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The 2010 Ford Escape has 2,127 NHTSA owner complaints on file — not a small number. 1 active recall campaign.
The 2010 Ford Escape has 2,127 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). The most-reported system is powertrain at 475 complaints, typically surfacing around 56,537 miles (~$2,500 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 Escape | 393 | 0 |
| 2008 Escape | 2,415 | 2 |
| 2009 Escape | 1,691 | 0 |
| 2010 Escape (this page) | 2,127 | 1 |
| 2011 Escape | 1,312 | 1 |
| 2012 Escape | 598 | 2 |
| 2013 Escape | 2,744 | 5 |
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: visibility is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 47,962 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 6.2/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
Steering wheel began rapidly shaking when parked or when in drive. This shaking began to make steering dangerous as it would make me swerve while operating the vehicle. This began a week before the power steering went completely out and now the dash has a message for power…
I sent this email to Ford in september 2014 I was in an auto accident where by another vehicle hit a deer which landed on the driver side window which shattered into thousands of tiny shards of glass. For over 2 years, I have being dealing with thousands of tiny shards…
While driving on surface streets the "wrench" indicator light came on and the car went into limp mode. I got to a parking lot and shut off the engine. After about a minute I restarted the engine, the wrench light went out and all seemed ok. After driving about 6-7 miles on the…
My girlfriend's electric power steering went out when she got home. Something that it was previously recalled for. Also while she was driving she was getting really bad shaking in her steering wheel this is the second time this has happened and it is really dangerous.
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An improperly deployed airbag could result in serious injury.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.2 out of 10 based on 2,127 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Ford Escape has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2010 Ford Escape is a higher-risk ownership prospect. Repair exposure runs above average — only with money set aside and eyes open. The record behind that call: Visibility: 84 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 15,000–69,297 mi; Body: 53 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 50,000–105,200 mi; Reliability score 6.2/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the powertrain first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 475 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 56,537 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 6.2 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 2,127 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is powertrain. Typical failure occurs around 56,537 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 475 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 56,537 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 56,537 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 2,127 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.