2011 Ford Escape Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Escape years
- More complaints than other years 10th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 3 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 1,317 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Escape. That ranks 10th out of 27 Escape model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (410 complaints, 31%), typically at around 110,000 miles. Complaints mention 38 crashes, 7 fires, 38 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 1,317owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 38complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 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 | 410 | 31% | 110,000 | “torque sensor” (13%) | $1,750 |
| Power Train problems | 268 | 20% | 45,380 | “throttle body” (33%) | $610 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 253 | 19% | 49,000 | “throttle body” (28%) | — |
| Engine problems | 248 | 19% | 47,102 | “throttle body” (33%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 245 | 19% | 45,000 | “throttle body” (47%) | $680 |
| Electrical System problems | 117 | 9% | 53,000 | “throttle body” (18%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 56 | 4% | 70,143 | — | — |
| Structure | 43 | 3% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 33 | 3% | 42,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 32 | 2% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 26 | 2% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 24 | 2% | 53,210 | — | — |
| Visibility | 23 | 2% | 32,513 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 22 | 2% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 1% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 15 | 1% | 66,366 | — | — |
| Wheels | 10 | 1% | 144,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 0% | 66,350 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 0% | 16,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 0% | 25,700 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 0% | 25,745 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 0% | 77,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 3 | 0% | 5,030 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 0% | 64,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 0% | 59,730 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 69,250 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Ford Escape recalls (2)
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.
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.
My 2011 ford escape is experiencing symptoms of the recall of the faulty Electric Power Steering (EPS) torque sensor. Its not often, but when I turn on the car I wont have power steering but when I turn it off and turn it back on the power steering works. Is there anyway you could open/put a recall…
I have a 2011 Ford Escape AWD 3.0 engine. I took it for NY state inspection and it fails due the right side front subframe is rusted and unsafe. Ford has a recall on models up to 2004 but this vehicle has the same issue of the A/C draining on it causing the rust. I have been an auto tech for over…
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…
I went for an oil change and my mechanic found that the subframe/cross member assembly was almost rusted through. Very dangerous. Needs to be replaced. Found out this is very common with the Ford Escape model of these years. Will cost thousands to repair.
The rear hatch clicks like it wants to open but doesn't release the latch to open it and I can't get to the place to release an lower the spare tire which is safety concern to me. Also the driver side seat belt casing broke and doesn't release every time you push button to unlatch it which can…
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 | 1,317 | 2 |
| 2010 Escape | 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 2011 Ford Escape?
Owners most often report steering, power train, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 410 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Ford Escape?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 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 2011 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.