Saturday, August 8, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

Ford Escape vs Hyundai Santa FE

Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Ford Escape

Total complaints
27,062
Avg per model year
1,003
Recall campaigns (all years)
95
Most complained year
2013 (2,742)
Top problems: Engine, Power Train, Steering

Hyundai Santa FE

Total complaints
7,550
Avg per model year
290
Recall campaigns (all years)
46
Most complained year
2017 (946)
Top problems: Engine, Power Train, Electrical System

Complaints by model year

YearFord EscapeHyundai Santa FE
2026329
202521122
202476136
202394202
2022226191
2021330163
20201,571199
2019570192
20181,755108
20172,649946
20161,072235
20151,049254
20142,073492
20132,742604
2012598352
20111,313181
20102,068257
20091,691357
20081,972541
2007254682
Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.