2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

Typical pattern

2.1% of complaints about the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2009 vehicle — around the middle of the 212 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.2 yr in service. The most-reported system is steering (70 complaints), typically at 9.1 yr or about 105,000 miles.

Complaints: 193
Median age at failure: 7.2 yr
Median mileage: 86,500 n=181
Crash / fire / tow: 6.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 0

In owners’ own words

Steering 21,000 mi 1.8 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MILES PER HOUR, THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED UP ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS ... ONCE RECENTLY, AND ONCE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IN BOTH INSTANCES, I TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL TO FOLLOW A CURVE BUT THE WHEEL WAS LOCKED. I QUICKLY HIT THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR, AND PROPER STEERING THEN RESUMED. I'M VERY FRIGHTENED THAT STEERING MAY NOT RECOVER IN FUTURE INSTANCES, OR THAT EVEN THE SHORT TERM LOSS OF STEERING WILL RESULT IN A WRECK, ACCIDENT, INJURY, OR DEATH. *TR

Steering 54,000 mi 2.8 yr in service

FIRST OCCURRENCE DRIVING AT APPROX 45 MILES PER HOUR MADE A LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING LOT AND LOST POWER STEERING. WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO PARKING SPOT, TURN OFF CAR THEN RESTARTED AND POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. SECOND INCIDENT WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 50 MILES PER HOUR MADE A LEFT TURN, AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING, WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP CAR SAFELY DUE TO TRAFFIC AND HAD TO CONTINUE WITHOUT POWER STEERING FOR APPROX 1 MILE UNTIL I COULD SAFE STOP THE VEHICLE. TURNED OFF CAR AND RESTARTED AND POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. *TR

Steering 34,655 mi 3.3 yr in service

THE AUTOMOBILE STEERING BECAME STIFF AND WOULDN'T TURN. I HAD TO MANUALLY TURN THE CAR AT THE CORNER. IT HAPPENED WITHIN THE WEEK 3 TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO BE CHECKED AT THE DEALER WHO EXPLAINED THAT THEY COULD NOT HELP ME BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE INCIDENT.MY CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY ONLY TO 36,000 MILES SO I AM CONCERNED AS TO THE SAFETY OF THE STEERING ON HIGHWAY AND ON SURFACE STREETS, AS IT HAPPEN PERIODICALLY. *TR

Power train 46,000 mi 3.3 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000. *TR

Other Escape Hybrid model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

In owners’ own words

Other Escape Hybrid model years

How to read this