2015 Ford Escape: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 1,037 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 9 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
1,037
Complaints
9
Recalls
29
Crash reports
19
Fire reports
32
Injuries
46.9
Severity index
Severity index 46.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 143 2015 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2015 Ford Escape ranks 100 of 143 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 30% of its model-year peers. See the full 2015 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 283 | 27.3% |
| ENGINE | 236 | 22.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 132 | 12.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 129 | 12.4% |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 103 | 9.9% |
| STEERING | 79 | 7.6% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 50 | 4.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 44 | 4.2% |
The single most-reported system is POWER TRAIN, cited in 283 of 1,037 complaints (27.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 28 |
| 2016 | 32 |
| 2017 | 43 |
| 2018 | 69 |
| 2019 | 83 |
| 2020 | 111 |
| 2021 | 67 |
| 2022 | 136 |
| 2023 | 110 |
| 2024 | 99 |
| 2025 | 142 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 116 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17V472000 | 25/07/2017 | SEAT BELTS | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on these vehicles. |
| 16V643000 | 06/09/2016 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching |
| 15V406000 | 24/06/2015 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster |
| 15V436000 | 08/07/2015 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affec |
| 20V331000 | 08/06/2020 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recal |
| 22V254000 | 14/04/2022 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Escape vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach. |
| 22V413000 | 10/06/2022 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach. |
| 25V695000 | 13/10/2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermitten |
| 26V011000 | 15/01/2026 | EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER | Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.