Ford
Ford Escape years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2018 and 2020. Best years: 2022, 2023 and 2024.
The 2017, 2018 and 2020 Ford Escape draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 2,689 complaints (269 for each year on the road), 2018 has 1,802 complaints (200 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 1,602 complaints (229 for each year on the road), against a median of 92 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is overheating (1562 reports).
- 11,688complaints
- 61recall campaigns
- 11model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: overheating (1562 reports, median 77,000 miles) and misfire (1332 reports, median 77,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: overheating (1179 reports, median 83,344 miles) and misfire (949 reports, median 84,000 miles).
2020
Most reported: infotainment (70 reports, median 41,000 miles) and door latch (63 reports, median 40,000 miles).
Best years
2022
Most reported: brake wear (34 reports, median 20,000 miles) and stalling (19 reports).
2023
Most reported: infotainment (21 reports, median 28,000 miles) and stalling (16 reports).
2024
Most reported: infotainment (20 reports) and stalling (13 reports).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any Ford Escape year here: 2,689 of 11,688 (23%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Overheating leads in 4 of the 11 model years and has the most reports overall, 3,920. Pooled across the years, half of the 2,235 owners who gave a mileage for overheating were under about 80,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 4% of Ford Escape complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 155 of its 2,020 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report overheating also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 2,256, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 1,569 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Bull-Doser, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Third generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,020 | 155 | 16 | Engine overheats or leaks coolant (573) | 80,000 |
| 2015 | 1,105 | 92 | 9 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (226) | 77,000 |
| 2016 | 1,127 | 102 | 4 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (267) | 80,000 |
| 2017 avoid | 2,689 | 269 | 4 | Engine overheats or leaks coolant (1562) | 70,000 |
| 2018 avoid | 1,802 | 200 | 4 | Engine overheats or leaks coolant (1179) | 78,200 |
| 2019 | 588 | 74 | 3 | Engine overheats or leaks coolant (293) | 64,000 |
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fourth generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 avoid | 1,602 | 229 | 23 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (70) | 43,000 |
| 2021 | 348 | 58 | 19 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (49) | 39,000 |
| 2022 best | 232 | 46 | 19 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (34) | 36,000 |
| 2023 best | 99 | 25 | 11 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (21) | 23,106 |
| 2024 best | 76 | 25 | 8 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (20) | 5,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2025 (24).
Year by year
2024 Ford Escape best
76 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (0.3 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (20 reports), stalling (13 reports) and false collision warning (12 reports). 5 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 25V-343 on the electrical system and 25V-315 on the backup camera.
2023 Ford Escape best
99 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (0.3 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (21 reports, median 28,000 miles), stalling (16 reports) and dead battery (13 reports). 2 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 11 recalls, including 25V-343 on the electrical system and 25V-315 on the backup camera.
2022 Ford Escape best
232 owner complaints, 46 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (34 reports, median 20,000 miles), stalling (19 reports) and misfire (18 reports, median 48,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 19 recalls, including 21V-922 on the brakes and 26V-117 on the visibility.
2021 Ford Escape
348 owner complaints, 58 for each year on the road (0.6 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (49 reports, median 5,000 miles), stalling (23 reports, median 75,000 miles) and transmission shudder (19 reports, median 79,845 miles). 9 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 19 recalls, including 21V-922 on the brakes and 26V-117 on the visibility.
2020 Ford Escape avoid
1,602 owner complaints, 229 for each year on the road (2.5 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (70 reports, median 41,000 miles), door latch (63 reports, median 40,000 miles) and stalling (61 reports, median 58,986 miles). 20 reports involved a crash and 28 people were hurt. 23 recalls, including 26V-117 on the visibility and 26V-123 on the backup camera.
2019 Ford Escape
588 owner complaints, 74 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (293 reports, median 70,000 miles), misfire (256 reports, median 71,000 miles) and engine failure (126 reports, median 68,000 miles). 24 reports involved a crash and 28 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 26V-011 on the equipment and 22V-413 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2018 Ford Escape avoid
1,802 owner complaints, 200 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (1179 reports, median 83,344 miles), misfire (949 reports, median 84,000 miles) and engine failure (492 reports, median 75,000 miles). 25 reports involved a crash and 30 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 26V-011 on the equipment and 22V-413 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2017 Ford Escape avoid
2,689 owner complaints, 269 for each year on the road (2.9 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (1562 reports, median 77,000 miles), misfire (1332 reports, median 77,000 miles) and engine failure (623 reports, median 72,000 miles). 39 reports involved a crash and 56 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 26V-011 on the equipment and 26V-374 on the visibility.
2016 Ford Escape
1,127 owner complaints, 102 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (267 reports, median 85,000 miles), overheating (127 reports, median 86,000 miles) and misfire (125 reports, median 80,000 miles). 36 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 26V-011 on the equipment and 25V-695 on the backup camera.
2015 Ford Escape
1,105 owner complaints, 92 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (226 reports, median 90,000 miles), overheating (145 reports, median 102,000 miles) and stalling (136 reports, median 73,900 miles). 29 reports involved a crash and 34 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 26V-011 on the equipment and 25V-695 on the backup camera.
2014 Ford Escape
2,020 owner complaints, 155 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: overheating (573 reports, median 88,000 miles), misfire (317 reports, median 88,000 miles) and stalling (304 reports, median 80,000 miles). 44 reports involved a crash and 38 people were hurt. 16 recalls, including 26V-011 on the equipment and 17V-209 on the engine.
Recalls that cover several model years
The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
Compare the Escape with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Escape vs Toyota RAV42014 to 2024
- Escape vs Chevrolet Equinox2014 to 2024
- Escape vs Ford Bronco Sport2021 to 2024
- Escape vs Ford Edge2014 to 2022
Questions
What Ford Escape years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2018 and 2020 Ford Escape draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 2,689 complaints (269 for each year on the road), 2018 has 1,802 complaints (200 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 1,602 complaints (229 for each year on the road), against a median of 92 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is overheating (1562 reports).
What are the best years for the Ford Escape?
The 2022, 2023 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2022 has 232 (46 a year), 2023 has 99 (25 a year) and 2024 has 76 (25 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Ford Escape?
Overheating, with 3,920 reports across the 11 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
How many recalls does the Ford Escape have?
61 recall campaigns cover the Ford Escape model years 2014 to 2024 on this site. The widest, 22V-413 on the transmission and drivetrain, covers 6 model years.
How many Ford Escape complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
4% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for overheating on the Ford Escape?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.