BECAUSE THERE WAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO MANEUVER AND IT WAS MAKING A SQUEAKY NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE FAILURE THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 7 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POP COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHENEVER ATTEMPTING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN, POWER ASSIST MOTOR, STEERING RACK AND SHAFT WERE BEING REPLACED. THE FAILU”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

286 complaints

15%

• AS I WAS EXITING A HIGHWAY, MY CAR MESSAGE CENTER ALERTED ME TO SAFELY COME TO A STOP. AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET INTO A PARKING LOT, THE CAR SHUT OFF. I RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO GET INTO PARKING LOT ON ELECTRIC, I GUESS. IT WAS TOWED TO UTTER FORD, IN SHERMAN, TX. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND TOL
• LAST YEAR I PURCHASED A 2011 FORD ESCAPE AND HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DISSATISFIED WITH MY PURCHASE. THE SELLING DEALER, TOWER FORD IN GREAT NECK, NEW YORK HAS DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP ME RECTIFY MY SERIOUS COMPLAINT AND CONCERNS WITH MY VEHICLE. ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS THAT THE TRANSMISS
• DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE. SUDDENLY I LOST FUEL POWER. ENGINE REMAINED ON. SURGES OF SWAYING OR WARD & BACKWARDS PRIOR TO LOSS OF FUEL POWER. RESEMBLED LIKE IT WAS OUT OF GAS, HOWEVER I HAD 3/4 OF A TANK FULL. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES, RESTARTED. WELL, IT HAPPENS A LOT NOW. HA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“AS I WAS EXITING A HIGHWAY, MY CAR MESSAGE CENTER ALERTED ME TO SAFELY COME TO A STOP. AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET INTO A PARKING LOT, THE CAR SHUT OFF. I RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO GET INTO PARKING LOT ON ELECTRIC, I GUESS. IT WAS TOWED TO UTTER FORD, IN SHERMAN, TX. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND TOL”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

268 complaints

14%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT A LOW SPEED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE THEN LUNGED FORWARD WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, CAUSING A CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN
• WHILE TOWING MY 2011 FORD ESCAPE LIMITED BEHIND MY RV BUS, THE TRANSMISSION BURNED UP. I DID EVERYTHING THAT WAS TAUGHT TO ME BY FORD DEALERSHIP IN GURNEE, IL, CAMPING WORLD IN FOX LAKE, IL AND THE FORD MANUAL. THE MADISON, TENNESSEE FORD DEALERSHIP TRIED TO BLAME ROADMASTER FOR THE PROBLEM. ROADMAS
• WHEN VEHICLE PARKED AND THEN STARTED AND FOOT ON BRAKE WENT TO PUT SELECTOR IN REVERSE AND AND NOTHING HAPPENED AND WHEN IT ENGAGED INTO REVERSE IT ENGAGE LOUD AND HARD INTO GEAR AND HAS DONE THIS ABOUT 3 TIMES NOW IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT A LOW SPEED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE THEN LUNGED FORWARD WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, CAUSING A CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

265 complaints

14%

• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO COAST AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE TO THE NORMAL SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BU
• ON THE 5TH DAY OF USE OF MY NEW VEHICLE, I WAS RIDING AT 60 MPH ON A RAINY DAY WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER STOP WORKING, MY WINDOWS START FOGGING. THERE WAS NO CAR LIGHT ALARMS, CAR TEMPERATURE NORMAL (NO THERMOSTAT ALARM). I TOOK THE CAT TO FORD SERVICE, IT TOOK 4 DAYS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, FINDING OUT
• WHILE I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE MIDDLE LANE WHEN SUDDENLY, WITH NO WARNING, WE WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO GET ENOUGH THROTTLE TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD. WE HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE WERE ALMOST REAR-ENDED, I REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE KILLED. IT IS A VERY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 5 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO COAST AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE TO THE NORMAL SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BU”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

245 complaints

13%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD UNEXPECTEDLY SURGE FORWARD OR BACKWARD WHILE IDLING WITHOUT A FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE SURGED BACKWARD AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAI
• WHEN APPROACHING A STOP THROTTLE OPENED TO MAXIMUM. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP WAS PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 OTHER TIMES SINCE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO FORD THEY SAID THAT SINCE IT WAS AN INTERMITTANT PROBLEM AND NO ONE ELSE HAS REPORTED IT THEY WOULD NO DO ANY REPAIRS.
• LAST YEAR I PURCHASED A 2011 FORD ESCAPE AND HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DISSATISFIED WITH MY PURCHASE. THE SELLING DEALER, TOWER FORD IN GREAT NECK, NEW YORK HAS DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP ME RECTIFY MY SERIOUS COMPLAINT AND CONCERNS WITH MY VEHICLE. ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS THAT THE TRANSMISS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 5 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD UNEXPECTEDLY SURGE FORWARD OR BACKWARD WHILE IDLING WITHOUT A FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE SURGED BACKWARD AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 1871 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
STEERING: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POP COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHENEVER ATTEMPTING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS WHERE THE STEERING COLUMN, POWER ASSIST MOTOR, STEERING RACK AND SHAFT WERE BEING REPLACED. THE FAILU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: AS I WAS EXITING A HIGHWAY, MY CAR MESSAGE CENTER ALERTED ME TO SAFELY COME TO A STOP. AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET INTO A PARKING LOT, THE CAR SHUT OFF. I RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO GET INTO PARKING LOT ON ELECTRIC, I GUESS. IT WAS TOWED TO UTTER FORD, IN SHERMAN, TX. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND TOL
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT A LOW SPEED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE THEN LUNGED FORWARD WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, CAUSING A CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO COAST AND STALL. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE TO THE NORMAL SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)