Most common 2011 Ford Escape problems
Share of the 1,318 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Escape complaints by model year
Best Escape years: 2025, 2012, 2023. Years to avoid: 2017, 2020, 2013, 2018, 2014. Compare all years →
2011 Ford Escape recalls (2)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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 engine, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack, causing a fuel leak.
Remedy: 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.
Steering › Electric power assist system
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 driver steering input.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2011 Ford Escape:
Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles.
Rear Liftgate Window Glass Breakage
In its response to the agency, Ford acknowledged a higher than normal level of glass breakage incidents in the model year (MY) 2010 to early-build MY 2011 subject vehicles.The incidentsoccurred when the liftgate glass was being opened, or more typically while being closed, but in both cases while the vehicle was stationery, i.e., not moving on the roadway.Additionally failures often occurred during early morning…
Loss of power steering while driving
On May 27, 2014, amended June 2, 2014, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist while driving in approximately 746,067 model year (MY) 2008 through 2011 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with electric power assisted steering (NHTSA 14V-284, Ford 14S05).
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.
What 2011 Ford Escape owners say
Steering all 411 →
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 5-10 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The contact stated upon reaching her destination, she turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module needed to be updated, and the torque sensor signal needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel locked, causing the vehicle to drive straightforwardly towards oncoming traffic. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she stopped the vehicle and reversed. The contact stated that a road construction worker placed traffic cones around the vehicle to prevent a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the dealer for the part and was informed that the part was not available. The contact followed up with the dealer, who informed her that the part had been discontinued. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 284 →
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle, the contact observed gasoline leaking underneath the fuel tank. The contact became aware of a crack in the gasoline tank seal. The contact stated that there was a constant odor of gasoline on the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 240,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the fuel tank was leaking and there was an abnormally strong fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed the fuel leak. The mechanic applied epoxy to the leak, but the failure recurred. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Transmission & drivetrain all 268 →
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while her husband was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shuddered significantly and made abnormal knocking sounds. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's husband veered to the side road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering became operable. The contact's husband was able to drive to the residence; however, the failure reoccurred intermittently while driving. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after turning off the cruise control to reduce the speed from 65 MPH to 60 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal to adjust the speed and then depressed the accelerator pedal to readjust the cruise control however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact then coasted to the side of the road and shifted the vehicle into park(P) then to drive(D), reverse(R) and then neutral(N) while depressing the accelerator pedal however, the failure persisted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called Roadside Assistance who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. …
2011 Ford Escape engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | FWD | 34 / 30 / 32 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | 4WD | 30 / 27 / 29 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 23 / 28 / 25 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.5L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 23 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Ford Escape a good car?
Based on 1,318 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 Escape rates average: 1.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Escape at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Ford Escape?
The steering — 411 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about electric power assist system. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (284) and transmission & drivetrain (268).
How many recalls does the 2011 Ford Escape have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2011 Ford Escape, the most recent from October 26, 2016 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Escape?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025, 2012 and 2023. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2020, 2013, 2018 and 2014. See the full Ford Escape years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Escape problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 57,000 miles; 42% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.