Reliable Auto DB

2015 Ford Escape reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2015 Ford Escape has 1,096 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 35 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Escape years here — under the median of the other years, which is 40. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Engine block heater, Camera, and Gear position indicator.

Ford Escape, 2013–2016 body
Photo by Tyanroon-chan, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

1,096

Per year

35

Recalls

9

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (286 of 1,096), then Engine (238) and Back-over prevention (145). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 76,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 47,500 and 106,000 miles. Those filings include 29 that report a crash, 19 that report a fire, and 23 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Escape has 2,084 complaints, 64 per year, and the 2016 has 1,118 complaints, 47 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Ford Escape. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (9)

Recall equipment, electrical, engine block heater 2026-01-15 · NHTSA campaign 26V011000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Remedy Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Vehicles affected 116,672
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-10-13 · NHTSA campaign 25V695000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, 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 October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Vehicles affected 1,448,655
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2022-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V413000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Remedy Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Vehicles affected 2,925,968
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2022-04-14 · NHTSA campaign 22V254000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Escape vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Remedy Dealers will replace the under hood shifter bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S25.
Vehicles affected 96,015
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2020-06-08 · NHTSA campaign 20V331000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Vehicles affected 2,147,323
Recall Seat belts 2017-07-25 · NHTSA campaign 17V472000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford F-150 and E-350, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, and 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles. Improperly manufactured bolts may have been used to install certain seats, seatbacks, seatbelt buckles, or seatbelt anchors on these vehicles.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected bolts, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed September 8, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available in the fourth quarter of 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S17.
Vehicles affected 94,605
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2016-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 16V643000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Vehicles affected 2,046,297
Recall electrical system, ignition 2015-07-08 · NHTSA campaign 15V436000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.
Vehicles affected 374,781
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2015-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 15V406000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured May 19, 2014, to February 6, 2015, and Transit Connect vehicles manufactured May 11, 2014, to July 2, 2015. Due to a software incompatibility issue, the instrument panel cluster be inoperative including a blank multiple functional display (MFD), and non-functional warning chimes, messages and warning lights. Specific warning chimes, messages and warning lights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge. The recall began on August 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C03.
Vehicles affected 184,519

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (1096 total)

Powertrain
286
Engine
238
Back-over prevention
145
Electrical system
135
Steering
81
Fuel and propulsion system
50
Engine and engine cooling
44
Structure
36
Latches, locks, and linkages
29
Wheels
25
Service brakes
24
Air bags
16
Seat belts
14
Speed control
14
Visibility and wipers
14
Exterior lighting
13
Suspension
13
Electronic stability control (ESC)
10
Seats
6
Visibility
6
Fuel system, gasoline
5
Tires
5
Equipment
3
Diesel fuel system
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Fuel system, other
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Show 20 more Show less
Crash-flagged

29

Fire-flagged

19

Injury reports

23

Death reports

0

Of the 629 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 76,000 miles. The middle half fall between 47,500 and 106,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

12014282015322016432017692018832019111202067202113620221102023100202414220251742026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); and the local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-18
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image. In addition, the message “Rear-view Camera Unavailable” was displayed. The vehicle was…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-18
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-18
  • "See attached document for complaint."
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-17
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rear-view camera image was blank, and the message "Camera Not Available"…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Ford Escape SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2015 Ford Escape SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Escape all-wheel drive 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 22 29 25 MPG $2600
Escape all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 21 28 23 MPG $2800
Escape front-wheel drive 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 23 31 26 MPG $2500
Escape front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $2700
Escape front-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 30 25 MPG $2600

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2013–2019
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 synthetic (1.6L EcoBoost/2.5L I4); 5W-30 synthetic (2.0L EcoBoost) , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R17 (S/SE) to 235/50R18 (SE/Titanium)

Known issues for this generation

Early third-gen years (especially 2013) also draw NHTSA powertrain filings about the shifter-cable bushing. Recall 18V-471 covers certain 2013-2014 Escapes with six-speed automatics: the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade and detach so the lever can show Park while the gearbox is not in Park, with no warning; dealers replace the bushing (Ford 18S20). Recall 22V-413 expands that bushing concern to certain 2013-2019 Escapes among other Ford models; dealers again replace the bushing. Separately, recall 17V-209 covered the 2014 Escape with the 1.6L GTDI: driving with low coolant could crack the cylinder head and leak oil onto hot parts, raising fire risk; dealers installed a coolant-level sensor. Recall 16V-643 covered 2013-2015 Escapes among about two million Ford/Lincoln vehicles for door-latch parts that may break so a door fails to latch or opens while moving; dealers replaced the latches.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Ford Escape Next year 2016 Ford Escape See every Ford Escape model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Ford Escape reliable?

The 2015 Ford Escape has 1,096 complaints with NHTSA after 12 years, or 35 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Escape years here — under the median of the other years, which is 40. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Engine block heater, Camera, and Gear position indicator.

What are common problems with a 2015 Ford Escape?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (286 of 1,096), then Engine (238) and Back-over prevention (145). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 76,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 47,500 and 106,000 miles. Those filings include 29 that report a crash, 19 that report a fire, and 23 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Ford Escape more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Escape has 2,084 complaints, 64 per year, and the 2016 has 1,118 complaints, 47 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Ford Escape been recalled?

The 2015 Ford Escape has 9 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Ford Escape?

Owners have filed 1096 complaints about the 2015 Ford Escape with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Ford Escape get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Ford Escape is 24.6 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is my Ford Escape?

2008-2012 is the 2nd generation, 2013-2019 is the 3rd generation, and 2020-onward is the 4th generation.

Should I avoid charging my Ford Escape's high-voltage battery?

If your 2020-2024 Escape is covered by recall 24V-954, Ford advises not charging the high-voltage battery until the recall remedy has been completed.