2009 Ford Escape

Family: Escape · filed with NHTSA as ESCAPE, ESCAPE HYBRID

Summary

In its first three years the 2009 Escape drew 90 complaints — 0.5× the median of its generation (2008–2012). It is among the least-complained-about years of this generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Of the 1,820 complaints that name a component, 49% concern Steering (898).
3 recalls filed for this model year.
4 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 1,846
Recalls: 3
Investigations: 4
NCAP overall: Not rated
Combined MPG: 20–32
Annual fuel cost: $1,950–$3,100
Median mileage at complaint: 90,000 mi (n = 1,560)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 40 / 5 / 18 / 0

What owners report

Steering

898 complaints · 49% of complaints that name a component · median 120,000 mi (n = 711)

Owner report The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed…

Owner report Car steering torque sensor not working properly causing power steering assist to be lost compromising electric power steering (eps) assist and increasing the risk of an accident. Ford has a recall 14S05/2014-193, but they are saying my car is not included on this recall at this time although it is exactly the same iss…

Powertrain

316 complaints · 17% of complaints that name a component · median 65,000 mi (n = 292)

Owner report I SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AND HAD THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WRENCH LIGHT COME ON. UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE IT WAS FOUND TO MOST LIKELY BE A FAULTY THROTTLE BODY. ALSO I CAN NOT DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY FOR MORE THAN 5-10 MINUTES AT 60 MPH BEFORE IT STARTS TO SHIMMY AND BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

Owner report I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY NO POWER WAS GOING TO THE WHEELS WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR PROCEEDED TO SLOWDOWN AND ONCE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IT WOULDN'T SEND ANY POWER TO THE FRONT OR BACK WHEEL BUT WOULD REV THE ENGINE, EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN DRIVE. I TRIED THIS IN REVERSE AS …

Engine

315 complaints · 17% of complaints that name a component · median 70,900 mi (n = 296)

Owner report THE ENGINE TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREWAY, WAS THE MOST SCARY THING FOR ME AND MY KIDS , I HAVE A MECHANIC CHECK TEH VEHICLE BUT I COULDN'T FIND ANYHTING, THE BATTERY AND OIL LIGTH COME ON THE DASH BOARD, I HAD TO PULL OVER ADN TURN TEH EMERGENCY LIGHT AND PULL OVER

Owner report Vehicle will stop running instantaneously. car will restart after several seconds. No engine warning light so there are no codes to read. The frequency had increased from every few days, but now happens every time you drive.

1% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2008–2012)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 168.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2008	2,417	227
2009	1,846	90	fewest complaints
2010	2,129	168
2011	1,355	451	most complaints
2012	619	123

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

15E045000 · SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING

Filed 2015-06-03 · 576 vehicles

Defect: The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles. The affected wheel bearings have incorrect dimensions of a 42mm bore, 76mm outer dimension, and 39mm width, instead of a 42mm bore, 78mm outer dimension and a 45mm width.

Risk: Use of an incorrectly sized wheel bearing can adversely affect the braking and steering of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Timken has begun notifying distributors who will offer purchasers replacement wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2015. Owners may contact Timken customer service at 1-866-984-6536.

14V284000 · STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Filed 2014-05-29 · 740,878 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.

Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 18, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S05.

10E043000 · EQUIPMENT

Filed 2010-09-03 · 294 vehicles

Defect: MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE SEAT COVERS ARE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD AND ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SEATS CONTAINING SIDE AIRBAGS. THE HEAVIER SEAT COVER COULD INTERFERE WITH FULL DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Risk: AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.

Remedy: MARATHON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE SEAT COVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MARATHON AT 1-800-735-2769.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP22005	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM	2023-01-27	2023-08-07	22V063000
DP15001	STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM	2015-04-01	2018-06-14
PE13003	ENGINE	2013-02-21	2014-02-28
DP12006	ENGINE	2012-10-02	2013-02-21

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

DP15001: Loss of power steering while driving

PE13003: Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

DP12006: Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Escape 4WD	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic 6-spd	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	19	25	21	$2950
Escape 4WD	3.0L 6cyl	Automatic 6-spd	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	17	24	20	$3100
Escape FWD	2.5L 4cyl	Manual 5-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	22	28	24	$2600
Escape FWD	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	20	28	23	$2700
Escape FWD	3.0L 6cyl	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	18	26	21	$2950
Escape Hybrid 4WD	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	29	27	28	$2250
Escape Hybrid FWD	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	34	31	32	$1950

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2009 Ford Escape 4-DR. w/SAB	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	★★★☆☆
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid 4-DR. w/SAB	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	★★★☆☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 50 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about power train.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-02-24	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2024-04-24	EQUIPMENT	All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2023-04-04	STRUCTURE	For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification numbe…
2018-03-30	EQUIPMENT	Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any Ford, Mercury or Linco…
2018-01-10	EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL	The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts a…
2018-01-10	EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL	The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts a…
2016-10-17	SERVICE BRAKES	SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE…
2016-10-17	SERVICE BRAKES	SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE…
2016-09-21	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL	The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate …
2016-09-08	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY	Some 2005-2012 Escape Hybrid and 2006-2011 Mariner Hybrid vehicles may set DTCs P0A81 (battery pack cooling fan 1 control circuit) and/or P0A96 (battery pack cooling fan 2 control circuit) in the traction battery control module (TBCM). Thes…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Escape, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Escape model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.