Ford Escape problems by model year
NHTSA data checked October 31, 2026
Summary
Across model years 2010–2020, NHTSA's public databases list 17,882 owner complaints and 61 distinct recall campaigns for the Ford Escape.
The year with the most complaints is 2013 (2,757; owners name engine most). The year with the fewest is 2019 (599). The median year has 1,548.
These are raw counts. They are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
Every model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash | Fire | Most-named component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,130 | 5 | 32 | 3 | Vehicle Speed Control (27%) |
| 2011 | 1,319 | 3 | 38 | 7 | Steering (31%) |
| 2012 | 604 | 2 | 38 | 3 | Steering (23%) |
| 2013 | 2,757 | 18 | 50 | 91 | Engine (46%) |
| 2014 | 2,089 | 16 | 47 | 104 | Engine (35%) |
| 2015 | 1,135 | 9 | 31 | 20 | Power Train (25%) |
| 2016 | 1,178 | 4 | 39 | 10 | Power Train (27%) |
| 2017 | 2,701 | 4 | 39 | 15 | Engine (59%) |
| 2018 | 1,822 | 4 | 26 | 6 | Engine (64%) |
| 2019 | 599 | 3 | 24 | 3 | Engine (53%) |
| 2020 | 1,548 | 23 | 20 | 4 | Structure (39%) |
Linked years have a full page with every component and recall. Other years get pages over time; the counts above are already live.
Quick answers
What is the worst year for the Ford Escape?
By NHTSA owner complaints, 2013 (2,757 complaints; top component engine). That is a raw count, not adjusted for sales or age.
Which Ford Escape year has the fewest complaints?
2019, with 599 complaints in NHTSA's data, among model years 2010–2020.
Which Ford Escape year has the most recalls?
2020, with 23 recall campaigns in NHTSA's recall database.
Sources
Each count comes from NHTSA's Complaints API (complaintsByVehicle) and Recalls API (recallsByVehicle) for make FORD, model ESCAPE, one request per model year, for example https://api.nhtsa.gov/complaints/complaintsByVehicle?make=FORD&model=ESCAPE&modelYear=2013. Checked 2026-10-31. See method.