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, Jan 18, 2022
The power steering in my 2011 Ford Escape is producing a grinding noise along with vibrations strong enough to make the steering wheel rock back and forth while in park. In driving the vehicle you have to actually fight the wheel to maintain your position in the lane. The car will be inspected by a certified service center by Thursday, 1/19 if not sooner. I will be able to provide more information once it is inspected. In having to fight with the steering you had to be aware of cars and objects nearby as it had a tendency to jerk the wheel off course. The car did not display and warning messages or symptoms prior to this current event.
Steering, Jan 10, 2022
I was driving my vehicle home from work on the highway when the power steering went out on my 2011 ford escape, I was unable to turn my steering wheel without having to use both hands and struggled to do so without hitting another vehicle or curb when turning. The power steering assist fault displayed on my dashboard. I was able to make it home safely.
Steering, Jan 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH on a roundabout, the steering wheel inadvertently lost power steering functionality. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and power steering functionality returned. The contact continued to drive the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the torque sensor signal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the manufacturer suggested that the entire steering assembly be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair would be completed at his expense because the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Steering, Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact had to use excessive force to steer the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed to take the vehicle in to be repaired however, the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. The contact stated that upon doing her own research she noticed that there was a recall on a similar vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred her to NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 216,600.
Steering, Dec 22, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the stability control warning light illuminated on the vehicle and the power steering assist went out which caused no automatically steering. The contact manually veered the vehicle over to the side of road waited a few minutes before restarting the vehicle where the power steering assist was working again, however the failure intermittent. The contact who works on vehicles connected the a diagnostic machine and received a message for steering angle sensor was the caused of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Steering, Dec 21, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his daughter was driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road for a short time and was able to drive to the contact’s residence. The contact had also experienced the failure on 12/21/2021. The contact drove to the dealer in another vehicle and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Steering, Dec 20, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while attempting to turn left, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. In addition, when attempting to turn right as well, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn without warning. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000.
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Dec 9, 2021
That's not normal that's recall rust necessary
Steering, Nov 30, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle operated normally after a restart. The dealer was contacted but no diagnostic test was performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000. Power steering failed twice in November 2021. Diagnostic test in January 2022 by McGovern Ford dealer states: "replace steering column due to internal failure," same failure as covered by Ford recall which does not include my vehicle but should! Recall was for Ford 2011 Escapes built in Kansas City up to Sept. 11, 2010; my car was built in KC in Dec. 2010.
Steering, Nov 5, 2021
While driving at slow speeds, my Escape has lost power steering. This has happened mostly in parking lots. Today it happened when I pulled out of the parking lot and I almost got hit. I looked up the problem and read about the recall. I entered my VIN and it showed that I have 0 unfixed recalls. If this was not one on the recall list, shame on FORD because it needs to be fixed. If it was on the recall list and was"fixed," the solution was incorrect and needs to be fixed.
Steering, Nov 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the power steering failed, and the steering wheel was stiff while steering the vehicle. The contact had to manually steer the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with electric power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Steering, Oct 30, 2021
My power steering went out as I was driving at a slow rate. I managed to get it back home. I looked up the recalls for my vehicle and it stated any 2011 Ford Escapes made in Kansas City was issued a recall. My vehicle was made in that city during that time. I contacted Ford and they stated my vehicle doesn't apply to that recall. I was not aware of the recall because I did not own the vehicle when it was issued. The affected Escapes that were built from August 18, 2006 through September 11, 2010 at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. [XXX] made_inUnited Statesmade_in_cityKANSAS CITY https://vincheck.info/check/recalls-defects.php INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Steering, Suspension, Oct 2, 2021
When I entered elementary street in Lousville CO, to pick up my three grandchildren, the steering got so hard that I couldn't maneuver between so many cars, I couldn't turn, I was very scared if children started to come out, I got to the parking and parking badly, I called for help, to pick up children, and a man said turn it on again, it will work, my brother took the car to my house, and according to him it worked, I was so scared, that I will not drive it anymore, until I fix it , mechanic said the electric power steering should be changed, in the Ford, they gave a budget for a spare part, I am inquiring about "Recalls" and it says my car has zero, but there is one on # 14S05 and I want to know why this does not apply to me car, can you please help me?
Steering, Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle drove over a bump in the roadway and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle and the power steering functionality returned, however, the failure returned intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.
Steering, Sep 10, 2021
Vehicle lost power steering several times almost caused an accident. When car is restarted it will work again. Ford recalled the power steering control module for some ford escapes of my year yet my vehicle is not included in that recall and from reading forms a lot of other ford escapes are not being covered by this recall. Its expensive to fix and obviously this has been an ongoing safety issue with Ford so what do I do? Keep driving and pray I don't get in an accident? Someone needs to sue Ford.
Steering, Aug 29, 2021
We purchased this car for our youngest son as his first car, he was driving it and complained that periodically it would become very difficult to steer. I would test the car and found it to be operating normally and would check it for the next several weeks with no issues, at this time I wasn't sure what me son was describing. As time went on he described several occasions in which he nearly avoided an accident due to the steering issues. My wife and I began to worry if there was really something wrong with the car, I began to check it more frequently and found that periodically it would lose power steering in the middle of driving from point A to B, this created very difficult driving conditions. We then found through online research that FORD has several issues with the power steering on this vehicle but for some reason our VIN# is not on the recall list. (Recall #14S05) We would like our VIN# to be added to the list of recalled vehicles due to the sheer danger involved with this issue and that it makes sense with the recalled described issues. Once we had our mechanic review the diagnostic codes and report that the system has a defective torque sensor and/or steering column with an extreme parts and labor cost it was decided to move forward with this letter to explain our situation. We currently have a vehicle in which we cannot drive nor repair, we also cannot afford to get it repaired. Please help... have our vehicle added to the recall list. Thank you
Steering, Aug 25, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while his wife was driving 4-5 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and drove off the road into the grass. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the power steering module needed to be reset. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under recall. The contact stated the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Steering, Aug 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed. The contact stated that the steering wheel turned to the right and vibrated. The contact had to turn the steering wheel with force to be able to complete the turn. The contact stated that the power steering assist light remained illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and the mechanic replaced the power steering assist module. However, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Steering, Aug 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. Additionally, the vehicle loss motive power. The vehicle was restarted and normal functionality returned. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
Steering, Jun 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the electric power steering failed to operate as designed. The steering wheel started shaking and became difficult to turn. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed as a torque sensor and power steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The manufacturer then referred the contact to NHTSA to file a complaint. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V284000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 208,587.
Steering, Power train, May 14, 2021
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING ASSIST AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V284000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.
Steering, May 12, 2021
LOST TOTAL CONTROL OF POWER STEERING AND ALMOST CRASHED. I NOTICED RECALL 14S05 FOR POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE. IT ONLY COVERS CARS BUILT BETWEEN 2008 AND SEPT 11,2010. MY VEHICLE WAS BUILT OCTOBER 2010 AT SAME PLANT. HOW SURE CAN I BE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT BUILT WITH DEFECTIVE PART. THE COST TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE IS AMOST $2200. MY CAR IS AT THE FORD DEALER SHIP AT THIS MOMENT. I REACHED OUT TO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS, BUT NO SUCH LUCK. I HAPPEN TO OWN 6 FORDS AT T HE MOMENT AND HAVE PURCHASED NOTHING BUT FORDS FOR 20 YEARS.THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE GOTTEN ME KILLED.
Steering, May 6, 2021
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE VEHICLE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY CUT OFF. UPON TAKING TO THE SHOP THEY STATED IT WAS A CHECK ENGINE CODE THAT REFERRED TO A RECALL
Steering, Suspension, Wheels, Apr 28, 2021
I HAVE A 2011 FORD EACAPE.... WE LOST POWER STEERING 2-3 YEARS AGO IN MY CAR WHILE DRIVING ON TWISTY HILLY ROADS IN ITHICA, NY ON WAY TO GET OUR 3 YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN AND THANK GOD IT WAS MY HUSBAND DRIVING BECAUSE I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT... TONS OF CARS RECALLED... SAME MAKE,SAME MODEL,SAME YEAR AND MADE AT SAME PLANT IN KANSAS!!!!! BUT FORD NEVER RECALLED MU VIN#..... WE WERE STRANDED THERE AND LOST TIME FROM WORK!!!! WE TOOK IT TO 3 FORD DEALERS WITH NO HELP!!! WANTING ALMOST $2,400!!!!! LOST TIME FROM WORK GETTING IT FIXED WHICH TOOK OVER 3WEEKS AND FINALLY OUR MECHANIC FOUND THE PART!!!! POWER STEERING COLUMN!!!! HOW WITH 1,000S OF COMPLAINTS IS MINE NOT COVERED!!!! IT'S THE STEERING COLUMN!!!! IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A MUFFLER!!!! NOW AFTER PAYING TO GET IT FIXED !!!! I HAVE SINCE GIVEN THIS TO MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FOR HER SENIOR YEAR AND SHE LOST POWER STEERING ALMOST SENDING HER INTO HEAD ON TRAFFIC!!!!! MY DAUGHTER ALMOST GOT KILLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND YES WE WERE TOLD ITS THE GOD [XXX] STEERING COLUMN AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT DO I HAVE TO SO TO GO AFTER FORD FOR THIS SERIOUS ISSUE!!!!!! THEY MAKE BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SELLING FAULTY, DANGEROUS CARS!!!!!!! AND ARE ALLOWED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO GET AWAY WITH IT!!!!!! THEY KNOW FULL WELL THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL OF THE 2011 ESCAPES TO GET THAT PART FIXED!!!!!! ALL!!!! WHEN ARE YOU OR SOMEBODY GOING TO PUT A STOP TO THIS [XXX]!!!!!!!!! ALMOST EXACTLY 3 YEARS TO THE DAY OF WHEN THIS HAPPENED BEFORE!!!! NOW I HAVE TO WAIT AGAIN TO FIND A PART, PAY TONS OF MONEY AGAIN!!! AND THANK GOD MY DAUGHTER DIDN'T GET HURT!!!!! PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Steering, Apr 22, 2021
AT 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY I LOST STEERING CONTROL, NO MOVEMENT OF STEERING WOULD CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE CAR