Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving on a mountain highway just south of granby colorado when engine lights came on and engine stopped. I was able to pull over. Tried to restart engine to no avail. Then steam started coming out from under the hood. When I opened the hood, there were yellow spots all over and the coolant container had started to melt and deform from the heat. I called my aaa road service and was towed into granby to mountain valley auto and truck repair. He took pictures of the readings from the computer and has those. He said he had never seen an engine get so hot before and no warning. My son has a mechanic friend who called someone at Ford and was told they were aware that the Ford Escape had an issue with overheating just as my vehicle did with no warning while in mountain driving. …
My son was driving home from work. Put the car in park to stop and clean the windows and when he put it back into gear it would not go, engine just revved. My ex drove it back to my house in 1st gear and my son tried taking it to school the next day. No power. Stalled twice on him in a mile. Ex towed it back to my house. From everything I've read and heard, this seems to be a common occurrence with the Ford escapes. I had to borrow $3400 from my boss to have the transmission fixed so my kids have a car to get to school. I would like to join any class action lawsuit again Ford. They are aware of the problems with the transmissions, yet they do nothing to fix the problem or cover the cost of repairing them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. During cold weather temperatures, the accelerator pedal would become stuck. The contact would have to depress the brake and the accelerator pedals simultaneously in order to resume normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle but the vehicle did not drive. The check engine warning light and brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. While driving 50 MPH, the overdrive indicator illuminated, the transmission seized, and the vehicle stalled. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, but did not offer assistance. The failure mileage was 171,000.
When accelerating on the vehicle it would run fine till about a couple minutes driving then it would jerk and the rpm gauge would go to 0 and then back up the the right rpm
On 3/19/2011 I was driving my 2007 Ford Escape, pulled into a parking space, and it died. No dash board indicators (check engine or oil light) went on prior to this problem. I tried to start it, but it wouldn't turn over. It was towed to a local dealer wherein they indicated the engine had to be replaced, a $6,400.00 cost to me if my extended warranty wouldn't cover it. They want my oil change receipts, I only have a handful, I don't keep the receipts. If I don't give them 10-12 oil change receipts, the extended warranty won't cover a thing. Before even looking at the engine, the dealer and Ford company customer service blamed me for the problem. I've had two other cars in the last 20 years, both kept about 10 years each and never had an engine problem. …
Had been driving for 4 hours at 70 MPH, got off interstate to use restroom and while exiting; when applying the brakes, the engine shut off. Vehicle placed in park, restarted, placed in drive and again immediately the engine shut off. Had to have it towed and I was 2 hours from home. Ford dealer said it was computer and updated some things and it worked fine for 2 months. Again on 10/13/12 was getting off exit near home and when applying brakes, the engine shut off. Same thing. Had to have it towed to Ford dealer where I was told it was the "torque converter" locking up. After vehicle sat for a week; it is now drivable again but still needs to have this replaced and transmission too due to this problem. I don't have that money just lying around. …
We took our 2007 Ford Escape (aprox 60,000 miles) on a road trip from omaha ne to st. Louis mo on 3/10/13 and arrived with no issues. On our return trip we drove about 100 miles until the car stopped on the interstate. The vehicle completely shut down and all of the warning lights came on at the same time. We were able to coast to the shoulder safely but were unable to restart the vehicle. We had aaa tow the vehicle about 30 miles to the closest town and aaa approved mechanic. When the mechanic looked at the vehicle they determined that the vehicle had burned through all of the oil and was completely empty causing the engine to seize up. There were no warning lights indicating low oil up until this point. …
Tl contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. When the failure occurred, the steering column locked and prevented the contact from controlling the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and they repaired the torque converter. The failure recurred several months later. The dealer is currently diagnosing the vehicle to determine the cause of the failure. All of the remedies to date have been insufficient in correcting the failure. The failure mileage was 21,731 and current mileage was 22,000. The transmission was jerking and shifting hard. When coming to a stop it made a sound like twisting metal and the brakes popped and jerked, when accelerating in a curve. There was no response from the vehicle when the accelerator was applied. The vehicle also pulled to the left. …
NHTSA investigations
Electronic 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.
Engine complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2007 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2007 Ford Escape, 12% of the model year's 254 complaints. The component named most often is engine (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Ford Escape engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2007 Ford Escape, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Ford Escape engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.