2011 Ford Escape Problems

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

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the fuel tank was leaking and there was an abnormally strong fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed the fuel leak. The mechanic applied epoxy to the leak, but the failure recurred. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a crack in the fuel tank which caused the fuel leak. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 220,000.

While driving, the power steering assist intermittently fails without warning. This makes steering very difficult and creates a serious safety hazard, especially at low speeds or during turns. The issue can be temporarily resolved by turning the engine off and restarting the vehicle, but it recurs unpredictably. There are no warning lights or error messages displayed on the dashboard. This is a known issue on this model year and may relate to a defective EPS (electric power steering) module. Please investigate.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact attempted to make a right turn however, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel became difficult to steer in either direction. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown recall however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

I purchased this vehicle on 10/16/25 through Affordable Auto Sales 692 Pleasant St Fall River Ma as it is a buy here pay here. It had 97,626 miles on it day of purchase. I noticed trouble with power steering as it is electric and kept locking up and asked several times to fix it. It didn't get repaired until the week before Christmas. On 1-10-26, took it for first oil change and it had 100,837 miles in total I put 3,211 miles on it. The mechanic called me into the garage and showed me 3 things that were critically wrong with the vehicle. It had severe rot in front and rear, mostly rear, the transmission had a significant leak, and the power steering was still not properly fixed. The mechanic informed me that the dealership had not done their safety inspection and this was deemed an unsafe vehicle and I should not be driving it. I brought it to the attention of Affordable Auto sales and they are accusing me of the damage. The owner Lucy Sousa also changed the mileage on the paperwork saying I put 20,000 on itinerary 2 months time. She changed it to 82,294 which is false. I have my inspection report to show accurate mileage. I no longer have this vehicle. I returned it to them. I bought another vehicle from a different dealer.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and jerked, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was diagnosed by Roadside Assistance as a failure with the alternator. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed as it was confirmed that the alternator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The dealer was not contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,499.

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTED BY FLASHING ALL LIGHTS TO STAYING ON. THEN THE SPEED CONTROLS, SPEEDOMETER, RPM GAUGE, AND HEAT SENSOR WOULD NOT WORK. ON TOP OF ALL THIS. THE BRAKES BEGAN TO MAKE A CLICKING NOISE WHEN THIS ISSUE WOULD HAPPEN AND THE BRAKES WOULD ACT ROUGH. NO MECHANIC COULD FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT WAS TO LATE. THIS NEEDS TO BE BETTER KNOWN AND BETTER MANAGED.

IT'S STALLING IN MOTION OR SUDDENLY SURGING FORWARD WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, POSING A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS, OTHER MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS. INTERMITTENT VEHICLE STALLS AND SURGES AS THEY ENTER TRAFFIC FROM A STOPPED POSITION OR WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

The rear hatch clicks like it wants to open but doesn't release the latch to open it and I can't get to the place to release an lower the spare tire which is safety concern to me. Also the driver side seat belt casing broke and doesn't release every time you push button to unlatch it which can cause serious problems if in an accident I had a individual garage guy inspect an said he had replaced several latch mechanisms in the hatch for several escape owners i can't afford to have it replaced at this time. If we're to have a flat in extreme heat or extremely cold weather it can cause heat stroke or hypothermia. There were no warning signs one day wouldn't open. An seatbelt wouldn't release one day until pushed so hard the casing broke off an could push clip inside

Power steering went out all of a sudden

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof inadvertently exploded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear windshield wiper motor failed to deactivate, causing the battery to drain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced; however, the dealer confirmed that the warranty had expired. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the rear windshield wiper motor; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Component: Driver-side door latch and lock assembly. The driver-side door latch appears to have failed, preventing the door from opening from both the inside and outside and creating an occupant entrapment risk. The failure is fully reproducible and ongoing. The condition first occurred without any prior warning signs, messages, or symptoms and has persisted for more than a day without resolving. Although the vehicle responds to unlock commands from the key fob, keypad, and interior door controls with normal audible confirmation, the driver door frequently remains unable to open. Failure behavior includes: •The driver door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle, preventing occupant exit. •The door also cannot be opened from the outside during these events. •An occupant became trapped inside and had to crawl across the vehicle and exit through the passenger side. •The vertical lock indicator moves between locked and unlocked positions, but the latch does not release. •The electronic systems appear functional, yet the mechanical latch does not respond. •Using the physical key can sometimes force the lock cylinder past a mechanical click point, temporarily allowing the door to open; however, this places the mechanism into abnormal states where the door may remain permanently unlocked or, when turned in the opposite direction, cannot be opened at all regardless of unlock attempts. •All other vehicle doors operate normally. Video evidence documenting the failure is available. This condition presents a serious safety concern because occupants could become trapped inside the vehicle during an emergency or after a crash, delaying rescue. The latch mechanism is a critical safety component that consumers cannot reasonably inspect, predict, or maintain. Given the life-safety implications of a door that cannot be opened from either side, this issue warrants investigation for potential defect trends.

Top of wheel well around shock absorber broke off due to rust as well a frame disintegrating due to rust. When shock broke free part of wheel well lodged behind the tire and destroyed the brand new tire.

While driving down road, vehicle suddenly pulled right and started shaking the steering wheel and started making grinding noises. The steering wheel was now off by several degrees in order to drive straight. Luckily this occurred at a low speed and not at highway speed. If this was at 70 miles per hour it probably would have resulted in accident. Pulled to side of road and noticed right wheel out of alignment. After getting vehicle home looked under vehicle and discovered the end of the subframe where lower A arm mounts has rusted thru and cracked. This had the potential to be a really bad accident. Hard to believe a 2011 Ford Escape with only 93000 miles has cracked subframe.

Top of wheel well around shock absorber broke off due to rust as well a frame disintegrating due to rust. When shock broke free part of wheel well lodged behind the tire and destroyed the brand new tire.

Airbag light on/ flashing. Shop says "passenger side seat belt retractor assembly" needs replaced. I switched it with a known working part, didn't fix the issue. Upon further research I found that it is a known issue. Source: [XXX] April 1, 2011 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: SIS-21841 Components: AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM NHTSA ID Number: 10038965 Manufacturer Communication Number: SIS-21841 Summary: COMM-TRANS LUND: SOME 2009-2011 MODELS MAY HAVE THE AIR BAG INICATOR FLASHING WITH A STORED TROUBLE CODE. THIS IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. *RM I have contacted both local dealerships, as well as Ford corporate. The remedy they all 3 offered: Take it in for diagnostics (I'm already fully aware of the issue) which will cost me around $300, then they will tell me if there's even a possibly solution. They were completely unwilling to tell me if they could fix the software issue without first paying for their diagnostic service, even though it's a known and recorded issue, with the NHTSA ID Number: 10038965 as well as the Manufacturer Communication Number: SIS-21841. Upon researching complaints, I have found that I am by far not the only person who has this exact issue. Note: "date of incident" is when I purchased the vehicle, mileage is the mileage at the time of purchase, it has had the light on since before that date and mileage. I tried to resolve this issue then, and recently have been trying again, in hopes that there has been a fix found finally, to no avail. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his granddaughter was driving 30-35 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 206,550.

The contact's husband owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic test determined that the wheel sensors needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the wheel sensors were replaced by the mechanic; however, the warning lights remained illuminated. The contact was informed that the ABS module needed to be replaced; however, the ABS module for the vehicle was no longer in production. The contact stated that several dealers where contacted; however, it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact suggested using an aftermarket part to replace the module; however, the dealers would not program the aftermarket part. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered several recommendations, but none of the recommendations were able to assist the contact with repairing the vehicle. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owned a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, as the contact was approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed; however, it failed to stop as intended. The contact moved to the other lane when the vehicle came to a stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone and the contact was informed that three sensors needed to be replaced. Two sensors were replaced; however, the ABS sensor was not replaced due to cost. The contact stated that on the drive home, an abnormal odor was coming from the vehicle. While the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was consumed by fire and destroyed. The Fire and Police departments were called. A fire report was filed; the Fire Department stated the cause of the fire was due to faulty wiring. The contact notified her insurance company and the vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

This 2011 Ford Escape has a front K-frame (subframe) failure. The area where the front passenger lower control connects to the k-frame has completely rusted through, causing the lower control arm to almost detach from the vehicle at the front bushing. While driving, the steering wheel suddenly became crooked and the car was taken to a shop for an alignment. Upon inspection it was learned that the K-frame has rusted in that one area so badly that the wheel could become detached if the vehicle is driven any further. I see that Ford has this exact issue with 2001-2004 models and did a recall. However, they are not indicating that they are addressing this same problem with newer models.

MY LUG NUTS ON MY 2011 fORD Escape swelled up and had to be replaced because the caps broke off at a cost of$139.10

Driver seat not function properly the motor operating Has fail

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, WHEN A SEMI TRUCK PASSED THE VEHICLE THE HOOD CAME UP WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE HOOD TO HIT THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO ONE HAD PREVIOUSLY OPENED THE HOOD PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SERPENTINI CHEVROLET BUICK OF ORRVILLE (1107 N MAIN ST, ORRVILLE, OH 44667) WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER INFORMED HE OF NO OPEN RECALL FOR THE FAILURE HOWEVER, SHE RESEARCHED THE FAILURE ON-LINE AND FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME HOOD LATCH FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. *JS

The rear hatch clicks like it wants to open but doesn't release the latch to open it and I can't get to the place to release an lower the spare tire which is safety concern to me. Also the driver side seat belt casing broke and doesn't release every time you push button to unlatch it which can cause serious problems if in an accident I had a individual garage guy inspect an said he had replaced several latch mechanisms in the hatch for several escape owners i can't afford to have it replaced at this time. If we're to have a flat in extreme heat or extremely cold weather it can cause heat stroke or hypothermia. There were no warning signs one day wouldn't open. An seatbelt wouldn't release one day until pushed so hard the casing broke off an could push clip inside

Airbag light on/ flashing. Shop says "passenger side seat belt retractor assembly" needs replaced. I switched it with a known working part, didn't fix the issue. Upon further research I found that it is a known issue. Source: [XXX] April 1, 2011 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: SIS-21841 Components: AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM NHTSA ID Number: 10038965 Manufacturer Communication Number: SIS-21841 Summary: COMM-TRANS LUND: SOME 2009-2011 MODELS MAY HAVE THE AIR BAG INICATOR FLASHING WITH A STORED TROUBLE CODE. THIS IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. *RM I have contacted both local dealerships, as well as Ford corporate. The remedy they all 3 offered: Take it in for diagnostics (I'm already fully aware of the issue) which will cost me around $300, then they will tell me if there's even a possibly solution. They were completely unwilling to tell me if they could fix the software issue without first paying for their diagnostic service, even though it's a known and recorded issue, with the NHTSA ID Number: 10038965 as well as the Manufacturer Communication Number: SIS-21841. Upon researching complaints, I have found that I am by far not the only person who has this exact issue. Note: "date of incident" is when I purchased the vehicle, mileage is the mileage at the time of purchase, it has had the light on since before that date and mileage. I tried to resolve this issue then, and recently have been trying again, in hopes that there has been a fix found finally, to no avail. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated when the vehicle was parked the key was inserted into the ignition approximately five times before the vehicle started. Additionally, the contact stated on three occasions while driving at various speeds the steering wheel became stiff. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition cylinder switch and torque sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000. .

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after turning off the cruise control to reduce the speed from 65 MPH to 60 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal to adjust the speed and then depressed the accelerator pedal to readjust the cruise control however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact then coasted to the side of the road and shifted the vehicle into park(P) then to drive(D), reverse(R) and then neutral(N) while depressing the accelerator pedal however, the failure persisted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called Roadside Assistance who was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 44,000.

ALL OFF THESE EVENTS I AM DESCRIBING HAPPENED ALL WHILE DRIVING AND STILL OCCUR WHILE IN PARK. ALL OF THESE ALSO SLOWLY PROGRESSED INTO ONE BIG ISSUE OVER A MONTH AND A HALF PERIOD. IT STARTED OFF AS MY HEADLIGHTS WERE DIMMING AND FLICKERING, THEN IT PROGRESSED TO MY DASH LIGHTS DOING THE SAME, FLICKERING AND DIMMING ON AND OFF. THEN IT STARTED AFFECTING MY AC AND HEAT, IT WOULD GET LOCKED TO STAY ON AND I WOULD HAVE IT TURNED OFF BUT IF MY GAUGES WERE IN A CERTAIN POSITION SOMETIMES IT WOULD JUST TURN ON BY ITSELF. THEN MY BATTERY LIGHT WOULD TURN ON AND OFF, AND THEN MY POWER STEERING WAS MAKING LIKE A CLICK SOUND AND IT WOULD GO IN AND OUT. ONE TIME MY LOCKS WERE GOING ON AND OFF BY THEMSELVES AS WELL. I REPLACED THE BATTERY THINKING IT WAS DYING, THAT DIDN'T HELP. I TOOK IT TO GET THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR TESTED AND IT WAS GIVING A 100%. I'M AT A LOSS AND DO NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO AS THE POWER STEERING IS AN ISSUE.

THE LIGHTS, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR, WENT OUT WHILE WE WERE DRIVING. IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR MORE TIMES SINCE THEN. IT IS HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY IN RECENT MONTHS. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. *TR

PURCHASED AND HAD MOUNTED (4) GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TRIPLETRED TIRES ON OR ABOUT 15APR2015 BY FORD DEALER. 90,000 MILE MAINTENANCE, INCLUDING ROUTINE TIRE ROTATION WAS COMPLETED BY SAME DEALER ON 24JUN2016. NO DAMAGE OR DEFECTS WERE NOTED BY THE DEALER AT THAT TIME. ON 02JUL2016, WHILE DRIVING ON THE THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH, I NOTICED THE LOW AIR PRESSURE LIGHT COME ON AND SLOWED MY SPEED TO 60 MPH. WITHIN A FEW MILES, I HEARD A THUMPING NOISE OF A FLAT TIRE AND PULLED OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER AND AWAITED ROAD ASSISTANCE FROM AAA. AAA INSPECTED THE TIRE AND SAW NO DAMAGE OTHER THAN THE SIDEWALLS HAD BLOWN, AND SUSPECTED A DEFECTIVE TIRE. I TOOK THE DEFECTIVE TIRE TO THE FORD DEALER ON 05JUL2016 WHO ALSO INSPECTED AND FOUND NO DAMAGE. THE DEALER KEPT THE DEFECTIVE TIRE AND I AM AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTION FROM THE DEALER WHO HAS FILED A REPORT WITH GOODYEAR. THESE TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE AND FEAR CONTINUING TO DRIVE ON THE THREE REMAINING GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TRIPLETRED TIRES.

ALL 4 TIRES HAVE CRACKS IN THE THREAD AND SIDE WALLS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT STOPPED FAILED AND WOULD NOT BLOW COLD AIR. THE CONDENSER ALSO ACTIVATED AND DEACTIVATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO COVER ONE THIRD OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE AIR CONDITIONER COIL MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING A FREON LEAK AND FOGGED WINDOWS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT FOR THE COIL UNTIL FEBRUARY 2012. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS CONCERNED WITH THE TIME FRAME OF THE AVAILABLE PART NEEDED FOR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000. UPDATED 11/16/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE COOLING A/C CORE RUPTURED, RELEASING FREON AND OIL INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN. UPDATED 11/18/11