2002 Ford Escape Steering Problems
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2002 Ford Escape, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 87,986 miles. The words owners use most often: “control arm” (14% of reports).
- 70steering complaints
- 87,986median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Control arm: mentioned in 10 of 70 complaints (14%)
- Sub frame: mentioned in 6 of 70 complaints (9%)
- Steering brakes: mentioned in 5 of 70 complaints (7%)
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 5 of 70 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 44 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 70 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Ford Escape steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2022 Escape | 6 | 3% | — |
| 2021 Escape | 4 | 1% | 14,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 18 | 1% | 12,450 |
| 2019 Escape | 16 | 3% | 35,600 |
| 2018 Escape | 32 | 2% | 28,000 |
| 2017 Escape | 49 | 2% | 45,500 |
| 2016 Escape | 73 | 6% | 41,900 |
| 2015 Escape | 81 | 7% | 46,149 |
| 2014 Escape | 151 | 7% | 63,370 |
| 2013 Escape | 302 | 11% | 81,280 |
| 2012 Escape | 139 | 23% | 100,000 |
| 2011 Escape | 410 | 31% | 110,000 |
| 2010 Escape | 423 | 20% | 114,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 828 | 49% | 121,000 |
| 2008 Escape | 1,127 | 57% | 116,000 |
| 2007 Escape | 15 | 6% | 45,500 |
| 2006 Escape | 20 | 4% | 78,816 |
| 2005 Escape | 49 | 4% | 114,500 |
| 2004 Escape | 26 | 5% | 101,000 |
| 2003 Escape | 44 | 8% | 103,204 |
| 2002 Escape | 70 | 7% | 87,986 |
| 2001 Escape | 58 | 6% | 77,700 |
| 2000 Escape | 1 | 20% | 123,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 2002 Ford Escape. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Gears is hard to shift to the right gear and lights went out early like a drain in electrical and my stearing is becoming hard to turn on streets and out my drive way
While in motion, the lower control arm separated from the subframe due to corrosion. I lost steering but was able to skid to the shoulder. The same issue as recall 14s02 but my vehicle was not included.
The mounts that the engine sits on rusted away, causing the engine to drop onto the steering system while driving.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Ford Escapes have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 70 owner complaints about steering for the 2002 Ford Escape (7% of the 1,027 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Escape steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 87,986 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2002 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “control arm”, in 10 of 70 complaints, followed by “sub frame” (6).
Other 2002 Ford Escape problems
See all 2002 Ford Escape problems or steering problems across all Escape years.