Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, who determined that the passenger-side front subframe was rotten. The front and rear underbody were rotten. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that there was severe rusting and rot on the frame rail. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 184,500
Never again with a Ford. Had a life threatening incident. K frame completely rusted out, making front passenger tire wobble and almost fall off. I was driving 65 mph and it started. Took to shop immediately to find gapping holes in k frame. Ford should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this to happen. Have read about previous complaints of this SAFETY issue with other years and people. I cannot afford repair I am on disability and now stuck without a vehicle. When I tried to break, abs and traction control came on. Was checked and mechanic said abs module failed also. Repairs are beyond what I can afford and I could have been killed along with others. I may call an attorney because k frame/ engine sub frame should last life of vehicle. Not take a life. I also had Huge safety issue with my Taurus, a few years ago, filed a complaint with you for this problem also. Nothing was done. …
The passenger rear panel paint is bubbling and has rust under the bubbled paint. This is a defect noticed on all the Ford Escapes that I see in parking lots and pre owned vehicle lots. This is a factory defect that I and a lot of other Escape owners feel the manufacturer should take responsibility for and recall the issue so we can get our vehicles fixed. The cost to do it is not covered under my insurance. The safety of others is if you have small kids that are near the vehicle can get rust in their mouth if they touch the area that the bubbled paint has fallen off. The child could touch the bubble, the paint comes off the vehicle and they put it in their mouth. The chips of paint if they try to swallow them could cut their throat trying to swallow the paint chip. The bubble was noticed after owning the vehicle for a year. …
Was informed during inspection the subframe is rusted very badly and could fail. In doing research the 2009 Ford escape has had these recalled for this specific reason that the subframe components were not properly coated causing rust and failure. My VIN isn't on the list after speaking to Ford. My next step is to address you to see if it needed to get added as it is exact nature of the original 2006 subframe recall that mine is not a part of yet needs to be
The subframe is rusted. There is an actual hole in the subframe. Yes, as of today, it is available for inspection. It has been put on a lift and looked at by an independent service center, which deemed it unsafe to drive. Because of this costly issue, the vehicle has been parked and not driven, leaving me without transportation as I cannot afford to replace an entire subframe as patching doesn't seem to be an option due to the amount of rust.
The front sub frame rusted out on the passenger side. The is a 1inch by 5 inch hole in the sub frame. The lower control arm could have come off and the whole spindle and tire could have come off the vehicle while driving. Haggerty Ford iin West Chicago, Il noticed the large hole while doing an inspection for an oil change.
It was a heavy rainy night when windshield wipers started acting up with their rhythm making it hard to see through a slightly blurred windshield then windshield & sunroof starts leaking water all over me,inside the front light switch,down into floor boards plus all in the seats !! If that wasn't enough I was slowing down to go around a few curves when brakes acted like they didn't want me to stop scary. Key is hard & sticky feeling to turn in ignition cylinder therefore making the ignition switch not being able to catch any voltage at all to start the engine..after a million tries it'll finally start.. It still leaks,very hard to start & replacing brakes again...
There is a known throttle body issue with the Ford Escape 2009, where the truck goes into "limp mode" indicated by an illuminated wrench. I had just taken it in for this issue, Ford only did the recalibration and did not replace the defective throttle body. The next day while in the parking lot at my work, the vehicle went into "wrench mode" or "enhanced limp mode (since the recalibration)" and lurched into a cement pillar causing severe damage to the front right side of my vehicle. Damage was ~$5K, rental car $500, deductible $100, higher insurance, structural damage to the vehicle (permanent loss of value).
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon inspection it was discovered that the front passenger side sub frame had experienced severe corrosion and rusting. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer hondru Ford(300 s. Main st. Manheim pa.) and the manufacturer case ([redacted]) were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000. ('parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 U.S.c. 552(b)(6).')
Body complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2009 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the body & structure of the 2009 Ford Escape, 2% of the model year's 1,693 complaints. The component named most often is body (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Ford Escape body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2009 Ford Escape, though it has 1 recall 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 2009 Ford Escape body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure 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.