AI Damage2011 Ford Escape Hybrid: common problems
Owners of the 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 37
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 38% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 11% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- Steering: 14 complaints (38% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 8 complaints (22% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (14% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 4 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 37 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Although I tried to steer, car crashed into several hedges, over high curbs, tire blew out, finally stopped by crashing into tree 8 parallel feet from gas pump. Brakes did not slow car down. No idea why.
About ten months later (august 13, 2012), as I was pulling into a parking spot at my surgeon's office at [address] (harris sw), fort worth, tx, the vehicle, after I was stopped, again surged into gas mode, jumped the curb and ran into the doctor's office building, doing structural damage to the building and the window…
The steering wheel locked in one position i pulled over shut off the car restarted and the steering wheel started working again. Is their a recall on my 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid with this problem. This scared me to death I got lucky and the road was straight and I was able to stop the car.
The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated. Additionally, while attempting to stop the vehicle the brake pedal extended to the floorboard, causing the stopping distance to be extended.
The contact stated while 65 MPH on the freeway, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver and the power steering assist failed to operate. The contact stated that after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering functionality returned; however, the failure persisted.
The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle experienced electrical power steering failure. The check engine and brake system light warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring for several years.
I was driving in atlanta ga on city streets, crossed rr tracks while breaking and abs and other lights flashed. At the same time I lost all breaking power, the break pedal when all the way to the floor. I was able to swerve into a parking lot and the breaks worked enough for me to stop the car.
Remote started vehicle and was walking up less than 2 minutes after. Notice puddle under gas tank area. Gas was pouring out. Vehicle was running but stationary. It was obvious later that gass has been leaking out when I was driving to work
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,176 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Escape Hybrid has 109 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 37, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Escape Hybrid 2005178 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2006219 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2007124 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2008443 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2009153 sources
- Escape Hybrid 201059 sources
- Escape Hybrid 201215 sources
- Escape Hybrid 20135 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2020308 sources
- Escape Hybrid 2021147 sources
- Escape Hybrid 202282 sources
- Escape Hybrid 202338 sources
- Escape Hybrid 202412 sources
- Escape Hybrid 20254 sources
- Escape Hybrid 20263 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, vehicle speed control, powertrain. Total complaints: 37. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (22%), warning lights, check engine (22%), loss of power / limp mode (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2011 Ford Escape Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2011 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.