RoadVitals

2010 Ford Escape Hybrid Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints 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.
13
Latest Jun 2, 2019
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
22%
of 59 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Jun 2, 2019

ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE IN PARK OR WHEN DRIVING. MARKED TODAY GOING 45 AND ENGINE SHUT OFF.

NHTSA ID
11217422
Incident
Jun 2, 2019
Mileage
150,000 mi
Body & structureEngineOther / unspecified
Filed Jan 11, 2019
Crash reported

I WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT A RECALL AND THIS CAR FRAME WAS CRACKED AND WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT IT FROM ANYONE FRONT THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM OR THE COMPANY THAT FIXED IT.

NHTSA ID
11166452
Incident
Jan 18, 2017
Engine
Filed Apr 28, 2018

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018, WHILE ASCENDING A GRADE ON THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA, THE 'YELLOW WRENCH' WARNING LIGHT ON MY 2010 FORD ESCAPE SUDDENLY ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY DEACCELERATED AND DID NOT RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE. AT THAT MOMENT I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE OF A 3-LANE HIGHWAY WITH OTHER VEHICLES APPROACHING FROM BEHIND AND PASSING AT 50 MPH. MY VEHICLE SLOWED TO ABOUT 5 MPH AS I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT WHERE I HOPED IT HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM THAT I COULD MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF THE GRADE AND EXIT THE HIGHWAY. THE RIGHT-HAND EXIT WAS DOWNHILL AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST AND CREEP INTO A MARKET PARKING LOT WHERE I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND TRIED TO CALM DOWN. FROM THE VEHICLE MANUAL I LEARNED THAT THE 'YELLOW WRENCH' INDICATED 'THROTTLE CONTROL OR DRIVE TRAIN PROBLEMS.' AS IT TURNED OUT IT WAS A SUNDAY MORNING AND I DID NOT HAVE A PHONE WITH ME SO I DECIDED TO TRY RESTARTING THE ENGINE. IT STARTED AND THE YELLOW WRENCH DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AFTER A SHORT TEST DRIVE IN THE PARKING LOT I DECIDED TO CANCEL MY ERRANDS AND TRY TO RETURN HOME, A DISTANCE OF A FEW MILES. I DROVE AT 25-30 MPH ON RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREETS AND MADE IT HOME WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND DESCRIBED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND REPORT BACK. LATER I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY AND THEY HAD A REPLACEMENT PART. WHEN I CAME IN TO PICK UP THE CAR I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO CHARGE BECAUSE THE REPAIR 'WAS UNDER WARRANTY!' THIS WAS A BIG SURPRISE, SINCE I HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE OF A POTENTIAL PROBLEM NOR OF A WARRANTY EXTENSION. SUDDEN DEACCELERATION WOULD BE DANGEROUS ON A FREEWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, NOT MITIGATED BY "LIMP HOME" CAPABILITY

NHTSA ID
11090788
Incident
Apr 22, 2018
Mileage
68,630 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 19, 2016

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS LOST ACCELERATION GOING UPHILL AND WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND STOPPED. STOPPED ENGINE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTED. ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ACCELERATION ERRATIC AND RPM ON ACCELERATION HIGH BUT NOT IN THE REDLINE. ONCE ON LEVEL HIGHWAY COULD GET TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND LEVELED OUT AT A CONSTANT SPEED AND RPM WAS NEAR NORMAL. DROVE TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP REPORTED NO CODES BUT ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY SHORTING INTERNALLY. REPLACED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. DEALERSHIP STATED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. VEHICLE HAD 90, 232 MILES AT DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ID
10860422
Incident
Apr 17, 2016
Mileage
90,200 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 24, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE SERVICE ENGINE SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE SPEED SUDDENLY REDUCED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

NHTSA ID
10736225
Incident
Jul 18, 2015
Mileage
61,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 22, 2013

DRIVING 40 MPH AND MY CAR JUST STALLED. CAR STUTTERED, QUIT AND WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. LUCKILY IT WAS A SUNDAY MORNING AND ROADS WEREN'T TO BUSY. I COASTED TO A SIDE ROAD, PULLED OVER, WAITED A COUPLE MINUTES AND RESTARTED. I JUST BOUGHT THIS USED 2010 FORD ESCAPE LIMITED A WEEK AGO. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE GOOGLED THE VEHICLE SOONER. :(

NHTSA ID
10544827
Incident
Sep 22, 2013
Mileage
139,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 6, 2013

WHILE DRIVING ON A SIDE STREET, MY VEHICLE STARTED TO DECELERATE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I LOST ALL MOTIVE POWER, AND I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND THEN, AFTER A MINUTE, I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AGAIN. IT WORKED BUT I TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE FORD DEALER. THEY INDICATED THAT IF THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ON (THERE WAS NONE) THEN IT WOULD BE UNLIKELY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. THREE DAYS LATER, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AGAIN. AGAIN, I TURNED THE CAR OFF, RESTARTED IT, AND DROVE OFF. IT WAS IN THICK TRAFFIC SO WE WERE MOVING SLOWLY FOR THE HIGHWAY, BUT AGAIN IT WAS BETWEEN 40-50 MILES/HOUR. I BELIEVE THIS IS EXACTLY LIKE THE INCIDENTS DETAILED IN THE CURRENT OPEN INVESTIGATION, PE13003, OPENED IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. A RECALL OF THESE FORD ESCAPES NEEDS TO HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. IT IS DANGEROUS FOR YOUR CAR TO SUDDENLY STOP FOR NO REASON ESPECIALLY IF THE SUV IS CARRIED SMALL CHILDREN (MINE WAS NOT). I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS ISSUE UNTIL I DID SOME INVESTIGATION ONLINE, AND THE FORD DEALER NEVER MENTIONED IT TO ME AT ALL WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN. IN FACT, THEY SAID IT "JUST MIGHT GO AWAY". THEY DIDN'T APPEAR TO TAKE THE ISSUE SERIOUSLY AT ALL.

NHTSA ID
10542286
Incident
Sep 3, 2013
Mileage
58,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jul 11, 2013

I JUST FINISHED A RIGHT TURN AND ACCELERATED TO CONTINUE DOWN THE STREET WHEN MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THEN SUDDENLY STALLED. THEN ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV UP/DOWN AS I TRIED TO GET MY VEHICLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANE BUT IT WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. WHEN I PUT MY VEHICLE IN PARK, THEN ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV UP/DOWN FOR ALMOST HALF AN HOUR BEFORE BEING SHUT OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID
10524458
Incident
Jul 10, 2013
Mileage
75,256 mi
Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Jun 13, 2013

TWO WEEKS AGO I PUT GAS IN MY ESCAPE AND THE MILEAGE TO E READER DID NOT GO UP AFTER I FINISHED PUMPING THE GAS LIKE IT NORMALLY DOES. SO I PUSHED THE VAPOR RELEASE LOCK IN THE GAS CAP, AND IT WENT UP TO WHERE THE READER SHOULD HAVE BEEN, WHICH IM NOT SURE IF THAT IS VALID TO THE ISSUE I AM HAVING WITH MY ESCAPE BUT I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD INCLUDE THIS JUST IN CASE. ANYWAY, LATER THAT NIGHT ON MY WAY HOME FROM THE GAS STATION IS WHEN I HAD MY FIRST INCIDENT WITH THE GAS PEDAL NOT WORKING. I WAS ACCELERATING UP A SMALL INCLINE AND THEN STARTING LOSING POWER AND SPEED. SO I PULLED OVER AND PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND IT WAS SPUTTERING SO I TURNED MY CAR OFF, WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND TURNED IT BACK ON. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON I TRIED TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL TO SEE IF MY CAR WOULD MOVE AND IT WORKED FINE, AND I HAD NO ISSUES WITH IT UNTIL TODAY. WHICH LIKE I SAID HAS BEEN ABOUT TWO WEEKS SINCE THAT FIRST INCIDENT. THEN THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS ACCELERATING UP A SMALL INCLINE AND STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND SPEED, SO I PULLED OVER TURNED MY CAR OFF AND IT WORKED, I GOT ABOUT 2 MILES UNTIL IT DID IT AGAIN. SO I JUST PULLED OVER TURNED IT OFF AND BACK ON AND TOOK OFF AGAIN. IT PROBABLY STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 30 MORE TIMES WITHIN A 3 MILE TRIP, AND I FINALLY GAVE UP AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO MY DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR WHERE THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10519734
Incident
May 23, 2013
Mileage
39,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 13, 2013

I TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES WHEN THE CAR STALLED, STOPPED OPERATING AND I HAD NO POWER TO THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE AIR CONDITIONER AND RADIO STILL WORKED SO I STILL HAD ELECTRICAL POWER. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP BUT IT WAS DANGEROUS TRAFFIC. I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AND THE CAR RESTARTED. IT WAS INITIALLY SLUGGISH BUT I TRAVELED THE NEXT 3 MILES HOME. DROVE IT TO DEALERSHIP. DEALER TEST DROVE IT AND IT STALLED AGAIN. DEALER ANALYZED IT AND SAID THE CAR HAD A BAD THROTTLE BODY. NEW PART WILL TAKE A MONTH TO GET AND I CAN'T DRIVE CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10519630
Incident
Jun 11, 2013
Mileage
36,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jun 4, 2013

I HAD NOTICED OVER THE WEEKEND THAT ONCE IN A WHILE WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL IT WOULD REV UP BUT NOT GO ANYWHERE WHILE I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. ON MONDAY, I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TAKING A LEFT THROUGH A BUSY INTERSECTION WHEN IT WENT INTO A BIT OF A STALL. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS ABLE TO TURN IT OFF, THEN TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND WHEN THE DEALERSHIP (BELL FORD) CALLED THEY SAID IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND IT SEEMS THIS IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM WITH OTHER FORD ESCAPE OWNERS. I ONLY HAVE ABOUT 62,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT MAKES ME VERY ANGRY THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ISSUE CONSIDERING HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND A RECALL SHOULD BE SENT IN TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE! *TR

NHTSA ID
10515079
Incident
Jun 3, 2013
Mileage
62,500 mi
Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Mar 28, 2013

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME NOW THIS HAS HAPPENED. I REPORTED THE FIRST TIME TO YOU GUYS ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT MY PAPERWORK I CAN'T KEEP TRACK OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. YESTERDAY MORNING I WAS DRIVING TO THE DMV HERE IN TOWN. JUST AS I WAS COMING AROUND THE CORNER A BLOCK FROM THE DMV THE ESCAPE STARTED STALLING/"HEAVING." I LET UP ON THE GAS AND THE ESCAPE CONTINUED TO HEAVE FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS THEN THE ENGINE FELT LIKE IT WAS CLOSE TO NORMAL AGAIN. I PULLED INTO THE DMV PARKING LOT AND AS I BRAKED TO PARK IN A SPACE THE ESCAPE STARTED STALLING/HEAVING AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. I SAT THERE FOR HALF A MI UTE AND DECIDED I WOULD TRY TO DRIVE THE SHORT DISTANCE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. I TURNED THE ENGINE ON AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO STALL/HEAVE AGAIN. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND AS I BACKED OUT OF THE SPACE I COULD FEEL THE ENGINE BECOME SOMEWHAT NORMAL AGAIN. DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP. *TR

NHTSA ID
10504871
Incident
Mar 27, 2013
Mileage
36,530 mi
BrakesEngine
Filed Feb 11, 2013

IN HEAVY, SLOW TRAFFIC NORTHBOUND IN RIGHT LANE ON I-93 SOUTH EXPRESSWAY IN BOSTON FIRST SAW "CHECK BRAKING SYSTEMS" MESSAGE, THEN ENGINE QUIT AND I HAD NO BRAKES. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER AND STOPPED CAR WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AAA TOWED US TO HOTEL, SENTRY FORD IN MEDFORD, MA TOOK CAR FROM THERE TO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY WAS NOT COVERED, SINCE CAR WAS ABOUT 4 MOS. PAST WARRANTY. TOTAL BILL $1617.33. (DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF A 4 DAY RENTAL CAR.) IF I HAD NOT BEEN IN THE RIGHT LANE AND IN SLOW TRAFFIC, WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN VERY SERIOUS TROUBLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10497743
Incident
Feb 2, 2013
Mileage
30,963 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .