2011 Ford Escape
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 1,316 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 10th highest complaint count among 26 Escape model years with reports.
Of the 2011 reports, 38 involved a crash and 7 involved a fire. 38 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpOct 26, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured February 26, 2009, to April 29, 2012, and 2010-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured February 25, 2009, to December 12, 2010. On vehicles with a 3.0L engine, the Fuel Delivery Module (FDM) may crack, causing a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the FDM flange with one that has a redesigned fuel supply port, free of charge. Remedy parts are currently unavailable. Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 13, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S41.
Campaign 16V777000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, wheel bearingJun 3, 2015
The Timken Company (Timken) is recalling certain aftermarket front wheel bearings, part number 510072, sold from January 22, 2015, to May 21, 2015, to be used as service parts on 2001-2012 Ford Escape, 2001-2011 Mazda Tribute, and 2005-2011 Mercury Mariner vehicles. The affected wheel bearings have incorrect dimensions of a 42mm bore, 76mm outer dimension, and 39mm width, instead of a 42mm bore, 78mm outer dimension and a 45mm width.
Use of an incorrectly sized wheel bearing can adversely affect the braking and steering of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Timken has begun notifying distributors who will offer purchasers replacement wheel bearings, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2015. Owners may contact Timken customer service at 1-866-984-6536.
Campaign 15E045000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemMay 29, 2014
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist.
If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor signal or fault codes relating to the PSCM when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, the affected components will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 18, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S05.
Campaign 14V284000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: steering
409 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Jun 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to drive from the parking lot; however, the steering wheel became very stiff, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact was not able to turn the steering wheel to the right nor the left. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Steering, Jun 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel was pulling to the right. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact used excessive force to regain control of the vehicle. The contact arrived to the destination and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a defective steering column. Upon investigation, the mechanic discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) which was linked to the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
Steering, Jun 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was firm and difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Steering, Jun 17, 2024
Power steering went out on wife's 2011 ford escape, checked for recall and found none for her vehicle however there was for 2008 to 2011 escapes which involved the torque sensor. I don't know why I never received a recall notice and have noticed many other people have had the same problem and Ford is unwilling to do anything about it. This is a defect that could cost someone or someone's their life or serious injury and Ford should be required to fix the problem. Hope that pressure will be put on Ford to fix the problem as they should.
Steering, Jun 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering column assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering, Air bags, May 17, 2024
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.
Steering, May 12, 2024
You turn on the car and the steering wheel is locked and this is happening every day, every time you turn on the car.
Steering, Engine and engine cooling, Engine, May 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed to work as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with EGR valve failure. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contacted stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not included the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Steering, May 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering functionality was inoperable, and the vehicle was difficult to steer. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering, Apr 23, 2024
Power steering locks up and makes it almost impossible to turn the wheel. Error diagnostic code is B2278. VIN is not included in the recall.
Steering, Apr 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the power steering failed to function as needed. The contact was able to park and restart the vehicle; however, the power steering failed to regain normal functionality, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as having power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.
Steering, Apr 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after driving approximately 10 MPH and then attempting to park the vehicle, the power steering abruptly switched to manual steering mode and became difficult to turn. The contact stated after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering regained normal functionality before the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Apr 15, 2024
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.
Steering, Suspension, Apr 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and attempting to make a left turn, the steering wheel locked, causing the vehicle to drive straightforwardly towards oncoming traffic. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she stopped the vehicle and reversed. The contact stated that a road construction worker placed traffic cones around the vehicle to prevent a crash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the Electric Power Steering (EPS) assist motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the dealer for the part and was informed that the part was not available. The contact followed up with the dealer, who informed her that the part had been discontinued. Additionally, the contact stated while the vehicle was being towed to the independent mechanic, the front driver's side lower control arm fractured due to severely rusted bolts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.
Steering, Apr 2, 2024
The power steering keeps locking up while driving on the highway and taking turns. Driving this car when this happens is very stressful and frighting, since you have to turn the car off and move the steering wheel to loosen it up before you can drive again. This has almost cause me to have several accidents. And there is no warning when this is going to happen, it just locks up. Ford has done a recall for the power steering issue for the Ford Escape and for the same year. They are telling me that my car is not listed for this recall. Took the car to Ford Auto Nation in July of 2023 and paid over 3000.00 to have fixed. Not even a week later the steering was locking up more. Took the car back and they have had it ever since. It has been 9 months waiting for this to be fixed. I would like this car to be included in the recall so I can get a refund and have my car fixed by a different dealership. I did a case number [XXX] with Ford for them to just tell me my vin number isn't included in the recall. I would appreciate any assistance you can provide. This issue started back in November of 2022, but since I am in the Coast Guard and would spend 3 to 6 months out at sea it sat on base for most of the time. Had the car shipped from California to Florida in June of 2023 and took to repair shop who said it would be covered over the recall which as I explained I am being informed it isn't. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Mar 11, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while his daughter was veering around a curb the vehicle temporarily lost power steering functionality. The contact’s daughter was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated; however, 5 audible dings were coming from the system. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, and it was diagnosed with an intermittent power steering failure. The mechanic informed the contact there was a recall for that failure and to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the recall was not associated with the VIN. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline by the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Steering, Feb 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, prompting her to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering torque sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.
Steering, Jan 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated when he entered the vehicle, the vehicle was without power steering functionality. The contact stated that while the vehicle was started, the vehicle was jerking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) as a possible solution; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 313,000.
Steering, Jan 23, 2024
Loses power steering. Recall had been fixed way before I bought it.
Steering, Electrical system, Dec 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering function became inoperable. The contact stated that while making a turn, the power steering was inoperable, and the vehicle was very difficult to steer. In addition, the contact became aware of a failure with the electrical system. The contact stated the radio and other features did not function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Steering, Dec 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contacted stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH and steering the vehicle to the right around a traffic circle, the power steering functionality failed. The contact was able to pullover and stop the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the steering failure was intermittent but was a reoccurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 206,000.
Steering, Dec 22, 2023
Power steering will go out. Sometimes if I turn the car off and back on it will come back. Very stiff steering when it goes out. Drives really rough when it’s out.
Steering, Dec 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at approximately 10 MPH and making a turn, the steering wheel started spinning abnormally. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the steering sensor and steering column needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Steering, Dec 21, 2023
My 2011 Ford Escape loses power steering while driving. There was recall out for this issues; however, my car did not receive a recall. The symptoms on the recall are the excact symptoms I am experiencing. It appears to be a fault with the Electric Power Steering sytem. Please take into consideration this is a mjor safety concern and I believe this car should have been under the recall procedure. I can be reached at [XXX] . Thank you for your consideration. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Suspension, Electrical system, Dec 16, 2023
The power steering went out on us several times, but this last time, I was almost in a accident. Also, it has a rubbing/ grinding sound in the front with a shimmy and no matter what,it won't quit.