2010 Ford Escape vs 2010 Toyota Prius: Recalls, Complaints & Safety Data
Every figure below is a count of records published by NHTSA, shown for both vehicles without ranking either one.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
2010 Ford Escape
2,068 owner-reported complaints · 5 recalls
Full report2010 Toyota Prius
2,820 owner-reported complaints · 10 recalls
Full reportSide-by-side data
Neither column is marked as better — this is a data comparison, not a verdict.
| Measure | 2010 Ford Escape | 2010 Toyota Prius |
|---|---|---|
| Owner-reported complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received. | 2,068 | 2,820 |
| Complaints in the last 30 daysReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 30 days, from our daily snapshots. | 1 | 1 |
| Complaints in the last 90 daysReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 90 days, from our daily snapshots. | 5 | 2 |
| Complaints reporting a crash or fireComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings. | 32 | 196 |
| Most recent complaint | Jul 16, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year. | 5 | 10 |
| NHTSA investigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one. | 4 | 4 |
| Manufacturer communicationsManufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage. | 49 | 387 |
| Issue IndexThe Vehicle Issue Index is calculated by us from public NHTSA data. It summarises how much reported-issue activity a model year has relative to comparable vehicles of the same type and year. It is not an official safety rating, not a reliability prediction, and it says nothing about whether any individual vehicle will develop a problem. | 56.1high confidence | 63.3high confidence |
| NHTSA overall ratingThe 5-Star Safety Ratings are published by NHTSA under its New Car Assessment Program. They come from standardised crash tests. Ratings are only comparable between vehicles of similar size and weight, and not every vehicle is tested. | Not rated | Not rated |
| EPA combined fuel economyEPA estimate for the highest-rated configuration we hold for this model year. | 32MPG | 50MPG |
| EPA city | 34MPG | 51MPG |
| EPA highway | 31MPG | 48MPG |
“—” means we hold no data for that measure on that vehicle, which is not the same as a value of zero. The Vehicle Issue Index is withheld where there is too little data to calculate it with confidence.
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govComplaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Vehicle Issue Index, side by side
Our own informational metric — not an official safety rating
Vehicle Issue IndexThe Vehicle Issue Index is our own informational metric, not an official safety rating and not a reliability prediction.
Our metric — not an official rating
Above average activity
More reported issue activity than most comparable vehicles of this model year.
Calculated against 2,470 comparable vehicles of the same type and model year. Peer group: 2010 · All vehicles.
What went into it
- Complaint volume100×0.30
- Severity mix8×0.20
- Recent activity10×0.15
- Recall activity91×0.15
- Investigations85×0.10
- Issue concentration9×0.10
Vehicle Issue IndexThe Vehicle Issue Index is our own informational metric, not an official safety rating and not a reliability prediction.
Our metric — not an official rating
Above average activity
More reported issue activity than most comparable vehicles of this model year.
Calculated against 2,470 comparable vehicles of the same type and model year. Peer group: 2010 · All vehicles.
What went into it
- Complaint volume100×0.30
- Severity mix29×0.20
- Recent activity6×0.15
- Recall activity98×0.15
- Investigations85×0.10
- Issue concentration33×0.10
Each score is calculated against that vehicle’s own peer group of comparable vehicles from the same model year, so the two numbers describe different comparisons and a small gap between them is not meaningful.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Driver assistance57718.8%
- Engine52817.2%
- Fuel system50616.5%
- Powertrain (other)49316.1%
- Steering42213.8%
- Electrical2167.0%
- Visibility902.9%
- Body & structure842.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
- Brakes1,94359.2%
- Driver assistance35710.9%
- Electrical1945.9%
- Engine1735.3%
- Exterior lighting1474.5%
- Other / unspecified1013.1%
- Airbags842.6%
- Fuel system712.2%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
The full record for each vehicle
Recall details, individual complaints, investigations and manufacturer communications
2010 Ford Escape
Recall campaigns with their remedies, complaints in the owners’ own words, investigation status, bulletins, crash-test ratings and fuel economy.
Open the full report2010 Toyota Prius
Recall campaigns with their remedies, complaints in the owners’ own words, investigation status, bulletins, crash-test ratings and fuel economy.
Open the full reportData sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications
- FuelEconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. DOE) — fuel economy estimates
Data on this page last refreshed .