2011 Ford Escape Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,874 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Ford Escape, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 49/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 110,755 miles.
Below average
Where 2011 sits among all Escape years
What owners report
“Power steering failure. (there is a recall for this vehicle, however ford is not honoring my specific vehicle, yet the same failure is occuring with my vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Escape
“Recall #16s41 performed on 12/14/2017. Since that time it has been returned to the dealer 8+ times for strong gasoline odor. Currently gasoline odor is inside of the car so strong we are afraid to drive car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Escape
“Transmission had to be replaced at 128000.miles and cost us 3500.00 and we only owned it for less than a year”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Escape
“2nd time my throttle has been replaced ford needs to issue recalls on all ford problems.... Needs to be recalled”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Escape
“Driving on my way home my wrench light turned on. My car started hesitating and couldn't have control of my speed. I checked the manual and the it read the problem was some issue with the throttle body. Taking it to ford dealership to see what they will say /fix.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Escape
“Car would not start. Once started, power steering completely out. Had to drive home with no power steering.once power steering came on a day later, air is not working.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Escape
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,531 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 53,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 39,800 and 89,600 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
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…
The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner…
Fix: Timken has begun notifying distributors who will offer purchasers replacement wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2015. Owners may contact Timken customer service at…
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…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2011 Ford Escape reliable?
The 2011 Ford Escape drew 1,874 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 49/100, scored against the model's worst year (2013).
What are the most common 2011 Ford Escape problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Ford Escape are steering (410 complaints), fuel system (286), and transmission & drivetrain (268).
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Escape problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Ford Escape problems around 53,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 39,800 and 89,600 miles.
Does the 2011 Ford Escape have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Ford Escape. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.