Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The contact's mother owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his brother was driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently downshifted and decelerated to 40-45 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's brother depressed the accelerator pedal however, the pedal felt soft and remained on the floorboard. The contact's brother veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, he was able to continue to drive; however, the failure reoccurred while exiting the highway. The contact stated that the vehicle would fail to go into gear while attempting to shift into drive and depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle would start but would not move. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 195,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the power steering module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.
This Escape is an AWD Hybrid. When driving in slippery snow, sand, ice, etc., the front wheels spin, but there is no power transmitted to the rear wheels, causing serious control and traction problems. An "all-wheel-drive-locked" signal appears on the info display, followed instantly by "AWD disabled". After a while (a couple minutes), the system then comes back and says "Automatic AWD restored". Which is simply not true-AWD never engages, but a driver going into a snowstorm or other difficult situation has no way of knowing this until it's too late. Problem was diagnosed by a good mechanic as a faulty transfer case-a very common problem in 2002-2011 AWD Ford Escapes. There is a serious design problem-the transfer case is too close to the exhaust, which cooks the internal lubricant, causes it to leak out completely, and kills the bearings inside the case. …
While driving, a red triangle to safely stop came up and the vehicle engine shut down. I could not accelerate since the engine was shut down, I could only coast and brake. After the vehicle has been cooling down for 20 min, I'm able to restart the vehicle and drive again until the same issue occurs again. No light on dashboard. Very dangerous issue as it often happens when driving on the freeway for a while. You have no way to accelerate the vehicle and need to slowly pull over on a busy freeway, endangering others and yourself. The issue has not been reproduced by a dealer or independent service center. No, the vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. Please note that this is a known recall for this vehicle but my VIN is NOT included in the recall. …
The torque converter was failing in my 07 escape. When I switched gears from park to drive or reverse the car would shake and sometimes stall out. Or if I had to stop at a stop sign or traffic signal while in drive the same issues would happen. The old torque converter is not available for inspection unfortunately because I gave it back to autozone to get the core charge money back. But when we installed the new torque converter it completely solved the issues and the transmission is running great again. It put myself and my passengers at risk since my car would completely turn off at traffic lights sometimes. This problem has been reproduced by others and I actually found out the torque converter was the issue by finding a technical service bulletin (TSB 07-5-6) so I know other shops have discovered this issue. …
My 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid (mileage currently 180,000 but the issue started around 150,000 miles) will occasionally (varies from once a week to once every 3 months) not respond properly when I'm accelerating from a stop. When this happens, I can push the accelerator all the way to the floor, but the car will accelerate very slowly for the first 5 seconds or so, and then start accelerating normally again. When this issue first began, it nearly resulted in multiple crashes when I was pulling out into traffic, but now I leave lots of extra space when pulling into traffic in case this happens. I've taken the car to an independent mechanic to try to diagnose the issue and they were unable to observe it since it doesn't happen frequently or predictably enough. There were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the issue starting.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a loss of power without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the replacement transmission. The vehicle was repaired. A few days after the repair, while driving 45 MPH, the contact and driver heard an abnormal noise and odor. Smoke and flames were visible behind the vehicle. The vehicle was able to be pulled over to the side of the road and evacuated. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it was deemed destroyed. …
2007 Ford Escape - at 42,644 miles the car would slow down and not pick up speed, I had it towed to the Ford dealership. They replaced the regulator valve..... At 47,819 miles the car did the same thing , this time the od light came on, had to pull off the highway and again had it towed to the same Ford dealership. They replaced the torque converter , seal & pump , they call me to pick up the car, when I got there it would not move in reverse, this time they replaced the transmission.... At 52,338 miles the car again did the same thing with the forward gears and again the od light was blinking, again towed it to the Ford dealership. This time they replaced the torque converter - sticking g vale which they replaced..... …
While driving Escape at approx 70mph the overdrive sensor ses light came on and engine was making a whining noise. Stopped and borrowed a scan tool from a local garage we know. Codes p0741 and p1744 for tcc were found. Drove home approx 40 miles. Escape was shifting poorly after exiting expressway. Limped vehicle home. Next day 11/14/2020 attempted to take Escape to mechanic. Escape had total transmission failure after about 5 minutes. Odometer reads approx 110,500 miles Escape was towed to accurate transmission in bellevue, mi for possible repair. Diagnosis was that the vehicle needed a total rebuild of the transmission for $2900. Heard that some Ford escapes were recalled for transmission issues and wondered about 2007 Ford Escape issues.
Power train transmission: when I crank my vehicle while in park will remain running. When I shift gears into drive the vehicle moves forward with consistent hesitation when bringing my vehicle to a stop or at a red light or stop sign the vehicle begins' to shut off. The vehicle will remain running, only if I shift gears quickly into 2nd gear or park and keep one foot on the gas and one on the brakes constantly. These vehicle safety issues are consistent with the recall on my Ford Escape 2007 at fordmotor.com where their is web page to submit my VIN number - says there are no recalls for my VIN number. Adamson Ford birmingham, al., have concluded the transmission in my vehicle has gone out and needs to be replaced. Forms attached.
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge.
Transmission complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2007 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 44 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2007 Ford Escape, 17% of the model year's 254 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Ford Escape transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-606 (floor shift, Sep 29, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Ford Escape transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.