Your vehicle report
2009 Ford Escape
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 1,693
- Received Nov 2008 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Power steering cuts out while driving381 complaints · 23% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly318 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power252 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V284000Ford 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. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenlyFirst signal: Dec 2013
- Frame rusts and corrodes throughFirst signal: Oct 2025
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 34 crashes, 2 fires, 17 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 41 |
| 2011 | 24 |
| 2012 | 44 |
| 2013 | 439 |
| 2014 | 132 |
| 2015 | 93 |
| 2016 | 112 |
| 2017 | 91 |
| 2018 | 161 |
| 2019 | 140 |
| 2020 | 112 |
| 2021 | 97 |
| 2022 | 65 |
| 2023 | 57 |
| 2024 | 41 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 19 |
| Total | 1,693 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 381 | 23% | 18.8× | NHTSA recall #14V284000 |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 318 | 19% | 17.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Dec 2013 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.0% |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 252 | 15% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 104 | 6.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 72 | 4.3% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 44 | 2.6% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 37 | 2.2% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 36 | 2.1% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 34 | 2.0% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 20 | 1.2% | 11.5× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2025 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.5% |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 19 | 1.1% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 19 | 1.1% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 16 | 0.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 16 | 0.9% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 15 | 0.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 12 | 0.7% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 12 | 0.7% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 12 | 0.7% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 10 | 0.6% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 10 | 0.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V284000May 29, 2014740,878 vehicles affected
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. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.
If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 18, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S05.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2009 Ford Escape.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN