Motor Almanac

Ford / Escape / 2011

2011 Ford Escape

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

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2011 Escape drew 451 complaints — 2.7× the median of its generation (2008–2012). It is among the most-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.
  • Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Steering, holds 32% of the 1,321 that name a component.
  • 3 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 5 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
1,355
Recalls
3
Investigations
5
NCAP overall
3 of 5 stars
Combined MPG
20–32
Annual fuel cost
$1,950–$3,100
Median mileage at complaint
57,000 mi (n = 1,098)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
41 / 7 / 39 / 0

What owners report

Steering

425 complaints · 32% of complaints that name a component · median 110,000 mi (n = 320)

Owner report The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the power steering assist became inoperable, requiring greater effort to steer the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 169,781.
Owner report The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the steering torque sensor had failed and needed t…

Fuel & Propulsion

287 complaints · 22% of complaints that name a component · median 49,000 mi (n = 202)

Owner report The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the fuel tank was leaking and there was an abnormally strong fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed the fuel leak. The mechanic applied epoxy to the le…
Owner report The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a crack in the fuel tank which caused the fuel leak. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not …

Powertrain

273 complaints · 21% of complaints that name a component · median 45,559 mi (n = 259)

Owner report The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact attempted to make a right turn however, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel became difficult to steer in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehic…
Owner report The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there might have been a recall on the vehicle …

3% 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 yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
20082,417227
20091,84690fewest complaints
20102,129168
20111,355451most complaints
2012619123

Recalls

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

16V777000 · FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Filed 2016-10-26 · 329,265 vehicles

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured February 26, 2009, to April 29, 2012, and 2010-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured February 25, 2009, to December 12, 2010. On vehicles with a 3.0L engine, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack, causing a fuel leak.

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM flange with one that has a redesigned fuel supply port, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable. Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 13, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S41.

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.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
DP22005ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM2023-01-272023-08-0722V063000
DP15001STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM2015-04-012018-06-14
PE13003ENGINE2013-02-212014-02-28
DP12006ENGINE2012-10-022013-02-21
PE11016STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE2011-04-272011-08-18

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

DP15001: Loss of power steering while driving

PE13003: Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

DP12006: Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

PE11016: Rear Liftgate Window Glass Breakage

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
Escape 4WD2.5L 4cylAutomatic 6-spdAll-Wheel Drive202622$2850
Escape 4WD FFV3.0L 6cyl FFVAutomatic 6-spdAll-Wheel Drive182320$3100
Escape FWD2.5L 4cylManual 5-spdFront-Wheel Drive232825$2500
Escape FWD2.5L 4cylAutomatic 6-spdFront-Wheel Drive212723$2700
Escape FWD FFV3.0L 6cyl FFVAutomatic 6-spdFront-Wheel Drive192521$2950
Escape Hybrid 4WD2.5L 4cyl HybridAutomatic (variable gear ratios)4-Wheel Drive302729$2150
Escape Hybrid FWD2.5L 4cyl HybridAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Front-Wheel Drive343032$1950

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

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2011 Ford Escape SUV 4x4★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆
2011 Ford Escape SUV 4x2★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆
2011 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x4★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆
2011 Ford Escape Hev SUV 4x2★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆★★★☆☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 53 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about engine and engine cooling.

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.

DateComponentSummary
2026-02-24ELECTRICAL SYSTEMFord 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…
2024-04-24EQUIPMENTAll 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…
2023-04-04STRUCTUREFor 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…
2020-06-03ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTORThese SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB standards, but part…
2020-06-03ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTORThese SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB standards, but part…
2018-03-30EQUIPMENTReplacing 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…
2018-02-14EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.2010-2018 various vehicles equipped with SYNC or SYNC 3 may not function when attempting to find or use the Spotify app via AppLink. As of an update released on 1/15/2018 Spotify will no longer be supporting their AppLink integration. No re…
2018-01-10EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICALThe 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…
2018-01-10EQUIPMENTThe 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…
2016-10-17SERVICE BRAKESSOME 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…

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.