2009 Ford Escape Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 301 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2009 Ford Escape, 18% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 65,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “throttle body” (29% of reports).
- 301power train complaints
- 65,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $860typical repair cost reported by owners
- 43%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.
- Throttle body: mentioned in 86 of 301 complaints (29%)
- Turned off: mentioned in 59 of 301 complaints (20%)
- Put park: mentioned in 23 of 301 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2009 Ford Escape at $860, and half of them between $690 and $920.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 277 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 301 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
Ford Escape power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 3 | 12% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 2 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Escape | 23 | 23% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Escape | 31 | 13% | 21,500 |
| 2021 Escape | 44 | 13% | 79,845 |
| 2020 Escape | 241 | 15% | 50,000 |
| 2019 Escape | 127 | 21% | 64,460 |
| 2018 Escape | 275 | 15% | 80,000 |
| 2017 Escape | 391 | 15% | 75,456 |
| 2016 Escape | 320 | 28% | 88,000 |
| 2015 Escape | 286 | 26% | 94,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 481 | 23% | 89,804 |
| 2013 Escape | 401 | 15% | 81,500 |
| 2012 Escape | 66 | 11% | 41,967 |
| 2011 Escape | 268 | 20% | 45,380 |
| 2010 Escape | 508 | 25% | 51,430 |
| 2009 Escape | 301 | 18% | 65,000 |
| 2008 Escape | 329 | 17% | 68,100 |
| 2007 Escape | 44 | 17% | 74,500 |
| 2006 Escape | 80 | 17% | 80,000 |
| 2005 Escape | 117 | 8% | 91,928 |
| 2004 Escape | 27 | 5% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Escape | 55 | 10% | 69,000 |
| 2002 Escape | 105 | 10% | 74,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 128 | 13% | 68,308 |
| 2000 Escape | 1 | 20% | 76,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2009 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.
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the power train warning light illuminated randomly but disappeared. Additionally, the contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the steering wheel became…
Power steering assist fault Torque sensor
I have had to spend over $5,000 in repairs for this vehicle and Iâve had it for over a year. It was listed at $6,999 at a used car dealership so I got it as is and have had issues ever since. There is no recall on my car according to the VIN# however I strongly disagree with that. When I first…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Ford Escapes have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 301 owner complaints about power train for the 2009 Ford Escape (18% of the 1,693 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 2009 Ford Escape power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 65,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2009 Ford Escape?
Owners report a typical cost of $860 (half paid between $690 and $920), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2009 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “throttle body”, in 86 of 301 complaints, followed by “turned off” (59).
Other 2009 Ford Escape problems
See all 2009 Ford Escape problems or power train problems across all Escape years.