Ford Escape Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Ford Escape model year from 2000 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 36,172 federal complaints, 98 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2008–2010, 2013–2014, 2017. These years top the Escape's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2006–2007, 2021–2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Engine tops the Ford Escape file with 9,424 complaints, concentrated in the 2013–2018 model years, most often reported around 77,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Few reports | 7 | 2 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | Too early to call | 34 | 9 | — | 1 |
| 2024 | Too early to call | 139 | 8 | Driver assistance | 4 |
| 2023 | Typical | 151 | 11 | Electrical | 4 |
| 2022 | Better year | 311 | 19 | Fuel system | 9 |
| 2021 | Better year | 451 | 19 | Body & structure | 12 |
| 2020 | Below average | 2,099 | 23 | Body & structure | 52 |
| 2019 | Typical | 729 | 3 | Engine | 21 |
| 2018 | Below average | 2,156 | 4 | Engine | 53 |
| 2017 | Avoid | 3,261 | 4 | Engine | 81 |
| 2016 | Below average | 1,324 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 35 |
| 2015 | Below average | 1,321 | 9 | Transmission & drivetrain | 36 |
| 2014 | Avoid | 2,659 | 16 | Engine | 79 |
| 2013 | Avoid | 3,678 | 18 | Engine | 100 |
| 2012 | Typical | 792 | 2 | Fuel system | 23 |
| 2011 | Below average | 1,874 | 3 | Steering | 49 |
| 2010 | Avoid | 3,185 | 5 | Speed control | 76 |
| 2009 | Avoid | 2,348 | 3 | Steering | 56 |
| 2008 | Avoid | 2,404 | 5 | Steering | 63 |
| 2007 | Better year | 350 | 4 | Transmission & drivetrain | 10 |
| 2006 | Better year | 627 | 5 | Speed control | 19 |
| 2005 | Below average | 2,030 | 5 | Suspension | 52 |
| 2004 | Typical | 715 | 8 | Suspension | 22 |
| 2003 | Typical | 736 | 9 | Body & structure | 24 |
| 2002 | Below average | 1,397 | 10 | Engine | 50 |
| 2001 | Below average | 1,389 | 15 | Engine | 50 |
| 2000 | Few reports | 5 | 0 | — | 0 |
Questions buyers ask
What Ford Escape years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2008–2010, 2013–2014, 2017 as the Ford Escape years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Ford Escape problem?
Engine tops the Ford Escape file with 9,424 complaints, concentrated in the 2013–2018 model years, most often reported around 77,000 miles.
What are the best Ford Escape years to buy used?
The quietest Ford Escape years in federal records are 2006–2007, 2021–2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Ford Escape only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.