Showing the 2008 Escape XLS. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
19–32 mpgcombined; city 17–34, highway 22–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$10,150–$17,100U.S. average; Ohio $9,070–$15,280 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2008 Escape. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 2,417 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Escape. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Steering
1,237
30
0
19
Power train
372
2
1
0
Service brakes
249
15
0
6
Electrical system
200
4
5
4
Vehicle speed control
200
8
0
6
Engine
157
3
0
3
Engine and engine cooling
75
0
1
0
Unknown or other
68
0
1
4
Fuel/propulsion system
57
1
0
3
Electronic stability control (ESC)
45
0
0
0
Structure
44
5
0
6
Service brakes, hydraulic
39
2
0
1
20 more parts
Suspension
35
3
0
1
Air bags
34
19
0
13
Tires
27
0
0
0
Visibility
26
0
0
2
Fuel system, gasoline
25
0
0
0
Wheels
14
2
0
1
Equipment
8
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
7
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
6
0
1
0
Hybrid propulsion system
6
0
0
0
Seat belts
6
1
0
0
Traction control system
5
0
0
0
Fuel system, other
4
0
0
0
Seats
4
2
1
3
Service brakes, electric
4
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
3
0
0
0
Parking brake
3
1
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
2
0
0
3
Fuel system, diesel
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2008 Escape over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Power train: automatic transmission; Power train: automatic transmission
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
Risk: If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S28.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail resulting in the hybrid electronics overheating.
Risk: If the hybrid electronics system overheats, it may shut down the powertrain, resulting in a stall-like condition, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump with an improved brushless pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S19.
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.
Risk: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 46 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2008 Escape, the latest on Feb 24, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: power train (11), equipment (8), service brakes (7), electrical system (6), engine and engine cooling (6).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2008 Escape.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
2.3 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
22 / 28 / 24
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
2.3 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
20 / 26 / 22
Escape 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.3 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 24 / 21
Escape Front-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Escape 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
3.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 22 / 19
Escape Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
2.3 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
34 / 30 / 32
Escape Hybrid 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
2.3 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline
29 / 27 / 28
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data