2015 Ford Escape problems & reliability
1,096 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Ford Escape, alongside 9 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 24, 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 components.
23 complaints report injuries (32 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2015 Ford Escape vehicles were involved in 120 fatal crashes with 60 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 286 | 26% |
| Engine → | 238 | 22% |
| Back Over Prevention → | 145 | 13% |
| Unknown / Other | 140 | 13% |
| Electrical System → | 135 | 12% |
| Steering → | 81 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 50 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 44 | 4% |
| Structure → | 36 | 3% |
| Latches/locks/linkages → | 29 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 29 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 619 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 77,000 miles (middle 50% between 49,950 and 106,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 parts were not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing the rear-view camera displayed a…”
Back Over Prevention · filed Sep 18, 2026
“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 while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank or distorted image, with the message…”
Back Over Prevention · filed Sep 18, 2026
“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 taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a rear-view camera display failure. The…”
Back Over Prevention · filed Sep 18, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Door Latch Failures
Recall Query RQ19005 · opened Dec 19, 2019 · closed Feb 7, 2022 · led to recall 20V331000
- Door Latch Failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE16001 · opened Jan 16, 2016 · closed Oct 29, 2016 · led to recall 16V643000
Technical service bulletins
128 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2015 Ford Escape. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
Some 2013-2016 Escape vehicles may exhibit an ABS warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U2300 after the ABS module is replaced.
SSM 53176 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 27, 2024
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
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…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has…
SSM 52335 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2024
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
Some Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in section 206-00. The…
SSM 51261 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 16, 2022
Some 2013-2016 Escape/Fusion/MKZ vehicles may display an error message when updating the All Wheel Drive-ATC Barcode using the IDS service function after installing a new rear drive unit assembly (RDU) or active torque…
SSM 51181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 4, 2022
Some Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in section 206-00. The…
SSM 51120 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 6, 2022
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 2015 Ford Escape has 9 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 2015 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 77,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.