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2011 Ford Escape: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists two recall campaigns for the 2011 Ford Escape: one for fuel pumps (filed 2016) and one for steering (filed 2014). Owners have filed 1,316 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering and the power train. For comparison, owners filed 2,070 for the 2010 and 602 for the 2012 Escape. In NHTSA crash tests it earned 3 stars overall, with a 23.7% rollover risk.

Summary reviewed by Recalls & Safety Desk · Oct 6, 2026 How we write summaries Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
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Recalls (2)

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2011 Ford Escape. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2011 Ford Escape. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 16V777000 Filed Oct 26, 2016

Fuel Delivery Module may Crack and cause Fuel Leak

Fuel system, gasoline · delivery · fuel pump
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
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.
51.7% repairedof 329,265 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V777000
Listed for 2011 Ford Escape. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 14V284000 Filed May 29, 2014

Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist

Steering · electric power assist system
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
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.
72.3% repairedof 740,878 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 14V284000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (1,316)

1,316 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The steering is mentioned most often.

38involved a crash
7involved a fire
38injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford Escape, by component (top 10). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 1,316.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2011 compares with other Escape years

Best and worst Escape years →
2007200820092010201120122013201420152016
This year (2011)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Crash tests: 3 stars overall

Overall★★★☆☆
Frontal crashDriver 2★ · Passenger 4★★★★☆☆
Side crashDriver 3★ · Passenger 3★★★★☆☆
Side pole★★★★☆
RolloverRollover risk 23.7%★★★☆☆
Front seat of a modern car with the seat belt buckled across the passenger seat
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2011 Ford Escape suv 4x2, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 25 mpg combined

25
mpg combined
23
city
28
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$2,700
CO₂ tailpipe
356 g/mi
EPA class
Sport Utility Vehicle -

What it costs you to run

$2,612per year
$218per month
600gallons a year

Miles ÷ 25 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2011 Ford Escape configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
2.5 L 4-cyl · 5-speed manualFront-Wheel Drive23 / 28 / 25$2,700356
2.5 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive21 / 27 / 23$2,900386
2.5 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automaticAll-Wheel Drive20 / 26 / 22$3,050404
3 L 6-cyl · 6-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive19 / 25 / 21$3,200423
3 L 6-cyl · 6-speed automaticAll-Wheel Drive18 / 23 / 20$3,350444

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2011 Escape for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Escape years

Where to next

2011 Ford Escape FAQ

How many recalls does the 2011 Ford Escape have?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns: 16V777000 (fuel pump), 14V284000 (steering). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2011 Ford Escape problems?

Owners filed 1,316 complaints with NHTSA. Steering (409), Power train (268), Fuel/propulsion system (253) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2011 Ford Escape get?

EPA rates the 2.5 L 4-cyl · 5-speed manual version at 23 city, 28 highway and 25 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

What safety rating did the 2011 Ford Escape get?

NHTSA rated the 2011 Ford Escape suv 4x2 3 stars overall, with 3 stars frontal, 3 stars side and 3 stars rollover (23.7% rollover risk).

How does the 2011 Escape compare with other years?

Among the 2007–2016 Ford Escape model years at least five years old, the 2007 drew the fewest complaints (254) and the 2013 the most (2,750). The 2011 drew 1,316. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Summary reviewed on Oct 6, 2026.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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