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2009 Ford Escape

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Ford Escape do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 996.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

1,416 reports with mileage · 276 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 827 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 301 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 279 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

34 crash reports2 fire reports8 injury reports

Steering complaints

827 reports
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64,300 miles · Aug 12, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to steer. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact was able to steer the steering wheel with the assistance of her son. The contact also stated that…

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The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to steer. There was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact was able to steer the steering wheel with the assistance of her son. The contact also stated that the vehicle overheated the day prior to the steering failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 64,300.

NHTSA ODI #11478988

160,000 miles · Jul 29, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to drive home safely however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehic…

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The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact was able to drive home safely however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under call. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI #11476579

Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2022
Steering

Steering assist failure. The steering assist failed without warning, no lights or indications. I had my car checked on a trouble code scanner and it showed the failure. There appears to be a recall from Ford for this problem, but not all vehicles were included. It should be all vehicles, not just some. I can see on this site alo…

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Steering assist failure. The steering assist failed without warning, no lights or indications. I had my car checked on a trouble code scanner and it showed the failure. There appears to be a recall from Ford for this problem, but not all vehicles were included. It should be all vehicles, not just some. I can see on this site alone there are at least 64 complaints for the same issue, all are not covered under the recall. The fact that so many are experiencing this problem, might warrant a revisit on extending the recall to more vehicles. To have this repaired by a dealer without a recall is extremely expensive for something that is a safety concern.

NHTSA ODI #11475093

Mileage unknown · Jul 18, 2022
Electrical SystemPower TrainSteering

First steering column locked with less then 65,000 miles . Now power train wrench light warning popped on less then 80,000 miles . Throttle body issue forcing car into limp mode leaving driver in danger on the road

NHTSA ODI #11474419

Mileage unknown · Jul 17, 2022
Power TrainSteeringWheels

Rear shock mount rusted out and is destroying the inside of my trunk. Now is hanging loose.

NHTSA ODI #11474363

Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2022
Steering

While driving, my electric power steering failed. There is no warning light or system notice to indicate that this was going to happen. My daughter and I almost wrecked due to this issue. Now I have no way of knowing what the real issue is. I noticed my truck wasn’t included in the recall but it definitely should be. I almost lo…

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While driving, my electric power steering failed. There is no warning light or system notice to indicate that this was going to happen. My daughter and I almost wrecked due to this issue. Now I have no way of knowing what the real issue is. I noticed my truck wasn’t included in the recall but it definitely should be. I almost lost control of the vehicle when this happened and it could have been catastrophic.

NHTSA ODI #11473218

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering wheel as the power steering assist failed to operate as designed without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the power steering motor was re…

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The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering wheel as the power steering assist failed to operate as designed without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the power steering motor was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11470809

81,000 miles · May 31, 2022
Steering

The contact's friend owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact's friend was reversing out of her driveway at approximately 2 MPH, when the power steering failed to make it difficult to turn the wheel in either direction. The contact's friend stated she noticed no warning lights were illuminated. The contact's friend had the vehicle t…

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The contact's friend owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact's friend was reversing out of her driveway at approximately 2 MPH, when the power steering failed to make it difficult to turn the wheel in either direction. The contact's friend stated she noticed no warning lights were illuminated. The contact's friend had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the electric power steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic stated that the manufacturer had issued a recall related to the failure; under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

NHTSA ODI #11466855

Mileage unknown · May 23, 2022
Steering

The electric power steering malfunctions and yes it would be available for inspection upon request. No I have not had a dealer or service center confirm this problem and it's not been inspected by police, insurance representative etc. There was no warning lamps, or symptoms of any kind prior to the failure. The first time thi…

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The electric power steering malfunctions and yes it would be available for inspection upon request. No I have not had a dealer or service center confirm this problem and it's not been inspected by police, insurance representative etc. There was no warning lamps, or symptoms of any kind prior to the failure. The first time this occured I was backing out of a parking spot and it was extremely hard to turn my steering wheel and the vehicle had no issues when I parked. I found that if the battery was unhooked for several hours the steering would work properly again for a period of time but, I never know when it's going to stop working again. It's my understanding there has been a recall on some vehicles for this issue but unfortunately my vehicle didn't fall under the recall. I have saw several complaints of this online when investigating the problem and really wish something would be done because I don't undetstand why some 2009 Ford Escape have a recall for this problem but not all 2009 Ford Escape when it's obviously a problem for more Escape's than just the ones with the recall.

NHTSA ODI #11465783

181,000 miles · May 13, 2022
Steering

The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing out of her driveway, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and locked. The contact could not turn the steering wheel to the left or right. The contact stated an unknown warning light illuminated and was flashing. The contact had not taken the vehicle…

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The contact owns a 2009 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing out of her driveway, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and locked. The contact could not turn the steering wheel to the left or right. The contact stated an unknown warning light illuminated and was flashing. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 181,000.

NHTSA ODI #11464587

Official recalls

1

14V284000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

May 29, 2014

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

3

DP15001 · Loss Of Power Steering While Driving

Opened Apr 1, 2015 · Closed Jun 14, 2018

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering:electric Power Assist System

On May 27, 2014, amended June 2, 2014, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist while driving in approximately 746,067 model year (MY) 2008 through 2011 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with electric power assisted steering (NHTSA 14V-284, Ford 14S05). Ford's DIR described the defect condition as a poor signal to noise ratio [SNR] in the torque sensor within the Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) system [which] does not allow the PSCM to determine the driver's steering input. When the system detects this fault condition, it transitions the EPAS system to the fail-safe/manual steering mode.Ford's DIR indicates that loss of power steering assist while driving would require higher steering effort at lower vehicle speeds, which may result in an increased risk of a crash.Ford's remedy instructs dealers to check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) to determine the proper repair procedure. If no DTCs are present, dealers are to update the PSCM and instrument cluster module software. The updated PSCM software changes the torque sensor fault strategy so that the SNR condition does not result in a loss of power steering assist while driving.In addition, audible and visual warnings are provided for torque sensor faults.If DTCs indicating faults in the torque sensor, PSCM or Power Steering Motor (motor) are present in the initial recall inspection, the dealer performs the following repairs: 1) replaces the torque sensor for torque sensor faults (DTC B2278); or 2) replaces the steering column for faults related to the PSCM (DTC B1342) or motor (DTC B2277).Continued in attachment pages

PE13003 · Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

Opened Feb 21, 2013 · Closed Feb 28, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles. During this investigation, Ford identified a condition in subject vehicles equipped with 2.5L and 3.0L engines that may result in a sudden reduction of engine power.According to Ford, the ETB internal motor contacts may develop a high resistance material buildup condition on the commutator, resulting in intermittent electrical connectivity and reduced engine power. When this condition occurs, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) or Wrench light will illuminate and the vehicle may enter a limited limp home mode.Ford?s trade name for the feature is Failure Mode Effects Management (FMEM) mode.In this mode, engine power and vehicle speed are reduced, while full function of the power steering, power braking, lighting, and climate control systems are maintained.ODI?s complaint analysis indicate that the predominant failure mode involved reduced motive power associated with the limited limp home mode with engine speeds limited to approximately 900 RPM. Analysis of warranty claims provided by Ford identified 59,807 claims related to ETB replacements and approximately 50 percent of claims are associated with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle Body Stuck Closed.Ford described several factors where the ETB motor may fail resulting in DTCs P2111 or P2112 but the failure is not an existing stuck open or closed ETB valve position.According to Ford, the ETB control strategy provides the driver with three FMEM modes that allow varying degrees of vehicle mobility depending on the severity of the fault detected.DTCs associated with stuck open or closed throttle valves are designated the highest failure severity resulting in engine speeds limited to high idle corresponding to the limited limp home mode.Vehicles are not likely to unexpectedly stall as a result of this condition, but drivers may characterize the reduced functionality as a stall, even though their vehicle may still has motive capability.Other FMEM limp modes may result in reduced engine performance but will maintain vehicle speed above 20mph. During this investigation, Ford and its suppliers, Delphi and Igarashi, updated the powertrain control module (PCM) software to include a throttle body motor cleaning cycle during key-on and modified the ETB internal motor components design, surface finish and material composition to improve durability. Additionally, Ford developed a remedy procedure and issued a special Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) 13N03 extending the ETB warranty coverage and instructing dealers to update the powertrain calibration to improve vehicle performance in the event that intermittent electrical connectivity of the throttle body motor contacts occurs. The program extends the coverage for up to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, all vehicles are eligible for the program through January 31, 2015 regardless of mileage.Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by mail to take their vehicle to a Ford dealer who will reprogram the PCM to the latest calibration. The bulletin was sent to dealers on January 17, 2014 and the owner letter mailing began on January 27, 2014. See the investigative file for copies of Ford's bulletin and owner letter. This preliminary evaluation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding that

DP12006 · Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

Opened Oct 2, 2012 · Closed Feb 21, 2013

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine

In a letter dated August 30, 2012, The North Carolina Consumers Council (NCCC) petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to initiate a defect investigation of alleged electronic throttle body failures resulting in engine stall or surge while driving in model year (MY) 2005 through 2012 Ford Escape vehicles. On October 2, 2012 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Defect Petition DP12-006 to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition is hereby granted on certain model years. The NCCC letter cites two complaints of stall while driving in MY 2009 Ford Escape vehicles that were diagnosed as failed throttle bodies with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle Body Stuck Closed. The petitioner indicates that the owners of both vehicles reported experiencing repeated incidents of stalling and engine surging. According to Ford, Escape non-hybrid vehicles are equipped with Electronic Throttle Body (ETB) assemblies beginning with MY 2009. Vehicles manufactured between June 22, 2009 and October 15, 2009 may contain contaminated printed circuit boards (PCB) with plating variations. Plating variations could lead to a lack of continuity in the throttle position sensor circuit where P2111 and/or other DTCs would be generated and stored. Ford and its electronic throttle body supplier, Delphi, modified the PCB manufacturing process and issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) 09-23-5. Vehicles produced after October 15, 2009 incorporated ETBs manufactured with a PCB process that resolved this condition. ODI's analysis identified a total of 123 unique reports indicating allegations of reduced motive power or vehicle stall. Depending on the condition of throttle control system malfunction, a driver may experience varying levels of reduced engine performance associated with three limp home modes. In two limp modes, reduced engine performance may maintain vehicle speeds above 20mph while the third is a limited limp home mode with engine speeds limited to approximately 900 RPM. Allegations of stall appear to be related to the limited limp home mode. Vehicles are not likely to unexpectedly stall as a result of this condition, but drivers may characterize the reduced functionality as a stall, even though their vehicle may still has motive capability. Allegations of vehicle surge appear to be related to limp home mode operation. Complaints alleging surge are most likely related to engine RPM fluctuations at low vehicle speeds or idle as the control system engages to prevent engine stall. In limited limp mode, rough-idle conditions may exist while the control system attempts to modulate engine RPMs once the vehicle reaches a reduced speed to maintain approximately 900 RPM. Separately, ODI received 59 complaints alleging incidents of engine stall while driving in model year (MY) 2010-2011 Ford Fusion vehicles. Approximately 60 percent (36) of the incidents occurred at speeds of 40 miles per hour or more. Eighty percent of complaints (47) were received beginning March 2012 and 14 complaints reported that the throttle body was replaced or DTCs associated with limp home modes. Additionally, Ford issued TSB 10-21-6 addressing DTCs associated with idle speed drops and limited limp home mode. The petition is granted on certain model years.Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.See full copy of the closing resume for this defect petition for list of the VOQs associated with the defect petition analysis.

Go deeper into Ford Escape problems