2010 Ford Escape recalls & problems

Recent owner complaints

• Sep 22, 2026Steering
  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 car with the key. It would take multiple tries before starting. But now that the steering has locked up more than twice while driving is concerning. I see there were previous problems with the steering and corrected in 2014. After reading the recall description, it sounds to be the same problem. And recently i parked the vehicle, put in park, pulled the key and when opening the door beeping…
• Sep 8, 2026Fuel system, gasoline › Storage
  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.
• Mar 27, 2026Structure › Body
  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 broke down after the sale. Apple Ford Apple Valley documented that the vehicle was “not safe to drive due to rusted frame,” and after break down, Carlson Automotive also inspected the vehicle and confirmed serious issues. The vehicle and related records can be made available for inspection upon request. 2.My safety and the safety of others were put at risk because the structural defect caused…
• Jul 1, 2025Unknown or other
  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 found where that certain safety recall was only repaired by computer update, NOT by checking the actual steering column, via the previous owners. I want the steering column looked at and for free. We could have died if it had failed in a turn. The escape is sitting in my garage with NO POWERSTEERING AT ALL and no one can drive it. This is a safety risk because without power-steering I cannot turn…
• May 22, 2026Suspension
  Front subframe on the right side prematurely rusts, causing the vehicle to loose steering and pull to the right.
• Apr 1, 2025Electrical system
  My car is a limited version which equipped a Microsoft SYNC system which providing backup camera and vehicle system setting and information such as hybrid status, driven mode, battery charging status, GPS navigation, etc. Just because this 'Upgrade', the clock and date setting is different with regular escape hybrid cars which comes from the satellite only. Driver could adjust the hour and minute, but the day, month, and year would be reset to a certain day of 2006 if battery changing. After that, the date could be updated by GPS signal automatically. It was working well until one year ago. Now, my car is showing Oct, 2006 and running day after day. I did some research on internet and found…
• May 24, 2026Steering
  I went out to start my car and the power steering assist fault came on and wouldn't let me turn the wheel easily. When I looked up the problem the code came back to one of the recalls Ford has on those escape. But now my car is not in the recall but it was made with in the years and the plant the they recalled for
• Mar 31, 2026Air bags
  AFTERMARKET SEAT COVER AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY. I can't electricly move my seats when I try and air bag warning comes in my dash board

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• DP15001 · opened Apr 1, 2015 · closed Jun 14, 2018Loss of power steering while driving
  On May 27, 2014, amended June 2, 2014, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist while driving in approximately 746,067 model year (MY) 2008 through 2011 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with electric power assisted steering (NHTSA 14V-284, Ford 14S05). Ford's DIR described the defect condition as a poor signal to noise ratio [SNR] in the torque sensor within the Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) system [which] does not allow the PSCM to determine the driver's steering input. When the system detects this fault condition, it transitions the EPAS system to the fail-safe/manual steering mode.Ford's DIR indicates that loss of power steering assist while driving would require higher steering effort at lower vehicle speeds, which may result in an increased risk of a…
• PE13003 · opened Feb 21, 2013 · closed Feb 28, 2014Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
  On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles. During this investigation, Ford identified a condition in subject vehicles equipped with 2.5L and 3.0L engines that may result in a sudden reduction of engine power.According to Ford, the ETB internal motor contacts may develop a high resistance material buildup condition on the commutator, resulting in intermittent electrical connectivity and reduced engine power. When this condition occurs, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) or Wrench light will illuminate and the vehicle may enter a limited limp home mode.Ford?s trade name for the feature is Failure Mode Effects Management (FMEM) mode.In…
• DP12006 · opened Oct 2, 2012 · closed Feb 21, 2013Electronic 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 MY 2009 Ford Escape vehicles that were diagnosed as failed throttle bodies with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle Body Stuck Closed. The petitioner indicates that the owners of both vehicles reported experiencing repeated incidents of stalling and…
• PE11016 · opened Apr 27, 2011 · closed Aug 18, 2011Rear Liftgate Window Glass Breakage
  In its response to the agency, Ford acknowledged a higher than normal level of glass breakage incidents in the model year (MY) 2010 to early-build MY 2011 subject vehicles.The incidentsoccurred when the liftgate glass was being opened, or more typically while being closed, but in both cases while the vehicle was stationery, i.e., not moving on the roadway.Additionally failures often occurred during early morning hours when ambient and/or liftgate glass temperatures may have been lower.Ford advised that it investigated the failures but failed to identify an anomaly in the glass manufacturing process (which is often a factor in glass breakage trends ODI investigates) that could explain the reports.It did however identify a potential thermal expansion/compression condition in the mounting of the rear wiper motor to the liftgate glass.Starting at MY 2008 vehicle production the motor was…