There are 50 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2009 Ford Escapein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Vehicle Will not shift from Park gear. Locking up and can't drive until it allows me to shift. Time varies and also have to start and restart the engine several times before it allows the shifter lock to release from Park.
Power steering just stopped working
THERE IS A SYSTEMATIC FAILURES OF BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS MODEL, MASTER CYLENDER, BOOSTER, ABS PUMP, ETC. IT'S A BADLY DESIGNED BRAKING SYSTEM THAT FAILS AT ANY TIME, PUTTING LIVES OF PEOPLE UNDER DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. MORE OFTEN THEN NOT THOSE FAILURES ARE OCCURRING AT LOW SPEEDS. BRAKE FAILURE IS MOST COMMON PROBLEM ON FORD ESCAPE CARS THAT LOOKS LIKE OCCURRING MUCH MORE OFTEN THEN EVEN ON REST OF FORD VEHICLES.
HAVING PROBLEMS WITH WHOLE IGNITION HOUSING UNIT IT WAS STATIONARY AND WON'T START JUST SOMETIMES
MY VEHICLE IS COMING ALIVE AT NIGHT WITH HEADLIGHTS AND RADIO COMING ON THAT I HAVEN'T BE ABLE TO PARK IT IN MY GARAGE AS O FEEL LIKE IT MAY END UP CATCHING FIRE. WHILE DRIVING IT WILL SHUT DOWN THE TURN SIGNALS, BREAK LIGHTS, AND CLIMATE CONTROLS AND SHUT OFF THE RADIO. I'VE NARROWLY AVOIDED MANY COLLISIONS DUE TO HAVING NO TURN SIGNALS AND BREAK LIGHTS AT NIGHT AND THROUGHOUT THE DAY. I'VE TALKED TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE MODEL YEARS IN QUESTION AND ALL SEEM TO SHARE SIMILAR EXPERIENCES SOME ENDING IN ACCIDENTS AND OTHERS PAYING THOUSANDS OUT OF POCKET FOR FAULTY PCM'S OR ELECTRICAL WIRING TO THE IGNITION. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY WHEN DRIVING OR WHEN THE CAR IS OFF AND IN PARK I FEEL AS IF THIS IS AN ISSUE FORD IS AWARE OF AS I'VE TALKED TO ALMOST 1,000 PEOPLE ALL SHARING SIMILAR ISSUES AND UPON TAKING THEM TO THE DEALER IT'S COSTED $500-$2,000 DEPENDING WHAT THE DEALERS CAME UP WITH SOME BEING THE PCM OTHERS BEING THE WIRING TO THE IGNITION, SOME BEING A BAD FUSE BOX AND THE DEALERS JUST THROW PARTS AT IT TO JUST HAVE THE ISSUE COME BACK 6 MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD AND THEN TRY TO SAY NOW IT'S SOMETHING ELSE AND IT'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER $500-$2,000 IN PARTS OR TRY AND PUSH THE OWNER TO A NEW VEHICLE. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND HE SAID THEY AREN'T EQUIPPED TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK THAT I'LL NEED TO GO TO A HUB DEALERSHIP AND IT WOULD BE ABOUT $400 JUST TO DIAGNOSE WITH HAVING TO PULL THE DASH, STEERING COLUMN AND CHECK THE PCM. THEN IT'D BE PARTS AND LABOR TO FIX THE ISSUE IF THE FIND ANYTHING WRONG BUT I WOULDN'T BE NOTIFIED TILL AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED.
TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT COMES ON AND AND DOME LIGHT BLINKS WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING ALL OF THE TIME.
THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. VERY HARD TO TURN STEERING WHEEL
POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT RECALL
VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE IN MOTION.
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN HER ESCAPE JUST KEPT SHUTTING DOWN TO THE POINT SHE ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED AT 65-70MPH. FORD HAD A FIELD SERVICE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE IS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTION THAT NEVER MADE IT AS A RECALL. I TRIED TO GET FORD TO RESTART THIS FIELD SERVICE AS THEY SAID MY WIFE'S CAR WAS PAST THE WARRANTY. NEEDS TO BE AS A RECALL NOT A FIELD SERVICE COMPLAINT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR DIED FROM THIS I AM OUT $150 AND HALF DAY OF WORK TO FIX THIS BECAUSE FORD WON'T DO A RECALL TO SAVE THEIR ASS.
THE IGNITION SWITCH ISNT ALWAYS STARTING THE CAR WHEN TURNED. SOMETIMES IT HAS TO BE TURNED MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE IT WILL FINALLY START THE CAR. THIS HAS GRADUALLY GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
I RECEIVED THE CAR FOR MY AUNT WHO PURCHASED IT NEW. IN 2018. POWER STEERING WAS GOING OUT. I REACHED OUT TO FORD THEY SAID THEY HAD A RECALL. I GAVE MY VIN NUMBER AND THEY SAID MY CAR WAS NOT FROM THE LOT THAT WAS FOR THE RECALL BUT HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I LOOKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE FOR THE SAME YEAR MAKE UP MY CAR.
IGNITION SWITCH DOESN'T TURN THE CAR ON WHEN TURNED. AFTER TURNING TO THE START POSITION YOU HAVE TO PUSH THE KEY IN FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE PROBLEM GRADUALLY GETS WORST TO THE POINT THAT IT NO LONGER WILL START THE VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH ALSO LOCKS THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. SEARCHING THE INTERNET I SEE LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM. I REQUEST THE NHTSA RECALL THE 09 FORD ESCAPE FOR THIS ISSUE ASAP.
1. REAR LIFT GATE GLASS HINGE CORRODED AND SNAPPED OFF, LEAVING GLASS DANGEROUSLY HANGING ON ONE HINGE. 2. TRUNK INOPERABLE DUE TO TRUNK OPERATING VIA ELECTRIC PATCH AND NO LONGER RECEIVING ELECTRIC SIGNAL. 3. REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL EXTREMELY RUSTING.
THE VEHICLE STALLS WHEN IDLING, EVEN IF ONLY FOR SECONDS AND SURGES FORWARD RANDOMLY WHILE TRAVELING ON THE ROADWAY. IT HAS STALLED ON ME UP TO 8-10 TIMES IN ONE TRIP FROM SCOTTSDALE TO PHOENIX. IT WILL STALL ROLLING TO A STOP AS WELL AND HAS STALLED ON BUSY ROADWAYS AND IN INTERSECTIONS, PUTTING ME IN GREAT DANGER. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED T HUNDREDS OF OTHER DRIVERS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND SO FAR NO MECHANIC OR EVEN THE FORD DEALERSHIP CAN PIN POINT THE CAUSE. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REPORTING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THEIR CARS WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES AND OTHERS HAVE REPRTED THAT THE CAR STALLS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND I AM NOW AFRAID IT WILL ESCALATE.
TRUNK BUTTON TO OPEN, BLUETOOTH AND STEERING ELECTRICAL AND THE ABILITY THAT IT SAYS THAT IT CAN TAKE KEYS OUT CAUSE WONT SAY THAT IT IS IN PARK
KEY IGNITION SWITCH IS DIFFICULT TO WORK. AFTER TURNING TO THE START POSITION YOU HAVE TO PUSH THE KEY IN FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THIS STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND THE PROBLEM HAS GOT WORST TO THE POINT THAT IT CAN TAKE UP TO 10 TRIES AND 3 OR 4 MINUTES TO GET IT STARTED .YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PUNCH THE KEY IN HARD (ESPECIALLY US WITH ARTHRITIS) THEN TURN TO GET STARTED. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I TRY TO START THE CAR AND EXTREMELY STRESSFUL WHEN AWAY FROM HOME. THIS IS A COMMON FLAW OF THIS CAR AND MUST BE FIXED BY FORD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD START. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE WAS GRADUALLY GETTING WORST. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE NORTH BROTHERS FORD LOCATED AT 33300 FORD ROAD WESTLAND, MICHIGAN 48185; 734-821-7451 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,145.
ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY: DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, I WAS ABLE TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND MAKE IT SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUE ON. A FEW DAYS LATER THIS HAPPENED AGAIN, FORTUNATELY ON A LESS CROWDED STREET.
BOUGHT MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE XLT 4WD IN 2016.HAD NO PROBLEMS UP UNTIL AROUND MARCH, 2017 WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE.TURNED THE KEY TO START AND IT WOULDN'T. THINKING MAYBE THERE WAS A LITTLE MOISTURE ON IGNITION KEY SEEING HOW IT HAD RAINED EARLER AND KEYS WERE EXPOSED BUT NOPE.PULLED KEY OUT AND FLIPPED IT OVER THEN RETRIED. IT DID START AND DIDN'T THINK ANYMORE ABOUT IT. DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN TILL ABOUT 4 MOS LATER AND HAS GRADUALLY GOTTEN WORSE OVER TIME. NOW HAVE TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS...UP TO 5-6 TIMES OTHER DAY BEFORE IT STARTED. JUST BY CHANCE I HAD PUSHED THE IGNITION KEY FURTHER IN THE START POSITION AND FELT KEY SLIP INTO IGNITION A "HAIR" MORE. IT STARTED UP IMMEDIATELY. THOUGHT THAT MAYBE ORIGINAL KEY WAS GETTING WORN AND THAT WAS WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BUT AFTER READING MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT EXACT SAME ISSUE IT SHOWS THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS. I HAVE TO TRAVEL ALONE WHEN OUT OF STATE FOR DR VISITS OR FAMILY MATTERS. WOULD SAY THIS CAN BECOME A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY FOR A FAMILY.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026