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

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (1,312)Crash / fire / injury (54)Steering (407)Fuel system (284)Transmission & drivetrain (268)Engine (248)Speed control (245)Electrical system (115)Visibility & wipers (45)Body & structure (42)Suspension (31)Airbags (26)

6 of 1,312 complaints match · Speed control · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Dec 1, 2020Electrical systemSpeed controlBrakes1 injury

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED BY FLASHING ALL LIGHTS TO STAYING ON. THEN THE SPEED CONTROLS, SPEEDOMETER, RPM GAUGE, AND HEAT SENSOR WOULD NOT WORK. ON TOP OF ALL THIS. THE BRAKES BEGAN TO MAKE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN THIS ISSUE WOULD HAPPEN AND THE BRAKES WOULD ACT ROUGH. NO MECHANIC COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT WAS TO LATE. THIS NEEDS TO BE BETTER KNOWN AND BETTER MANAGED.

NHTSA ODI 11377241

Oct 28, 2016Speed controlCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND CRASHED INTO A STONE WALL. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED LEFT ARM, VARIOUS BODY BRUISES, RIGHT AND LEFT LEG INJURIES, AND FACIAL LACERATIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,188. UPDATED 12/23/16*LJ UPDATED 01/05/17.*JB

NHTSA ODI 10919760

Aug 18, 2014Speed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND CRASHED INTO A GARAGE WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000...UPDATED 09-15-14 *BF UPDATED 1/15/15 *JS

NHTSA ODI 10625920

Apr 3, 2013Speed controlCrash

DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH, WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO YELLOW. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, BUT INSTEAD OF STOPPING, THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AND I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I CALLED THE POLICE AND A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. ... UPDATED 04/11/13 *BF

NHTSA ODI 10508003

Oct 9, 2012Body & structureSpeed controlCrash

I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE NEXT TO THE BUILDING WHERE I WORK AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND HIT THE BRICK WALL, BROKE A WINDOW AND DENTED THE BUILDING AC UNIT. DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE HOOD, BUMPER AND GRILLE. COST TO REPAIR $4282.75. *TR SEPTEMBER 25,2012 I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED BECAUSE IT CONTINUES TO SURG FORWARD ON A DAILY BASIS. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 10479463

Jul 21, 2011Speed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD UNEXPECTEDLY SURGE FORWARD OR BACKWARD WHILE IDLING WITHOUT A FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE SURGED BACKWARD AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. I HAVE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. TWICE THEY SAID THE HAVE RESET THE COMPUTER THROTTLE BUT STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. UPDATED 11/10/2011 *LN *TR

NHTSA ODI 10413951

Working with the data? Download all 1,312 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Ford Escape Gas verdict →