Owners have filed 350 complaints
about the 2007 Ford Escape with NHTSA between 2007 and 2025.
The largest single group is the brakes.
Across this model's run it ranks 24 of 25 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 12
Against the median year of the Ford Escape. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 55
10.6% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 33
19% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
NHTSA files every complaint against a named sub-assembly, not just a
system. This is the difference between knowing it was "the engine" and
knowing which part of it — the list to hand a mechanic.
Body
1230.8%
Automatic Transmission
717.9%
Accelerator Pedal
615.4%
Glass, Side/Rear
410.3%
Frontal
410.3%
Transfer Case (4-WHEEL Drive)
25.1%
Hatchback/Liftgate
25.1%
Sensor/Control Module
25.1%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
113.8%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
93.1%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
175.9%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
4816.8%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
6422.4%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
4515.7%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
6522.7%
150,000+ miles
279.4%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 2007peak 12Feb 2025
NHTSA investigations into the 2007 Ford Escape
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
DP12006Opened 2 Oct 2012Closed 21 Feb 2013ENGINE
Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
In a letter dated August 30, 2012, The North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged electronic throttle body failures resulting in engine stall or surge while driving in model year (MY) 2005 through 2012 Ford Escape vehicles. On October 2, 2012 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Defect Petition DP12-006 to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition is hereby granted on certain model years. The NCCC letter cites two complaints of stall while driving in...
PE08060Opened 14 Oct 2008Closed 9 Apr 2009TIRES:VALVE
TIRE VALVE CRACKING
ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BO...
Recalls on the 2007 Ford Escape
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 201543811 units in Canada
Powertrain
A safety defect may exist in vehicles in which remanufactured automatic transmissions were installed as service replacement parts. The shift lever bolt may not have been torqued to the proper torque specification. If the improperly torqued shift level bolt loosens and backs out, the shift lever may disengage from the transmission without warning, and the transmission may not respond to the shifter selection movement by the operator. This could result in the loss of transmission gear selection, and possible unintended vehicle movement, which would increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the shift lever assembly and/or the shift level bolt torqued to the proper specification.
Recall 20143743,568 units in Canada
Engine
On certain hybrid vehicles, the motor electronics coolant pump may wear out and fail, resulting in a loss of coolant flow and high temperature condition within the motor electronics system. This could result in a partial or full loss of motive power, resulting in a sudden stall-like condition while driving. An engine stall without warning while driving could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will affect repairs. Note: Power steering and power braking system function would be unaffected in the event of such an occurrence.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Burlington, NCCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS service system warning came up on my dash along with the brake light and the abs light, immediately after the lights came on the ability to stop and stay stopped vanished.
NHTSA complaint #11471084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Burlington, NCCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ABS service light comes on intermittently, when light is on a "service brake system" warning comes across the guage cluster. While this service light is on the escape has little to no braking and requires upwards of 300ft to stop when going 45mph. Once the vehicle is brought to a stop you can hear the brake system attempting to pressurize but only making a repeated grinding noise directly in front of the driver in the engine bay. Once vehicle is parked and shut off the brakes continue to make the same grinding noise. After allowing the vehicle to sit over night you may get lucky and have fully functioning brakes or you may unlock the door and hear the grinding noise letting you know the abs warning will be illuminated once the car is started. I have currently rear-ended another vehicle while stopped at a red light because no matter how hard I pressed on the brakes my vehicle continued to roll forward into another vehicle. My vehicle passed inspection with zero obdII codes the day I bought the escape Friday, May 27, 2022. Exactly a week later on June 2, 2022 I experienced severe brake failure and rear ended a 2021 Toyota 4runner. No major damage was caused to either vehicle. Two days later on June 4, 2022 the brake system failed once again causing me to drive my vehicle off the road into the median to avoid an impact at 65mph on interstate I-85. I am a father to my 3 year old daughter, but I am unable to transport my daughter in fear of endangering her life because of a faulty brake system Ford refuses to recall.
NHTSA complaint #11467587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Burlington, NCCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS service light comes on intermittently, when light is on a "service brake system" warning comes across the guage cluster. While this service light is on the escape has little to no braking and requires upwards of 300ft to stop when going 45mph. Once the vehicle is brought to a stop you can hear the brake system attempting to pressurize but only making a repeated grinding noise directly in front of the driver in the engine bay. Once vehicle is parked and shut off the brakes continue to make the same grinding noise. After allowing the vehicle to sit over night you may get lucky and have fully functioning brakes or you may unlock the door and hear the grinding noise letting you know the abs warning will be illuminated once the car is started. I have currently rear-ended another vehicle while stopped at a red light because no matter how hard I pressed on the brakes my vehicle continued to roll forward into another vehicle. My vehicle passed inspection with zero obdII codes the day I bought the escape Friday, May 27, 2022. Exactly a week later on June 2, 2022 I experienced severe brake failure and rear ended a 2021 Toyota 4runner. No major damage was caused to either vehicle. Two days later on June 4, 2022 the brake system failed once again causing me to drive my vehicle off the road into the median to avoid an impact at 65mph on interstate I-85. I am a father to my 3 year old daughter, but I am unable to transport my daughter in fear of endangering her life because of a faulty brake system Ford refuses to recall.
NHTSA complaint #11467587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 7,000 milesVoorhees, NJCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASING VEHICLE, MILEAGE 67,000, COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL AND WILL BE IF NOT CORRECTED. MANY EXACT COMPLAINTS FOUND ONLINE. VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP COMING TO LIGHT. HAD TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A WOODED AREA FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. FELT LIKE VEHICLE WAS SLIDING ON ROAD. LATER REALIZED IT WAS A ABS SYSTEM FAILURE NOT SLIDING. ABS LIGHT IS ON. BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE LIGHT ON. EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON. APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE TIME, WHEN FIRST DRIVING VEHICLE, ONLY THE SERVICE BRAKE DISPLAY IS ON. THE VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO BUCK/STUTTER, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES. AFTER ACCELERATING, THAT STOPS AND RETURNS TO WHAT I DESCRIBED.ABOVE. I READ SINCE THERE WERE NO FATALITIES REPORTED FORD WILL NOT RECALL. I AM CERTAIN THERE HAVE BEEN FATALITIES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, JUST NOT IDENTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #11307988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 7,000 milesVoorhees, NJCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASING VEHICLE, MILEAGE 67,000, COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL AND WILL BE IF NOT CORRECTED. MANY EXACT COMPLAINTS FOUND ONLINE. VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP COMING TO LIGHT. HAD TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A WOODED AREA FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. FELT LIKE VEHICLE WAS SLIDING ON ROAD. LATER REALIZED IT WAS A ABS SYSTEM FAILURE NOT SLIDING. ABS LIGHT IS ON. BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE LIGHT ON. EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON. APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE TIME, WHEN FIRST DRIVING VEHICLE, ONLY THE SERVICE BRAKE DISPLAY IS ON. THE VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO BUCK/STUTTER, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES. AFTER ACCELERATING, THAT STOPS AND RETURNS TO WHAT I DESCRIBED.ABOVE. I READ SINCE THERE WERE NO FATALITIES REPORTED FORD WILL NOT RECALL. I AM CERTAIN THERE HAVE BEEN FATALITIES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, JUST NOT IDENTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #11307988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 7,000 milesVoorhees, NJCrash
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASING VEHICLE, MILEAGE 67,000, COMPLETE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL AND WILL BE IF NOT CORRECTED. MANY EXACT COMPLAINTS FOUND ONLINE. VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP COMING TO LIGHT. HAD TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A WOODED AREA FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. FELT LIKE VEHICLE WAS SLIDING ON ROAD. LATER REALIZED IT WAS A ABS SYSTEM FAILURE NOT SLIDING. ABS LIGHT IS ON. BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE LIGHT ON. EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON. APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE TIME, WHEN FIRST DRIVING VEHICLE, ONLY THE SERVICE BRAKE DISPLAY IS ON. THE VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO BUCK/STUTTER, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES, AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES. AFTER ACCELERATING, THAT STOPS AND RETURNS TO WHAT I DESCRIBED.ABOVE. I READ SINCE THERE WERE NO FATALITIES REPORTED FORD WILL NOT RECALL. I AM CERTAIN THERE HAVE BEEN FATALITIES DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, JUST NOT IDENTIFIED.
NHTSA complaint #11307988 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Philomath, OR
POWER TRAIN
My 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid (mileage currently 180,000 but the issue started around 150,000 miles) will occasionally (varies from once a week to once every 3 months) not respond properly when I'm accelerating from a stop. When this happens, I can push the accelerator all the way to the floor, but the car will accelerate very slowly for the first 5 seconds or so, and then start accelerating normally again. When this issue first began, it nearly resulted in multiple crashes when I was pulling out into traffic, but now I leave lots of extra space when pulling into traffic in case this happens. I've taken the car to an independent mechanic to try to diagnose the issue and they were unable to observe it since it doesn't happen frequently or predictably enough. There were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the issue starting.
NHTSA complaint #11645558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philomath, OR
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid (mileage currently 180,000 but the issue started around 150,000 miles) will occasionally (varies from once a week to once every 3 months) not respond properly when I'm accelerating from a stop. When this happens, I can push the accelerator all the way to the floor, but the car will accelerate very slowly for the first 5 seconds or so, and then start accelerating normally again. When this issue first began, it nearly resulted in multiple crashes when I was pulling out into traffic, but now I leave lots of extra space when pulling into traffic in case this happens. I've taken the car to an independent mechanic to try to diagnose the issue and they were unable to observe it since it doesn't happen frequently or predictably enough. There were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the issue starting.
NHTSA complaint #11645558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Philomath, OR
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid (mileage currently 180,000 but the issue started around 150,000 miles) will occasionally (varies from once a week to once every 3 months) not respond properly when I'm accelerating from a stop. When this happens, I can push the accelerator all the way to the floor, but the car will accelerate very slowly for the first 5 seconds or so, and then start accelerating normally again. When this issue first began, it nearly resulted in multiple crashes when I was pulling out into traffic, but now I leave lots of extra space when pulling into traffic in case this happens. I've taken the car to an independent mechanic to try to diagnose the issue and they were unable to observe it since it doesn't happen frequently or predictably enough. There were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the issue starting.
NHTSA complaint #11645558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunnyvale, CA
POWER TRAIN
While driving, a red triangle to safely stop came up and the vehicle engine shut down. I could not accelerate since the engine was shut down, I could only coast and brake. After the vehicle has been cooling down for 20 min, I’m able to restart the vehicle and drive again until the same issue occurs again. No light on dashboard. Very dangerous issue as it often happens when driving on the freeway for a while. You have no way to accelerate the vehicle and need to slowly pull over on a busy freeway, endangering others and yourself. The issue has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. No, the vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. Please note that this is a known recall for this vehicle but my VIN is NOT included in the recall. Please see the details of the recall below: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 14V526000 Report Date: SEP 03, 2014 Vehicles Affected: 70,209 Consequence: If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash. What You Should Do: 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.
NHTSA complaint #11629431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sunnyvale, CA
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving, a red triangle to safely stop came up and the vehicle engine shut down. I could not accelerate since the engine was shut down, I could only coast and brake. After the vehicle has been cooling down for 20 min, I’m able to restart the vehicle and drive again until the same issue occurs again. No light on dashboard. Very dangerous issue as it often happens when driving on the freeway for a while. You have no way to accelerate the vehicle and need to slowly pull over on a busy freeway, endangering others and yourself. The issue has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. No, the vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. Please note that this is a known recall for this vehicle but my VIN is NOT included in the recall. Please see the details of the recall below: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 14V526000 Report Date: SEP 03, 2014 Vehicles Affected: 70,209 Consequence: If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash. What You Should Do: 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.
NHTSA complaint #11629431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Columbus, OH
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Rear frame rails rotting thru from the inside out, causing potential suspension issues
NHTSA complaint #11610361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Columbus, OH
SUSPENSION
Rear frame rails rotting thru from the inside out, causing potential suspension issues
NHTSA complaint #11610361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 105,000 milesCarbondale, PA
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an inspection, the contact was informed that the subframe was severely corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V165000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
NHTSA complaint #11558831 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Waycross, GA
POWER TRAIN
When accelerating on the vehicle it would run fine till about a couple minutes driving then it would jerk and the rpm gauge would go to 0 and then back up the the right rpm
NHTSA complaint #11543504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Waycross, GA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When accelerating on the vehicle it would run fine till about a couple minutes driving then it would jerk and the rpm gauge would go to 0 and then back up the the right rpm
NHTSA complaint #11543504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Waycross, GA
ENGINE
When accelerating on the vehicle it would run fine till about a couple minutes driving then it would jerk and the rpm gauge would go to 0 and then back up the the right rpm
NHTSA complaint #11543504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 152,000 milesNewport, RI
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.
NHTSA complaint #11521118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 152,000 milesNewport, RI
STEERING
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.
NHTSA complaint #11521118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 170,000 milesSeattle, WA
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 10 MPH, the brakes failed with the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that his wife was able to coast the vehicle off the roadway. The contact arrived at the scene and drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic discovered that both front brake lines were severely corroded and that the front passenger’s side brake line was leaking brake fluid due to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
NHTSA complaint #11512443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Golden, CO
POWER TRAIN
The torque converter was failing in my 07 escape. When I switched gears from park to drive or reverse the car would shake and sometimes stall out. Or if I had to stop at a stop sign or traffic signal while in drive the same issues would happen. The old torque converter is not available for inspection unfortunately because I gave it back to autozone to get the core charge money back. But when we installed the new torque converter it completely solved the issues and the transmission is running great again. It put myself and my passengers at risk since my car would completely turn off at traffic lights sometimes. This problem has been reproduced by others and I actually found out the torque converter was the issue by finding a technical service bulletin (TSB 07-5-6) so I know other shops have discovered this issue. There were no warning lights or anything and no parts were inspected by others. I completed the whole replacement.
NHTSA complaint #11505703 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 109,000 milesDry Ridge, KY
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds a clunking noise was present coming from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered that the rear passenger’s side wheel well was severely rusted causing the rear passenger’s side shock absorber to puncture the wheel well of the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not notified. The failure mileage was 109,000.
NHTSA complaint #11483652 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Burlington, NCCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS service system warning came up on my dash along with the brake light and the abs light, immediately after the lights came on the ability to stop and stay stopped vanished.
NHTSA complaint #11471084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Burlington, NCCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ABS service light comes on intermittently, when light is on a "service brake system" warning comes across the guage cluster. While this service light is on the escape has little to no braking and requires upwards of 300ft to stop when going 45mph. Once the vehicle is brought to a stop you can hear the brake system attempting to pressurize but only making a repeated grinding noise directly in front of the driver in the engine bay. Once vehicle is parked and shut off the brakes continue to make the same grinding noise. After allowing the vehicle to sit over night you may get lucky and have fully functioning brakes or you may unlock the door and hear the grinding noise letting you know the abs warning will be illuminated once the car is started. I have currently rear-ended another vehicle while stopped at a red light because no matter how hard I pressed on the brakes my vehicle continued to roll forward into another vehicle. My vehicle passed inspection with zero obdII codes the day I bought the escape Friday, May 27, 2022. Exactly a week later on June 2, 2022 I experienced severe brake failure and rear ended a 2021 Toyota 4runner. No major damage was caused to either vehicle. Two days later on June 4, 2022 the brake system failed once again causing me to drive my vehicle off the road into the median to avoid an impact at 65mph on interstate I-85. I am a father to my 3 year old daughter, but I am unable to transport my daughter in fear of endangering her life because of a faulty brake system Ford refuses to recall.
NHTSA complaint #11467587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Burlington, NCCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS service light comes on intermittently, when light is on a "service brake system" warning comes across the guage cluster. While this service light is on the escape has little to no braking and requires upwards of 300ft to stop when going 45mph. Once the vehicle is brought to a stop you can hear the brake system attempting to pressurize but only making a repeated grinding noise directly in front of the driver in the engine bay. Once vehicle is parked and shut off the brakes continue to make the same grinding noise. After allowing the vehicle to sit over night you may get lucky and have fully functioning brakes or you may unlock the door and hear the grinding noise letting you know the abs warning will be illuminated once the car is started. I have currently rear-ended another vehicle while stopped at a red light because no matter how hard I pressed on the brakes my vehicle continued to roll forward into another vehicle. My vehicle passed inspection with zero obdII codes the day I bought the escape Friday, May 27, 2022. Exactly a week later on June 2, 2022 I experienced severe brake failure and rear ended a 2021 Toyota 4runner. No major damage was caused to either vehicle. Two days later on June 4, 2022 the brake system failed once again causing me to drive my vehicle off the road into the median to avoid an impact at 65mph on interstate I-85. I am a father to my 3 year old daughter, but I am unable to transport my daughter in fear of endangering her life because of a faulty brake system Ford refuses to recall.
NHTSA complaint #11467587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 121,000 milesIndianapolis, IN
STRUCTURE:BODY
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was receiving routine maintenance by an independent mechanic, the contact was informed that underneath the rear of the vehicle was rusted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000.
NHTSA complaint #11459731 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Jose, CA
SUSPENSION
Front tires bald and worn out in a circular pattern in less then about 4000 miles tires were brand new then purchased another set of 2 new front tires and again tires were bald and in some area they had a circular pattern after 2000 miles
NHTSA complaint #11455357 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Jose, CA
TIRES
Front tires bald and worn out in a circular pattern in less then about 4000 miles tires were brand new then purchased another set of 2 new front tires and again tires were bald and in some area they had a circular pattern after 2000 miles
NHTSA complaint #11455357 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 195,000 milesSaint Louis, MO
POWER TRAIN
The contact's mother owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and decelerated to 40-45 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's brother depressed the accelerator pedal however, the pedal felt soft and remained on the floorboard. The contact's brother veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, he was able to continue to drive; however, the failure reoccurred while exiting the highway. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to go into gear while attempting to shift into drive and depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle would start but would not move. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.
NHTSA complaint #11454522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 195,000 milesSaint Louis, MO
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact's mother owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and decelerated to 40-45 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's brother depressed the accelerator pedal however, the pedal felt soft and remained on the floorboard. The contact's brother veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, he was able to continue to drive; however, the failure reoccurred while exiting the highway. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to go into gear while attempting to shift into drive and depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle would start but would not move. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.
NHTSA complaint #11454522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Manhattan Beach, CA
POWER TRAIN
This Escape is an AWD Hybrid. When driving in slippery snow, sand, ice, etc., the front wheels spin, but there is no power transmitted to the rear wheels, causing serious control and traction problems. An "all-wheel-drive-locked" signal appears on the info display, followed instantly by "AWD disabled". After a while (a couple minutes), the system then comes back and says "Automatic AWD restored". Which is simply not true—AWD never engages, but a driver going into a snowstorm or other difficult situation has no way of knowing this until it's too late. Problem was diagnosed by a good mechanic as a faulty transfer case—a very common problem in 2002—2011 AWD Ford Escapes. There is a serious design problem—the transfer case is too close to the exhaust, which cooks the internal lubricant, causes it to leak out completely, and kills the bearings inside the case. There are many cases on forums of this problem causing locked wheels at speed, sudden lack of drive on highways, etc. Not to mention the problem (as in my case) of drivers entering dangerous driving situations where they are counting on AWD for safe driving, but having just front wheel drive, with absolutely no warning from the car. I have no idea why this has not resulted in a. recall so far, but it is an serious, obvious (and worsening) safety issue. Parts and labor cost will be over $1000. Dissection of fragged transfer cases destroyed by this problem is easily available online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yLkr609bfI
NHTSA complaint #11451963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.