Ford Escape Years to Avoid
Based on federal records, the Ford Escape years to avoid are 2020, 2017, 2021: the 2020 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 268 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2015 model years.
Sources: NHTSA complaints, manufacturer service bulletins, recall campaigns, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Updated 2026-08-28 · By CarWhere Research
| Model year | NHTSA complaints | Service bulletins | Recall campaigns | Avg. price buyers paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015BEST | 0 | 128 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 176 | 0 | — |
| 2017AVOID | 0 | 249 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 0 | 173 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 128 | 0 | — |
| 2020AVOID | 0 | 268 | 0 | — |
| 2021AVOID | 0 | 200 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 151 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 175 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 138 | 0 | — |
| 2025BEST | 0 | 68 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 0 | 17 | 0 | $30,974 (14 deals) |
Methodology: complaint counts are owner reports filed with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; service bulletins are manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA; counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume. Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year).
Common Ford Escape problems by year
2020 Ford Escape: 0 owner complaints, 268 service bulletins, 0 recall campaigns.
2017 Ford Escape: 0 owner complaints, 249 service bulletins, 0 recall campaigns.
2021 Ford Escape: 0 owner complaints, 200 service bulletins, 0 recall campaigns.
2025 Ford Escape: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 68 bulletins).
2015 Ford Escape: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 128 bulletins).
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FAQ
What are the worst years for the Ford Escape?
Based on federal records, the Ford Escape years to avoid are 2020, 2017, 2021: the 2020 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 268 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2015 model years. Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA complaints, manufacturer communications, open recall campaigns) and are not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Ford Escape?
Among recent model years, the 2025 and 2015 Ford Escape show the lowest combined complaint and service-bulletin counts on federal record.
Is the Ford Escape reliable?
The Ford Escape's reliability varies by model year. Across 0 NHTSA owner complaints on federal record, 2020, 2017, 2021 stand out as the years to avoid, while the 2025 and 2015 model years show the cleanest records — see the year-by-year table above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Ford Escape?
Owner complaints for the Ford Escape are summarized by model year above; see the table for the federal record.
How do I check a specific Ford Escape before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Where does this data come from?
Three federal sources — NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA, and open recall campaigns — plus CarWhere's verified buyer-paid transaction prices. Counts are presented raw and refreshed regularly.