2008 Ford Escape Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escape years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 1,974 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Ford Escape. That ranks 5th out of 27 Escape model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (1,127 complaints, 57%), typically at around 116,000 miles. Complaints mention 59 crashes, 6 fires, 44 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 1,974owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 59complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 Ford Escape problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 1,127 | 57% | 116,000 | “steering column” (18%) | $1,850 |
| Power Train problems | 329 | 17% | 68,100 | “transmission cooler” (16%) | $1,500 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 175 | 9% | 76,500 | “throttle body” (19%) | $790 |
| Electrical System problems | 136 | 7% | 100,000 | “ignition switch” (15%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 120 | 6% | 114,206 | “hydraulic control” (13%) | $6,500 |
| Engine problems | 83 | 4% | 85,500 | “throttle body” (13%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 55 | 3% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 41 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 38 | 2% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 36 | 2% | 99,777 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 36 | 2% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 31 | 2% | 68,119 | — | — |
| Suspension | 31 | 2% | 129,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 25 | 1% | 29,598 | — | — |
| Visibility | 25 | 1% | 46,888 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 22 | 1% | 65,205 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 19 | 1% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 14 | 1% | 85,427 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 0% | 61,250 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 0% | 111,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 0% | 31,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 0% | 59,500 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 5 | 0% | 56,121 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 0% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 71,288 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 0% | 64,250 | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 2 | 0% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 0% | 100,850 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 24,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Ford Escape recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
Risk: If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S28.
Hybrid propulsion system
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail resulting in the hybrid electronics overheating.
Risk: If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump with an improved brushless pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S19.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of power steering while driving (DP15001) — opened Apr 1, 2015, closed Jun 14, 2018.
- Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction (DP12006) — opened Oct 2, 2012, closed Feb 21, 2013.
- Tire valve cracking (PE08060) — opened Oct 14, 2008, closed Apr 9, 2009.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Electronic power steering went out a couple times on me .
Was driving on highway at 55 when the wrench warning light came on drove car to residence and turned it off, when car was cranked again it had no power steering. Vin number was not included in recall on same issue. Has not been fixed.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle and driving from a parking lot at 5 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the transmission skipped second and forth gear, and remained in third gear. The vehicle hesitated and…
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH on the highway, the steering wheel seized. The failure was intermittent. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while reversing out of the driveway. The dealer was notified of the…
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the powertrain malfunction warning light and the ABS warning light were illuminated. The driver was able to pull over, the battery was disconnected and reconnected, and the contact was able to continue driving. The brake pedal was…
Other Ford Escape years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 Escape | 26 | 9 |
| 2024 Escape | 76 | 8 |
| 2023 Escape | 100 | 11 |
| 2022 Escape | 235 | 19 |
| 2021 Escape | 349 | 19 |
| 2020 Escape | 1,610 | 23 |
| 2019 Escape | 596 | 3 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,817 | 4 |
| 2017 Escape | 2,698 | 4 |
| 2016 Escape | 1,158 | 4 |
| 2015 Escape | 1,116 | 9 |
| 2014 Escape | 2,089 | 16 |
| 2013 Escape | 2,750 | 18 |
| 2012 Escape | 603 | 1 |
| 2011 Escape | 1,318 | 2 |
| 2010 Escape | 2,070 | 3 |
| 2009 Escape | 1,693 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1,974 | 3 |
| 2007 Escape | 254 | 2 |
| 2006 Escape | 464 | 3 |
| 2005 Escape | 1,394 | 4 |
| 2004 Escape | 499 | 6 |
| 2003 Escape | 558 | 7 |
| 2002 Escape | 1,027 | 8 |
| 2001 Escape | 996 | 13 |
| 2000 Escape | 5 | 0 |
See all Ford Escape problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford Escape?
Owners most often report steering, power train, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 1,127 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Ford Escape?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 Ford Escape a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Escape model years, the 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.