2010 Ford Escape Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escape years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 2,070 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Ford Escape. That ranks 4th out of 27 Escape model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (558 complaints, 27%), typically at around 52,000 miles. Complaints mention 29 crashes, 3 fires, 23 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 2,070owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 29complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 558 | 27% | 52,000 | “throttle body” (56%) | $860 |
| Power Train problems | 508 | 25% | 51,430 | “throttle body” (39%) | $660 |
| Engine problems | 493 | 24% | 52,000 | “throttle body” (40%) | $960 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 440 | 21% | 56,000 | “throttle body” (38%) | $600 |
| Steering problems | 423 | 20% | 114,000 | “steering assist” (30%) | $1,950 |
| Electrical System problems | 216 | 10% | 58,000 | “throttle body” (30%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 93 | 4% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Structure problems | 84 | 4% | 65,500 | “rear window” (13%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 71 | 3% | 64,043 | “throttle body” (35%) | — |
| Visibility problems | 69 | 3% | 34,090 | “rear window” (33%) | — |
| Service Brakes | 43 | 2% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 35 | 2% | 49,012 | — | — |
| Suspension | 34 | 2% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 27 | 1% | 63,410 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 23 | 1% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 8 | 0% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 0% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 0% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 0% | 141,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 0% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 0% | 68,550 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | 100 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 0% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 0% | 21,561 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 18,879 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 177,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 Ford Escape recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, milan, and escape vehicles manufactured from february 27, through march 26, 2010. The park rod guide retention pin may not have been properly installed which fails to conform to the requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention".
Risk: A vehicle parked without an engaged park pawl and without an applied parking brake may have unintended movement which may cause a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on may 28, 2010. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332 and for the hearing impaired call 1-800-232-5952 (tdd). Representatives are available monday through friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm.
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 (PE13003) — opened Feb 21, 2013, closed Feb 28, 2014.
- Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction (DP12006) — opened Oct 2, 2012, closed Feb 21, 2013.
- Rear Liftgate Window Glass Breakage (PE11016) — opened Apr 27, 2011, closed Aug 18, 2011.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist Power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds. Steering locks up while driving. This has happened 3 times within the last 6 months. Before this, the last few years it has been difficult starting the…
The gas tank is leaking gas on the gas tank inlet plastic yellow retainer ring appears to be broken. This gas leak has put safety family members at risk. It appears to be a manufacturer defect built defective.
1. I purchased a 2010 Ford Escape that had a preexisting rusted frame defect. That is shown by the Ford vehicle history report and related service documentation, which support that the problem existed before I took possession of the vehicle. The vehicle was determined as unsafe to drive and later…
I own a 2010 Ford Escape, VIN [XXX]. Last year in 2025, my power steering went out. I found out it was from a safety recall. I took it to the Ford dealership in Sandusky, MI. They told me it wasn't a safety recall and they would not cover it. I have been searching online for a YEAR, and I finally…
Front subframe on the right side prematurely rusts, causing the vehicle to loose steering and pull to the right.
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 | 1,608 | 23 |
| 2019 Escape | 595 | 3 |
| 2018 Escape | 1,816 | 4 |
| 2017 Escape | 2,696 | 4 |
| 2016 Escape | 1,154 | 4 |
| 2015 Escape | 1,113 | 9 |
| 2014 Escape | 2,089 | 16 |
| 2013 Escape | 2,750 | 18 |
| 2012 Escape | 603 | 1 |
| 2011 Escape | 1,317 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2,070 | 3 |
| 2009 Escape | 1,693 | 1 |
| 2008 Escape | 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 2010 Ford Escape?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, power train, engine problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 558 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Ford Escape?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 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 2010 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.