Owners have filed 1,312 safety complaints about the 2011 Ford Escape with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.
Complaints for this vehicle report 38 crashes, 7 fires, 38 injuries. No deaths have been reported.
Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2011 Ford Escape, here is how reports break down by system.
"The steering shaft torque sensor unexpectedly malfunctioned while driving resulting in a loss of steering. There was no indication that this would happen, no check engine light was on, and no symptoms prior to the incident. The vehicle is undrivable due to a lack of steering and was diagnosed by an independent garage. The steering shaft torque sensor is recalled for other 2010 Ford Escapes, but not this one."
"I was traveling at 20 mph and slowed to make a turn when the steering wheel took two hands to turn the wheel ... I knew it was a power steering issue. Happend all of a sudden with no warning and I was stuck in the middle of an intersection trying to turn around to go back home"
Complaint filings for the 2011 Ford Escape over time:
Across the Ford Escape model years we track, the 2013 has the most complaints on file (2,743); the 2011 ranks 7 of 9.
3 recalls apply to some or all 2011 Ford Escape vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.
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 s…
The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles. The affected wheel bearings have …
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 …
Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →
NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.
As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,312 complaints about the 2011 Ford Escape with NHTSA. The most-reported system is steering.
The 2011 Ford Escape has 3 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
NHTSA gives the 2011 Ford Escape an overall crash rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.
All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.
Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.
This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.