2006 Ford Escape problems & reliability
464 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford Escape, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
18 complaints report injuries (26 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Ford Escape vehicles were involved in 69 fatal crashes with 51 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 99 | 21% |
| Power Train | 80 | 17% |
| Suspension | 65 | 14% |
| Structure | 63 | 14% |
| Engine | 47 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 41 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 34 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 20 | 4% |
| Steering | 20 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 85,000 miles (middle 50% between 55,000 and 124,075 miles), based on 394 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was in a major high speed frontal crash on April 4th. I hydroplaned on 204 and I almost died and none of my airbags deployed. I have several videos from the tow yard showing that they were still intact and didn't deploy, but this firm won'tlet me upload them. This car has never been in a wreck before, and my airbags…”
Air Bags · filed Apr 7, 2026
“I was driving on the highway, when the car steering started to pull to the left, and an alarm chime was heard from the dash, and a wrench light on the dash came on, as well as a service steering system soon message appeared on the message display. This happened multiple times. I contacted the local Midland Ford Dealer…”
Steering · filed May 21, 2025
“The idler pulley on the subject vehicle has failed numerous times, with the mounting bolt shearing at the connection to the timing cover. Upon failure of the pulley the serpentine belt will either fail or become dislodged; when this occurs the steering, alternator, and water pump all stop operating. The vehicle…”
Engine · filed Jan 25, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
Defect Petition DP12006 · opened Oct 2, 2012 · closed Feb 21, 2013
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford Escape. The 10 most recent:
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…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
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…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Ford/mercury: mil on with dtc p0351-p0356; multiple coil primary circuit. Built on or before 10/03/05. Some vehicles equipped with a 3.0l engine may exhibit a mulfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with two or more…
TSB-10-18-10 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 14, 2010
2005-08 escape/escape hybrid/mariner - 2006-08 mariner hybrid - wheel speed sensor ring replacement procedure update to workshop manual. *nj
20213 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2008
Slow fuel fill and/or dtc p0451. *nj
08-5-5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2008
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) u2062 (hybrid only). *nj
08-3-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2008
Service harness installation - corrosion of a resistor in the battery power unit. Also have an owner's letter. *nj
0748 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 22, 2007
Slow fuel fill due to clogged vent. *kb
19536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2006
Possible engine damage - install special service tools prior to removing crankshaft pulley bolt - service tip. *tt
06116 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Turn signals - rapid flashing. *tt
0667 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Ford Escape has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Ford Escape?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 85,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.