2011 Ford Escape Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 1,353 owner complaints for the 2011 Ford Escape (including the hybrid).

Recalled components: fuel system and steering. Most-described problem: power steering problems or locked steering (274 complaints, 20%). Most-reported area: steering (423 complaints, 31%; median mileage when it happened: 110,000).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

Includes the Escape Hybrid.

2 safety recalls for the 2011 Ford Escape

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Suspension: front, wheel bearing (Timken Company, 15E-045).

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2011 Ford Escape; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 1,353 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Escape. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Power steering problems or locked steering274 · 20%
  Median 112,000 miles at failure, from 206 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode212 · 16%
  Median 46,000 miles at failure, from 206 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off171 · 13%
  Median 46,000 miles at failure, from 161 reports with mileage
• Check engine light96 · 7%
  Median 51,000 miles at failure, from 89 reports with mileage
• Hesitation or slow acceleration93 · 7%
  Median 44,400 miles at failure, from 90 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration71 · 5%
  Median 60,100 miles at failure, from 62 reports with mileage
• Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting65 · 5%
  Median 43,300 miles at failure, from 62 reports with mileage
• Unintended acceleration or surging48 · 4%
  Median 39,000 miles at failure, from 46 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Steering423 · 31%
  Most named: electric power assist system (4) · Median 110,000 miles at failure, from 318 reports with mileage
• Powertrain273 · 20%
  Median 45,200 miles at failure, from 257 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system256 · 19%
  Median 49,000 miles at failure, from 180 reports with mileage
• Speed control253 · 19%
  Median 45,000 miles at failure, from 248 reports with mileage
• Engine252 · 19%
  Median 47,000 miles at failure, from 239 reports with mileage
• Electrical system117 · 9%
  Median 53,000 miles at failure, from 98 reports with mileage
• Body structure44 · 3%
  Most named: body (31); body, hatchback/liftgate (5) · Median 47,000 miles at failure, from 30 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other59 · 4%
  Median 70,300 miles at failure, from 41 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Ford Escape recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2011 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2011 Escape drew the most (451).

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2011 Escape MPG

Questions