What 1,312 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Escape Gas

Front sub frame rusting through that could potentially result in the control arms breaking away from the sub frame and the driver losing control of the vehicle. No incident has occurred from this, but could if not inspected and found. This was found by an independent service center. No warning lamps

NHTSA ODI 11551124

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle power steering and the A/C intermittently became inoperable. The battery warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 253,877.

NHTSA ODI 11550883

Sub frame rotting out, lower control arms. Know issue with A/C leaking onto frame cause extreme rust. This can/will cause loss of control when driving. Purchased used and was not made aware of the issue and unknown history.

NHTSA ODI 11550520

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was parked the key was inserted into the ignition approximately five times before the vehicle started. Additionally, the contact stated on three occasions while driving at various speeds the steering wheel became stiff. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition cylinder switch and torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000. .

NHTSA ODI 11549751

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while he or his wife was driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that his wife had to turn the vehicle off and restart the vehicle however, the failure recurred. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11546953

While driving on a side street, the power steering failed. The steering wheel was very difficult to turn making it much more difficult to control the vehicle. If it wasn't as early in the morning as it was, there would have been more vehicles on the road and the risk of hitting another vehicle would have been much greater. The inability to control my vehicle made it more dangerous for me and others on the road. Ford Motor Company issued a recall on 2008-2011 Escapes for a problem with the steering torque sensor. I contacted Ford and, even though this vehicle fits the years included in the recall, I was told this vehicle was not included in the recall. There were no warning lights, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure.

NHTSA ODI 11546402

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist, causing the steering wheel to become firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

NHTSA ODI 11543128

Hello, I have submitted a complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Department on February 4, 2023 to report an issue with my 2011 Ford Escape. My Steering wheel is locking while in motion. I have spoken to a Representative who verified that my vehicle was manufactured in Kansas City, Mo. I viewed the Recall letter that was submitted from the Manufacturing Company on July 1, 2014 with Recall number 14S05. My Case number is [XXX]. I also spoke with a Representative with NHTS DepartmI hope this isent today August 30, 2023 and was advise to Edit and update my complaint. My ODI 11450799. My Vehicle is currently at the Barton Ford Dealership Service Department at 1600 N. Main St in Suffolk Va. This incident has occurred frequently. Again the issue was reported this year in February of 2023. Lately the incident has occurred everyday this past week. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle and I am afraid that having this issue could cause me to get into an accident. I hope this issue can be resolved. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11541703

We bought a certified pre-owned 2011 Ford Escape from Simi Valley Ford dealer back in late 2014. We then gave it to our son when he started college in 2018. It has been working okay for him until three weeks ago the steering wheel locked a few times on him while driving and he took it to the local repair shop where he was told that there had been a recall on the 2011 Ford Escapes for issues with steering so his best bet would be to take it to the dealership. He took it to a Ford dealership and they said it needed a new steering column but that it was not covered under the recall (codes did not match). We authorized the replacement of the steering column over a week ago and we keep being told that the part has not shipped from the manufacturer and that they do not have an ETA as to when it will be available. I spoke to another dealership and he told me that FORD is not allowing the sale of this part. Part Number: CL8Z3C529D Steering Column.

NHTSA ODI 11540645

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at 5 MPH and exiting a parking lot, the power steering assist failed, and the power steering function was inoperable. However, after driving a short distance, the power steering became operable, and she was able to safely drive the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the first failure experience occurred three months ago, but the failure had reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11540318

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, while attempting to slow down the vehicle pulled to the right. The vehicle returned to normal functionality however, the failure became a regular occurrence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the EPS module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11539895

The torque sensor failed while turning left at a stoplight and the power steering didn't work. It was extremely difficult to keep the steering wheel rotated in order to complete the turn. I came very close to hitting the car on the opposite direction at the stoplight and to hitting the curb. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer service center. The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC)was B2278. To my knowledge the manufacturer has not inspected the torque sensor. The dealer did say the sensor had a yellow paint or chalk line it and when they received the replacement sensor, the literature called for the entire steering column assembly to be replaced if the yellow paint line was present on the failed sensor. There were no warning lights, checking engine lights, or any other symptoms of the problem prior to the sensor failure. The failure just occurred without warning in the middle of a left hand turn.

NHTSA ODI 11539676

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds while making a left or a right turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that she had to turn off and restart the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel. No warning light was illuminated. The contact’s father diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved DTC code: B2278. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

NHTSA ODI 11539418

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof inadvertently exploded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

NHTSA ODI 11537216

Subframe rusted only on passenger side front where the weld is to hold/ support the passenger front wheel. It snapped and wheel was completely free/ had no control over it and causing the front axle to snap.

NHTSA ODI 11536199

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the subframe on the passenger’s side front had detached due to extreme corrosion, causing the front axle to become detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V165000 (Structure). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 178,596. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11536093

Loss of brake assist. Pedal hard and unresponsive.

NHTSA ODI 11534567

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving into a parking area at a slow speed, the vehicle abruptly lost electric power steering assist. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality; however, the failure recurred and had since become a regular failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. After investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11533420

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the brake pads needed to be replaced. The brake pads were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The brake rotors and calipers were replaced but the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the flex brake line needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The flex brake lines were replaced by the contact's husband. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ODI 11532268

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the front driver side wheel seized and would not release. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured wheel dimension as a result the dimensions needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,899.

NHTSA ODI 11531599

Power steering fails intermittently with no warning. Causes loss of steering control momentarily, then returns to normal after restarting. It has affected this vehicle sporatically since 152K miles. Odometer reads 156K on 7-10-23. It has not been inspected by any mechanic, dealer, or insurance professional. This is a serious safety risk.

NHTSA ODI 11531326

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the steering column before the power steering malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11528921

Rust around wheel wells and rear liftgate along bottom edge.

NHTSA ODI 11525840

The power steering keeps going out and the car becomes almost impossible to control. I have to turn the car off and on several times for it to work again. I am scared to drive it because I do not want to wreck. No warnings it just goes out. This has happened on numerous occasions. I noticed recalls on this for the same reason on the same vehicle. Why does my car not have the same recall?

NHTSA ODI 11525308

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear windshield wiper motor failed to deactivate, causing the battery to drain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced; however, the dealer confirmed that the warranty had expired. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the rear windshield wiper motor; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11521011