2024 Ford Escape

Showing the 2024 Escape ST Line. 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
26–39 mpgcombined; city 23–42, highway 31–36; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$8,330–$12,490U.S. average; Ohio $7,440–$11,160 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 overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
10over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
88filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2024 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.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 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
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical system36001
Forward collision avoidance20000
Lane departure18000
Unknown or other17100
Engine14000
Back over prevention10000
Fuel/propulsion system7000
Air bags6403
Vehicle speed control4000
Power train3000
Seat belts2102
Service brakes2000
7 more parts
Structure2000
Engine and engine cooling1000
Equipment1000
Exterior lighting1000
Service brakes, hydraulic1000
Visibility1002
Wheels1000

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.

  1. 2006720
  2. 2007393
  3. 20082,417
  4. 20091,846
  5. 20102,129
  6. 20111,355
  7. 2012618
  8. 20132,755
  9. 20142,089
  10. 20151,116
  11. 20161,158
  12. 20172,698
  13. 20181,817
  14. 2019596
  15. 20201,899
  16. 2021495
  17. 2022382
  18. 2023137
  19. 202488
  20. 202531
  21. 20264

Every Escape year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2024 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.

Electrical system: propulsion system

NHTSA campaign 26V091000 · reported Feb 17, 2026 · 25,237 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Ford Escape and 2023-2026 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.

Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM) software, free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. This recall expands previous recall numbers 24V954 and 25V489. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 18, 2026.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electrical system: propulsion system

NHTSA campaign 25V789000 · reported Nov 14, 2025 · 20,558 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.

Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will update the battery energy control module (BECM) and hybrid powertrain control module (HPCM), free of charge. Owners are advised to only use "Auto EV" mode and will be instructed by mail to limit the maximum charge of the battery until the remedy has been completed. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SC4. Vehicles in this recall were previously recalled under 24V954 and will need to have the new remedy performed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 18, 2025.

NHTSA's record and documents

Engine

NHTSA campaign 25V372000 · reported Jun 3, 2025 · 404 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Escape, and 2025 Bronco Sport vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.

Risk: An oil leak can result in loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S61.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electrical system; Equipment: electrical

NHTSA campaign 25V343000 · reported May 23, 2025 · 6,781 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2023-2025 Escape, 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2025 Lincoln Corsair, Maverick, and Bronco Sport vehicles equipped with a 1.5L or 2.0L MPC engine and an engine block heater. The engine block heater may overheat when the vehicle is parked with the block heater plugged in.

Risk: An overheated engine block heater can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the block heater element and inspect the electrical cord, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug coupled, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S52.

NHTSA's record and documents

Back over prevention: software

NHTSA campaign 25V315000 · reported May 9, 2025 · 1,076,138 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge, 2022-2025 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, 2024 Ranger, Mustang, 2021-2023 Lincoln Nautilus, 2022-2024 Navigator, and 2023-2024 Corsair vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display when the vehicle is in reverse.

Risk: A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air update, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on June 26, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Owner notification letters were sent on October 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S49.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electrical system: propulsion system

NHTSA campaign 24V954000 · reported Dec 20, 2024 · 20,484 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ford Escape, and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.

Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to charge battery till the remedy has been completed. Dealers will perform a battery energy control module (BECM) software update, and replace the high voltage battery pack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S79.

NHTSA's record and documents

Air bags: frontal; Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

NHTSA campaign 24V850000 · reported Nov 8, 2024 · 15 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Escape vehicles. The passenger side instrument panel cover may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: During air bag deployment, the air bag cover may break and project fragments into the vehicle, or the air bag may deploy improperly, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger side instrument panel cover, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C38.

NHTSA's record and documents

Equipment: other

NHTSA campaign 24V852000 · reported Nov 8, 2024 · 27,678 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

NHTSA's record and documents

Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system

NHTSA campaign 24V634000 · reported Aug 23, 2024 · 24 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Lincoln Corsair, 2023-2024 Escape, 2024 Mustang, and 2025 Explorer vehicles. The fuel injectors may have been assembled without O-ring support discs, which can result in a fuel leak.

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will install new fuel injector O-rings and O-ring support discs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 7, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S54.

NHTSA's record and documents

Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control

NHTSA campaign 24V440000 · reported Jun 14, 2024 · 209 vehicles potentially affected

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Escape two-wheel drive vehicles equipped with adaptive cruise control. The cruise control radar module was misaligned during production.

Risk: Misalignment of the radar module can result in the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) misclassifying an overhead object as an object in the vehicle's path, causing the vehicle to unexpectedly slow and/or stop. Other safety systems that depend on the radar model (Pre-Collision Assist, Forward Collision Warning, and Auto Emergency Braking) could have diminished or lost function. These conditions increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will adjust the angle of the radar module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 3, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S39.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 163 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2024 Escape, the latest on Oct 6, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: unknown or other (91), electrical system (46), power train (34), engine (20), fuel/propulsion system (10).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

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 2024 Escape.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2024 Ford Escapes for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

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: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Escape
Front-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 3 cyl, turboAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline27 / 34 / 30
Escape
All-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 3 cyl, turboAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline26 / 32 / 28
Escape
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic 8-spdRegular Gasoline23 / 31 / 26
Escape HEV
Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline42 / 36 / 39
Escape HEV
Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline42 / 36 / 39

Sources and dates

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