RecallMyCar

2008 Ford Escape Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 2008 Ford Escape, and owners have filed 1,974 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

3
safety recalls
1,974
owner complaints to NHTSA
59 / 6
complaints citing a crash / fire
19–32
MPG combined (EPA)

3 safety recalls for the 2008 Ford Escape

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Floor shift (power train) and gear position indication (prndl) (power train)

    NHTSA 15V606000 Reported 57 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    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…

  2. Hybrid propulsion system

    NHTSA 14V526000 Reported 70,209 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2005-2008 Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles manufactured October 13, 2003, to June 20, 2008, and 2006-2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid electric vehicles manufactured June 10, 2005, to June 20, 2008. The coolant pump for the hybrid system may fail resulting in the hybrid electronics…

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the original Motor Electronics Coolant (MEC) Pump with an improved brushless pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on October 27, 2014.…

  3. Electric power assist system (steering)

    NHTSA 14V284000 Reported 740,878 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured August 18, 2006, through September 11, 2010. The affected vehicles have a steering torque sensor that may not be able to properly detect driver steering input. As a result, the system could remove the Electric Power…

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power steering control module (PSCM) and the instrument cluster module, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of the torque sensor…

1,974 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2008 Ford Escape have filed 1,974 complaints with NHTSA; 59 describe a crash and 6 describe a fire. Reports cite 44 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 100,281 miles. Complaints peaked in 2014 with 309 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“Electronic power steering went out a couple times on me .”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 2, 2026 · Electrical system

“Was driving on highway at 55 when the wrench warning light came on drove car to residence and turned it off, when car was cranked again it had no power steering. Vin number was not included in recall”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 12, 2026 · Steering

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2008 Ford Escape (Escape 4WD, Escape FWD, Escape Hybrid 4WD, Escape Hybrid FWD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined19–32 mpg
City / Highway17–34 / 22–30
FuelRegular
EPA classSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Engine4/6 cyl, 2.3/3 L
TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios); 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 yearRecallsComplaints
2000 Ford Escape05
2001 Ford Escape13996
2002 Ford Escape81,027
2003 Ford Escape7558
2004 Ford Escape6499
2005 Ford Escape41,394
2006 Ford Escape3464
2007 Ford Escape2254
2008 Ford Escape31,974
2009 Ford Escape11,693
2010 Ford Escape32,070
2011 Ford Escape21,316
2012 Ford Escape1603
2013 Ford Escape182,750
2014 Ford Escape162,088
2015 Ford Escape91,109
2016 Ford Escape41,144
2017 Ford Escape42,694
2018 Ford Escape41,810
2019 Ford Escape3592
2020 Ford Escape231,604
2021 Ford Escape19349
2022 Ford Escape19234
2023 Ford Escape11100
2024 Ford Escape876
2025 Ford Escape924
2026 Ford Escape23

Checking a specific 2008 Ford Escape

How do I know if my 2008 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. 3 campaigns currently list the 2008 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 14V284000).

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

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.