2001 Ford Escape problems
NHTSA has received 1,389 complaints about the 2001 Ford Escape, and 23% of them involve engine. Next are brakes (13%) and electrical system (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,389 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 109 and 93
- Injuries and deaths
- 109 and 5
- Typical mileage
- 81,000 miles 637 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 54 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 88 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 100 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 73 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 59 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 64 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 62 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 43 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 36 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 25 |
| 200k+ miles | 33 |
What the data shows
Of the 637 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 81,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 49,000 miles (109 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 109 complaints mention a crash; 93 complaints mention a fire; 109 injuries reported; 5 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2001 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 25 model years of the Ford Escape with enough data (835 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 13 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 ford escape. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and failed to slow down, even though the brake pedal was depressed numerous times. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and its rear end crashed into a tree. A four year old passenger seated in the rear was fatally injured due to the massive impact to the vehicle. The driver lost consciousness and suffered a minor concussion. The front seat occupant sustained a spinal injury.
I was writing this for my sister who is no longer here. She drove a 2001 ford escape going 60 MPH down the highway. The people in front of her stopped and she rear ended them. Her car flipped several times and she was ejected. Although the state troopers said she wasn't wearing her seat belt she clearly had a 2" by 4" abrasion on her left shoulder exactly the size and location that her seat belt would have been. The SUV was completely destroyed, not a panel on it wasn't smashed - and yet the airbags didn't go off.
The display on my ford escape radio has stopped functioning correctly; the radio itself is functioning. After calling several repair shops, the dealer service center, and searching the internet it is very apparent this is a common occurrence in several of the oem radios and the result of a design flaw. Multiple websites and discussion pages refer to this issue as being the result of an overheat condition on the display board due to proximity of the power supply and improper heat dissipation.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. While driving different speeds, the accelerator pedal became stuck. The contact placed the vehicle in neutral and depressed the brake pedal, which caused the vehicle to jerk and continue normal driving. The contact also stated that the passenger side air bag had bubbles and appeared as though it would explode. The failures were not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 163,000.