U.S. public vehicle records

2010 Ford ESCAPE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

2,068 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

59,948 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2010 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 1,764 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 557 of 2,068 complaints (26.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	439	21.2%
Engine operation	386	18.7%
Braking behavior	122	5.9%
Transmission and shifting	116	5.6%
Electrical and battery issues	86	4.2%
Fuel system concerns	28	1.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Vehicle Speed Control

557

Engine

493

Power Train

492

Fuel/Propulsion System

440

Steering

417

Electrical System

206

Unknown Or Other

Fuel System, Gasoline

Vehicle Speed Control: 557; Engine: 493; Power Train: 492; Fuel/Propulsion System: 440; Steering: 417; Electrical System: 206; Unknown Or Other: 93; Fuel System, Gasoline: 68

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

129

25,000 to 49,999

502

50,000 to 74,999

531

75,000 to 99,999

244

100,000 to 149,999

251

150,000 and above

107

Under 25,000: 129; 25,000 to 49,999: 502; 50,000 to 74,999: 531; 75,000 to 99,999: 244; 100,000 to 149,999: 251; 150,000 and above: 107

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (531). 304 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

910

2014

160

2015

2016

100

2017

127

2018

150

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2009: 1; 2010: 49; 2011: 26; 2012: 89; 2013: 910; 2014: 160; 2015: 90; 2016: 100; 2017: 127; 2018: 150; 2019: 86; 2020: 72; 2021: 46; 2022: 42; 2023: 42; 2024: 35; 2025: 28; 2026: 15

Pattern summary

Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 439 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 386 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 122 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10298531 · 2010-01-06 (January 6, 2010)

PURCHASED 2010 FORD ESCAPE XLT ON 12-12-09. ON MONDAY, 12-14-09 POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND LIGHT FOR STABILIZER CAME ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. CAR WAS HARDLY DRIVABLE AND EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER. DEALERSHIP STATED THE POWER STEERING WAS NEWLY COMPUTERIZED THIS YEAR AND DID NOT RUN ON BELT AND PISTONS ANYMORE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED STEERING COLUMN AND RETURNED CAR ON FRIDAY 12-18-09. TODAY IS 1-6-10 AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN TONIGHT. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. WILL POST SECOND COMPLAINT FOR THE 2ND INCIDENT ONCE RE…

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10298531 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10355398 · 2010-09-13 (September 13, 2010)

PURCHASED NEW FORD ESCAPE 06/01/10, AT APPROX 800 MILES IT DEVELOPED A METAL TO METAL CLICKING SOUND WITHIN STEERING COLUMN WHEN MANUVERING IN AND OUT OF PARKING LOTS AND SLOW SPEED TURNS. BROUGHT ESCAPE TO DEALER ON 06/21/10, DEALER SAID THEY HAVE TO REALIGN MOTOR TO FRAME. NOISE RETURNED AND ESCAPE WAS RETURNED TO DEALER ON 07/27/10. DEALER REPLACED STEERING SHAFT AND COUPLING. NOISE RETURNED AGAIN, ESCAPE RETURNED TO DEALER ON 08/30/10, THIS TIME THEY ARE REPLACING WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. AS OF 09/13/10 DEALER STILL HAS ESCAPE. FORD ISSUED S…

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10355398 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10310756 · 2010-02-16 (February 16, 2010)

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AFTER 17000 K WITH TOTAL INTERNAL FAILURE. WITH BOTH THE NEW AND OLD TRANSMISSIONS I HAVE HAD EXPERIENCED THE FOLLOWING SAFETY ISSUE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. FAILURE TO DOWNSHIFT COMING TO A STOP, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE CAR LINGERING IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. THIS HAS EITHER RESULTED IN A 3 SECOND PAUSE WHILE THE TRANSMISSION DECIDES TO DOWNSHIFT, OR ON ABOUT 5 OCCASIONS THE CAR HAS RIGHT OUT STALL…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10310756 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10341225 · 2010-07-02 (July 2, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH SHE BEGAN TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE DRIVER SIDE CONTROL ARM BROKE AND THE CV AXLE ALSO BROKE OFF OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE CONTROL ARM AND THE CV JOINT. THE DEALER ALSO REPLACED THE TIRES. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IT HAD BEGUN PULLING TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE DEALER ALIGNED THE WHEELS FIVE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 5,842 miles reported. Look up ODI 10341225 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10346767 · 2010-08-02 (August 2, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED WHEN HE SIMULTANEOUSLY DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT STATED THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS WERE EXTREMELY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER AND DUE TO HIS SIZE 11.5 SHOE SIZE, HE WOULD OFTEN DEPRESS BOTH PEDALS UNINTENTIONALLY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE BUT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 10/20/10 *BF UPDATED 10/26/10*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10346767 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10316436 · 2010-03-04 (March 4, 2010)

I PURCHASED A 2010 FORD ESCAPE 1/2/10. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THE PURCHASE I WENT TO BACK UP AND THEN GO FORWARD. IN DOING SO, WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR TO GO FORWARD THERE WAS A JERKING MOTION AS WELL AS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE UNDER THE CAR. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING. AS THE CAR SWITCHES GEARS IT WILL JERK WITH THE SAME NOISE. IT FEELS AS IF THE WHOLE BOTTOM OF THE CAR IS COMING APART AND ABOUT TO FALL OFF. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, BU…

Owner-reported narrative. 242 miles reported. Look up ODI 10316436 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10303653 · 2010-02-01 (February 1, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD ESCAPE XLT. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH AND ENTERING A RAMP THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE BATTERY AND OIL LIGHT FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT CHANGED GEARS TO NEUTRAL, TURNED ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS, AND PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT SHUT THE ENGINE OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE TO HER DESTINATION. SHE DID NOT USE THE HEAT OR RADIO IN CASE THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AT THIS TIME. THE CONTRACT IS CONCERN…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,950 miles reported. Look up ODI 10303653 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10392323 · 2011-03-21 (March 21, 2011)

WAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC - TRAFFIC BEGAN TO MOVE, I PRESSED ON ACCELERATOR AND PROCEEDED. HIT ABOUT 5 MPH AND ENGINE LOST POWER COMPLETELY AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP - RADIO AND A/C REMAINED ON. BATTERY AND OIL WARNING LAMPS ON DASH ILLUMINATED. WAS ABLE TO PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND MOVE TO SIDE OF ROAD. TURNED IGNITION OFF AND WAS ABLE TO RE-START VEHICLE AS NORMAL. PROCEEDED TO MY DESTINATION AS NORMAL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 8,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10392323 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10453652 · 2012-03-31 (March 31, 2012)

WHILE MAKE A MOVING LEFT HAND TURN... ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. AS I CAME OUT OF THE TURN & STARTED TO TRY TO ACCELERATE I QUICKLY REALIZED I HAD NO ENGINE POWER... DRIFTED FOR ABOUT 50 YARDS & PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET. TRIED TURNING ENGINE ON... VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT UP. WENT ON MY WAY. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE ESCAPE STRAIGHT DOWN TO OUR FORD DEALERSHIP. FORD RAN A BUNCH OF TESTS BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I AM AFRAID TO LET MY WIFE DRIVE THE VEHICLE NOW (HER VEHICLE) BECAUSE OF THIS SITUATION. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING SIN…

Owner-reported narrative. 21,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10453652 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10516086 · 2013-06-10 (June 10, 2013)

THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I HAVE TAKEN MY 2010 FORD ESCAPE IN FOR LOSING ACCELERATION, STALLING. THE ENGINE STILL RUNS BUT I AM UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE CAR BASICALLY WON'T RUN, BUT WILL START UP AGAIN. THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY, OR WITH A HIGHER SPEED. IT GENERALLY HAPPENS AROUND 30 MILES PER HOUR. BACK IN DECEMBER, 2012 I TOOK IT IN TO BILL BROWN FORD AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM, AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME, SAYING IT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO THEM. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM ON A DAILY BASIS ALL L…

Owner-reported narrative. 51,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10516086 at NHTSA ↗