2001 Ford Escape Recalls, Complaints & Specs
13 safety recalls list the 2001 Ford Escape, and owners have filed 996 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
13 safety recalls for the 2001 Ford Escape
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Floor shift (power train) and gear position indication (prndl) (power train)
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…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall…
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Frame and members (structure)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 Escape vehicles manufactured October 22, 1999, through January 23, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall…
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Cables (vehicle speed control) and engine and engine cooling
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2004 Escape vehicles equipped with 3.0L V6 engines and speed control manufactured from October 22, 1999, through January 23, 2004. Inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector could result in a stuck throttle when the accelerator pedal…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles by increasing the engine cover clearance, free of charge. The safety recall began August 3, 2012. Remedy parts are expected to be available in mid-August…
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Service brakes, hydraulic: control unit/module
Ford is recalling certain model year 2001-2002 escape vehicles manufactured from october 22, 1999, through july 19, 2002, equipped with a brake master cylinder reservoir cap that could leak brake fluid. If brake fluid leaks from the cap, it could come in contact with the antilock brake system (ABS) module wiring harness connector.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder reservoir cap and the ABS electrical system will be modified. An interim letter was mailed on january 20, 2012. Due to a parts delay, however, the remedy may not be…
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Service brakes, hydraulic: control unit/module
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with antilock brakes (ABS), the ABS module connector may have missing or dislodged wire seals. This condition could allow contamination to enter the module connector, creating a potential for an electrical short.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wire harness connector to the ABS module for missing or dislodged wire seals, and repair or replace the harness connector as appropriate. The dealer will also inspect the connector on the ABS…
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Latch (latches/locks/linkages)
Certain 2004-2005 sport utility vehicles and certain 2001-2003 sport utiity vehicle having rear liftgate components serviced with 2004 equivalent components fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 206, 'door locks and door retention components.' the rear liftgate latching system does not meet…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear liftgate latch release rod, the release rod attachment clip and the door handle return spring. The recall began on march 31, 2005. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
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Power train: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines, during deceleration, the engine can stall.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the power control module (PCM) with the appropriate calibration. Owner notification began on april 21, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date…
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Buckle assembly (seat belts)
On certain sport utility vehicles, a post within the safety belt buckle covers could fracture, which could affect latch function, resulting in either a "no latch" or "partial latch" condition. In the "partial latch" condition, the buckle tongue can be inserted into the buckle and appear to be engaged, but will release from the buckle…
Remedy: Dealers will have the driver and front passenger safety belt buckle cover removed and replaced with a newly designed service buckle cover. Owner notification began on february 2, 2004. Owners should contact ford at…
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Linkages (visibility)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The windshield wiper linkage can disengage due to a broken ball socket.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wiper module.
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Delivery (fuel system)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The o-ring seals in the fuel line connector at the outlet end of the fuel filter were damaged when the line was connected to the filter during vehicle assembly. In some cases, this damage could result in a fuel odor, or possibly in fuel dripping from the connection.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the fuel line. Owner notification began september 27, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…
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Hubcap/cover (wheels)
Vehicle description: some 4x2 sport utility vehicles not equipped with an antilock braking system may have inadvertently been built with 4x4 rear hubs instead of 4x2 hubs. If the incorrect hubs are installed on a 4x2 vehicle, the rear wheels can loosen, or in some cases, separate from the vehicle.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear hubs and, if necessary, replace them. Owner notification began september 25, 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
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Vehicle speed control
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control. The speed control cable can have a cracked or missing speed control cable servo cap locating tab. The locating tab could enter the servo clutch cavity and interfere with the speed control servo clutch. Also, water could enter those units that contain a cracked or…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the speed control cables. Vehicles with speed control cables from cavities 3 and 4 will have the cable the speed control servo replaced.
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Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. These vehicles may have a mis-assembled or incorrectly manufactured nut that attaches the steering wheel assembly to the steering column. The nut could be upside down in the steering wheel assembly, which could overstress the steering column shaft when the nut is tightened. In addition, some…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering wheel retention armature and, if necessary, the steering column to correct this condition.
996 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2001 Ford Escape have filed 996 complaints with NHTSA; 76 describe a crash and 58 describe a fire. Reports cite 75 injuries and 3 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 86,964 miles. Complaints peaked in 2001 with 167 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“I put money down on the vehicle the next day when I drove it I noticed that the seat belt doesn’t work. I told him about it and he told me to se if it stays clicked on the passenger side. It does but”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 25, 2026 · Air bags
“The contact owns a 2001 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 60 mph, the vehicle loss motive power. The contact pulls the vehicle over to the side of the road. There were no warning lights il”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, June 2, 2021 · Electrical system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2001 Ford Escape (Escape 2WD, Escape 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 18–23 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 16–21 / 22–26 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 4/6 cyl, 2/3 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd |
Compare Ford Escape model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Ford Escape model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Ford Escape | 0 | 5 |
| 2001 Ford Escape | 13 | 996 |
| 2002 Ford Escape | 8 | 1,027 |
| 2003 Ford Escape | 7 | 558 |
| 2004 Ford Escape | 6 | 499 |
| 2005 Ford Escape | 4 | 1,394 |
| 2006 Ford Escape | 3 | 464 |
| 2007 Ford Escape | 2 | 254 |
| 2008 Ford Escape | 3 | 1,974 |
| 2009 Ford Escape | 1 | 1,693 |
| 2010 Ford Escape | 3 | 2,070 |
| 2011 Ford Escape | 2 | 1,316 |
| 2012 Ford Escape | 1 | 603 |
| 2013 Ford Escape | 18 | 2,750 |
| 2014 Ford Escape | 16 | 2,088 |
| 2015 Ford Escape | 9 | 1,109 |
| 2016 Ford Escape | 4 | 1,144 |
| 2017 Ford Escape | 4 | 2,694 |
| 2018 Ford Escape | 4 | 1,810 |
| 2019 Ford Escape | 3 | 592 |
| 2020 Ford Escape | 23 | 1,604 |
| 2021 Ford Escape | 19 | 349 |
| 2022 Ford Escape | 19 | 234 |
| 2023 Ford Escape | 11 | 100 |
| 2024 Ford Escape | 8 | 76 |
| 2025 Ford Escape | 9 | 24 |
| 2026 Ford Escape | 2 | 3 |
Checking a specific 2001 Ford Escape
How do I know if my 2001 Ford Escape has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 13 campaigns currently list the 2001 Ford Escape; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Ford dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 00V210001).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Ford models
- F-15037,961 complaints
- Explorer34,566 complaints
- Fusion22,405 complaints
- Focus22,096 complaints
- Taurus18,159 complaints
- Windstar14,158 complaints
- Edge14,065 complaints
- Expedition9,359 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.