Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Ford Escape, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Steering1,127
- Power train329
- Vehicle speed control175
- Electrical system136
- Service brakes120
- Engine83
- Unknown or other55
- Structure41
- Engine and engine cooling38
- Fuel/propulsion system36
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 44 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 114 2008 Escape vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 73 people died inside them, and 26 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2008 Ford Escape failed the safety check 3.14% of the time — 27% more often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 141,162 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In New Zealand
227 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 83% arrived as used imports, 16% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 10.6–12.4 L/100 km (about 19–22 mpg US), CO₂ 244–285 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escape · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.7 | 9.1 | 10.6 |
| Escape AWD · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 12.3 | 10.1 | 11.3 |
| Escape · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 13.2 | 9.7 | 11.6 |
| Escape AWD · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 13.7 | 10.7 | 12.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2008 Ford Escape.
| 2015438 29 Sept 2015 | Powertrain A safety defect may exist in vehicles in which remanufactured automatic transmissions were installed as service replacement parts. The shift lever bolt may not … |
| 2014374 4 Sept 2014 | Engine On certain hybrid vehicles, the motor electronics coolant pump may wear out and fail, resulting in a loss of coolant flow and high temperature condition within … |
| 2014193 28 May 2014 | Steering On certain vehicles, a fault in the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system could result in an immediate loss of power steering assist without warning to the drive… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail resulting in the hybrid electronics overheating.
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.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2008 Ford Escape: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10254138 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership managemen |
| 10235153 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are |
| 10140323 | The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts and Service - Parts Product Line Information - Keys/Entry Devices - Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Access to this site is granted through Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES) and Dealer Principal, General Manager or Parts and Service Director can authorize users. Once authorized the retrieval process for master code can be obtained. The mast |
| 10138524 | The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts and Service - Parts Product Line Information - Keys/Entry Devices - Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Access to this site is granted through Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES) and Dealer Principal, General Manager or Parts and Service Director can authorize users. Once authorized the retrieval process for master code can be obtained. The mast |
| 10137113 | Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any Ford, Mercury or Lincoln vehicle. Only approved Genuine Ford accessories or originally installed systems are supported and certified to function correctly with other vehicle systems. If you suspect a system has been modified, the following resources can be used to verify original equipment: Monroney Label (Window Sticker), Professional Technician Society (PTS) OASIS tab select |
| 10109070 | The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a limited refresh rate when reading these PIDs and cannot display quickly enough to validate a concern. The PCM automatically monitors these inputs more accurately and will set diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) when appropriate. Using these PIDs for diagnostics will lead to inaccurate results and improper ETB replacements. If a concern is intermittent and no DTCs are present, refer |
| 10058224 | FORD 2008-2012 ESCAPE/MARINER: BULLETIN INFORMATION REGARDING STEERING CONTROL MODULE WITH DTC B2278, NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED. *LJ |
| 10058196 | 2008-2012 FORD ESCAPE/MARINER: SERVICE INFORMATION INVOLVING THE POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE WITH DTC B2278- STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT IS NOT REQUIRED. *LJ |
| 10057723 | FORD: A JOB AID WAS DEVELOPED AND NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE PTU INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL FLUID LEAKAGE FOR ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. *PE |
| 10056710 | MERCURY/FORD: IN ONE OR MORE SPEED SETTINGS, ELECTRONIC MANUAL TEMPERATURE CONTROL (EMTC) A/C SYSTEM IS WARM AND/OR LACK BLOWER MOTOR OPERATION IN SETTINGS DUE TO DAMAGED BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR CAUSED BY WATER ENTERING HEATER AND EVAPORATOR CORE HOUSING. MODEL 2008-12 ESCAPE, MARINER. *PE |
| 10055355 | FORD: THE WRENCH LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE WHEN 4X4 FUNCTION IS INOPERATIVE DUE TO ACTIVE TORQUE COUPLING SOLENOID COIL WIRING BEING BROKE, BUT A KIT IS AVAILABLE TO SERVICE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY/REAR DRIVE UNIT (RDU), AT LOWER LEVEL. MODEL 2008-2012 ESCAPE, MARINER. *PE |
| 10054916 | FORD/MERCURY: IF DIAGNOSTIC CODE B2278 IS STORED IN POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE (PSCM), IT NEEDS REPLACING WITH TORQUE SENSOR SERVICE KIT THAT IS AVAILABLE AND IF NOT, DOES NOT APPLY. MODEL 2008-2012 ESCAPE, 2008-2011 MARINER. *PE |
| 10044907 | FORD: SOME MODEL VEHICLES WOULD LOSE 2ND AND 4TH GEAR ON A CD4E TRANSMISSION. MODEL ESCAPE 2007-2008. *PE |
| 10044854 | FORD: VEHICLE'S LIFTGATE IS DIFFICULT TO OPEN OR DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. *PE |
| 10041387 | FORD SERVICE CAMPAIGN: SEE DOCUMENT SEARCH BUTTON FOR OWNER LETTER. THERE MAY BE A TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER TUBE CRACK WHICH CAN LEAD TO ROUGH HARD SHIFTS/TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *RM |
| 10039244 | FORD: THERE IS EXCESSIVE ENGINE OR EXHAUST NOISE, OR AN EXHAUST ODOR DUE TO AN EXHAUST LEAK. THERE WILL BE NO WARNING CODES OR LIGHTS. 2007-2008 ESCAPE/MARINER. *RM |
| 10039053 | FORD: IF THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT LACK OF POWER, SURGE, OR HESITATION WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WILL OVERRIDE ACCELERATION. *RM |
| 10034548 | FORD/MERCURY: STEERING COLUMN POP/CLUNK NOISE ON TURNS. SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A POP OR CLUNK NOISE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AREA WHILE TURNING. THIS NOISE TYPICALLY OCCURS QUARTER TURN BEFORE THE STEERING WHEEL REACHES IT'S END OF TRAVEL STOP AND TYPICALLY GOES AWAY WITH WEIGHT OFF THE WHEELS. *PE |
| 10033726 | FORD/MERCURY: NEW SERVICE KIT AVAILABLE FOR ACCELERATOR CABLE TO PEDAL CONNECTION. SOME VEHICLES MAY REQUIRE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL CONNECTION REPAIRED. A NEW SERVICE CLIP HAS BEEN RELEASED FOR USE, IN LIEU OF REPLACING THE CABLE AND/OR PEDAL ASSEMBLIES. *PE |
| 10032610 | FORD: INCREASED SHIFT LEVER EFFORT MAY HAVE DEBRIS OR SOMETHING, SUCH AS SWEETENED DRINKS SPILLED IN/ON THE SHIFTER. SHIFTER REPLACEMENT RESULTING FROM SPILLAGE OR DEBRIS IS NOT WARRANTABLE. *PE |
| 10032244 | FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN: SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 6F50 TRANSAXLE , WITH ANY OUTPUT SHAFT SPEED (OSS) SENSOR OR TURBINE SHAFT SPEED (TSS) SENSOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE(S) (DTCS) P0715, P0717, P0720, P0721, P0722 AND/OR HARSH ENGAGEMENTS, NO UPSHIFT, FIFTH GEAR ONLY, COULD HAVE AN INTERMITTEN SHORT IN THE OSS OR TSS SENSOR. *PE |
| 10032234 | FORD: SOME MULTIPLES VEHICLES REPLACEMENTS MAY REQUIRE REVISED AS BUILT DATA. THE NEW LEVEL SJB SERVICE PART INTRODUCED BETWEEN 10/07 AND 02/08 WILL REQUIRE ENTRY OF AS BUILT DATA. *PE |
| 10024845 | 2005-08 ESCAPE/ESCAPE HYBRID/MARINER - 2006-08 MARINER HYBRID - WHEEL SPEED SENSOR RING REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE UPDATE TO WORKSHOP MANUAL. *NJ |
| 10024842 | SLOW FUEL FILL BUILT BEFORE 11/26/2007. ONLY HYBRID. *NJ |
| 10024841 | SLOW FUEL FILL AND/OR DTC P0451. *NJ |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Loss of power steering while driving
Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
TIRE VALVE CRACKING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation